Quote:
|
"I'm encouraged. These kinds of regional discussions are something we need to have more often," he said, suggesting that quarterly meetings would be a good way to expand the effort.
|
While I appreciate the fact that they're actually meeting, I think this statement gets at the heart of the regionalism mentality in Southeast Michigan (or lack thereof). OK--maybe I'm a bit jaded, but I just don't have much faith at all in these people.
The governor is definitely behind transit and regionalism, and I'm not smacking my stamp of approval on this person wholesale by any means, but he's got the support from the legislature on basically every issue that's come to the table, so why not this? His staff know the benefits of regionalism from a business perspective. He should be pushing this regional authority as an economic development driver and working with the suburban counties to sign on. If they don't, then make it a mandate funded by raising the gas tax and carve out that increment for the authority.