Tonight on the debate stage, gubernatorial candidates once again showed they will reverse the progress Whitmer has made to bolster Michigan’s infrastructure:
- Kevin Rinke has gone all-in on a “piss-poor public policy proposal” that would eliminate at least $600 million in transportation funding and threaten additional federal funds secured with matching state dollars, then refused to answer whether he actually “weighed the potential damaging effects of such a plan if enacted.”
- Tudor Dixon dismissed the historic and bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as “fake” and released a “plan” that only names actions Governor Whitmer has already taken.
- Garrett Soldano similarly gave a vague, broad criticism of the infrastructure bill, failing to address the thousands of good-paying jobs it would bring to Michigan. On roads, all he could manage was that it’s “a very complicated issue.”
- Ryan Kelley has repeatedly called for “fully eliminating” the resources that go toward the continued repair of our roads, support public education, and fund all levels of law enforcement.
Since taking office, Governor Whitmer has worked to fix the damn roads, investing “nearly 4.75 billion” to date that has gone towards making critical repairs and replacements to nearly 13,200 lane miles of roads and over 900 bridges while supporting nearly 82,000 jobs.
She signed an historic $4.8 billion bipartisan infrastructure plan to make “long overdue upgrades to roads, water pipes, dams, and parks” – the result of her strong leadership and willingness to work with anyone to deliver results.
And for the upcoming fiscal year, Governor Whitmer has already proposed including a $1 billion additional allocation to aid Michigan’s continued efforts to repair roads and fund other key components of the state’s infrastructure.
The total proposed appropriation for this critical pillar of Michigan’s economy includes funds from the historic and bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and would go towards initiatives like repairing and rebuilding roads and bridges, replacing lead service lines, and expanding transit programs.
