2019 Mackinac Policy Conference: Gilchrist on Auto No-Fault, Roads, Budget
Stephen speaks with Gilchrist from the Mackinac Policy Conference about the most pressing issues in our state.
Garlin Gilchrist made a name for himself in Michigan politics after nearly unseating incumbent Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey in 2017. He made such a strong effort that year that Gretchen Whitmer decided to make him her running mate in last year’s election. Now, he’s Michigan’s lieutenant governor, and he’s on Mackinac Island trying to advance Whitmer’s agenda when it comes to roads, the budget and more.
Jake Neher/WDET
Stephen and Gilchrist talk about how the budget and road funding have always been linked. “We need additional revenue to fix our roads,” says Gilchrist, adding that the state also needs funding for infrastructure projects that are more sustainable than what we currently have.
In response to the unpopularity of Whitmer’s proposed 45 cent gas tax, Glichrist explains that the public shock over the proposal came from the fact that many politicians prior to Whitmer had not been forthright about the money it will actually take to rebuild roads throughout the state in a lasting way.
“Legislatures of the past frankly have not told the truth… because you’ve been lied to in the past, it costs more now,” says Gilchrist.
