North Michigan News

State Rep. Ken Borton voiced strong criticism on Wednesday against the Democrat Department of Transportation budget, citing a lack of crucial funding for local roads. Instead, the budget allocated $15 million for aerial drones and $3 million for electric bike incentives. This comes as recent research ranks Michigan 47th nationally in terms of pavement road quality.

"People in Northern Michigan couldn’t care less about drones and electric bikes," said Borton, R-Gaylord. "In fact, the only time many of them have seen them is watching Back to the Future. I don’t think we should be governing through ideas in sci-fi movies from the 80s. If Democrats keep their stranglehold on power, I’m starting to wonder if we’ll start seeing proposals like $60 million for flying vehicle infrastructure or $1 billion for time machine feasibility studies.”

The MDOT budget also earmarks $5 million for the state to develop and implement a road usage tax. The potential tax has been publicly discussed by Democrats, proposing that every Michigan driver install a tracker in their car allowing the government to monitor miles driven and tax accordingly. The Democrats argue this would replace the current 28.6 cent gas tax, a claim met with skepticism by Republicans who doubt that Democrats could eliminate an existing tax while imposing a new one.

“People in Northern Michigan are not going to like the idea of government keeping tabs on everywhere they go,” Borton said. “Democrats are getting all too willing to encourage government to make bigger and bigger oversteps onto our rights in rural Michigan.”

Despite this criticism, Democrats frame the budget as an increase in road funding for local municipalities. However, all new funding is automatic and results from a 2015 Republican plan aimed at ensuring future road funding—a plan regarded as the only successful effort to boost road funding in decades.

Republicans pointed out that while small increases are important, there are no general fund dollars allocated to enhance local road agencies. Moreover, they argue that the amount of wasteful spending in the 'general government budget,' concealed in secret line items for future use, could fully fund the most urgent local road repairs.