Van Buren Lawmaker Not Pleased With Whitmer Road Plan

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The Michigan State Transportation Commission has already approved Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s plan to issue $3.5 billion in bonding to pay for road repairs around the state. The governor announced the move in her State of the State address on Wednesday. State Representative Beth Griffin of Mattawan isn’t impressed.

“The idea to go and get a big credit card and charge Michigan road funding to it while we’re already working our way out of debt and have other responsibilities, I think, it short-sighted,” Griffin told WSJM News.

A bond is essentially a loan that will have to be paid back with interest over time. Griffin says west Michigan will barely benefit.

“In terms of west Michigan, the only money we will see of that $3.5 billion is fixing limited portions of US-131 and I-94. So, none of the new bonding that the governor is doing is going to go to any of west Michigan’ secondary or local roads.”

Griffin says she would have preferred to raise road money by ensuring all money collected through the fuel tax goes right to roads. The State Transportation Commission on Thursday determined Governor Whitmer’s plan to seek bond funding is financially prudent, allowing for low interest rates and reducing costs over time. It does not require legislative approval. Griffin talks more about her thoughts on the governor’s road announcement in a video posted to her Facebook page.