LANSING (WKZO) — Is there a “Plan B” for fixing roads in Michigan?
The Governor doesn’t have any specific plans waiting in the wings and neither apparently do legislators but they have plenty of ideas, most of them conflict.
Democratic Legislative Minority leaders Jim Annanich and Time Grimel told the media just 90 minutes after voters absolutely crushed their compromise plan that they aren’t giving up, They say their guiding principles will be to find new money from corporations, protect middle class taxpayers and no gimmicks or quick fixes.
Republican leaders are saying the voters have clearly said they don’t want a lot of new taxes, that the state should pay for it most of it with the money they have on hand, and that any future requests for additional money should be strictly for roads.
Governor Snyder told reporters at a news conference after the vote that roads have been his top priority and still is and he is ready to get right back to work on the issue.
He says the real challenge is finding something that will pass through both houses of the legislature.
So there is no “Plan B”.
Legislators may want to refer to a new poll that attempts to identify what voters want, rather than try to interpret what the election meant.
An EPIC-MRA poll says that 81 percent of respondents want Governor Snyder and state lawmakers to “develop an alternative on road funding as soon as possible,” with 85 percent wanting a special legislative summer session for just that.
The Poll also showed that a majority are still ready to hike taxes to pay for roads, if it’s the right request.
