libs should drop that deficit hawk horse shit learn about modern monetary theory (in addition to Marx obviously). governments with currency sovereignty like the USA, UK, France, and Japan don't actually need to tax you to pay for public projects like mass transit. they only tax you to create demand for the currency they print, so that you are compelled to get a job, and work for more of that currency (and to control inflation by subtracting money from the economy). Everything else is down to material conditions. Does the government and the private sector it subsidizes (to the tune of trillions) have the resources to build a modern transit system? Yes. Therefore they can do it. It's not a matter of "how will we pay for it?" .... The government objectively cannot run out of money. It can only cause inflation. And that's never stopped them from starting wars or subsidizing corporations so why should it stop them from subsidizing the public? It doesn't. It's just that porky has captured the state. The state usually has the physical resources to make workers' lives better but chooses not to because capitalists run the government. That simple.

In fact the government not only can afford to build a mass transit system, it can afford to make it free. You don't even need to collect fares etc. to pay for the upkeep. They kept up the war in Afghanistan for 20 years. They can keep up a transit system without making poor people pay money to use it. The bastards just lie. The government is an infinite money printer for corporations, but suddenly it's penniless for poor people. The IRS even admitted they avoid going after rich tax dodgers but will go after poor tax dodgers. Many studies show means testing welfare costs more than simply giving out welfare for free, because means testing requires a bureaucratic apparatus. It's entirely about controlling the proletariat and treating them like chattel. It has zero to do with affordability.