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the day on which Americans stop working to pay the costs of taxation, deficit spending, and regulations by federal and state governments. Making public transportation "free" is the forced funding of it by some taxpayers who don't use it. This is unfair.

In a Wall Street Journal Online featured article of March 16, 2005, "Mass Transit Hysteria", P.J. O'Rourke writes: "There are just two problems with mass transit. Nobody uses it, and it costs like hell. Only 4% of Americans take public transportation to work. Even in cities they don't do it. Less than 25% of commuters in the New York metropolitan area use public transportation. Elsewhere it's far less-9.5% in San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, 1.8% in Dallas-Fort Worth. As for total travel in urban parts of America-all the comings and goings for work, school, shopping, etc.-1.7 % of those trips are made on mass transit."

O'Rourke continues, "Then there is the cost, which is-obviously-$52 billion. Less obviously, there's all the money spent locally keeping local mass transit systems operating. The Heritage Foundation says, "There isn't a single light rail transit system in America in which fares paid by the passengers cover the cost of their own rides." Heritage cites the Minneapolis "Hiawatha" light rail line, soon to be completed with $107 million from the transportation bill. Heritage estimates that the total expense for each ride on the Hiawatha will be $19. Commuting to work will cost $8,550 a year. If the commuter is earning minimum wage, this leaves about $1,000 a year for food, shelter and clothing. Or, if the city picks up the tab, it could have leased a BMW X-5 SUV for the commuter at about the same price."

There is no easy answer to our transportation problems. One solution is that more workers telecommute or work out of home offices. One thing is clear to me. Users of public transportation should pay their fare. Mass transit costs money, money that should come from those who utilize those services.

Learn more about this author, Jeff Vidrine.
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