A Bridge to Poverty

One of the lesser controversies in Lansing recently involves plans to replace the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor. The Ambassador Bridge is a privately owned toll bridge. It is aging, so the company that owns it announced plans to build a new bridge nearby. But the government wants to build a bridge of its own.

The private bridge would cost one billion dollars. The government bridge would cost three billion dollars. Thus the government bridge would cost three times as much, which sounds about right for a government project.

But some democrats want the bridge to be government owned, even though it would cost so much more. This is pure statism, the preference for government over freedom.

Private ownership of roads appears impractical due to the need for efficient routes and the difficulty with payment. But bridges don't have these problems. The ambassador bridge is a good example of private management in action.