Legislation watch
- Home
- Create an account
- Advanced searches
- Scorecards
- Links
- About
2005 House Bill 4993: Authorize local “light rail” system tax
Comments on this legislation Post new comment Text and Analysis Add to Watch List
Previous Next
- Introduced by Rep. Jerry Kooiman (R) on June 23, 2005, to allow a local public transportation authority to levy a property tax for up to 25 years to pay for a “fixed guideway project,” which includes light rail, “people movers,” and other such mass transit systems. Under current law such a tax can only be authorized for five years at a time.
- Referred to the House Transportation Committee on June 23, 2005.
- Reported in the House on October 18, 2005, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
- Substitute offered in the House on November 8, 2005, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that only applies to Kent County. The substitute passed by voice vote in the House on November 8, 2005.
- Referred to the House Transportation Committee on June 23, 2005.
- Failed 52 to 49 in the House on November 9, 2005, to allow the Kent County public transportation authority to levy a property tax for up to 25 years to pay for a “fixed guideway project,” which includes light rail, “people movers,” and other such mass transit systems. Under current law such a tax can only be authorized for five years.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No" - Received in the House on November 9, 2005.
- Moved to reconsider by Rep. Edward Gaffney (R) on November 9, 2005, to reconsider the vote by which the House defeated the bill. The motion passed by voice vote in the House on November 9, 2005.
- Passed 57 to 47 in the House on November 9, 2005, to allow the Kent County public transportation authority to levy a property tax for up to 25 years to pay for a “fixed guideway project,” which includes light rail, “people movers,” and other such mass transit systems. Under current law such a tax can only be authorized for five years.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No" - Received in the Senate on November 10, 2005.
- Referred to the Senate Transportation Committee on November 10, 2005.
- Reported in the Senate on December 7, 2005, with the recommendation that the bill pass.
- Amendment offered by Sen. Liz Brater (D) on December 8, 2005, to extend to bill's scope to Detroit, allowing it too to levy transit taxes for 25 years. The amendment failed 15 to 21 in the Senate on December 8, 2005.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
- Referred to the Senate Transportation Committee on November 10, 2005.
- Passed 20 to 16 in the Senate on December 8, 2005, to allow the Kent County public transportation authority to levy a property tax for up to 25 years to pay for a “fixed guideway project,” which includes light rail, “people movers,” and other such mass transit systems. Under current law such a tax can only be authorized for five years.
Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No" - Vetoed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on December 27, 2005.
Most Recent Comments
1) Untapped potential by Anonymous Citizen on April 13, 2006I suggest that the powers to be take another good look at the Detroit People Mover. I know that anyone with an open mind can see the importance of having a light rail system for the entire metropolitan area. The real story behind the Detroit People Mover is that it has been a victom of ignorant polititians with a lack of vision.
Anyone who witness of the Autoshow and the Superbowl and took the time to evaluate the people mover's performance and has any sort of vision can see that the People Mover's potential needs to be finally tapped. It is vital to the redevelopement of the Detroit area.
Anyone who doubts this opinion, I challenge you take time to ride the people mover and recognize the current growth and the people movers untapped potential in restoring Detroit to greatness.
Reply
Going for light rail lets a legislator say:
I'm building MI economy.
I'm for the environment.
I care for the little guy.
I am curing the traffic problem.
All while doing absolutely nothing of any real value whatsoever.
Reply
Rep. Kooiman's bill would give Michigan transit authorities the freedom to waste hundreds of millions of tax dollars on unproductive trolley lines. Such transit lines have victimized transit riders in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Denver, Portland, Buffalo, St. Louis, Minneapolis, New Jersey and elsewhere. The federal "New Starts" program gives generous handouts to states for building rail lines, but leaves local taxpayers responsible for the continuing burden of operating these railroads. Inevitably, regional transit agencies with trolley lines end up increasing fares and reducing service to bus riders to keep the streetcars running on one or two routes serving a tiny minority of regional destinations.
Does any Michigan region have half a billion or a billion dollars to waste on a trolley line that will offer slower service than express buses operating on the same route? I don't think so. Yet if this bill becomes law, trolley-car enthusiasts and anti-auto agitators will promote such a project in Detroit even though the benefits are all imaginary, and can be demontrated to be so with even the simplest analysis.
Reply
View Full Conversation
