Even More Interesting Stories

 

I found a lot of very interesting stories in the media over the past little while. I thought I would let you know what some of them are.

ANOTHER COSTLY BRIDGE 

If you think that anyone has the faintest idea about what the cost of a new Windsor/Detroit bridge is, then I think you are wrong, dear reader. In my opinion, it probably will be higher than anyone thinks it will be. Here is an example of a 25% or so increase in price in another project in the area that happened so quickly: 

"LaSalle Bridge Proving Costly

By Ricardo Veneza on March 17, 2016   

The County of Essex is spending almost $100,000 more than it thought it would on bridge repairs in LaSalle.

Administration thought the rehabilitation job for the County Rd. 8 bridge running over the Canard River — also known as the bowstring bridge — would cost about $400,000, but Front Construction got the contract as the lowest bidder at $495,221." (Ricardo Veneza BlackburnNews March 17, 2016) 

Who knows. Perhaps that 5 billion dollar plus cost for a new Government bridge in Windsor/Detroit is still a lot low. 

WILL GOVERNOR SNYDER RUN FOR PRESIDENT SOON 

It won't be this term but it would not surprise me to see him running for President in the next presidential election. After all, the mess in the Michigan State issue with respect to Flint is not his fault now is it. He just wants to fix up everything. Just look what he says in Washington DC in the hearing there in his speech on March 17, 2016: 

"That’s why I am committed to a complete and comprehensive change in state government that puts public health and safety first. 

And it’s why I called for a thorough investigation of the Michigan Department of  Health and Human Services by the auditor general and the inspector general.  

We are taking responsibility and taking action in Michigan, and that is absolutely essential here in Washington, too. Inefficient, ineffective, and unaccountable bureaucrats at the EPA allowed this disaster to continue unnecessarily...

I am grateful to have been elected to serve the people of Michigan. I understand their anger.

I’ve  been humbled by this experience. And I’m going to make Flint and every community in Michigan a better place to live. We have a lot to learn, and a lot to do. 

I close with a simple plea … 

Partner with me in fixing this" 

LET'S BUILD TOLL ROADS 

What the heck. Never mind using tax money to build roads. Let's just charge people toll money to do so. 

What a nice way for some private firms to make a ton of cash to build these roads and to manage them over the years. Of course, the main responsibility for these roads will be the Governments involved who will have to raise the money to do so since they will be owners. 

Let's do some tolls in Toronto first to demonstrate what a great idea it is to build these kind of roads. Then, when everything looks so fabulous, new toll roads can be built all over the place. Just see what the Globe and Mail wrote in their Editorial on March 16, 2016: 

"It’s a mystery why Canada has something of an allergy to toll roads. There are many tolled highways in the United States, including quite a few of the interstates; fully 26 states have them, often known as “turnpikes.” When the idea is raised in Canada, it’s often decried as a socialist plot or a government tax grab. It’s actually as free-market as can be. Want to drive on the road? Pay for it. Highway 407, a toll highway just outside Toronto, is a rarity. 

As for Toronto itself, the crumbling eastern section of the Gardiner Expressway is in no condition to continue as it is. It would make eminent sense to finance its repair and replacement – which will cost at least $2.5-billion – and that of the related Don Valley Parkway, by levying charges on its drivers, rather than raising the money from the city’s long-suffering taxpayers." 

DETROIT/WINDSOR TUNNEL REQUIRES LOTS OF WORK TO FIX UP 

Just like the Ambassador Bridge, it looks like the Tunnel also needs to spend a fair bit of money to fix up. It should be interesting to find out how much it really costs. It looks like the money will have to be spent no matter what it ultimately is since the Tunnel has gotten old from its initial construction: 

"The Windsor-Detroit Tunnel will be closing overnight five days a week beginning in August for replacement of its original concrete roof. 

“It’s a scheduled project and if you look at tunnels in the United States and Canada they have a lifespan, just like the roof on your house has a lifespan, and so this is just a scheduled replacement,” said tunnel president Neal Belitsky. 

The roof replacement will be part of extensive renovations to the tunnel which will begin in May... 

The tunnel will be closed from 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday." (Chris Thompson, Windsor Star March 16, 2016)