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Good uses of government include funding basic research, laying out infrastructure and communication networks, and helping coordinate the provision of utilities and basic minimums of good citizenship. These efforts promote the general welfare and facilitate smooth functioning of the economy. Poor uses of government include picking winners and losers or allowing government to be usurped by special interests, corporate money or nepotism. Those approaches have ways of separating taxes from individuals and reallocating them to uses that lack voter consent, implicit or otherwise. Giving government such a role is very dangerous for small communities with thin tax bases.

If taxes are to be thrown at private projects, not only is there a conflict of interest in making government a de facto partner, but there needs to be a much higher threshold of accountability — such as transparency on expected returns. Yet no one in our city government has anywhere near the expertise in solar power economics to make investment decisions on early stage start-ups! Solyndra, anyone? Instead, the city should promote Solar Roadways along with other Sandpoint businesses while using our new grants administrator to find external funding. If those grants require matching funds, then surely investors would see it as a golden opportunity to pony up their share. But if key investors are unwilling to provide the matching funds, then the city has no business gambling taxpayer dollars on such a venture.

PETER KRIZ

Sandpoint