On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 18:00:57 +0000 (UTC), "Jonn Elledge"
wrote:

Do you have any credible evidence that it makes sense to transfer loss
making industries to the private sector, where businesses must make a
profit?

*Apart* from stemming the losses and allowing taxes to be either reduced or
used for productive purposes, you mean?

There's a difference between a business and a service though.

There is. But they are not mutually exclusive

Laying and
maintaining electricity lines to some remote locations must be a loss-making
business, if there are only three men and a dog living at the end of the
line; but the lines are there because in this day and age it would be pretty
ridiculous to expect them to get by without electricity.

Well, maybe. Of course, you could simply say that it's their choice to
live there, and nobody else should have to subsidise that

But even if not, you can still have a business running an inherently
loss-making service. The govt simply proves the a form of subsidy,
just as it does in the public sector

The same applies to public transport. People need it to live. Not every
can - or can afford - to drive. (And some of us fall into both
categories...)

The same does apply to public transport indeed...

cheers

matt