Thank you Mr. Chairman. And welcome to the witnesses.
As a member of a rural state I will take great interest in the testimony of our panels today. Wyoming must share just four tenths of one percent of transit funds with four other rural states: Montana, Idaho, North Dakota and South Dakota. Nonetheless, I would like to assure everyone, both colleagues and witnesses alike, that I fully understand the reasons for this funding disparity between urban and rural states in the manner of transit funding. I understand why all states receive more than Wyoming.
It remains true, however, that some out there have made noises implying that it might be time to transfer monies from highway funding to transit programs. This gives me pause. Wyoming has miles and miles of miles and miles. In addition, over fifty percent of the state I represent is owned by the Federal Government. Being responsible for the maintenance of roads through lands that will never generate a state tax base can get expensive. So I will be most interested to learn just what these respected individuals believe the future of transit funding to be, especially in those states perceived as having no need for such funding.
Thank you Mr. Chairman
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