Hey Michigan Counties, Raise Your Own Taxes for Road Repair

Now local officials can take the blame for either raising taxes or failing to fix the roads.

Governor Rick Snyder will propose allowing counties and regions to charge a local vehicle registration fee to raise revenue for local roads or public transit, Gongwer News Service has learned.

Mr. Snyder will unveil his special message on infrastructure Wednesday, and several sources, speaking on condition they not be named, said it will recommend bold, systemic changes in how the state funds and maintains its road network and public transit.

So, how would you pay this new tax "fee"? Through the SOS? Separate trip to a local government office? Those same local government offices that have had to slash their services and staff to the bone already because of revenue sharing cuts? Going to make them hold special elections and beg, beg, beg their citizens, like they already have to do with public safety and school millage requests?

And what if no one decides they want to institute a "local vehicle registration fee"? Just going to let all the roads go to hell anyway?

This sounds like a train-wreck waiting to happen, but let's await the details. Maybe it's not as bad as it sounds. After all, they've done such a swell job already...