Living in Michigan, is one step closer to getting a whole helluva lot more expensive.
A House committee on Wednesday voted to permanently shift money from Michigan’s general fund to transportation spending. Another panel approved legislation bringing the diesel tax in line with the gasoline tax and taxing fuels on price instead of a flat per-gallon basis.
Fuel taxes would grow with inflation.
The $450 million is just a third of what Gov. Rick Snyder says is needed to bring Michigan roads up to par. Michigan’s gasoline taxes are among the country’s highest while its per-capita road spending is among the lowest because the sales tax on fuel primarily goes to non-transportation funding.
Then, there’s the 900% increase on business.
Permits for oversized and overweight trucks would jump to $500 under House Bill 5452, as amended and advanced by the transportation committee. Overweight permits currently cost $50 for a single trip or $100 for multiples. The original bill would have doubled those fees, but Rep. David Rutledge (D-Ypsilanti) won an amendment to raise the rates even higher.
MDOT gets to run further amok entering into agreements, too. Sure is a winning stratagem all them TEA folk have chosen with allowing the bastards to run wild simply because the Majority in Lansing has an “R” after its last name.
Out of sight, out of mind.
(27)Nuh Uh.
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