Economics is about human action. It points us away from discussions of inanimate objects and, instead, towards the actors, the real people, doing the choosing. So better to talk about politicians than government.
Politicians are real people making complex choices and not able to ignore their personal preferences and constraints. How could they? Hubris inevitably creeps in and we hear about "public interest" and "public service" and such.
So drop "publicly provided" in favor of "politically provided." My good friend Jim D points us to "Subway Ridership Dropped Again in New York as Passengers Flee to Uber" in a recent NY Times report. Could it be any other way? Look for stories about "budget shortfalls" and "underfunded" which is the only way out if the human action part (famously brought to politics by James Buchanan) is ignored.
Federal government deficits and national debt, and the prospect of their durability, are no mystery. Republicans used to voice concerns. But even that has gone away.
ADDED
Why would this idiotic project NOT move forward?
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A blog exploring the intersection of economic thinking and urban planning/real estate development and related big-think themes.
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