They say never pick a fight with somebody that buys ink by the barrel.  Whoa Nelly, watch out because the New York Times is mad that the $100 million in the red Arizona Department of Transportation closed thirteen of eighteen highway rest stops in Arizona.  Recently more that $500 million was diverted from ADOT to the State of Arizona’s general fund to help with Arizona’s fiscal crisis.  In addition to the government not understanding economics, the people have the same problem.  One resident thinks ADOT closed the rest stops because the ADOT lackeys of the state legislature are laying the road for the legislature to increase taxes.  The NYT article contains this sobering statement:

“Arizona has the largest budget gap in the country when measured as a percentage of its overall budget”

The cost to operate each rest stop is approximately $300,000 a year, which is $822 a day.  One member of the Arizona legislature says the legislature is considering licensing each rest stop to businesses that will maintain the stops in return for being allowed to sell products to the public.  You’d think that a convenience store would jump at the opportunity to be the sole source of food, beverages and other grab and go items at each rest stop.

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