The debate over privatizing Japan's four highway and bridge corporations has moved from the absurd to the ridiculous.
Privatization advocates have long been upset over the fact that some highways are "unprofitable" in the sense that they are unable to cover all construction, finance and maintenance costs from toll revenue. They point angrily at the 40 trillion deficit run up by the four corporations as a result. They demand that the privatized entities set up to replace the corporations pay off this deficit and desist from building any more "unprofitable" projects.
Curiously, in their calculations of "unprofitability," there is no allowance for the external economies lower transport costs, boosts for regional development provided by these projects.