Dear Editor: In Support of Dan Hagerty

Dear Editor,

Isn’t it absurd what politicians expect us to believe these days? At the federal level, we hear things like the border is secure, and that the Inflation Reduction Act’s new $369 billion in spending will reduce inflation – currently at 8.2%. Here’s a local whopper for you: Commissioner candidate Mary Hensleigh’s claim in the Ledger that restoring passenger rail travel to southwest Montana will benefit all Montanans.

Here are some facts:

• Passenger rail is the most expensive mode of transport to build, operate, and maintain.

• The only Amtrak corridor that makes money is the Boston/Washington corridor.

• Amtrak moved 6.4 billion passenger miles at a loss of $817 million to taxpayers in 2018. Domestic air travel moved 730 billion passenger miles (over 100 times as many as Amtrak). Highways moved 5.6 trillion passenger miles, including 388 billion on buses (over 60 times as many as Amtrak).

• I-90 and I-15 are practically empty 22 hours a day.

• Today Jefferson Lines and Salt Lake Express provide economical bus transportation along I-90 and I-15.

Do you want a County Commissioner who’s focused on an absurd “solution” to a non-existent problem using hard-earned taxpayer dollars? If not, please vote for Dan Hagerty.

Mark Wood

Whitehall, Montana