What are the chances for a 'plan B' for the roads?

Political consultant: Rick Snyder is no John Engler

DETROIT – As we prepare to dodge potholes this spring and summer, Lansing is looking for a new fix for Michigan's crumbling infrastructure.

Already House Speaker Kevin Cotter has released his version of a fix which includes plenty of tax cuts. Lansing sources expect it to have success in the House but nowhere else.

The Senate will be in session for several weeks this summer, which is a rarity. It has yet to come up with a fix of its own.

Gov. Rick Snyder is pushing both branches to get to work.  

"There is more than one way to solve this," Snyder said. "I appreciate the House coming out with a plan and look forward to the Senate coming out with a plan and then look forward to an opportunity to bring us all together." 

That will be easier said than done. The overwhelming failure of Proposal 1 has lit the fire of fear under legislators.

"Anything that smacks of a revenue increase, fee increase or tax increase is dead on arrival," according to political consultant Dennis Darnoi.

Darnoi doesn't see much hope for a comprehensive road fix by the end of the year. He does see the possibility for an outside group to come up with a fix that would require another ballot proposal in 2016. 

Snyder is vowing to pursue a fix here relentlessly but part of the problem is he's now a governor in his final term dealing with a very conservative legislature. One of his greatest strengths, that he hates playing politics might just be his greatest weakness in this case.

"The problem with [Snyder] and he's said it all along is that he won't play political games," Darnoi said. "What he needs to do is be John Engler, which he isn't, which is go in figure out what's important to people and start negotiating your points."


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