as you can see, I find this an interesting discussion... but to approach from a less esoteric direction, I have a question for you:

Police, fire, garbage collection (etc) typically form a significant portion of a municipal government's budget. These are generally considered essential services and (police/fire anyway) are the last to receive budget cuts - at least around here - every year, the municipal budget debate instead, threatens to shut down the heavily used city outdoor rinks to save tax dollars, the amount of which is about 3 cents per property tax bill + way less than 1% of big ticket items eg the police budget...

In your "ideal" libertarian reality, how does one address services of these sorts? Is it possible to have multiple, privately run, competitive fire "departments"? Garbage/recycling collection? Do we model them after snowblowing or lawncare businesses? something else? do we legislate said businesses eg to still pick up garbage on a single day? What about roadways? Should all roadways be private, pay-per use? is there a better model? I suppose something like water/sewer lines could be privatized in manner similar to electric or phone services, private billing of shared infrastructure cost... I can't begin to imagine the pipework mess + inefficiency of independent sets of sewer/water pipe systems under ground for independent private sewer/water companies!

In our city, I would like to see developers (eg most impacting those building on the outside of the city) forced to pay the full cost of running services (eg water/sewer) to a site. That would economically curb the urban sprawl that I am currently forced to support through my own property taxes (a much bigger pie slice than eg the outdoor rinks)!

So, I'm actually quite interested in your ideas/views in this regard. Personally, I think most of these things are better delivered through, as you put it, a government monopoly + cut costs by addressing real costs + fiscal accountability of those monopolies + the bureaucracy in-between the tax collection + the garbage truck driving down the street... but maybe there is something a stronger libertarian view can add? interesting...

(btw, I just googled the mill rates for your general area + mine: 1.19% vs 1.26%, so the difference is there, but not massive, fwiw)

(and again, you are welcome to email me, I find your views interesting, but don't want to overwhelm Scott - I'm hoping this is viewed as a philosophical discussion rather than a political one)

cheers,

James...

posted by 69.63.53...

• Alright you Canadians, No Snaab, Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:51:19
  • I thought this would be about two Thanksgiving holidays, MI-Roger , Sat, 27 Nov 2010 10:54:30
  • what gives? low interest rates ..., Trev, Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:10:21
  • Echo bubbles, Reality, Thu, 25 Nov 2010 09:51:35
    • while I partially agree..., James, Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:04:42
      • Re: while I partially agree..., Bill Homer , Fri, 26 Nov 2010 07:46:32
        • But at the same time..., Noel, Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:43:47
        • it has been a contractor gravy train..., James, Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:11:32
      • Re: while I partially agree..., Reality, Thu, 25 Nov 2010 20:27:19
        • Re: while I partially agree..., James, Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:32:49
          • Re: while I partially agree..., Reality, Fri, 26 Nov 2010 10:16:04
            • Re: while I partially agree..., James, Fri, 26 Nov 2010 12:15:02
              • Re: while I partially agree..., Reality, Fri, 26 Nov 2010 13:10:00
                • buyer encouragement..., James, Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:41:53
                  • Re: buyer encouragement..., Reality, Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:17:47
                    • left vs right, James, Sat, 27 Nov 2010 09:02:34
                      • Multi-Dimensional, Reality, Sun, 28 Nov 2010 17:45:48
                        • balance + the Nolan chart, James, Mon, 29 Nov 2010 08:58:56
                          • Re: balance + the Nolan chart, Tim, Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:18:09
                            • I'll guess I'll bite one last time I guess..., James, Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:53:50
                              • I was listening to the same NPR segment on Monday, Reality, Thu, 2 Dec 2010 22:42:27
                                • a different angle..., James, Sun, 5 Dec 2010 03:50:31 <-- Viewing This Message
                                • NPR?, James, Sat, 4 Dec 2010 15:07:16
                                  • Re: NPR?, Reality, Tue, 7 Dec 2010 15:30:17
                                    • Re: NPR?, James, Wed, 8 Dec 2010 11:36:49
                                      • Agreement, Reality, Wed, 8 Dec 2010 14:58:07
                                        • Re: Agreement, James, Wed, 8 Dec 2010 16:13:40
  • Re: Alright you Canadians, James, Thu, 25 Nov 2010 08:39:28
  • Re: Alright you Canadians, JohnA , Thu, 25 Nov 2010 07:43:14
  • Re: Alright you Canadians, gilbertb, Thu, 25 Nov 2010 07:15:06
  • Same down here in Australia..., sab, Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:32:32
    • You haven't seen stupid house prices, No Snaab, Thu, 25 Nov 2010 07:56:00

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