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A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 15 april 2019

GOP states discover a tax hike they have to like: for roads

By DAVID EGGERT Speaker Nancy Pelosi and
Associated Press Trump talked this month
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Af- about working together on
ter passing waves of tax an infrastructure package.
cuts in recent years, some In Michigan, the roads
lawmakers in several Re- have become a state joke.
publican-dominated states Contests are held to find
have decided it’s time the worst pothole. An ice
to make a big exception cream made by a Shel-
and are pushing for tax in- by Township company is
creases to fix roads that are called the “Michigan Pot
crumbling from years of ne- Hole.”
glect. A 12-year-old Muskegon
In the past month alone, Heights boy recently at-
the Republican governors tracted attention on local
of Ohio, Alabama and Ar- TV and social media for fill-
kansas have signed fuel ing the ankle-deep pits on
tax hikes. Meanwhile, pro- his street with dirt.
posed increases are being Three years ago, the Re-
considered by three legisla- In a Friday, April 12, 2019, photo, Interstate Highway 75 construction continues in Troy, Mich. publican-led Legislature
tures that are fully or partly Associated Press approved a $1.2 billion
GOP-controlled, including the slogan “Fix the Damn promises they made in win- attacked his opponent road plan that raised fuel
a whopping 45-cents-a- Roads.” Her plan would ning over many heartland in the 2018 campaign as taxes and vehicle registra-
gallon hike in Michigan. gradually add 45 cents to states in the last decade a tax-friendly Democrat, tion fees, and was heavily
The moves show a grow- the cost of a gallon of gas — that getting tougher on this month signed off on a dependent on shifting in-
ing willingness in conserva- by October 2020, which spending wouldn’t mean 10.5-cent gas tax increase come tax revenue from an
tive places to take on the would be more than dou- worse services. and a 19-cent diesel tax account that covers health
fearsome politics of higher ble the current 26-cents- In most states, the excise tax hike. Republican Govs. Kay care, higher education
taxes, at least for infrastruc- per-gallon gas tax and rate per gallon is fixed and Ivey of Alabama and Asa and other funding areas.
ture. Republicans who oth- make it the highest in the doesn’t rise with inflation. Hutchinson of Arkansas last But the effect was limited
erwise support lower taxes country. GOP legislative And the federal gas tax month signed increases and Whitmer warns that
are acknowledging that leaders have dismissed the has remained unchanged that were their states’ first in without additional invest-
cutting government spend- proposed hike as way too since 1993. Meanwhile, decades, of 10 cents and 3 ment, the percentage of
ing elsewhere in the bud- much, but they are leaving consumers are driving more cents respectively. And the state-owned highways that
get won’t cover the cost of open the prospect of pass- fuel-efficient vehicles or are GOP-led General Assembly are rated poor will double
repairing the many miles of ing a more modest increase driving less, depressing rev- in Virginia this month voted in five years, to 44%. Local
potholed roads and creaky in the face of intense pres- enue. The real purchasing to add 7 cents a gallon in streets are worse.
bridges. sure from the business com- power of the federal gas some parts of the state, At a recent GOP meeting
“It’s going to take $2.5 bil- munity.In some states, Re- tax has fallen by 40% over which was a win for Demo- in Grand Rapids, Republi-
lion a year,” said Detroit publican-leaning interests the past quarter-century, cratic Gov. Ralph Northam. can state Rep. Lynn Afen-
Regional Chamber CEO have become the biggest and repair costs rise signifi- Fuel tax increases also are doulis said many of her col-
Sandy Baruah of Michi- backers of higher taxes for cantly when roads decline under consideration in leagues first want to look
gan’s road-building needs. this purpose, which is seen to a rating of poor or worse. Wisconsin and Minnesota, into redirecting other state
“Anyone who thinks you as necessary for economic This winter, Michigan’s De- where power is divided be- spending to roads and to
can cut even half of that development. partment of Transportation tween the parties. see the 2015 laws fully im-
out of other elements of While consumers are had to close 10 miles of The state plans pay little plemented. A number of
the state budget without acutely conscious of pric- Interstate 75 in suburban heed to President Donald Republicans hope to dedi-
having significant ramifica- es at the pump, legisla- Detroit — one of the state’s Trump’s latest proposal for cate Michigan’s sales tax
tions to real people, you’re tors are struggling to get most heavily trafficked $200 billion in federal in- on motor fuel to the trans-
smoking something that’s around the difficult realities stretches — because of ve- frastructure spending. An portation budget, but they
not legal.” of the fuel surcharge that hicle damage from cracks earlier plan died in Con- have not detailed how that
Democratic Gov. Gretch- funds transportation proj- and potholes. gress and was heavily de- would be done without slic-
en Whitmer won election ects. They are also facing In Ohio, new Gov. Mike pendent on state and lo- ing funding for schools and
last year after running on the echoes of the tax cut DeWine, a Republican who cal funding, though House municipalities.q