Politician L. Brooks Patterson, the Executive of Oakland County in Metro Detroit, has proposed the legalization of video slot-machine gaming at four Michigan racetracks as part of a plan to bring much needed capital to local and state governments.

A report by the Detroit Free Press explains part of Patterson’s proposal. According to the politician, his proposal could “probably spin off a cool billion to the Legislature” without raising taxes.

Patterson has said that his proposal could then see close to $500 million in tax-free money earmarked for road repair in Michigan.

The article has cited Patterson as saying that Detroit’s downtown casino would presumably oppose the proposal. “The casinos in Detroit would be screaming over this,” he was quoted as saying, adding, “We do enough for Detroit, how about doing something for all of us driving on your roads?”

(With files from the Detroit Free Press)