Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM) applauds Governor Whitmer for focusing on infrastructure and talent development in her first budget address – two of the most important ways we can make Michigan a Top Ten state. We support the Governor’s leadership in proposing a bold solution to fix Michigan’s longstanding problem of deteriorating roads and bridges.
The amount of funding she seeks through user fees is very similar to previous conclusions BLM has reached based on independent research.
We also applaud legislative leaders for their willingness to engage in constructive discussions on this issue. We recognize a long-term solution will require additional analysis and thoughtful negotiations between the administration and legislative leaders to work out the details.
BLM believes a window of opportunity has opened for Michigan to show the nation that we can solve one of America’s greatest challenges – repairing our broken infrastructure – in a bipartisan way.
BLM also applauds the Governor for proposing several programs to increase the number of Michiganders with an education beyond high school. Her proposals are consistent with BLM’s long-standing advocacy for actions that increase educational attainment through increased support for higher education. However, we have always advocated that increased support should be tied to performance. Therefore, we believe these proposals should reward colleges and universities that do the best job of helping students graduate rather than just enroll.
We stand ready to help the Governor and our legislative leaders reach a successful and sustainable outcome.