Safe Roads YES – Proposal 1

As you may know, the Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA), along with its sister organization, the Michigan Food & Beverage Association (MFBA) supports passage of Proposal 1 — also known as Safe Roads Yes! on the May 5 statewide Michigan ballot. We are urging you to please vote YES on Proposal 1. Under Proposal 1, all state gas taxes we pay at the pump are guaranteed in the constitution to go to transportation, roads and bridges. No longer will the Legislature be able to divert the taxes we pay on gas to non-transportation purposes. The result is $1.2 billion for roads, bridges and transportation that must, under the constitution, go to transportation.

Proposal 1 also requires road builders to provide warranties on their work to protect taxpayers. If they violate the warranty, the road builder — not taxpayers — will pay to fix the problem. All this means finally having safer roads and new taxpayer protections in Michigan.

Proposal 1 also:

• Raises the state sales tax by one penny and caps it at 7 cents. This will replace and increase funding for education that will be lost as a result of eliminating the 6 percent state sales tax on gas at the pump. All money in the state School Aid Fund would have to go to education purposes that help kids the most, including K-12 schools and community colleges.

• Cuts taxes by $270 million for Michigan’s lowest income workers by restoring the Earned Income Tax Credit.

• Creates about 15,000 good, new jobs as we rebuild Michigan’s neglected, aging infrastructure.

• Removes pressure on the state general fund budget to finance road and bridge repairs, thereby eliminating the need for more cuts to public safety, higher education and other critical services.

If Proposal 1 fails, our roads will continue to get worse, further threatening public safety and our economy. It also would mean more cuts to education, public safety, local governments, higher education, health care and other essential services.

In addition to voting YES on Proposal 1, please:

• Urge your colleagues, friends and family members to consider voting YES. If you need more information, please go to SafeRoadsYes.com.

• Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, urging readers to vote YES. You can find sample letters here and more information on the proposal: SafeRoadsYes.com.

• Vote YES on Proposal 1 on May 5. Your vote is essential!

Please contact our government relations team with questions pertaining to Proposal 1 at (586) 393-8800 or bbochniak@michbusiness.org.