密歇根新闻广播 密歇根州长推进马路筹款

 

This week, the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference gets underway on Mackinac Island. This is when Lansing, political Lansing at least, empties out of town and heads north to rub shoulders – and click cocktail¹ glasses – with Michigan's movers and shakers in businesses, finance and philanthropy.

Governor Rick Snyder, of course, is one of them; something that's always been reflected in how warmly he's been embraced during the conference. Last year, in fact, Snyder's Democratic opponent for governor wasn't even invited to take part in the event.

A fairytale

For Snyder, since the very beginning of his first term, the conference has been this way.

Four years ago, his first time attending as governor, all was lovely and good in the center-right business nerd's kingdom. He was greeted like a political rock star. The state budget was wrapped up in record time. The loathed³ Michigan Business Tax was on its way out, and the replacement⁴ was a net tax cut for business.

As long as you weren't a progressive or a Democrat², Snyder had brought business people happy times.

A bumpy⁵ road

But, since then, darker times have fallen.

Yes, unemployment is down, way down. Detroit is out of bankruptcy⁶. But governing has been messy.

There have been intra party fights over the state's Medicaid expansion, Common Core, and, most recently, the disastrous⁷ defeat of Proposal One.

The governor, as the ballot⁸ question's main cheerleader, got a big ole raspberry from voters and so, now, he has to pick up the pieces and start anew.

Mission impossible?

The goal for Snyder and his business allies on this island trip is to convince the Republican lawmakers in attendance that they can and should put more than a billion dollars into roads and infrastructure⁹; even if it means raising taxes.

We'll be watching for a push for an increase in the fuel tax, something that hasn't happened since 1997, and user fees.

The message from the governor last week that we'll likely be hearing again on the island: "We can find a lot of polling and other information to say that people are open to some tax increase particularly if it went to roads."

We'll see if lawmakers will buy what he's selling.

Meantime, we'll also be watching for what Democrats¹⁰ might ask for as part of a roads deal. Dems will be critical, as they were back in December's lame-duck legislative¹¹ session, in any serious negotiations¹² because they'll be the ones to provide the votes to make up for Republicans who won't – no matter what – vote for a tax hike.

The question for the week: can a little island sojourn¹³ smooth over relationships… and those bumpy roads.

1 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 loathed   

v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 )；极不喜欢

参考例句：

• Baker loathed going to this red-haired young pup for supplies. 面包师傅不喜欢去这个红头发的自负的傻小子那里拿原料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Therefore, above all things else, he loathed his miserable self! 因此，他厌恶不幸的自我尤胜其它！ 来自英汉文学 - 红字

4 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

5 bumpy   

adj.颠簸不平的，崎岖的

参考例句：

• I think we've a bumpy road ahead of us.我觉得我们将要面临一段困难时期。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

6 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

7 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

8 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

9 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

10 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 sojourn   

v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留

参考例句：

• It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间，那将是太不近人情的。
• I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间，觉得体力日渐恢复。