Who is going to pay for it? You can hear it before you start reading the article. And, no one even has a clue about the answer. Why is that?
Kristof asks a good question – why is it that a country that can build aircraft carriers is unable provide public restrooms? One side says, you mean I have to work another hour so a homeless woman can use a public bathroom? The other says, yes, the billionaire can keep his yacht parked one day of the week so the Manhattan tourist doesn’t enjoy a pleasant walk in Central Park. Henry George would say, collect the socially created land values and pay for infrastructure. The shadow reason we all avoid is the apparent consensus that a rich minority can profit from land rents without ever stepping foot in our city while residents have to put up with a lack of public infrastructure. There are things a civilized society needs that are not provided by the market – things you do because you are human, and the rent you collect because it is socially created. The next time you witness public urination, think about the out-of-state rent-seeker who is enjoying a free ride on the back of society.