Michigan voters should consider consequences of Proposal 1

To the Editor,Millions of dollars are being spent to produce urgent and emotional TV and radio ads in hopes that Michigan citizens will vote for Proposal 1.These scare tactics are an effective technique used to elicit the desired response from those who are motivated by fear but are unaware of the facts.Michigan roads are definitely in need of repair, but maintenance of our roads is an issue that should have been addressed long before now. Road funding should be an ordinary part of the budget process. This issue should have had priority over the frivolous, allocations in our “balanced” budget. Proposal 1 is a 46,000-word conglomeration of legislation that is being sold as the only solution to fixing our roads, and it is being held up as leverage for raising our taxes. The “vote yes or else” threat demonstrates the disingenuous motive of some leaders in persuading citizens to impose increased taxes upon themselves.Special interests groups would benefit from 40 percent of the increased taxes, leaving only 60 percent of the new taxes for roads. It is obvious that there is more behind this proposal than the emergency of fixing our roads. Proposal 1 would not only raise our sales tax rate from 6 percent to 7 percent (a 16.7 percent increase in the tax rate), but it would also put into immediate effect ten additional bills, which have already been approved by the legislature and signed by Governor Snyder. Attorney General Bill Schuette has come out against this sales tax and road funding ballot proposal: “It’s a massive $1.9 billion sales tax increase that goes well beyond road funding.” (MLive on 3/4/15).The state House passed a plan last year (Bolger Plan) to fully fix and fund roads without any tax increases, simply by prioritizing new spending. That plan has been reintroduced with several co-sponsors. There are several other plans being discussed to efficiently and effectively fix our roads. Increased taxes is not the only “choice” as the ads are saying.If Proposal 1 is rejected, lawmakers will have a mandate to fix the roads without raising our taxes. If Proposal 1 passes, we can be sure that this type of manipulation will be used again. Please consider the consequences of voting for this bundle of unrelated bills, cobbled together to get special interest groups on board.Ronda KeckSand Creek