Philly Mayor's Stupidity Raises Eyebrows Nationally
by Joe?Pulcinella
Philly has again made headlines in a not-so-flattering way. John Street's dumb, taxpayer-funded, wall-to-wall WiFi network has cought the attention of The Foundation for Economic Education:
Some will argue that the costs are worth it. Philadelphia officials estimate that setting up that city’s network will cost $10 million and that annual maintenance will be no more than $1.5 million. If you are one of Philadelphia’s approximately 1.5 million residents, every year you will pay on average “less than the price of a cup of coffee,? to borrow a phrase used by proponents of past tax-funded projects. No one bothers to mention that you will be forced to buy that cup of coffee—even if you don’t want or need it. To paraphrase Frédéric Bastiat, the expropriation of funds under threat of force is plainly legal plunder, even if it’s for “the common good.? Government-provided Internet access is therefore indefensible on the basis of good intentions.
I would have added a large section to the article detailing the misearble track record that politicians (particularly in Philly) have when it comes to doling out "public services" but the article is well-written and worth a read.
