LANSING – Crowded into three levels of the Capitol rotunda, transportation funding advocates on Tuesday announced that over the last three months, they have collected 5,000 signatures on a petition that urges lawmakers to increase taxes in order to restore road, bridge and public transportation funding.

Truck drivers, local and state lawmakers and hundreds of funding proponents kicked off their lobbying day by announcing the signatures at a morning press conference, at which all speakers said they would be willing to pay higher gasoline taxes in order to raise state revenue enough to meet federal match requirements.

“Having to drive over these roads gives us great concern,” truck driver John Hunt said. “But improvement will cost money and I expect to pay for it.”

The effects of lower spending are obvious, Hunt said, telling the audience to look skyward on most any highway to observe bridges badly in need of repair. Hunt said tax increases are not that big of an issue compared to the costs he paid in truck repairs after debris damage from crumbling bridges and roads damaged his rig.

Advocates of increasing the gasoline tax had hoped to get legislation (HB 5768 , HB 5769 , HB 5770 ) out of the House before spring this year, but that has not happened. That package would raise the gasoline tax from 19 cents per gallon to 23 cents with the tax then rising to 27 cents in 2013.

Saline Mayor Gretchen Driskell, who was on the Citizens Advisory Council to help create recommendations from the Transportation Funding Taskforce, said the state’s infrastructure has been deteriorating for several years, during which time lawmakers have “talked” about solutions, including those from the taskforce two years ago.

“I’m fed up with talking about investment,” she said. “The longer we wait, the more it will cost us.”

Driskell said it is projected that improvements that would cost a dollar today would cost $4 later because roads and bridges will have endured more wear and tear by then.

The level of increased spending suggested by the taskforce would add only about $40 to $50 to each driver’s yearly costs, “not a lot of money,” she said.

Rep. Pam Byrnes (D-Chelsea) told the crowd that in her years attempting to increase transportation funding, “at times, I felt like a lone voice, but now I have all of you to carry the message to the Legislature with me.”

“I am overwhelmed by my transportation fan club,” she said.

Lower state funding next year would also exacerbate the loss of federal funding, projected at $475 million this year, and could eliminate thousands of jobs by putting more bridge and road projects on hold.

“It’s not acceptable to give away money to other states to build up their cities’ infrastructure,” said Casey Dutmer, a lifelong public transit user from Grand Rapids who said, because he is blind, he wouldn’t have been able to travel anywhere on his own without public transit, including to work.

Byrnes said she expected those present at the event to visit their legislator and push for funding increases.

“This is about connectivity, safety and jobs,” she said. “We all have to work together to do the responsible thing.”

But Senate Republicans have generally resisted the idea of raising the gasoline tax. Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester) said he would rather wring savings within the department.

“We have no interest in talking about a tax increase right now,” he said.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com

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