Gov. Whitmer: Keep More Road Dollars in SE Michigan Where It’s Needed Most

Gov. Whitmer joins Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson to talk about what the fight ahead looks like in Lansing.

A deep pothole in Detroit.

A deep pothole in Detroit.

Jake Neher/WDET

“Fix the damn roads” was the slogan that helped carry Gov. Gretchen Whitmer win last year’s election. Now, there’s a plan to do just that.

The governor says a 45-cent increase in our fuel tax will raise the more than $2 billion we need annually to take better care of our roads. That increase would put our state among the highest in the nation for gas taxes. But we wouldn’t be bumping around on pothole-filled, dangerous roads, either.

Related: “Study: Bad Roads Cost Michiganders $14 Billion Each Year”

Of course, the governor’s plan is just the beginning of the conversation, and there are a lot of forces pushing back against the idea of such a big tax increase — or a tax increase at all — as an investment in infrastructure.

Gov. Whitmer joins Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson to talk about what the fight ahead looks like in Lansing.

Click on the audio player above to hear that conversation.

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  • Dynamic and diverse voices. News, politics, community and the issues that define our region. Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson, Detroit Today brings you fresh and perceptive views weekdays at 9 am and 7 pm.