http://www.detnews.com/2005/specialreport/...

The Republicans are crying that Michigan should be building new highways in their Republican districts, because failure to do so "deprives Michigan of development" and because it would "spark a faster (economic) turnaround".
They object to Governor Granholm's ongoing program to rebuild our existing highways, before building new ones.
The fact is that the highways of Detroit were left to rot by former Gov. John Engler and his "budget cutting" pals in the Republican party. In spite of the huge deficits he created, King John was still too busy cutting taxes and showing everybody how fiscally responsible he was, than to fix the roads. He wouldn't dare raise taxes for any "meaningless" project like infrastructure renewal.
After about a decade, he caved-in to public pressure and allowed money to be spent to rebuild the highways, but that was well into the twilight of his reign, and we still haven't dug ourselves out of the hole caused by his neglect. As a consequence, the millions of daily commuters in the Detroit area are forced to deal with the complete rebuilding of I-96 and I-94 through the city of Detroit.
One cannot overstate just how bad those two highways were before the re-build began. Both roads were completely covered with disintegrating asphalt. I've driven on many dirt roads that were smoother than either of those two highways were. The rebuilding of both highways should be finished next month.
Next year, M10/ "The Lodge Freeway" will undergo a major rebuild. Currently, I-75 is also undergoing a major rebuild.
Where would the right-wing Michigan Republicans rather spend the money? Led by House Speaker Craig DeRoche (of Novi), their wish list includes, "interchange improvements on I-275 in Canton Township, additional lanes in I-75 in Oakland Co., expansion of I-94 in the Kalamazoo area, and completion of the US-131 freeway from south of Kalamazoo to the Indiana border".
I've driven through all those areas the Republicans wans to "fix". None of them is anywhere near in need of improvement, as the Detroit highways were. I'm sure it's just a coincidence that all of the highways they want to fix/build are in "White" areas...
They also want to expand I-75 through Oakland Co., expand the I-96 interchange at Novi Rd., and add traffic lanes along M-59 from Rochester Hills to Ryan Rd. in Macomb Co.
Again, the skin color of the local residents is just a coincidence...


So here's what the Republicans really want: They want to take money from the general fund, and spend it in their neighborhoods.
Other people want our tax money to be spent in other places.
Just about everybody agrees that Detroit is in desperate need of a rapid transit system, either a light rail system, or an enormous expansion of the existing bus system. People have been talking about it for decades. In fact, a plan was in place to move forward with the project a few years ago, but alas, it was vetoed by King John Engler. His last great act of spite towards Detroit as he left office...
The Republican legislature hasn't lifted a finger to move the project forward since.
Others have suggested that state and/or regional tax money should be spent to expand COBO Hall in Detroit. The Republicans, led (again) by Brooks Patterson of Oakland Co. have thwarted any plans to do so. "Why should we spend any money to help rebuild Detroit?", they have asked.
Suddenly, the Republicans support the use of state and regional money to help develop certain areas.
Of course, if the proposal will help out "Black" Detroit, then they will oppose it, but if it supports a "White" community, then they are all for it.