A few days ago, WDIV reported that a massive pothole on I-75 near Springwells in Detroit caused havoc for drivers, resulting in flat tires for 25 vehicles. That was just one incident. Thankfully, no one was hurt or killed.
In 2014, the state recorded 876 traffic deaths, according to Michigan State Police stats. In all there were 265,205 reported traffic accidents and 71,378 injuries.
Undoubtedly, some of the accidents were due to negligence and alcohol, not to mention texting and chatting on cell phones and bad judgment. But it’s also not a quantum leap to assume some accidents were the result of our lousy, neglected roads.
Lawmakers tried to pawn off the responsibility of fixing the roads to voters, who rejected Proposal 1 , which called for a tax hike, but was poorly written and confusing. On Thursday, the Associated Press reported that Gov. Snyder said he won’t support any road-funding plan that threatens the state's future budget outlook by redirecting too much in existing funds toward transportation infrastructure. The House adjourned Thursday without reaching a $1.2 billion road improvement deal.
Which brings me to this: Like negligent corporate titans, Gov. Rick Snyder and the state lawmakers should face criminal charges of negligence for letting Michigan’s roads deteriorate and dodging responsibility for fixing them. If not them, who?
Granted, the laws provide lawmakers with governmental immunity in many instances like this.
So other action is needed.
We need to demand the withholding of state lawmakers’ pay until a comprehensive plan is in place.
We also need to turn up the heat, possibly by demonstrating outside the state Capitol and in the front of lawmakers’ homes, and leaving chunks of damaged road on their lawns.
There’s too much at stake here to continue acting like victims of uncaring lawmakers, and being victims of a inaction that could seriously injure or kill us or friends or loved ones.
