If it can’t be done in Manhattan, it probably can’t be done anywhere else in America.
Fans of Friedrich Hayek know that a price is a glorious thing. In his 1945 essay, “The Use of Knowledge in Society,” Hayek asks us to imagine that for some reason tin has come to be in short supply. In less time than it would take the government to form a committee to study the shortage, the invisible hand of the marketplace resolves it.
But as anyone who has recently gone grocery shopping can attest, prices can also be grim things. One of the many messages they convey is “you can’t afford this.” And, infuriatingly, the unluckiest among us hear this message the most often. It’s not really the fault of prices; it’s the reality of scarcity in a world of limited resources and infinite desires. But this is little consolation, so we mutter about “price gouging” or “The first paragraph explains why congestion pricing of roads is good.
In political disputes, a discrete group facing highly concentrated costs often defeats a larger public interest that conveys a small individual benefit to everybody — such as being able to move around the city faster when you really need to. This is particularly true in the American system, which is designed to empower angry minorities. And it’s especially true when they’re abetted by status quo bias and a sympathetic majority, as in this case.
Complain all you want about selfish suburban drivers or the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s bloated cost structure or Hochul’s cowardice, the biggest obstacle to congestion pricing is that. A more technocratic, less democratically responsive government might have been able to ram it through, and perhaps in time everyone would have come to like it.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
1970s Photos of Lower Manhattan Revealed America’s DecayIn the 1970s, photographer Wil Blanche documented New York's decaying natural environment for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Read more »
Opinion: Why the Manhattan trial is probably helping TrumpThroughout the Republican primary campaign (such as it was), it was perfectly clear that the multiple indictments of Donald Trump helped him consolidate support.
Read more »
Douthat: Why the Manhattan trial is probably helping TrumpTo a casual observer, it’s just another Monica Lewinsky affair, while a legal analysis sees a hyped-up misdemeanor.
Read more »
Why Johnson’s appearance at Manhattan courthouse stands out among Republicans backing up TrumpHouse Speaker Mike Johnson is not waiting for ex-President Donald Trump to be judged by a jury of his peers. He’s delivered his verdict already.
Read more »
Bank of America explains why it’s not just about Nvidia anymoreBank of America explains why it’s not just about Nvidia anymore
Read more »
Captain America Proves His New Shield Is the Perfect Weapon Against 1 of His Oldest VillainsCaptain America vs Baron Blood on the cropped cover to Captain America 254
Read more »