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Executive Warren Evans discusses fixing our roads and the bravery of police officers under fire

Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans spoke with WJR's Frank Beckmann Wednesday about the insufficiency of the state's supplemental road funding. He also discussed, in the context of the Austin bombing suspect case, his experience as a career law enforcement officer in dangerous, high-stress situations. Here are some excerpts:

On law enforcement heroism:
"I can tell you that I've had situations where I couldn't hold a glass of water after it was over but during it I was always able to maintain what I needed to do to protect myself and other people. I just don't know how that works because I can tell you, when you go back and reflect on them, you can you lose. Then you become nervous, then you can become fearful. But when you're back's up against the wall, I guess that's what allows you to work for 30 years and still come home every night. You've got to be able to be really alert and strong when it calls for it and be normal the rest of the time."

On what the state funding means for Wayne County:
"I wouldn't turn back any of our tax dollars that come back to us. Wayne County will get about $6.5 million more to do some road surfacing than we were going to get before but it's a drop in the bucket for what is needed for the infrastructure."


On the state supplemental roads funding:
"The erosion of our roads is at a pace significantly more than our ability to come in and repair, even with these additional dollars...the federal government and the state really have to sit down and have some realistic discussions about how we fix this problem before it overcomes us."

On Michigan's overall road funding system:
"Michigan spends less on roads than any of the six or seven states that border us and in so many areas that tends to be the case and we expect to be able to work miracles. I think Mark Hackel has said it, there's just not enough money there. It's a critical issue with everyone, and we just have to have a solution and quit playing the politics of kicking the can down the road."


Listen to full interview