The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1961-01-20

By BURTON G. DENLY, Terry
There are three reasons for writ
ing this.
The first is an attempt to show the
illogical thinking which has been
used as basis for determining In
terstate Highway routings in Mon
tana.
The second is to attempt to fix
the blame for the excessive cost of
right-of-way, the unnecessary delays
in completion of the program and
the resulting exorbitant costs to the
taxpayer.
The third is to refute the claim by
representatives of certain highway
users that any change in the existing
Montana statutes concerning eminent
domain and the right of condemna-
ton would serve the ends of justice.
Within the Montana Highway De-
partment is a division called the plan
ming survey. One of it's functions is
to prepare studies of alternate high
way routings in certain areas to de-
termine which route would be the
most beneficial. There is a person
who calls himself an economist in
this department. | do not know how
many engineers, clerks and other per-
sonnet is maintained by this depart
ment. 1t is to be assumed that there
are several at considerable expense
to the Montana taxpayer.
This department comes up on oc-
casion with documents entitled thus
ly: Economic Analysis of Alternate
Routings in vicinity of -----".
These have been termed not esti-
mates but "guesstimates'' 1t is felt |
by many of us that these are not the
result of objective studies but a |
planned attempt to fill in a set of |
figures, inaccurate and deceptive if |
necessary, to add up to an already |
predetermined decision of where the
highway should be.
We also feel that these predeter-
mined decisions were arrived at
by the Highway Commissioners
after they had been subjected to
pressure by Chambers of Com
merce, highway user groups, auto
mobile associations and others. We
believe that ensuing events have
proved that there was never any
chance that the resulting costs
would be as hoped for in these
Studies.
QUESTIONS DODGED
At a public hearing in Miles City
the economist and engineers were
asked Gust where is this highway TO
be located?" These officials told the
people it will be approximately here
or there or that it would be a half
a mile this way or that. They were
then asked repeatedly, chow can you
tell us the cost when you don't know
where it is to be located?" The Off
cials lodged an answer to this and
were able throughout the course of
the hearing to avoid any responsible
answer to their questioners.
We could also have asked What
is your basis for your rights-of-way
cost estimates? How do you know !
if this owner is going to accept the
1 - Ui co VI yOul ciPPieiioStS, v - -
is going to force the Highway Depart
ment to condemn, or how do you ,
know what three court appointed :
appraisers are going to decide or +
what do you know concerning how !
many courts you may have to appeal I
to or to what you may have to sub :
mit?"
These economic guesstimators could !,
also have been asked on what basis do
you estimate you are going to get
The various utilities in these crowded
valleys to- move their facilities? Time I
mas borne out that these same utili- :
lies are going to get great deal l
more than was expected for making
his change. We wonder what figures
'hese guesstimators plucked out OF
he blue sky to present to the pubic
n this case. Time and the subsequent
occurances have in fact borne out 2
hat these economic analyses must 9
never have had any basis. Everyone