Cry me a Detroit River, Scrooge Moroun

The DRIC people want to build an expensive, unnecessary new bridge between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, a bridge the tolls for which won't justify the expense of building it, and they want to stick you, the taxpayer, with the bill. You should call your legislator right now and let them know you don't want that bridge.

That is, if you believe the load of crap that is the new commercial the Detroit International Bridge Company is running in the Detroit market. This goes way beyond nitpicking, this is shooting fish in a barrel.

Let me tell you what is really going on: billionaire Matty Moroun is worried that competition from another bridge could make a dent in his Ambassador Bridge profits. Never mind that competition is supposed to be one of the cornerstones that makes the whole free market concept such a great system that we need to invade other countries in order to impose it on them—quick poll: how good was the service the last time you went on the Ambassador Bridge? Nor should you worry about terrorists taking out two Moroun-owned bridges with one plane (because at one point he actually wanted to build another bridge right next to the Ambassador). Perhaps more realistically, the Ambassador could crumble apart because it's no spring chicken; I seriously doubt any significant portion of the revenue from that bridge is going to its upkeep.

Now, I'm a billionaire, too, so I worry about those damn high taxes, and I certainly don't want to pay for another bridge, especially one that is unnecessary. But... didn't Canada offer to pay Michigan's share of the cost for the new bridge? Just Google "canada offers to pay for bridge," it'll come up. Also, why would they even make such an offer if a new bridge was so unnecessary? When was the last time you drove on Fort Street from Rosa Parks to Springwells? It's wall-to-wall trucks! Isn't there enough profit here for two strategically placed bridges?

There's a smart way to be greedy and there's a dumb way to be greedy. A dumb greedhead like Matty Moroun will put short-term profits ahead of not just common decency and our national security interests, but also ahead of commonsense and long-term profits. So call your legislator and let him/her know that you support the DRIC bridge. And maybe also suggest Matty Moroun ought to be hauled into a special congressional hearing.