January 27, 2013

Governor Rick Snyder wants to raise taxes to fix Michigan’s roads.

Michigan State Libertarian Party Chairperson says, “Lansing is stuck in a ‘cycle of failure.’”

At Governor Rick Snyder’s State of the State speech last week, he laid out his plan for Michigan’s crumbling roads. His plan includes asking the legislature to approve a $1 billion infrastructure initiative, with taxpayers footing the bill.

While his plan has stunned many in his own party, it has been greeted with a promise of open dialog  by Democrats — Democrats who are still reeling from Snyder’s signing of  Michigan’s “Right to Work” legislation last month.

Libertarian Party of Michigan (LPM) chairwoman, Denee Rockman-Moon says,“Raising taxes is
not the solution. Michiganders are only beginning to crawl out of the hole that both state Democrats and Republicans placed them in… raising taxes via license and registration fee increases serves  only as a further burden on [still] cash-strapped citizens. Snyder or if this were still Granholm, it’s simply more of the same.”

Rockman-Moon is also highly critical of Snyder’s closeness with state lobby group, the Michigan Infrastructure and transportation Association (MITA). MITA is currently running ads on radio encouraging taxpayers to support their lobby effort. The MITA/Snyder plan is also being pushed via a website and Facebook page, “Just Fix the Roads.”

“MITA’s clients stand to make hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars should the tax increases pass,” Rockman-Moon says. “Our roads have been a mess for decades. Governor after governor promises to get the job done. What happens is simply more throwing of taxpayer money into bottomless potholes and lobbyist’s pockets. It hasn’t worked before, and it won’t work now,” said Rockman-Moon.

The LPM chair says she would be happy to sit down, along with LPM economists, infrastructure specialists  and the administration to discuss alternate ideas.

When asked  what the state party’s plan would look like Rockman-Moon responded, “It  would involve some immediate privatization of our roads and a long-term  solution apposed to just another Band-Aid on a severed limb. Our plan
would actually lower taxes and fees in order to encourage business [and]  tourism; and leave more money in taxpayers’ pockets.”

The LPM, which is currently enjoying a very large membership increase, says they intend to repay the faith voters are beginning to place in the party by taking on Lansing, with or without seats in the legislature.

“Lansing is stuck in a cycle of failure. It’s time for new ideas. We need new ideas that do not involve raising and throwing away more taxpayer money. We will do all we can to fight the Governor and his lobbyist friend’s plan to start filling in the potholes with
Michiganders’ hard-earned money”, Rockman-Moon said.

By: Donna Gundle-Krieg