Bridges To Canada (Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grosse Ile: car insurance, daycare, hotel)

[Retroit]

Yeah, shame on businesspeople for wanting to make money. They could learn a lesson on prudent financial management from our governments.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Retroit

Yeah, shame on businesspeople for wanting to make money. They could learn a lesson on prudent financial management from our governments.

I have no problem with business people wanting to make money. I ahve a problem with what I consider to be unscrupulous business people who are willing or even desiring to crush other people, disrgard the law, the rights of others or even simply disregard the imact that your actions have on other people's lives in order to promote your desire for ever greater riches. No pproblems with businesspeople making money. Big problem with dirtball busienss people however. An I woudl strongly prefer that dirtball business people not own and control our infrastructure, especially when they have a monopoly on a specific element of our infrastructure.

[Retroit]

I worry more about the government than businesspeople. Talk about unscrupulous...

[Coldjensens]

Gernally I agree with you, but not in the case of Manny Mouron. We cannot do much worse and at least in goverment there is some accountability and the real threat of prison.

[Retroit]

Why do you think Maroun should go to prison? What crime has he committed?

[SadieMirsade]

http://buildthedricnow.com/2011/12/31/new-bridge/

All of those figures add up to the need for a modern, publicly owned bridge on the Detroit River. And the case for the new bridge was eloquently argued last summer by former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard and Colin Robertson, a former Canadian diplomat and senior strategic adviser with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP

“The 105 million people living in the (Great Lakes-St. Lawrence) region today need their respective governments to continue to work together on the border. To remain the world’s fourth largest economy, the region needs a second Detroit-Windsor crossing.

“Our most integrated trade industry by far, the production and assembly of automobiles is concentrated in the Great Lakes region. This ‘industry of industries’ draws in hundreds of feeder manufacturers in dozens of locations in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

“But the top priority has to be the construction of a second bridge between Windsor and Detroit. In the 7,000 trucks that daily cross the Ambassador Bridge are contained over a quarter of the goods traded between Canada and the U.S. Any interruption in traffic on this 80-year-old, privately owned bridge means layoffs: thousands in the first day and tens of thousands stretching south to the Carolinas by day two. Resiliency, national security and the national interest of both countries requires us to build a second crossing, the new International Trade Crossing.”

As we usher in the new year, it’s time to get the shovels in the ground.

[Retroit]

Maroun has been trying to get shovels in the ground, but the Coast Guard, State of Michigan, and the Courts have done everything they can to stop him. He has enough money to build a bridge himself, but the politicians aren't happy unless they get a kickback.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Retroit

Maroun has been trying to get shovels in the ground, but the Coast Guard, State of Michigan, and the Courts have done everything they can to stop him. He has enough money to build a bridge himself, but the politicians aren't happy unless they get a kickback.

Well there is also the little side issue that the Country of Canada does not want the bridge there, and they do not want Maroun ownership. They might have some say in the matter as well. We cannot just say "We want the bridge here, so we care going to connect it to your coutnry whether you want it or not"

We could jsut take the Maroun approach and start building it on our side hoping that once it is partly done, the politicians in Canada will not be able to condone the waste of just letting it sti there.

[animatedmartian]

Even though Matty's bridge would save taxpayers money, it will waste money for everything else. The area around the Ambassador bridge is built up on the Canadian side. The road that connects the bridge to the Canadian freeway is obviously congested with truck traffic, so it's easy to assume that it erodes quicker, and from a Windsor taxpayer POV, that probably seems way more wasteful than what Americans consider wasteful.

I think the declining traffic issue has more to do with the economy and dynamics outside of the actual bridge itself. It's obviously still a very important crossing and we ought to spend money to make it an more efficient one.

I really don't care if Matty loses money because you know what? He's a billionaire. He can invest in Detroit, maybe actually use MCS for something useful, or do whatever else billionaires do to stay wealthy. They dude's like 90 years old anyway, why doesn't he do some charity work and give back to the community? The only thing he's been able to do is keep the community in the same situation while continually filling his own pocket with cash.

I'll chalk it up to just another day in Detroit...

[Retroit]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Well there is also the little side issue that the Country of Canada does not want the bridge there, and they do not want Maroun ownership. They might have some say in the matter as well. We cannot just say "We want the bridge here, so we care going to connect it to your coutnry whether you want it or not"

We could jsut take the Maroun approach and start building it on our side hoping that once it is partly done, the politicians in Canada will not be able to condone the waste of just letting it sti there.

Canada needs us a lot more than we need them. Why do you think they are "promising" to fund a new bridge? (answer: 'cause they need our money). The only legitimate complaint I've heard from Canada is that they don't have adequate roads on their side. Well, , the bridge has been there for 90 years, what the hell have they been waiting for? We just completed a meg-million-dollar mega-project on our side a couple years ago, now the anti-Maroun faction wants to scrap it all apparently.