Our View - House roads plan misses message from voters

Members of Michigan’s House of Representatives said the message from voters was clear last month when Proposal 1 was soundly rejected — don’t raise our taxes to fix the roads.

So what did these legislators do? They came back with a plan that, at least in part, relies on a tax increase to generate more money for roads.

The Republican-led House’s plan, which on Wednesday was passed out of a specially created committee to fast-track road funding legislation, will funnel more than $1 billion annually to road repairs by 2019 with about two-thirds of that money coming from the state’s general fund. But, among other measures, the proposal also eliminates special tax credits for low-income families to bring in $117 million more in revenue for the roads.

Of course, this ever crafty group doesn’t call that a tax increase.

We question, how is it not? And why are we asking people who budget every dollar and cent each month to feed their families and pay their bills to take this hit?

Wiping away the tax breaks for already struggling families isn’t the only problem we see with this plan. House lawmakers want to strip funding from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, an agency that this editorial board views as vital to the state’s growth. The House’s plan cuts $135 million from the organization’s annual budget, amounting to about one-quarter of its funding.

In addition to the state’s Pure Michigan campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation also administers grants that drive development and growth in this and other regions around the state.

The House’s plan, much like Proposal 1, will take several years to generate the necessary amount of money needed to fix roads and bridges throughout the state. Of the proposal’s portion that will come from the general fund, $442 million will be appropriated in the first year. It won’t be until 2019 that the full $792 million from the general fund will be directed to roads.

Fortunately, the House’s proposal isn’t likely to be the end result when — fingers crossed — Gov. Rick Snyder signs legislation to increase funding for roads. Snyder has defended state spending on economic development and continues to favor a roads plan that features a restructured and increased fuel tax, in addition to other changes. Leaders in the state Senate, too, are expected to propose a plan that more closely aligns with Snyder.

No plan is perfect, but the House is once again off in its own world on this issue.

Rather than listen to the majority of residents, business owners and organizations throughout the state that said they were willing to be taxed more to pay for roads, House members chose to put their own spin on the Proposal 1 vote.

The House’s roads plan is, unfortunately, exactly what we’ve come to expect from this ultra-conservative group of legislators.

We urge you to contact our legislators and let them know what you think. Their information is below:

— House 105th district Rep. Triston Cole (phone: (517) 373-0829, email: TristonCole@house.mi.gov, mailing: S-1389 House Office Building, P.O. Box 30014, Lansing, MI 48909)

— House 107th district Rep. Lee Chatfield (phone: (517) 373-2629, email: LeeChatfield@house.mi.gov, mailing: S-1486 House Office Building, P.O. Box 30014, Lansing, MI 48909)

— Senate 37th district Wayne Schmidt (phone: (517) 373-2413, email: SenWSchmidt@senate.michigan.gov, mailing: Senator Wayne Schmidt, P.O. Box 30036, Lansing, MI 48909)

‘Our View’ represents the opinion of the News-Review editorial board: Ryan Bentley, Rachel Brougham, Doug Caldwell, Jeremy McBain, Jordan Spence and Craig Currier.