This letter is in response to one written by Kim McGahey titled “Nobody has a right to afford to live in Summit County.”

Mr. McGahey appears to lack a very fundamental understanding of how local economies work.

You see Mr. McGahey, communities like Breckenridge require a vast army of service industry workers to remain viable. 

These are the people who stock your groceries and groom your ski slopes. These are the people who serve your real estate clients’ food and coffee, repair their vehicles and appliances, clean their homes and care for their children. 

The further your workforce is pushed away from their source of income due to lack of housing, the smaller that workforce will grow. 

Soon you’ll be scratching your head, wondering why you can’t find a nice place to eat or get your oil changed, or why Peak 10 is closed for no apparent reason. Or worse, why it took the tow truck four hours to arrive, or why the hospital is understaffed. 

You’ll wonder why Summit County has gone downhill — because apparently, it’s beyond comprehension that these businesses don’t run themselves and the workers they require in order to function need affordable housing. 

So Mr. McGahey, where should those people live? Should they commute from Hartsel? Aurora? Des Moines? We’d all love to hear your suggestions.