I didn't know Benero opposed this project and now I'm very conflicted while Bernero is the more liberal candidate to say I hate Matty Moroun is an understatement. Maroun is slumlord scum if you've the seen pics of the abandoned train station in Detroit he's the owner. MDOT entered into a joint project to redo the interchange with I-75 and the Ambassador Bridge to finally provide a direct connection and get trucks off local streets. Well, instead of building the parts he supposed to the he built more toll booths and a duty free shop taking over over a city street without permission. This isn't first time he's taken city land without permission he fenced part of a small park at the foot of the bridge for "security". His argument that since operates an international crossing he's an instrument of the federal government and can do whether the hell he wants thankfully the state supreme court ruled against him in the MDOT matter. The new US Attorney appointed by the President took him court for claiming he was instrument of government and won. But the drama continues of course as he's suing the city, the state. MDOT, governments in Canada for not bending to his will.
http://www.metrotimes.com/news/story.asp?id=13915http://www.metrotimes.com/archives/story.asp?id=14056http://www.freep.com/article/20100629/NEWS01/100629056/Judge--Moroun%5C-s-Bridge-Co.-is-not-an-agent-of-federal-governmenthttp://detnews.com/article/20100528/METRO01/5280408/Ambassador-Bridge-company-gets-another-court-setbackThe Detroit River International Crossing, better known as DRIC, has been a hot topic this campaign season. To recap it for those who haven't been following, the the DRIC is a proposed second bridge across the Detroit River that every organization, on both sides of the border, agrees is needed to continue the economic gains that international trade brings the region. Estimates show that Michigan stands to gain 10,000 jobs and billions of dollars in economic growth from the project, and Canada has even offered to pay nearly $600 million of Michigan's costs for building the roads that would ultimately connect the new bridge to existing highways.
So what's holding it up? Politics, of course, and behind those politics is Matty Moroun, owner of the existing Ambassador Bridge in Detroit.
The Detroit Free Press has a nice summary today (read here) of Moroun's influence this election season, and probably not coincidentally, you just have to follow the money to find out who supports DRIC, and who doesn't.
As the Free Press mentions, Moroun and his family have donated more than $110,000 to various Michigan candidates this campaign season. In the Governor's race, not surprisingly, those who have taken money from Moroun have publicly opposed the DRIC project, while those who haven't taken money from Moroun are for it. Republicans Mike Cox and Pete Hoekstra, for example, received total contributions of $13,600 each.
Mike Bouchard, the most outspoken critic of the DRIC project, got even more money from the Morouns
While Bernero has spent the better part of the campaign trying to portray himself as the "true Democrat" in this race, this certainly seems like a chink in that armor as Bernero has aligned himself with Republicans in opposing this much needed project
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/7/27/888027/-MI-Gov:-Maroun,-DRIC,-and-Following-the-Dollars-in-Michigans-Gubernatorial-Race
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