This week’s installment is a Refresher Course 101 on the political term “compromise.”

In some circles, and you know who you are, the term is considered to be a four-letter word right up there…well, pick your favorite and insert here.

However, among the rest of the world, to compromise goes to the very heart of what a democracy is, i.e. not everyone gets everything they want when they want it, but each side has to give a little to get a little.

Which brings us to the current longitudinal and so far illusive hunt for a permanent fix for the roads.

Give credit to the new House GOP Speaker Matt Hall for forcing the hand of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to get off the dime and offer some road fixes of her own after he issued his first.

The two key negotiators have already agreed that cuts to the state budget need to be part of the deal. They have mutually started the bidding at $500 million. They have agreed that all of the tax money collected at the gas pump should go to the roads. Currently, a good size chunk goes to schools and local governments. They also agree that big business should kick in some lute since commerce does benefit from a smooth road system. The two have agreed to this in concept, with the fine print yet to be drafted.

Now comes the sticky whicket, as they say: Tax Increases where middle ground has been hard to find.

The governor argues new revenue must be part of the settlement because you “can’t fix the roads with budget cuts alone,” she advises the speaker.

Up until last week, Hall was embedded in his long-held stance that there is enough cash in the budget that you can squeeze enough out to avoid a tax hike.

They have been unable to reach a compromise on that one, but wait…

“If Whitmer needs a tax increase, I’m just saying let’s start with looking at EVs and are they paying their fair share? They are not paying the same amount as the conventional motorists, so that should be equalized. I could support that…That would be more revenue. That would be a tax increase but only for the electric vehicles…I don’t think we should be putting this on the backs of the working people.”

Some in this town have wondered why the speaker did not include this piece in his road fix package.

He is more than eager to set those folks straight, saying the reason it wasn’t in there is because it is not part of his package, which is based on no tax hikes. Period. He is not the one pushing this, he strongly points out.

But in the spirit of compromise, he is now willing to give the governor some ground on the new revenue front to move the road fix ball into the end zone.

“As part of the negotiations, I would be open to the EV owners paying their fair share, which means they have to pay more than they’re paying under their registration fees to match what the conventional drivers are paying at the pump.”

That scream you just heard comes from the environmental lobby, which argues, those owner are already paying their fair share in the current registration fee system and taxes have been slapped on the vehicles at other points along the line. Plus, the greens fear more taxes will mean fewer buyers, which means less clear air with CO2 levels off the charts, they contend.

Back to the speaker, whom some say is anti-EV just like his president in the White House.

Data suggests that 60% of EV owners earn over $100,000 a year compared to the 20% of the buyers at 50 thou or less.

“The EV drivers, these are more expensive cars; these are usually better off financially people. They are getting all kinds of government incentives, coupons, and discounts for their EVs.”

Some might argue, the speaker gets no political blowback from the conservatives who abhor anything that even smells like a tax boost. That’s because Trump nation doesn’t like EVs anyway, so why not tax the daylights out of the owner and manufacturers?

Hence, we stand at a bit of a historic compromise crossroads. Will the governor take the anti-tax increases speaker’s hand across the table on a limited tax hike or not?

Stay tuned for the next installment of this refresher compromise course.