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I wish there was a way to opt out. I will willingly sign a contract to never use said system (if it ever gets finished), in return for not sponsoring it anymore with my taxes.

I'd prefer those taxes to instead go somewhere useful, like paying teachers better.

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I mean, we all want our taxes to go to things, but being part of a democratic society means we don't get to dictate to that degree. Sometimes we do things to help people other than ourselves.

It seems like even if you're not literally riding the train, you'll benefit from it if it has a positive impact on the economy, traffic, property values, etc.

But is that a greater benefit than the effects of not taxing away all that money from folks who’d prefer to spend or invest it differently? Those effects are difficult to appreciate because they’re so diffuse but could easily outweigh the more tangible benefits of what’s otherwise a boondoggle.

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