75.        The author of this government agency memorandum argues that the government
should not spend any money this year fixing the bridge that crosses the Styx River,
given the limited resources available for building and repair of roads and bridges. The
author reasons that this bridge is less important than others because it is located near a
city with a weakening economy, and because the city's small population is unlikely to
contribute enough tax revenue to Justify fixing their bridge. This argument is
unconvincing for four reasons.
      First of all, the author unfairly assumes that the importance of a bridge is
determined solely by the economic condition of nearby cities. This assumption
overlooks other criteria for determining a bridge's importance—such as the number of
commuters using the bridge, the role of the bridge in local emergencies and disasters,
and the impact that bridge closure would have on the economies of nearby cities.
Without accounting for these other potential factors, the author fails to provide a
convincing argument that the Styx River Bridge is unimportant.
      Secondly, the author fails to provide any evidence that other bridges are more
important than the Styx River Bridge. Without such evidence, we cannot accept the
author's conclusion that no government funds should be directed toward maintaining
the Styx River Bridge.
      Thirdly, the fact that the nearby city has a weakening economy does not prove that
the city will not contribute significantly to tax revenues. Perhaps tax revenues are based
on property taxes, which are not related directly to economic conditions. If so, and if
property values and taxes are high in this nearby city, then the city would contribute
significantly to tax revenues, and the bridge would be important to maintain those
property values and the revenues they generate.
      Finally, the author assumes that a city should receive government services
commensurate with the tax dollars it contributes. Substantiating this assumption
requires examining the proper duty of government. However, the author provides no
such examination. Accordingly, this assumption is simply an unproven claim.
      In conclusion, this editorial fails to substantiate its claim that the Styx River
Bridge is not important enough for the government to spend tax dollars to maintain and
repair it. To strengthen the argument, the author must account for other factors that also
determine a bridge's importance, and must compare the importance of this bridge
relative to other bridges