By Joel Thurtell
Three of Matty Moroun’s Republican hirelings in the state Senate vote against a new bridge to Canada.
Two Republicans vote in favor.
Two Democrats refuse to vote.
Thus, on the votes or non-votes of seven people, an important piece of state infrastructure will not be built?
One family — the Morouns — spending millions on advertisements and bribes — excuse me, legal contributions to elected legislators — gets its way, in spite of polls that show a majority of voters in favor of a new bridge.
This is Democracy in Michigan.
Now, people are calling on Gov. Rick Snyder not to “go around the Legislature” and build the bridge anyway.
Wait a minute!
The Legislature in toto never voted on this issue.
The people, through their elected representatives, never got to see a real vote.
There could have been a vote, but through weakness, laziness, stupidity and avarice, the legislators chose to sit out their chance to vote the bridge up or down.
One committee of seven people is not a vote on the bridge.
The Legislature voted itself out of the equation.
The governor is entitled, therefore, to seek ways of building the bridge without the Legislature’s approval.
They had their chance.
They blew it.
If the governor by executive order can start digging the foundation, do it.
If it’s not possible for Michigan to take part without the Legislature on board, then let’s ask the federal government to partner with Canada and get the job done.
If the new bridge at the Rouge River can’t be built, here’s another proposal.
You’ve heard this from me before: The feds and the state have the power to seize Matty’s bridge.
Now, Matty has blustered and the mainstream media have bought his lie that he will build a “twin” to his decrepit Ambassador Bridge.
Well, as I have said so many times before, Matty can’t build that bridge because he doesn’t own the land he needs for it. That land belongs to the city of Detroit. It is called Riverside Park.
I’m not saying the federal government or the state of Michigan should by gubernatorial fiat build Matty’s twin. No, forget the twin. It’s nothing but hot air, a bluff.
And leave Riverside Park alone.
No, here’s what I say: Seize the Ambasador Bridge through the government’s power of eminent domain.
Tear the piece of crap down and build a new bridge in its place.
Oh, sure, I would fairly compensate Matty.
With a kick in the ass.
But the best shot would be to forget the Ambassador. Build the New International Trade Crossing bridge despite legislative obstinacy.
The advantage to going ahead without the Legislature is that never again would the bridge be held up by Matty’s hired politicos in Lansing.
The Legislature now is out of the picture, through their own nearsighted behavior.
On with the bridge.
And screw Matty Moroun.
Under the Morounarchy in which we live in Michigan, we should not expect the democratic process to operate as the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the members of the Constitutional Convention hoped for. When a majority of state legislators can be bought for a mess of pottage, citizens should be prepared for things to get worse, not better. The Community Benefits people did indeed fall into the Monkey Trap — talk about a zero-sum loss.
What we should be applauding, however, is the two Republicans — Emmons and Hildenbrand — on the committee who voted not for Moroun’s wishes, but for the democratic system. EMMONS and HILDENBRAND: Voters should remember their names and honor them. Whatever their reasons for voting to send the NITC bill out of committee and onto a full Senate vote, they were not pushovers, but honored themselves, their office, and their constituents by upholding the highest standards of a democracy: They asked questions, they investigated, they analyzed the facts — and they voted to put the matter before the people’s representatives for argument, discussion and decision. EMMONS and HILDENBRAND: Profiles in courage and common sense.
Yeah. Apply a little emergency financial management to the incompetent legislature and its committee who, through its inability to make tough choices, put the economic welfare and security of the entire state in jeopardy. Use the same principle and basis for the EFM law that focuses on local governments and apply it to these blow-hards.
That should also serve as a public service announcement to any other number of Matty Marouns and would-be paid politicos in Lansing to best think twice before taking hostage the democratic process here in Michigan…because guess what: you’ll lose.
This has to be one of the best synopses of the situation I have read. As an alum of the U of M’s History Dept, I heard of your blog in the latest newsletter… and after this, I think I shall keep reading