www.mybaycity.com November 1, 2012
Government Article 07540


Snyder criticized "The People Should Decide" campaign, into which Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel "Matty" Moroun has poured millions of dollars.

GOV BACKS BRIDGE:
Canada Will Pay for Vital Transport Tie to Michigan

November 1, 2012
By: Dave Rogers


In a hastily-called town hall at Saginaw Valley State University on Wednesday, Governor Rick Snyder teamed with the Consul General of Canada to push a "no" vote on Proposal 6 in Tuesday's election.

Canadian Consul Roy Norton assured Michigan voters that Canada has agreed to cover the entire cost of a new bridge, including the interchange in Michigan, and to accept full liability for it.

The governor urged a "yes" vote on Proposal 1 and a "no" vote on the other five proposals.

Both the governor and the consul condemned as lies the massive ad campaign of Matty Moroun, Ambassador Bridge owner, who now has a monopoly on trade transportation between the U.S. and Canada at Detroit.

Gov. Snyder said Detroit is the busiest commercial border crossing in North America. Some 8,000 trucks cross the bridge into Canada each day, and all of that trade supports 257,000 jobs across Michigan.

"Those jobs could be in jeopardy because of our total dependence on the 83-year-old Ambassador Bridge as the primary point of entry into our neighbor to the north," said the governor.

Norton said that the reasons for supporting the new "International Trade Crossing" are numerous and compelling: "In fact there is only one rational reason for opposing the program; if you own the Ambassador Bridge you will cease to enjoy monopoly profits."

Norton, who also spoke at the Rotary Club of Bay City last week, said the TV commercials opposing the bridge say it will cost $8 billion and that a second bridge is not necessary are lies.

Snyder criticized "The People Should Decide" campaign, into which Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel "Matty" Moroun has poured millions of dollars.

"There are no Michigan taxpayer dollars going into that bridge," he said.

"This project will cost the state of Michigan nothing," Norton said.

Snyder said not having an alternative to the 83-year-old Ambassador Bridge could be catastrophic for international trade if the span were to shut down.

The governor also urged a "no" vote on Proposal 5 which he said would tie the hands of the Legislature on tax reform. Such a restriction, requiring a two-thirds vote on all tax changes, would have negated the Michigan Business Tax reform adopted earlier this year, he said.



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