Detroit Bridge Wars

[Terry Shea]

So when's Granholm going to show up brandishing a firearm?

Not her style.  She'll probably make another trip to China, recruit 5 Chinese men to build the bridge and then proclaim "I've solved our unemployment problem!"

See, when this exact thing happened on the Oklahoma/Texas border in 1931, Oklahoma Gov. William H. "Alfalfa Bill" Murray showed up at the scene with a revolver, the Oklahoma Department of Highways, and the National Guard behind him, bound and determined to get that damned new bridge open.

Governor Bill Murray?  That's a scary thought.   Not as scary as Gov. Granholm though I guess.

[J N Winkler]

What were those "three C's" again?  Now that was scary.

[rawmustard]

The Michigan House barely passed a bill which would allow Canada to pay for our part of the DRIC. It had no Republican support whatsoever. Now the bill goes to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it will very likely undergo several changes before going back to the House.

[Terry Shea]

The Michigan House barely passed a bill which would allow Canada to pay for our part of the DRIC. It had no Republican support whatsoever. Now the bill goes to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it will very likely undergo several changes before going back to the House.

I'm surprised China hasn't tried to build it.

[Brandon]

Mouron's got more setbacks from the Michigan Supreme Court.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100528/METRO01/5280408/Ambassador-Bridge-company-gets-another-court-setback

[Hellfighter]

Also, the ramp from the bridge to South I-75 will be opened today!

[The Premier]

Also, the ramp from the bridge to South I-75 will be opened today!

Too bad the rest of the ramps aren't.

[haljackey]

Here's something you might find interesting:



Windsor's Chris Vander Doelen: Moroun musings


By Chris Vander Doelen May 18, 2010

Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/entertainment/Windsor+Chris+Vander+Doelen+Moroun+musings/3040888/story.html#ixzz0pjFIfqAn

Windsor Star columnist Chris Vander Doelen.

Did you know that Canada refuses to fix up Highway 401 so traffic can cross the international border into Detroit easier?

It was news to me, too. I've been commuting daily through the many construction projects on our local section of the Trans-Canada Highway for years.

It's going to be a fabulous, world-class highway when it's finished. As a taxpayer and a driver, I couldn't be more pleased with the $500 million the province of Ontario and the federal government have spent rebuilding the 401 from Tilbury to Windsor in preparation for the new crossing over the Detroit River.

But all of that work is invisible to the Moroun family of Detroit, the people who own the Ambassador Bridge. They want to prevent anyone from building another crossing to compete with them.

"Canada has allowed the 401 to stay the way it has been for the past 40 years," Matthew Moroun, son of tycoon Matty Moroun, told a news conference Monday.

It was one of a slew of similar reality-defying claims uttered with straight faces by Moroun and his people.

Canada's alleged inaction on Highway 401 was supposed to illustrate why the Morouns should be left in charge of the border.

The Ambassador Bridge clan also called the meeting to refute a speech made an hour earlier by John Baird, Canadian minister of transport, infrastructure and communities.

According to the Morouns, Baird doesn't know anything about transportation or infrastructure -- or Windsor, to hear the Morouns tell it. But they do. They're experts.

Baird had just told 300 members and guests of the Detroit Economic Club that it's a misconception that the Morouns' plans to build a new bridge to Canada are all ready to go, except for the permits being issued.

"No, no, no, and no," an exasperated Baird said of the Ambassador Bridge's state of readiness. The Morouns have not submitted any applications to build their bridge, Baird said. They have not begun to meet environmental approvals.

The Morouns have not even started to prepare to begin to do anything at all about building its new bridge, the minister said. "On a scale of zero to 100, they're at ZERO," a sarcastic Baird told a blue-chip audience of Michigan's business leaders.

An hour later, the family and its lawyers (the elder Moroun wasn't in evidence) claimed they've done all the work necessary to pass an environmental assessment.

It's just that the evil Canadian federal government won't approve it.

"The gentleman should simply approve our environmental documents and allow us to go forward," Moroun said of Baird.

It was difficult to sit through. Maybe this guff works on Americans. But it left me shaking my head in disbelief that anybody could insult public intelligence this way.

The $550 million extra the Canadian government just put up so that Michigan doesn't have to break its budget to approve the new bridge? That money is "unbudgeted," Moroun claimed.

A Canadian federal cabinet minister had just said in public the funds are fully approved, but a foreigner says it's not true.

Ontario is behind the feds 110 per cent, and the two governments don't even get along politically. The City of Windsor now backs both senior governments.

So who are we going to believe -- our own three levels of government, which for the first time in living memory are singing in unison on the need for a new bridge to the U.S.?

Or do we listen to a guy from another country telling us our elected officials are not telling the truth, and our country is evil? Tough choice.

I couldn't help myself when Moroun -- a nice guy, actually -- claimed that the Canadian government is so lax about security concerns that it wasn't even guarding the Ambassador Bridge against international terrorism.

How does he know this? "You can't see any Mounties," Moroun said, straight face still intact.

I put up my hand. "Have you ever heard of CSIS? The Canadian Security Intelligence Service? You're not supposed to see them. They don't wear red coats."

There were some titters in the audience. After some blustering about 24-hour security, they ignored my question and moved on.

Sheesh. These people want to continue to manage North America's most important border crossing, and they pretend to not know that Canada's security forces don't dress like Dudley Do-Right.

What's scarier is that they undoubtedly do know the truth.

They're counting on some Americans to not know. Either way that makes them unfit to keep their monopoly over our border.

