American Dream Dead

[tigersofjustice]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/billionaire-spends-30-million-stop-165621433.html

I just had to share this article. Apparently the American Dream dies when your artificial monopoly on international bridges comes to an end because somebody else wants to enter the market.

What a moro(u)n...

 

[Thumb]

Well if someone else wanted to enter the market and foot the bill (privately) themselves, I'd be all for it.


Here's a good quote: “I wish people were as worried about spending taxpayer money as they are about (Moroun) spending his private money,” Stamper said. “The problem is the project, not Manny’s money. It’s been a fatally flawed project from the beginning.”

And that's the bottom line, and I'm voting yes on Prop 6. We don't need another bridge at taxpayer expense, especially when half our roads are shit, and there's no money to repair them.

 

[tigersofjustice]

Well if someone else wanted to enter the market and foot the bill (privately) themselves, I'd be all for it.


Here's a good quote: ?I wish people were as worried about spending taxpayer money as they are about (Moroun) spending his private money,? Stamper said. ?The problem is the project, not Manny?s money. It?s been a fatally flawed project from the beginning.?

And that's the bottom line, and I'm voting yes on Prop 6. We don't need another bridge at taxpayer expense, especially when half our roads are shit, and there's no money to repair them.

Well I really don't see how that bridge is going to cost John Q. Taxpayer money. The bill is being footed by the Canadians up to 550 million for Michigan's half as far as I can tell and it should actually be a source of revenue after its construction via toll collection (similar to the Ambassador bridge which generates Moroun's entire fortune).

And in either case, the wife is still an idiot for thinking that their family is entitled to some kind of monopoly.

 

[Thumb]

Well I really don't see how that bridge is going to cost John Q. Taxpayer money. The bill is being footed by the Canadians up to 550 million for Michigan's half as far as I can tell and it should actually be a source of revenue after its construction via toll collection (similar to the Ambassador bridge which generates Moroun's entire fortune).

And in either case, the wife is still an idiot for thinking that their family is entitled to some kind of monopoly.

This question has been asked again and again, and nobody can come out and say no, it will not end up costing Michigan taxpayers anything.

If it were paid for 100% by Canada, you think they will let us collect the bridge tolls? "Here you go Michigan, we'll speed 500 million and you can just start making money off the tolls," signed Ontario. :nuts:

 

[MalFunkShun]

This question has been asked again and again, and nobody can come out and say no, it will not end up costing Michigan taxpayers anything.

If it were paid for 100% by Canada, you think they will let us collect the bridge tolls? "Here you go Michigan, we'll speed 500 million and you can just start making money off the tolls," signed Ontario. :nuts:

100% of the bridge toll goes to Canada the first 50 years.

 

[Thumb]

100% of the bridge toll goes to Canada the first 50 years.

as far as I can tell and it should actually be a source of revenue after its construction via toll collection

Tell him, not me.

 

[cheeno]

Canada fits the bill for the bridge and the state can use it to unlock federal funding to rebuilt the crappy roads you mentioned all over the state. You have been hoodwinked thumb, quoting Dan Stamper's view is like quoting Himmler's view on the invasion of Poland.

 

[tigersofjustice]

Tell him, not me.

That's still a net gain for Michigan even giving up 50 years of tolls.

 

[Thumb]

Canada fits the bill for the bridge and the state can use it to unlock federal funding to rebuilt the crappy roads you mentioned all over the state. You have been hoodwinked thumb, quoting Dan Stamper's view is like quoting Himmler's view on the invasion of Poland.

You mean Canada foots the bill right?

And use what? What exactly is the 'it' you mention?

 

[Thumb]

That's still a net gain for Michigan even giving up 50 years of tolls.

Really? What exactly is the gain?

 

[cheeno]

You mean Canada foots the bill right?

And use what? What exactly is the 'it' you mention?

Fit=Foot
It=$500 Million
Canada=Fookin Canadah and fookin Canadajins stealin our fookin jobs

 

[Thumb]

Fit=Foot
It=$500 Million
Canada=Fookin Canadah and fookin Canadajins stealin our fookin jobs

So how exactly does them (Canada) paying $500 Million "unlock" federal money for our shitty roads?

That was what you posted.

