Ask Jerry Kooiman who is to blame for, oh, whatever the issue of the day is. He's got a little string right in the back, and when you pull it, he says the same thing over and over. How convenient.
Now that state leaders have decided after decades of planning not to extend U.S. 131 south to the Indiana border, area business leaders and lawmakers are crying foul, accusing transportation officials of keeping them out of the loop.
"This is just a slap in the face of West Michigan," state Rep. Jerry Kooiman, R-Grand Rapids, said Friday, putting the blame on Gov. Jennifer Granholm. "It's a slap in the face of economic development at a time when Michigan needs everything it can get," he said.
But Michigan Department of Transportation officials said they made the decision after four public meetings and five years of study that showed the project's $269 million to $460 million cost could not be justified.
"There's not enough traffic growth, population growth or growth in jobs that would bring enough traffic to that area in the next 20 years that would require a freeway," said Jason Latham, MDOT southwest region planner.
The plan would have extended U.S. 131 about 17 miles, from just north of Three Rivers in St. Joseph County to the Indiana border.
I've driven this stretch a few times in the past few years. It would be nice if the highway ran all the way to I-80/90 (and you'd have to convince Indiana to build the connector), but there really wasn't enough traffic to warrant it. And there is this little tidbit too-
MDOT spokesman Ben Kohrman said the decision was a long time coming.
"If folks are saying this just suddenly was sprung on them, that's absolutely not true," he said.
Kohrman also said to blame the governor and "characterize it as a politically-driven decision is absolutely wrong."
"This was not the governor's decision. It was made by MDOT ... and driven by a process decided by the federal government," Kohrman said.
Yes, but, never let the facts stand in the way of your favorite pastime of slamming the Governor, right Jerry?