Originally Posted by tony_merlino

"The State" is all of us. We decide that we want things that, at least in principle, are worth having, and then we pay for them in some sort of collective way. It's not necessary that we ALL use those things all the time, or even that we ALL use them at all. I have never, thank God, needed special ed classes or public assistance. But I pay for them, because I buy into the process. I'm a member of society, and civilization has a price.

Parking spots and roads are public assets that we pool our resources to pay for, based on a perceived need by the majority of members of society, with the understanding they serve an important purpose for the society as a whole.

I still think this is the silliest thread I've ever seen, even on A&S.