 

[cheeno]

So how exactly does them (Canada) paying $500 Million "unlock" federal money for our shitty roads?

That was what you posted.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder supported construction of the DRIC in his first State of the State address on January 19, 2011. His plan would leverage Canadian money to receive a 160 percent match?totaling $2.2 billion?on funding from the Federal Highway Administration in a deal reached the week previous to the speech.

That's from a dated DFP article I'll shoot you a link if you want. Basically so much money is allotted to a state for roads in the form of matching funds from the fhwa. Right now Michigan doesn't spend enough for the full matching funds so the Gov made a deal with the fhwa to use the Canadian money as state funds to receive the full match.

 

[tigersofjustice]

Really? What exactly is the gain?

A consistent revenue stream via tolls even after 50 years is a net monetary gain. You're taking Moroun's profits and putting it in Michigan's pockets. I mean 50 year wait is not unreasonable considering Canada is being asked to foot the construction costs.

 

[Thumb]

A consistent revenue stream via tolls even after 50 years is a net monetary gain. You're taking Moroun's profits and putting it in Michigan's pockets. I mean 50 year wait is not unreasonable considering Canada is being asked to foot the construction costs.

That depends.

The Ambassador Bridge does not have a monopoly to Canada. Just from Detroit to Windsor. The Blue Water Bridge between Port Huron and Sarnia has 2 spans. So it's not like Moroun has anyone by the balls, he doesn't.

Building a new bridge will not render the Ambassador Bridge defunct, so you;re not taking Moroun's profits and putting them in Michigan's pockets at all. Especially since Michigan has to wait 50 years to see a penny.

I'm not opposed to a new bridge, but I agree taxpayers should have a say in it, Prop 6 does not mean no bridge, it just means "let the people decide".

And again, nobody has given any guarantees that it won't cost taxpayers anything, after all Canada has pledged $500 million, but have they said they will cover any and all cost overruns (of which I can guarantee there will be) until the completion of the project?

 

[tigersofjustice]

That depends.

The Ambassador Bridge does not have a monopoly to Canada. Just from Detroit to Windsor. The Blue Water Bridge between Port Huron and Sarnia has 2 spans. So it's not like Moroun has anyone by the balls, he doesn't.

Building a new bridge will not render the Ambassador Bridge defunct, so you;re not taking Moroun's profits and putting them in Michigan's pockets at all. Especially since Michigan has to wait 50 years to see a penny.

I'm not opposed to a new bridge, but I agree taxpayers should have a say in it, Prop 6 does not mean no bridge, it just means "let the people decide".

And again, nobody has given any guarantees that it won't cost taxpayers anything, after all Canada has pledged $500 million, but have they said they will cover any and all cost overruns (of which I can guarantee there will be) until the completion of the project?

Well you're right, the new bridge will not get all the business from the Ambassador, but it would be reasonable to assume, with superior travel for business drivers that it would probably instantly get half. Half of millions of dollars is still millions of dollars. I don't think anybody can guarantee anything but it seems fairly likely that it would be a net gain.

 

[cheeno]

That depends.

The Ambassador Bridge does not have a monopoly to Canada. Just from Detroit to Windsor. The Blue Water Bridge between Port Huron and Sarnia has 2 spans. So it's not like Moroun has anyone by the balls, he doesn't.

Building a new bridge will not render the Ambassador Bridge defunct, so you;re not taking Moroun's profits and putting them in Michigan's pockets at all. Especially since Michigan has to wait 50 years to see a penny.

I'm not opposed to a new bridge, but I agree taxpayers should have a say in it, Prop 6 does not mean no bridge, it just means "let the people decide".

And again, nobody has given any guarantees that it won't cost taxpayers anything, after all Canada has pledged $500 million, but have they said they will cover any and all cost overruns (of which I can guarantee there will be) until the completion of the project?

It is being built as a public private partnership. All cost overruns fall on the responsibility of the private bid partner. Why should the people decide, isn't that why we elect officials? Ones whose job depends on being well informed and making the decisions in the best interest of their electorate? Or we vote them out? That is the way democracy works, not some corporation with an artificial monopoly banking on flooding false and inflammatory information to an uninformed voter base to protect their profit interests and their interests only.