Has Governor Gretchen Whitmer made good on her campaign promise to "fix the damn roads?"

 

The Governor says since she took office, Michigan has repaired or rebuilt more than 13 thousand miles of roads, and 900 bridges.

 

The Governor talked about roads and cutting taxes in her fourth annual state of the state speech delivered last night at Detroit Diesel.

 

State Senator Rick Outman, R-Six Lakes, issued the following statement on Wednesday, in response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2022 State of the State address:

 

“Tonight, the governor laid out her priorities for the upcoming year, and her outlook for the state’s future. 

 

“The governor’s words about bipartisanship and calls for working together haven’t always been followed up by her actions. For the third year in a row, the governor called on everyone to work together, and like many others listening tonight, her words left me feeling skeptical.

 

“Time and again, she has yanked the football from in front of lawmakers who worked on bipartisan legislation to address the priorities of struggling Michigan families. Of the countless bills that have made it to the governor’s desk in recent years, she has vetoed nearly 100 bipartisan bills aimed at helping struggling families and businesses.

 

“I do, however, agree that we have shown the success we can build when we work together. We’ve worked to train more workers, attract talent and bring new industries to the state. General Motors just announced a groundbreaking investment to bring thousands of new jobs and retain even more.

 

“A few months ago, we finalized a responsible budget that uses federal resources to fund priorities and finally level the playing field for schools across the state.

 

“I hope we can take her up on the bipartisan promises made tonight and continue making a difference for Michiganders. I look forward to her working with us on pending legislation to fix the roads and bridges and make sure everyone has access to safe drinking water signed into law. These are priorities people have been calling for and we have been working on.

 

“In the meantime, our immediate focus should remain on helping the families and businesses who have been trying to survive the burdensome government restrictions and mandates that still plague us two years into this pandemic.

 

“I always look forward to hearing the governor’s plans, but whether or not her actions will live up to tonight’s promises remain to be seen.”

 

Meanwhile State House Rep. Michelle Hoitenga  criticized Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for failing to put forth comprehensive tax relief ideas in her annual State of the State address.

 

“Republicans in the Legislature have continually called for tax breaks to help hard-working people and their families. This is a major priority. People have seen rising costs due to inflation and have gone through incredible hardship the past several months,” said Hoitenga, of Manton. “I fear with the giant influx of federal dollars to assist in COVID-19 response, the governor is more focused on spending and supporting bigger government through tax increases. That’s not the right approach for the people of Michigan.”

 

Federal rules generally have prohibited the use of one-time COVID relief and infrastructure funds to lower taxes. However, the state’s own tax revenues have outperformed previous expectations. The latest Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference projects $7 billion combined on the state’s general fund and school aid fund balance sheets, which is unprecedented.

 

Instead of seeking to raise taxes, Hoitenga said the funding should create the ability to aggressively pursue broad relief in needed areas – such as repealing the pension tax.

 

“While I appreciate the governor emphasizing the need to address the pension tax, the time is now for us to follow through and get this done for the many retirees who were promised tax-free public pensions for most of their careers,” Hoitenga said. “I have been supportive of repealing the pension tax since taking office, and I committed to seeing this reform get across the finish line for our seniors.”