“Should we rely on the profit-driven private sector to build our transportation future?” was the focus of a Los Angeles Times commentary published in the May 27 Telegram, and I thought to myself: What kind of question is this?

“Profit-driven” is used pejoratively as author David L. Ulin’s main reason for criticizing Uber’s proposal to bring flying ride-share services to Los Angeles. Imagine a world without profit. Would anyone be willing to work without incentive? Would businesses survive without the savings necessary to maintain their upkeep? A business without profit cannot reinvest in itself, and it certainly cannot benefit its community. Imagine how this project would benefit congested cities. Imagine the time saved by eliminating the wait for public transportation.

Obvious benefits aside, the author then goes on to criticize Uber’s reputation by bringing up such instances as: a data breach that jeopardized customer information, lax background checks for drivers; and gender-based discrimination. What do all these things have in common? They were poor decisions made by company executives. Justice was served, and they paid the price.

However, the author uses these examples to criticize the entire private sector. A business is only as good as the people running it. One should not denounce the free market because a few bad businessmen make poor choices. That is why we have courts.

And let us not forget the long, sordid history of public transportation. When the first state-subsidized railroads were built in California, the service was unreliable and fees were exorbitant, which cost farmers dearly. They had no other alternative because any attempt to build a private railroad was blocked by legislative action.

Right here in Maine, we witnessed a scandal involving the Maine Turnpike Authority. The list could go on, but the important take-away is that public transportation has major faults and is rarely ever the source of innovation and technological achievement.

Maxwell Testa

Farmington


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