American Dream

Misery Loves Company
08/17/2005

It's getting harder, not easier, to go from point A to point B. That's especially so in the nation's capital. Traffic is a mess, and the Metro subway system is falling apart.

I've consistently argued that the subway system needs to make it in the marketplace. Our transportation future won't be found in subsidies. If there's no profit in an endeavor, it's not sustainable. It will forever remain a drag on taxpayers -- while constantly in disrepair and frustrating to riders.

But let's learn from Metro's troubles. The first lesson is that Congress is stupendous at doling out money, but pitiful at requiring any accountability. Virginia Congressman Tom Davis -- head of the misnamed House Committee on Government Reform -- has offered Metro $1.5 billion in federal taxpayer money. A prize for mismanagement, I guess.

But wait. We're told that Congressman Davis has strings attached to the money. "Strings" is right, because they will be broken as easily as the thinnest strand of cotton. Davis says the money is there only if Metro will hire an inspector general to supervise the system and somehow magically make it work. The usual congressional solution: create yet another level of bureaucracy.

But there's more: Davis wants a permanent source of funding (read: a new tax) funding Metro.

So, federal taxpayers get the shaft, but only if local taxpayers get the shaft, too. Misery loves company.

This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.

[From the Americans for Limited Government Web site.]