Michigan ranks dead last in the nation when it comes to its per capita spending on its roads and bridges, according to a report citing U.S. Census Bureau data. Is it because Michiganders don’t pay a high enough gas tax, or have our legislators been re-directing our road tax dollars elsewhere?
Michigan has the 5th highest Gasoline Tax in the nation, only Democrat controlled CA, NY, HI, CT are higher! Michigan’s gas excise tax is 19 cents per gallon. Michigan also collects sales taxes and an environmental regulation tax for a whopping grand total of 39.4 cents per gallon.
Michigan legislators have been stealing, robbing and shifting “our” road fund monies for years! Now that the kitty is bone dry they have the gull to suggest “we taxpayers” pony up by accepting a gas tax and vehicle registration fee increases.
Michigan legislative Transportation and Infrastructure committee chairs Wayne Schmidt (R) House and Tom Casperson (R) Senate would serve their constituents and all Michigan motorist well by pushing legislation that would outlaw any further diversions of Gasoline Tax monies from roads, bridges and infrastructure. Unfortunately these two seem more concerned about “Horse Trading” with politically well connected real estate developers.
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There is a clear pattern of history here of transferring “stealing” our road tax dollars for other unspecified state spending projects by our elected officials. And our legislators have the gull to propose new taxes on the citizens of Michigan as to repair our roads! Just say no to any new road taxes!
Republican Senate Majority leader Randy Richardville gave a legislative update to the Monroe Chamber of Commerce on Friday, January 10 2014. When he was through giving this update he opened up the floor for questions.
According to a peerform review, the very first question asked from a chamber member was, there is a lot of talk about a gas tax increase and vehicle registration fee increases coming out of Lansing will we be seeing this in 2014.
Mr. Richardville responded that we will see some sort of “re-alignment” in the gas tax structure but not until after the 2014 elections! Hmmm…I would say that is code word for “yes” we will see a gas tax and vehicle registration fee increase and you can take that to the banksters who donate to their campaign coffers!
2003 “Forgive” Mackinac Bridge Authority Taxpayer Loan
At a time when the state is struggling to repair its crumbling roads, this bill and the others in the Mackinac Bridge bill package would take more than $5 million away from repairing Michigan’s roads and bridges. Further, the bills in this package would forgive a combined debt of over $65 million owed to the state (we the taxpayers) in restricted funds that are used to fix our roads.”
Fast forward to 2014 and guess what Michigan taxpayers “the chickens have come home to roost” and you Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayers of Michigan are now on the hook for fixing this problem perpetrated on the taxpayers of Michigan by the very “thieves” we have elected to serve us!
2003 House Bill 4627 Introduced by Rep. Tom Casperson (R) on May 6, 2003, to forgive state loans to the Mackinac Bridge Authority.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/2003-HB-4627
Fiscal Analysis – MACKINAC BRIDGE AUTHORITY LEGISLATION
HB 4627 (H-1) would amend Section 7 of 1952 PA 214 (the Mackinac Bridge Authority’s authorizing statute) the bill would forgive certain “advances” made to the Mackinac Bridge Authority in the Motor Fuel Tax Act – effectively from the Michigan Transportation Fund (MTF).
As of September 30, 2002, there remained an unpaid balance of $53.2 million associated with this advance. Subsection 5 of the bill indicates that this advance is repaid or forgiven effective March 1, 2003.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2003-2004/billanalysis/House/pdf/2003-HFA-0464-x3.pdf
A very small legislative sampling of how our road tax money is shifted below and there are many others.
Transfer road tax money to other purposes (Senate Roll Call 539) All Senate Republicans voted in favor to reduce the amount of infrastructure project spending from the transportation economic development fund by $12 million in the Fiscal Year that ends Sept. 30, 2009, and another $12 million in the next fiscal year. House Bill 5073 diverts this money to other state spending that was Signed into law by then Gov. Jennifer Granholm on November 3, 2009.
http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=423745
Transfer road tax money to other purposes (Senate Roll Call 404) All Senate Republicans but one voted in favor to transfer $5.7 million from the state “Comprehensive Transportation Fund” (from which subsidies to public transportation systems are paid), and use the money instead to avoid reductions in non-transportation state spending in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. See also House Bill 5679 (which transfers money from another source into the CTF). This one was Signed into law by then Gov. Jennifer Granholm on September 17, 2010.
http://michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=505897
2011 Senate Bill 411: Create “DRIC/NITC” bridge authority Introduced by Sen. Randy Richardville (R) on June 7, 2011, to “revise” the state road tax “allocation” law to “accommodate” the authority proposed by Senate Bill 410 to build a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor (the “Detroit River International Crossing” or “New International Trade Crossing,” a.k.a. “DRIC” or “NITC”). This would essentially take road fund monies away from our roads and transfer those monies to this new government authority! AKA, BIGGER GOVERNMENT!
http://michiganvotes.org/2011-SB-411
All About Michigan’s Road Funding and the Recently Proposed “Gas Tax” Increase
http://bainreport.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/all-about-michigans-road-funding-and-the-recently-proposed-gas-tax-increase/
Michigan Road Tax Investigation: Snyder, State Legislators Ignoring State Law and Continue to “Gouge” Michigan Motorists on Gas Taxes
http://bainreport.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/michigan-road-tax-investigation-snyder-state-legislators-ignoring-state-law-and-continue-to-gouge-michigan-motorists-on-gas-taxes/
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