The government benefited from the existence of railroad systems as they paid income and property taxes. The federal government funded the construction projects, and benefited from free carriage of government cargoes. The economy developed with the existence of American railroads, as there was no congestion on the public transport systems. The railroads had their own strategies to account for accidents and provide security for their customers (Sibul, 2013). There was no burden for the federal government; hence, there was no stable reason for closure of the railroads system.
Government leaders misused the public transport system for their own self-interests. Politicians, for instance, Frank Hague, used the railway line for his personal benefits, by transporting his cargo in New Jersey (Sibul, 2013). Government leaders should set examples by ensuring that public property is used to benefit the society and not particular individuals. Public administrators should implement strategies to encourage growth of public sectors such as transport systems. It is essential to consider the citizen’s opinions before implementing various policies, for instance, abolishing the railway road systems.
A country’s leadership system should seek to satisfy the citizens’ needs through proper utilization of public resources. The author claims that the use of railway systems was beneficial as there was no need to import petroleum for automobiles. The electric railway systems were powered by coal, nuclear power, and hydro; this enabled the government to reduce importation costs. There were risks involved in the importation of petroleum such as the Suez crisis in 1956. The use of a railway system is more energy efficient than the motor transportation scheme (Sciutto, 2010). Destruction of railway systems has had long-term negative effects in the United States of America.
Bias is evident as the author puts all blame on the liberals for the destruction of railway systems. He has generalized the idea, which may not be necessarily true. Other government officials may have played a part in replacing the railways systems with roads. Some citizens may have also supported the liberal’s strategy. People should stop laying blames on others for failure of public projects; the vital measure is to learn from mistakes, and adopt new ways of development. Financial analysts should help the federal government to implement cost effective projects, which can benefit the society. Citizens should be willing to support the public projects and give opinions on ways to improve them.
References
Sibul.E. (2013). Transportation Readings for American Conservatives – How did we get in such a Mess? Resilience. Retrieved from www.resilience.org/stories/2013-06-24/transportation-readings-for-american-conservatives-how-did-we-get-in-such-a-mess
Sciutto, G. (2010). Safety and Security in Railway Engineering. Southampton: WIT Press.
