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Texas Governor Rick Perry: Libertarian Visionary or Jerk?

by Paul Gessing

The libertarians over at the Reason Foundation recently named Texas Governor Rick Perry an "innovator in action" for his innovative approach to tolling and leveraging private money for a transportation called the Trans-Texas Corridor.

Lew Rockwell recently blogged on the topic, essentially calling Perry and Reason "fascists." What's a libertarian to think? Personally, I come down on the side of Perry and Reason. I don't see how leveraging private money to fund transportation projects is fascist. One would also think that a fellow like Rockwell would have concerns about the current transportation system which can only be called socialistic. Anyway, given its cutting edge nature, Perry and Reason are certainly controversial figures in Texas as this story discusses.

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Comments

Well, Paul, I went over to the Lew Rockwell blog and saw some of the complaints, and if they are factually true then I can easily see why a libertarian or free liberal would be angry about this project. A ban on competing roads seems like a state-imposed monopoly, which I would hope would not be tolerated by anyone interested in preserving freedom. Merely pointing out the problems in the current system does not justify creating something even worse.

# posted at by Will

States are allowed a monopoly on the use of public space, although if you can build a private road anywhere in the lower 48 of any length, my hat is off to you.

I have actually stopped caring what Lew thinks about anything - as if I ever really did. As the LP moves away from that particular ideology, it is more and more likely to grow, not shrink - especially as McCain gets lower and lower in the polls and the Republican brand name with it. Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin aren't going to save the GOP from coming obscurity. We may be seeing a different kind of race to the bottom.

Personally, I will be interested to see what emerges from the ashes. My guess is it will look alot more like what I say and what Carl says then anything Lew says.

# posted at by Xianleftist_Michael [TypeKey Profile Page]

To Will's point, a ban on competing roads is necessary if the idea of private roads is going to work. After all, if the government can come in and build a "free" road 10 years after a toll road is constructed, no one will invest in them.

Regarding Michael's point, I hope that shifting the LP to Carl's perspective does not involve adopting his neo con foreign policy positions.

# posted at by Paul Gessing