Probably due to the issues surrounding the US vs indigenous people. Indigenous people were depicted as savages that scalped people yet at the same time scalping an indigenous person was a source of income yet somehow didn’t make colonizers savages.

In my state at least millions in federal funding goes towards projects. Day to day operations are funded by state tax dollars and they still want people to pay ever increasing prices for public transport.

Honytawks argument further falls flat when you consider tax dollars do go to public transport.

Edit:clarified state tax vs federal