Rep. Brandenburg, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:
"Mr. Speaker and members of the House,
Mass transit has behind it forty years of failure, both here in Michigan and across the nation. The new transit authority being created by this proposal will provide for forty more years of bloated budgets, wasted taxes, and empty mass transit vehicles. Examples of inefficient bus transit systems are numerous. Examples of recent rail transit attempts are all bad beyond comprehension. Nationally, buses operate with about 15% of their seats full. As a result, these great, big, empty buses patrol our city streets producing more pollution and less efficiency than the average personal car. SEMCOG, a prime cheerleader for this new authority, has promised to use it to build SmartLink, the People Mover on wheels. When this proposal becomes law, all of Southeastern Michigan could be tied to the wasteful thinking that produces disasters such as the People Mover. We are all familiar with the People Mover, which ran 50% over budget, and now serves only 20% of those who were projected to ride it. In 1998, facing perpetual operating deficits as a result of this boondoggle, the city of Detroit considered cutting back on its police force. Looking ahead, the pricetag for SmartLink will be $2 billion to develop, and $200 million per year to operate. There isn't going to be a lot of road money left in Southeastern Michigan. Those billions of dollars will go down a rat hole of unimaginable depth. Nationally, operating and capital subsidies for highways are just seven-tenths of a penny per passenger mile. Those who drive their own cars and trucks mostly pay their own way, in the form of gas taxes, licensing fees, and various other funding mechanisms. They are also expected to pay for the transit users, as governments divert a substantial fraction of gas taxes and fees toward mass transit subsidies. Nationwide, operating and capital subsidies for mass transit are nearly 50 cents per passenger mile. Fifty cents versus seven-tenths of a penny. Mass transit is about 700 times less efficient than driving your own car, and it keeps getting worse. Over the last three decades, transit operating costs have increased four times faster than the rate of inflation. As we dump staggering sums into this demonstrable failure, we continue to ignore what has worked in the past. During the early 1960's, 95% of mass transit was privately owned and paid taxes rather spent them. Likewise, our roads have provided incredible mobility at a tiny fraction of transit's cost. All historical evidence would indicate that we limit our exposure to publicly funded and operated mass transit. Oblivious to history, supporters of this new authority claim that it is needed because the existing transit authorities are insufficient. Their proposed solution violates the rule of holes: "When you get in one, stop digging!'."