  Detroitman Member Username: Detroitman Post Number: 905 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 216.78.41.166 |
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/c gi-bin/article.pl?articleId=28 795 The Detroit agenda: Local light-rail supporters eye bill for Grand Rapids By Amy Lane • February 13, 2006 LANSING — The future of a light-rail system between Detroit and Ann Arbor is entering into a dispute over a public-transit bill in the Legislature. House Bill 5560 is the second-year attempt by state Rep. Jerry Kooiman, R-Grand Rapids, to provide a federally required local funding source for Grand Rapids rapid transit. The bill would allow authorities to levy property taxes for up to 25 years to supply a public-transit funding stream. But as currently drafted, HB 5560 would apply only to Grand Rapids. Matt Resch, press secretary to House Speaker Craig DeRoche, R-Novi, said lawmakers in the House Republican caucus, including some from Southeast Michigan, “felt that Grand Rapids was in this position to use this legislation right now, other areas of the state were not, so let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. “The feeling was that to date, Southeast Michigan has not been able to show an efficient public-transit system. And so to give them additional taxing authority right now is premature,” Resch said. But Detroit area officials are interested in the bill to support a light-rail system under study that would run between Ann Arbor and Detroit and would also serve Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Sarah Hubbard, vice president of government relations for the Detroit Regional Chamber, said that “as long as the Legislature is going to consider a tool like that, they need to make it fair for the entire state to use.” In the end, that may be what happens. Kooiman said Friday that he is working on a compromise that could pass muster with the Granholm administration and also win votes from otherwise-reluctant lawmakers, by resolving separate transportation issues. He said he believes this week there will be an agreement that will expand the bill’s language to include other transit agencies, including Southeast Michigan. “I think at the end of the day it’ll be a win-win for everyone,” he said. | ||
Mikeydbn Member Username: Mikeydbn Post Number: 296 Registered: 04-2004 Posted From: 35.11.141.32 |
We need to levy a tax to fund more transit studies!!! | ||
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek Post Number: 1502 Registered: 12-2004 Posted From: 69.212.59.253 |
Amen, Craig DeRoche is an ass with his comment that "Southeast Michigan has not been able to show an efficient public-transit system." Yes, we have DDOT and SMART as two seperate systems, in part because the enabling legislation for the two to share resources and possibly merge died in the GOP-controlled legislature. DeRoche is such an ass! | ||
Ray Member Username: Ray Post Number: 630 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 68.41.160.200 |
I've been a loyal Republican forever, but I must admit, I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the state Republicans' knee-jerk opposition to mass transit. The great tragedy is that we have a local Congressman (Joe K.) running the transportation apppropriations subcommittee. God himself could not have engineered a better opportunity for Michigan to get mass transit dollars. But here's what our Congressman recently said about trains: "They're very romatic, but not practial. They do not operate at a profit and require public subsidies, and therefore I do not support them." WTF! I amost choked on my drink when I heard this. I mean, nice guy, but Jesus H. Christ, what do you call toll free roads if not a massive 70 billion dollar subsidiy to driving. Not to mention the cost of traffic police, the economic and social costs of accidents (which is massiave), pollution, billions of person-hours of lost time in traffic, the isolation of teenagers, poor people and the elderly who do not have access to cars, the huge dimunition in family life effected by moms and dads squandering housr shuttling kids to and fro across our vast disperse distopia, and, oh, like we're off fighting wars in the middle east secure oil to run the whole cluster f. You can explain this over and over to them and its like talking to a wall. The whole situation makes me sick. | ||
Dove7 Member Username: Dove7 Post Number: 1966 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 24.5.195.127 |
Ray? That's politics for you. Another reason why I got the hell out of Michigan. Damn shame that transit has to be a game. | ||
Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 331 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 35.11.210.161 |
This is nothing more than sick trick by state Republicans they knew the change in legislation would force Granholm to veto it making her the villain in West Michigan. Just like when Posthumus ran on "being a governor the whole state not just Detroit" this nothing more than cheap use of the anti-Detroit card. | ||
Bob Member Username: Bob Post Number: 754 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
Yup, they are trying to make this into a west coast vs. east coast and make Granholm the villian, so DeVos will look like he is the guy to get things done. Grand Rapids is a wonderful city, but why can't we have a transit bill to include both sides of the state. This is a bill that is trying to make it look like this side of the state can't get its act together, but the west side is wonderful and should be running the state. Look for school vouchers to be the next thing they try if DeVos gets elected. | ||
Naturalsister Member Username: Naturalsister Post Number: 473 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 68.42.169.65 |
Great post Ray - nuff said. later - naturalsister | ||
Ltorivia485 Member Username: Ltorivia485 Post Number: 2332 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 199.74.87.131 |
Why does the diverse East Coast have so many problems unlike the lily-white West Coast? Answer: RACISM | ||
Johnnny5 Member Username: Johnnny5 Post Number: 149 Registered: 06-2005 Posted From: 71.227.95.4 |
Ltorivia have you ever been to the west coast of Michigan? It's far from "lily-white". Racism is not the cause of every problem in Michigan. | ||
Treelock Member Username: Treelock Post Number: 85 Registered: 03-2005 Posted From: 68.77.166.98 |
Ray, I'd just add to your excellent post that Joe Knollenberg et al. evidently have little quarrel with the billions of dollars in federal subsidies heaped on the airline industry as well. | ||
Wsukid Member Username: Wsukid Post Number: 132 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 141.217.173.246 |
Just to let you all know the person directly involved with this bill and who helped amend it to not include SE michigan was Phillip Lajoy R-Canton. The bill was sent to his committee where it had some slight changes. It was vetoed by the governor in December because it did not include SE Michigan. And it is being reintroduced now. Ok now here is my problem at this point I dont care if your a republican or a democrat. I WANT TRANSIT if there are reps and senators from SE Michigan that are anti-transit and cant get with the program and do this because it is the right thing to do then they need to go. Sometimes I just want to bang my head against the wall when talking about transit here. Anyway im done venting | ||
Metrodetguy Member Username: Metrodetguy Post Number: 2289 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.144.84.209 |
...Because California is the poster child of effective mass transit. Damn shame indeed. |
