Commentary
MLive Gets Senate Roads Plan Wrong
No spending reductions required in Senate plan
An MLive.com editorial criticizes the state Senate's road funding plan, stating “It is cowardly and irresponsible for [Sen. Arlan] Meekhof and his colleagues to refuse to outline what, exactly, they will cut.”
Michigan tax revenues are growing, and both the House and the Senate road plans mean some of that expected growth would fund roads. Some $1.6 billion in expected revenue increases over the next two years would be more than enough to avoid any spending reductions while still devoting more income tax revenue to roads.
Even then, the recent Senate proposal actually calls for fewer “budget cuts” than the current budget. In the first year of implementation, it devotes $350 million of the income tax to the roads. There’s already $400 million of general fund money in the roads budget.
Despite the editorialists’ assertions, reasonable growth projections mean no spending reductions are required in the Senate roads plan. And if policymakers wanted to fix the roads without raising taxes, there are a number of places to look for savings.
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MLive Gets Senate Roads Plan Wrong
No spending reductions required in Senate plan
An MLive.com editorial criticizes the state Senate's road funding plan, stating “It is cowardly and irresponsible for [Sen. Arlan] Meekhof and his colleagues to refuse to outline what, exactly, they will cut.”
Michigan tax revenues are growing, and both the House and the Senate road plans mean some of that expected growth would fund roads. Some $1.6 billion in expected revenue increases over the next two years would be more than enough to avoid any spending reductions while still devoting more income tax revenue to roads.
Even then, the recent Senate proposal actually calls for fewer “budget cuts” than the current budget. In the first year of implementation, it devotes $350 million of the income tax to the roads. There’s already $400 million of general fund money in the roads budget.
Despite the editorialists’ assertions, reasonable growth projections mean no spending reductions are required in the Senate roads plan. And if policymakers wanted to fix the roads without raising taxes, there are a number of places to look for savings.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.
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