By John Lindstrom
Publisher
Posted: March 7, 2019 11:59 AM

Let us presume the state allocates more than $2 billion in new spending for Michigan's roads and bridges. That is the goal set by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in her budget proposal this week, and we should presume when all the moaning, groaning, jawing, yawing, angst-riddled, nail-chewing, acid-reflux moments have passed, the state will have $2 billion-plus more to spend on trying, finally, to create a permanent fix to its roads.

For the moment, never mind how that number is achieved, whether through Ms. Whitmer's 45-cent gas tax increase, a combination of tax changes, tax changes and spending shifts, tax changes and bonding, a tax change-bonding-personalized billing for individual potholes-bake sale combination, whatever, $2 billion-plus will be raised for roads.

The question on the table is: who will be the person most likely to make that $2 billion-plus actually happen?

This reporter puts the early betting on Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake).

Yes, yes, Mr. Shirkey has cast considerable scorn on Ms. Whitmer's proposal. Like all Republicans in the Legislature he has shown no love for the governor's plan. But there are two critical factors to consider as we move into the debate.

The first is Mr. Shirkey's acknowledgement that new revenue will be needed to tackle a real fix to the roads. Probably at least $1 billion, he has said.

Second, and more important, Mr. Shirkey has previously been the key player in a major state policy that at the time, six years ago, many people thought would never come to pass.

Does the proper noun Healthy Michigan ring a bell to anyone? Yes, in 2018 Mr. Shirkey was the primary actor in getting passed a controversial work requirements proposal for Healthy Michigan. But without him, there is very good chance that some 700,000 people in Michigan would not have health insurance. He was the key figure in shepherding the Healthy Michigan plan into becoming law in 2013.

As was reported when Gongwer named Mr. Shirkey the newsmaker of 2013, he was and is a conservative's conservative who surprised himself by concluding that expanding, and changing, Medicaid was the right way to proceed on the issue.

His efforts made it possible for enough Republicans to reject rejecting the proposal – and taking plenty of criticism from other Republicans as they did – to get the policy through.

Which shows us what? That among conservatives, Mr. Shirkey is a realist as much as, if not more than, he is an ideologue. That he can find ways to make a policy that stays true to his principles and meets a public need.

Ironically, that is how things used to work in Michigan's government and in government generally. When a problem was critical enough, Democrats and Republicans would figure out a solution that allowed both to be true to their partisan principles. Those solutions were compromises. If you have forgotten what a compromise is, or have never heard of it before, look it up in a dictionary. Of course, the compromises weren't perfect. Of course, people called those who supported the compromises sellouts and cowards and words a family newsletter prefers not to repeat.

But the compromises got done and a lot of times, in their sometimes halting, half-way measure ways, they did some good. Healthy Michigan was a compromise. Has it done some good? Yes.

And Mr. Shirkey has already acknowledged a major investment in fixing the roads is a public need. Which means Ms. Whitmer's administration probably sees him already as the key player to reach a foundational agreement on the road to "fixing the damn roads."

Oh, the critics will howl Mr. Shirkey is too conservative, his statements show he won't support needed revenue, what about his staunch support for right-to-work, Medicaid work requirements and repealing the prevailing wage. Okay, fine. You put your money down, I'll put mine down, and I will bet my initial presumption – that the state comes up with $2 billion-plus for roads – does happen and that Mr. Shirkey is the key to getting it done.