LANSING, Mich. – “Fixing the damn roads,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Whitmer said that’s her No. 1 priority she will address when it comes to her budget.
On Sunday morning, she appeared on Local 4’s Flashpoint with WDIV’s main anchor Devin Scillian. She gave viewers a sneak peek at how she plans to pay for it all.
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“I have always believed that those that use the roads should pay for the roads,” Whitmer said.
That could mean more taxes for the taxpayers but Whitmer said it’s needed.
“The fact of the matter is we have not been spending what we need to rebuild roads," Whitmer said. "We had a succession of leaders who didn’t want to do the hard work and were content to manage the decline by just filling pot holes, when we should have been rebuilding roads."
Republican state Senator Peter Lucido said he has questions about her plan.
“Concerns," Lucido said. "I have deep concerns because she wasn’t articulate and specific as far as where the money is coming from. This last year, 2018, the legislators put in $5 billion between federal funds, state funds, gas tax, registration fees and fuel tax. Five billion dollars, how much more is it going to take?”
Whitmer said the road issue dates back two decades, but she believes her plan -- which she’s going to reveal Tuesday -- will point Michigan in the right direction.
“It’s going to be real," Whitmer said. "It’s going to be thoughtful, and I think people are going to see the wisdom in this plan."