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[quote user="Phoebe Vet"] The government is not a for profit business enterprise.  Almost no service provided by the government breaks even or produces a profit.  Government operates for the common good of the society. [/quote] Many government activities, e.g. defense, education, law enforcement, regulation, etc. serve the common good.  Other government activities, however, serve a very narrow constituency.  Amtrak is in this category. Given that less than one per cent of intercity travelers use Amtrak, to argue that it is a common good is a stretch. The common good is more often than not in the eyes of the beholder, and there are legitimate differences in what constitutes a common good.  Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, argued that a new football stadium funded largely by the taxpayers is a common good.  Not to be outdone, the owners of the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars made the same argument for a new arena in Dallas.  And the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, of which I attend regularly, made the same argument. And got taxpayer money from the citizens of Dallas, most of whom have no interest in classical music, to build a concert hall beyond what the patrons were willing to pay for.   You are correct about government.  It does not earn a profit. And that is the best argument that I can think of for why it should not be running a commercial enterprise.
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