It's pretty clear a "good State shortline development program" puts the self-sufficient businessmen at a competitive disadvantage. And it's clear it trains the participants to act dependent, or worse. A shame!

The biggest difference to gov't assistance of RR's is that the public investment is not available to other operators or toward competitive rates for shippers. From that perspective it is nothing like a highway or airport. Why wouldn't it be fair to object to funding monopolies?