CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH SEN. ED MCBROOM
Upper Peninsula state senator Ed McBroom is not a fan of the governor’s plan to increase the gas tax by 45-cents a gallon over the next two years to fix the state’s roads. Not only that, but he tells the Radio Results Network that the governor’s plan to spend 1-point-5 billion of those 2-point-5 billion dollars on “state roads” means that the locals will be left out of the cold.
“From our preliminary looks in my office, it looks like all of this additional revenue is going to go through a separate formula, outside of the Public Act 51 formula that’s been in place for so long,” McBroom told RRN News. “So, yeah, it’s kind of, the chances of us getting much of that up in the U.P. is pretty much nil. That’s pretty much a non-starter for a guy who represents the Upper Peninsula.”
Public Act 51 divides up road funds based on the number of miles of roadway, and it divides it evenly between M-DOT, counties, and local municipalities.
McBroom (R-Norway) said that the governor’s proposal should have focused on using all of the money that’s already collected at the pump to fix roads, rather than have some of it paying for other government priorities.
State Reps. Beau LaFave of Iron Mountain and Greg Markkanen of Hancock today issued the following statements after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her state budget proposal:
Rep. LaFave:
“I’m sick and tired of the tax-and-spend mentality, and I know my fellow Yoopers are too. It’s no wonder this budget proposal for bloated government was rolled out on Fat Tuesday. As this budget process continues, I will fight to make sure taxpayers get the respect they deserve. We’ve got to get concrete results from the money we already have before we even talk about asking taxpayers to toss more of their paychecks into potholes.”
Rep. Markkanen:
“If the governor’s misguided 45-cent gas tax increase proposal were to become a reality, Michigan drivers would be paying the highest gas taxes in the United States — by far. If that theme sounds familiar, it’s because Michigan drivers already are paying the highest car insurance rates in the nation. A $2.5 billion gas tax hike is so unrealistic it shouldn’t even count as a roads plan. People would have to take out two loans if they want to drive in Michigan – one to buy a vehicle, and another to operate it.”
