For too long, our highways, roads, and bridges have been neglected. The investments needed to maintain the vast expanse of highways, bridges, and roads continue to grow. However, the political class in Lansing continues to bid contracts not on quality, cost, and workmanship, but on pressure from political interest groups. This has to end. Just by changing the way road contracts are negotiated could save 20-30 percent. For every 100 miles of roads paved today, that would mean another 20 miles paved under a system that is based on merit. As rural counties, such as ours, revert some of the paved roads back to gravel, it's time to reexamine how these contracts are awarded to ensure money goes to improve our infrastructure, not those favored by the political class.