Actually looking at it... 60% of the money used to build and maintain roads is paid for by taxes on those who use the roads. Vehicle taxes/Gas taxes/ property taxes.
The other 40% is provided by local governments... who tax the local residents.
The userfee number used to be higher.
http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2003/04transportation_wachs.aspx
Funny note by the way... this actually agrees with you in that it thinks that it should be more of a "National" issue.
However agrees with me on the viability of electronic tolling long term... and generally disagress with you with how to pay for everything.
Also interesting to note... a lot of the time the government doesn't built the roads. They force the people who own and develop the land to build them, then force theme to cede the roads to the government.
Essentially the majority of roads are privately built and provided by private enterprise, thanks to a handy government regulation.
I more or less agree with your position that roads should be provided by the government. It's just that you are arguieng about it all the wrong way and more or less bitching about stuff not working that is what the future of our public roads.
Private roads can work... and do work... including in this country. See the street assosiations of St Louis. Or Nothern Oaks Michigan.
Just because things work doesn't mean you HAVE to do them though. I wouldn't want to do it because i feel like government would just screw up the regulations and it would just lead to more trouble and cronyism then the current bidding systems. Not because it couldn't be done effectivly, but because the government would almost surely screw up the execution.
