  Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3808 Registered: 02-2005 |
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll /article?AID=/20071017/NEWS06/ 71017040 Apparently it's better to tax Michiganders more than to have less road construction, says the Chamber of Commerce. I'm sure that the estimate of 12,000 lost jobs is way too high; those are jobs we shouldn't even have, though, if they are working on non-neccesary jobs such as new road construction. It's not the taxpayers' job to give busywork to that industry, or to subsidize sprawl even more than we already do. Plus they want that gas tax to go entirely to their construction contracts and, obviously, not transit. | ||
Umcs Member Username: Umcs Post Number: 178 Registered: 06-2007 |
What bothers me about this is that road construction crews are paid prevailing wages and, let's just say the companies are not too discriminating in verifying your resume/application information appropriately. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 4368 Registered: 10-2004 |
And the sand & gravel, asphalt, and construction lobbies are happy if the state builds roads as they do with shorter lifetimes. Having them replaced far more frequently is just fine with them. | ||
Tigers2005 Member Username: Tigers2005 Post Number: 148 Registered: 02-2005 |
In most cases, the speed at which our roads deteriorate is not due to poor quality. It is mostly due to the high load limits our state has to accomodate the heavy industry in our state. There is more than enough road repair work to do without having any new road construction. If this money is going toward the expansion of highways like I-75, it is a poor expenditure when there are so many existing roads in need of rehabilitation. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3809 Registered: 02-2005 |
Yes, we certainly don't need any expansions. Repairs, like the much needed bridgework on I-94, are much more justified. Interstates are supposed be heavily funded by the federal government, and managed by the states. Why not go back to that principle and try to get this $1 Billion from an entity that doesn't have a balanced budget clause? | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 10784 Registered: 12-2003 |
Asphalt is going to get very expensive, now that oil is approaching $90 per barrel. European mix cement is looking better and better...that 'experimental' stretch of I-375 is still the best limited-access road in the state! Match the load limits of Indiana and Ohio, no more heavy axle limits, we surely don't need 'em for heavy manufacturing any longer! | ||
Steelworker Member Username: Steelworker Post Number: 1008 Registered: 02-2004 |
Our load limit is far too much compared to our neighbors I load many trucks with steel with 110,000 pounds on it and if i am correct indiana ohio and the rest only allow 80,000. Another shock is ontario i believe allows up to 100,000 pounds (at least thats the max load on a ontario bound truck ive loaded). But you wont have to worry about the load limit soon we are losing enough manufacturing that there will less steel trucks loaded to the limits. Oh thanks to our craptastic dollar with canadian dollar we have more runs to ontario now. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 2950 Registered: 06-2004 |
Seems the industry has forgotten that Granholm already moved up the dates on many scheduled projects just to keep their crews working. |
