Just an FYI, roads and oil, all protected, extended, and maintained with taxpayer money to the tune of trillions of dollars; that would be welfare as well then ( along with a million other things that benefit the middle and upper class ). It's amazing how people only really dig their feet in when it's someone *else* benefiting from the taxes. Public transportation, done properly, is a huge boost to local economies and improves the living conditions for all. Do you even pretend to do a cost/benefit analysis on "welfare" before condemning it?