The sooner they don't stand between Canadians and Americans anymore, the better.

cvanderdoelen@thestar.canwest.com or 519-255-6852 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              519-255-6852      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              519-255-6852      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/entertainment/Windsor+Chris+Vander+Doelen+Moroun+musings/3040888/story.html#ixzz0pjFRU9Jv



Also, can I suggest that this thread be moved to the new "Bridges" section, under the name "New Detroit-Windsor International Crossing"? (Or something like that.)

[The Premier]

Or much harder. No wonder Hwy 401 has been completed;Michigan wants a new bridge, but Moroun doesn't want a bridge to compete with whatever MDOT and the MTO has. All he wants is an monopoly over the Detroit area border crossings. I won't be surprised if Moroun has to appear to federal court to break up that monopoly.

[MichiganDriver]

Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel (Matty) Moroun has lost an important round in federal court when a judge denied his attempt to avoid having to rebuild his duty free facilities at the bridge as the Michigan Department of Transportation demands.

After a Wayne County judge ruled in February that Moroun's Detroit International Bridge Co. had to rebuild its bridge approaches as MDOT requires, Moroun appealed the ruling in state courts. When the bridge company lost its appeals in state courts, it attempted to shift the battle to federal courts on the grounds that Michigan could not regulate what happened at the bridge.

But U.S. District Judge Patrick Duggan has ruled that there was no federal question involved, and that even if there was, the bridge company filed its action in federal court past a required deadline.

The ruling means that Moroun's bridge company is one step closer to having to either comply with Wayne County Circuit Judge Prentis Edwards' order to rebuild the bridge approaches at a cost of millions of dollars, or face a contempt hearing for not doing so.


Read more: Bridge company loses another round in court | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20100818/BUSINESS06/100818019/1320/Bridge-company-loses-another-round-in-court#ixzz0wzSSWtDH


This jerk certainly keeps his lawyers busy, now maybe he'll finally have to build the gateway correctly

[hm insulators]

Not that I know a lot about the issue, but has anyone noticed that the only difference between Moroun and "moron" is a single letter? 

[Stephane Dumas]

Not that I know a lot about the issue, but has anyone noticed that the only difference between Moroun and "moron" is a single letter? 

I noticed that one too, Moroun is a real moron. I'm sorry but I couldn't resist

[Stephane Dumas]

An article from the Windsor Star about the DRIC.
http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Feds+mull+alternate+DRIC+route/3744102/story.html

[rawmustard]

And over on this side of the river, Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop reiterated DRIC won't be considered before the legislature adjourns for the year.

UPDATE: Oh yeah, MDOT and the Ambassador Bridge company are currently going through another hearing. :yawn:

[bulldog1979]

Governor Snyder has forged a deal with the FHWA for $550 million in funding in a match of the state's contributions for DRIC. Michigan will be able to use funding extended from Ontario and Canada for the state's contributions, eliminating the debt burden on Michigan. "We must work together to ensure this opportunity does not slip away," Snyder wrote in his speech outline.


Christoff, Chris (January 19, 2011). "Snyder Backs Downriver Bridge for First Time" Detroit Free Press.

[JREwing78]

Nice! A big "up yours" to Mouron & co.

[MichiganDriver]

Suck it Matty!!!

[DanTheMan414]

Governor Snyder has forged a deal with the FHWA for $550 million in funding in a match of the state's contributions for DRIC. Michigan will be able to use funding extended from Ontario and Canada for the state's contributions, eliminating the debt burden on Michigan. "We must work together to ensure this opportunity does not slip away," Snyder wrote in his speech outline.

It was noted in today's (1/21) Free Press that at this time, the new Michigan Senate GOP Leader, Randy Richardville, is in support of the DRIC through private-public partnership, so long as it doesn't cost Michigan taxpayers.  However, the new Michigan House Leader, Jase Bolger, is not as sold on it, at least as of yet.  Gov. Snyder has his work cut out for him to that end, but it's finally a step in the right direction.

[bulldog1979]

One commentator after the State of the State Address summed it up as, "Rick likes DRIC".

[MDOTFanFB]

Now I am watching WJBK, just found out the owner of a bait shop whose street it was on was torn up to make way for the new bridge plazas (and as a result there is no way to get to the shop) is now sueing the Bridge Company and he took it all the way to the Supreme Court.

BTW, the bait shop is on the U.S. side.

[mightyace]

^^^^

Interesting...

Back in December, Toll Roads News reported this.
Ambassador Bridge says dispute with holdout landowner resolved

However, TRN was basically reporting off an Ambassador Bridge Co. press release.  Therefore, it is not surprising that the holdout landowner has a different story.

[bulldog1979]

Now bridge backers are suggesting that the span be named the "Gordie Howe Bridge"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_River_International_Crossing
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/the-gordie-howe-international-bridge-
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2011/02/forget_the_dric_how_about_the.html

[rawmustard]

Now bridge backers are suggesting that the span be named the "Gordie Howe Bridge"

It's definitely better than any politician they could choose.

[mightyace]

How about building the bridge before they name it?

Or, at least, breaking ground on construction?

[rawmustard]

Now the Marouns have hired Dick Morris in the hopes that his spin can defeat DRIC.

"I am absolutely convinced that this is another one of these public sector boondoggles like the big dig in Boston and the high speed rail in Florida," Morris said this morning during a call-in interview with Frank Beckmann on WJR-AM 760.

And keeping traffic snarled in Windsor isn't a boondoggle?