MDOT/WALLY Cars, in The Detroit News

[NYCMan]

Looks like the editors at The Detroit News are chiming in about the MDOT mega-million dollar wasteful spending spree regarding the "WALLY" cars.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinio ... /26720133/

It looks like Proposition 1 is sure to go down in a flaming defeat. Hopefully, Governor Snyder will wake up and save himself as best he can by publically firing some of the key management at MDOT and show them to the nearest Unemployment line.

[Saturnalia]

It is a shame to see Prop 1 die. Hopefully Lansing can instead go the right way and just re-pass the same bills but without the statewide referendum. Punting it to the electorate was just dumb, and a move to wash their hands of the tax increase. Not much different than district attorneys punting calls to the Grand Jury so as to not have to take the blame for the decision.

Get a spine, FOOLS! You're elected and paid to lead, so get to it!

[Ypsi]

Do we really need another Wally thread? There are about 10 of them already, with most talking about how wasteful it all is.. why not keep it all in one spot or something..

[NYCMan]

MQT said: Not much different than district attorneys punting calls to the Grand Jury so as to not have to take the blame for the decision.

Michigan does not have District Attorneys, instead we have County Prosecutors. The creation of a grand jury is controlled by the courts, not by the county prosecutors. Grand juries are rarely empaneled. In Oakland County, the second largest county in Michigan, there have only been 4 grand juries empanelled in the past 30 years.

[rettop]

Any increase in the sales tax has to be approved the people--that is why the bozo legislators tried to kick off their plate! Want a cushy job, with healthcare for a lifetime--try the state legislature. raising the state sales tax is a sure way lose that cushy job.

[Saturnalia]

Any increase in the sales tax has to be approved the people--that is why the bozo legislators tried to kick off their plate! Want a cushy job, with healthcare for a lifetime--try the state legislature. raising the state sales tax is a sure way lose that cushy job.

Ahh, forgot about the sales tax requiring a statewide vote.

Still dumb. Fix the problems we sent you to fix, or get the heck out of there.

[Jetlink]

It is a shame to see Prop 1 die.]

No, I don't think that it is a shame. More like it is a Sham. We will find out tomorrow for sure.

Generally I support Governor Snyder but he missed the mark with this '1'.

[Norm]

It is a shame to see Prop 1 die.]

No, I don't think that it is a shame. More like it is a Sham. We will find out for sure tomorrow for sure.

Generally I support Governor Snyder but he missed the mark with this '1'.

Amen to that. Too many special interests getting some of that pie. If it all went to roads perhaps it would pass.

[NYCMan]

Detroit Free Press is reporting that the polls are closed and that Proposition 1 went down like a head-on train wreck, by a 4 to 1 margin.

Looks like the "there is no Plan B" is about to be pulled out of the hat.

But, will the folks in Lansing understand the message that the electorate (the voters) have clearly sent?

Gee, and $110 Million of the new 7 percent sales tax was to go to rail projects annually. At that rate, they could finish the new Ann Arbor to Traverse City commuter rail service in just under 3 years...and Detroit to Lansing to Grand Rapids to Holland in the next 2 years... and Detroit to Toledo as well as Detroit to Port Huron in the 5th year... and...

[wagnew0923]

Or they could order $110 million in new studies about this lines. Ah yes they just anounced that they are working on the non existant plan B.

[Norm]

Detroit Free Press is reporting that the polls are closed and that Proposition 1 went down like a head-on train wreck, by a 4 to 1 margin.

Looks like the "there is no Plan B" is about to be pulled out of the hat.

But, will the folks in Lansing understand the message that the electorate (the voters) have clearly sent?

Gee, and $110 Million of the new 7 percent sales tax was to go to rail projects annually. At that rate, they could finish the new Ann Arbor to Traverse City commuter rail service in just under 3 years...and Detroit to Lansing to Grand Rapids to Holland in the next 2 years... and Detroit to Toledo as well as Detroit to Port Huron in the 5th year... and...

Dream on!

[AARR]

Another article in Crains Detroit Business about the AA-TC train. Will read and post anything of interest.

[hoborich]

But, will the folks in Lansing understand the message that the electorate (the voters) have clearly sent?

I doubt it. They are probably trying to figure out how to get even with us. I feel they have deliberately allowed the roads to deteriorate until the electorate is willing to approve a tax increase.
Gotta leave it there. My last suggestion on MDOT got me banned for a week.

[J T]

Well, no more wasteful spending by MDOT:

http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/politi ... /71297514/

[PatAzo]

"After a series of heated legislative committee meetings, at which one Republican lawmaker told MDOT Director Kirk Steudle that a private-sector official would lose his job over the debacle..."

The lawmaker must be overlooking that the transaction occurred under legislative oversight.