Lawmakers are considering one-time fixes to avoid losing out on $475 million in federal road repair dollars next year. The scheme currently gaining popularity would be to come up with the necessary state matching money by taking it from funds that support state Welcome Centers, snowplowing, roadside mowing and -- most importantly -- infrastructure used to foster new economic development.
Maneuvers such as this may be necessary to gain federal dollars this year, but they're not a viable long-term strategy.
Modestly boosting the state gasoline tax, while not wildly popular, is the only realistic way to keep the federal funds flowing and get more of Michigan's roads back in good condition.
The problem is that revenues from the 19-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax, 15-cent diesel fuel tax and motor vehicle registration fees will come up $85 million short of what's needed to draw all of the federal road money that's available to Michigan for 2011. Unless lawmakers change that, $475 million that should come here will, instead, be distributed to other states.
Lawmakers don't want to consider an increase in the gasoline tax because that's thought to be politically impossible in an election year. Incumbents jockeying to hold their seats and term-limited lawmakers hoping for seats on the opposite legislative chamber don't want to be labeled as tax increasers by their ballot opponents.
Thus, the Senate is proposing to solve the road funding problem by shifting funds around within the transportation budget. They'd take $48 million from the snow-plowing and mowing programs, leaving overgrown roadsides and medians as eyesores for summer visitors and slick roads for commuters on icy winter weekends. They'd move $27 million out of the Transportation Economic development Fund, short-changing infrastructure projects used to smooth the way for new factories and commercial centers. And they'd redirect $2.5 million from the maintenance budget for Welcome Centers greeting tourists who are drawn here by the "Pure Michigan" ad campaign.
This is a weak response to a big problem. There's an estimated shortfall of $2.4 billion to cover road projects necessary to keep pace with essential repairs in the next four years; 28,000 miles of roads are in poor condition; and 1,400 bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
Fuel taxes are user fees. Increasing them to smooth the ride and ease congestion will make life better for Michiganians who commute to work, spend weekends at northern retreats or simply run to the market for a bottle of milk. Additional infrastructure investments, moreover, will pay for themselves by bringing growth in business, tourism and jobs to Michigan, paving the way for a brighter future.
Everyone knew this year's road repair funds shortage was coming. Lawmakers could have acted last year, avoiding an unpopular election-year decision. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't do the right thing now. Or at least, put it among the top of their agenda items next year.
Good policy is always good politics.