Will we be better off if Proposal 1 passes? Former treasurer says yes

Douglas Roberts serves as the director of the Institute for Public Policy & Social Research at Michigan State University. He’s a former state treasurer and director of the Senate Fiscal Agency.

I’m voting for Proposal 1 on May 5. I hope you are too.

Let me tell you why.

As a former Michigan treasurer who has served five governors, both Democrats and Republicans, I know well the reasons for a balanced budget, for a budget that establishes the right priorities, attracts new business and assures public safety for all.

As Michigan’s treasurer for 10 years, I was responsible for the collection of almost all state taxes.

I have helped to design and promote lower taxes across the state when they were necessary. I have also made the arguments for additional taxes when they were necessary for the good of all.

Asking our citizens for additional taxes is not an easy task. The state’s history, indeed the nation’s, is marked with the names of those who have lost their jobs for speaking out in favor of increased taxes. Michigan voters have a history of standing against higher taxes.

Since 1972, Michigan voters have on several occasions turned down major sales, property and income tax proposals. Only in March 1994 did voters agree to Proposal A’s property tax reform. The vote was 69 percent to 31 percent.

Michigan voters value their state, its four-season vitality and its national role. They hold dear their families’ opportunities to seek financial security, high-quality education and to live in thriving communities of prosperity and safety.

Our roads are a sign of the state’s strength. Yet there are signs everywhere that Michigan’s roads are crumbling. It shouldn’t take another shredded tire, unpatched pothole or another death to lead us to action.

Let me reach back to wisdom from a previous president: Will Michigan be better off if Proposal 1 passes on May 5? That is the fundamental issue. To repeat, the fundamental question for voters is: Will Michigan be better off if Proposal 1 passes?

I’ve come to a very clear understanding that our state needs to rise up from recession, recognize its needs and move ahead to restore necessary infrastructure. Michigan is moving in the right direction. The most recent unemployment rate for Michigan is 5.6 percent, only a bit higher than the federal unemployment rate of 5.5 percent.

I’ve come to a very clear understanding that Michigan’s growing economy should continue to move forward. I’ve come to a very clear conclusion that Proposal 1 should pass.

Will we be better off as a state if Proposal 1 passes? My answer is absolutely yes.