The entire big box economy is a big honking subsidy to people with cars living in the suburbs by the poor, the singles, the seniors, the urban, the cyclists.
It only works because of the highways and the parking lots and the infrastructure paid for by everyone (road taxes do not cover the cost of the roads) and enjoyed by the drivers. The companies charge twice as much for small packages as big ones because they can; the purchasers without cars and access to the big boxes, the ability to drive between the Walmart and the Costco and the Price Club, don't have a choice.
Read on for Treehugger's reasons. Is bulk buying bad after all?
(Score: 2) by number11 on Tuesday September 26 2017, @01:43AM (2 children)
Eh, gasoline tax monies don't even pay for much more than 50% of the roads. The rest of the expense for roadbuilding and maintenance is paid for out of general revenues, from income, property, and sales taxes. Roads are chronically unprofitable also!
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 26 2017, @02:05AM (1 child)
Roads are a huge net benefit. Better logistics means that the whole of society benefits. Now, we could argue about the relative merits of different forms of transport - horses for courses, after all - but roads would make everybody's life better even if there weren't purpose-directed taxes supporting their construction and maintenance.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday September 26 2017, @11:26AM
Rail is a huge net benefit, but somehow we've moved away from those efficiencies to moving cargo around on the highways and roads. Moving cargo by water is a huge net benefit, but we've moved away from those efficiencies to moving cargo around on the highways and roads. Roads are a relatively inefficient way to move cargo, but the cost is subsidized. Socialism at work.
Washington DC delenda est.