Fiscal chuckholes? How's about new road taxes

The roads to anywhere in Michigan are not paved with good intentions – they’re paved with expensive asphalt.

It’s perhaps that reality that led Rep. Richard Ball, R-Laingsburg and Rep. Pam Byrnes, D-Chelsea, to announce bills that would raise gas taxes in Michigan so the state doesn’t lose out on a truckload of federal dough.

The bills would raise the state’s gas tax of 19 cents per gallon to 23 cents this year and to 27 cents in 2013. The diesel tax of 15 cents per gallon would increase to 21 cents this year and to 27 cents in 2013.

It’s estimated the measures would raise $480 million a year once fully implemented, and it would prevent the state from losing federal matching money for roads in 2011. Other recent attempts by lawmakers to hike taxes and raise road money have hit roadblocks.

In a state hit hard by a fiscal crisis, no one wants to pay higher taxes. But it also doesn’t make sense for the state to lose out on tens of millions of dollars in federal road funding because state residents want to watch their pennies.

Still, expect many road blocks to emerge for these bills.