The Border File----Here We Go Again

Oh my goodness gracious.  It might be happening again contrary to everything that I have wanted to happen and expected to be taking place. After all, my circumstances have changed so drastically over the last year and a half after my illness that I thought that everything now was going to be different. I still think it will happen except for some ridiculous matters that I still see taking place in this area!

Oh sure, you know exactly what I mean don't you, dear reader. Yes, we still do not seem publicly to have any rational action being taken to get a new border crossing built already. I hope it is not true but who knows. 

Recent news stories are so ridiculous that I just do not understand it. I have been involved in this nonsense for so many years. I don't see why it is still happening but it is. I guess no one in power seems to care whether our regional economy is still collapsing and people are not working the way they should be. Sure, leave everything in a mess so that many companies will have to move over to the US if they are to stay in business. Now that is brilliant Canadian action. Not! 

Of course, it all has to do with the Ambassador Bridge Company and the people who own it, the Moroun Family. The expectation of their big opponents always was that the Family would sell out their interest in the Bridge to the Governments, at a low price too, once pressure was applied to them. They were expected to do so. After all, it seems to be obvious that the Ambassador Bridge Company has the exclusive right to own a bridge between Canada and United States in our area and to build another one if it was required. If they did not have these powers, wouldn't the Governments' bridge have been built already! 

It is so ridiculous what has happened for so long that has been so negative to the economy in Windsor. We are suffering so badly because of this. Is it ever going to change? 

I thought that the Ambassador Bridge Company has done everything that is needed on its side to get its new bridge built. It seems, if that is correct, that all that is missing now is Governments' approval to move forward to start construction.  Is there anything that the Governments are saying that is not good at what is being proposed? Have they gone forward and told the Ambassador Bridge Company to make some changes and if so, what are they? Have they gone public with this? Or, is the reality that there is nothing to prevent the Ambassador Bridge Company starting their project in building another bridge other than the formal agreement that needs to be granted by the Governments! 

It is all so laughable. The incompetence of Governments on both sides of the river is just so obvious. Heck, the Governments have difficulties financially in running the border crossings that they own already across the continent. Do any of them make money at all or do they suffer huge losses in the running of their operations? While we do not know exactly how much money the Ambassador Bridge Company really makes every year in the operations here, haven't we seen publicity of huge profitable revenues that they make of many millions of dollars per year!   

Seriously, it is enough already. Unless Windsor is supposed to sink economically, let's get that new Ambassador Bridge started to be built already.  This City and the area around it have suffered for much too long. That is a horrible position to put citizens in because of political games that are being played and which the Governments have lost continuously. Nevermind the trial court decisions. We all know that the Appeal courts will ultimately have to support the Ambassador Bridge Company legal position. 

Let me tell you why I am writing about this again today when frankly I should not have to do so. In my opinion, the Ambassador Bridge opponents now suspect strongly that the Ambassador Bridge Company will be getting approval from the Government of Canada soon to go forward shortly in building their bridge because there is no other alternative. They also suspect that the American Government, under President Obama, will also approve the project because that Government has established a new strong relationship with the Canadian Government again because of our new Prime Minister. If PM Trudeau will support the building of the new bridge because of a new deal that is going to be made with the Ambassador Bridge Company, then the US Government will do so as well. They will get their share also. 

What a huge victory that would be for the Liberal Party. Of course, how could it be possible for the Government Opposition to be successful in the future? As the best example, how would NDP MP Brian Masse  expect to be re-elected if the Liberals get such great publicity. If one looks at the articles that have been published recently in the media, then obviously he knows that something is going to happen shortly and he wants to put himself in the best position possible so he can have a chance to go back to Ottawa.  Take a look at a few of these media articles to understand what I mean: 

---"MDOT-Moroun showdown looming over land need for bridge

John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press August 20, 2016 

A potential showdown could flare soon between Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel (Matty) Moroun and the State of Michigan over land in southwest Detroit needed for the Gordie Howe International Bridge... 

“Our land acquisition team at MDOT is committed, sophisticated, it’s robust, and it’s spending a lot of time serving the interests of the project because this is a benefit to the entire region in a major way,” Doctoroff said. “There are a lot of people doing a lot of great work on land acquisition.” 

No doubt fans of the project will continue to fret and worry until they see construction rising against the skyline. That will take at least another couple of years, though, so until then, or until Canada issues the RFP and MDOT moves publicly to take all the land it needs in Delray, conspiracy theorists will continue to suggest that all is not well." 

---"Morouns aren't done trying to block Gordie Howe bridge

John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press August 23, 2016  

The Moroun family that owns the Ambassador Bridge could soon launch a few legal Hail Marys to try to block or delay the rival Gordie Howe International Bridge — including possibly arguing that the Michigan Constitution prohibits using eminent domain to seize private property for a Canada-led project. 

The Moroun family business,  which owns land in the path of the new bridge in the Delray neighborhood, has multiple legal strategies it could present. It could argue broadly about problems with eminent domain or try to delay MDOT's seizure of the family's Delray land, where they run a trucking operation." 

---"Gordie Howe bridge plaza work making significant progress

Dave Battagello, Windsor Star September 1, 2016 

But questions remain as to why the bridge authority’s board has not yet launched the final step of the bidding process — known as a request for proposals — to select the private sector contractor. 

The bid documents were scheduled to be released by the bridge authority in January, but nine months later they remain on hold. 

Board chairman Dwight Duncan, who did not attend Thursday’s tour, has attributed delays to property acquisition issues in Detroit — land needed for the Howe bridge. 

He fears expropriation of the lands, which include several properties owned by Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun, may lead to prolonged court battles that may impact the project... 

The Howe bridge was scheduled to be completed by 2020, but that target date is no longer firm following delays to complete the bidding process." 

Oh my goodness, all kinds of opposition can be started still by the Ambassador Bridge Company to cause complications for so many years. But of course, we need to know about something horrific now that might be the excuse for the Government of Canada and the Ambassador Bridge Company to come up with some kind of an arrangement to resolve these disputes and to come out with a resolution of their border differences. And guess what happened, we have an excuse for one: 

"CTV Windsor, September 4, 2016 

Transport Canada has issued orders against the Ambassador Bridge for railings the authority is considering unsafe, according to documents released by the authority. 

The order, which was issued on Sept. 2nd, is an emergency direction from Transport Canada for the Canadian Transit Company to install protective barriers along the side railings, says Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens. 

Dilkens says the order was imposed because the railing would not deflect traffic back onto the bridge, should a collision occur. 

The order says the current condition of the concrete edge and railing of the Ambassador Bridge is unsafe. The order also states the person issuing the report is of the opinion that the problem is an immediate threat to the safety of the Ambassador Bridge." 

Naturally, Brian Masse has to say and do things now if he wants to be re-elected and he does: 

"To be fair, I give the  minister credit for taking the lead on this,” Windsor-West MP Brian Masse said. “Never to my knowledge has a minister issued a directive like this in public..." 

The poor state of the bridge is another reason Masse said the federal government shouldn’t consider buying the bridge and should get on with building the Gordie Howe crossing. 

“Why should the taxpayers pay to fix it up?” Masse said. “Why pay a premium price? 

“We need two bridges, get the new one built, before even thinking about that (buying the old one).” (Dave Waddell, Windsor Star September 4, 2016)

Of course, I suspect that Masse is well aware that it makes more sense to build a second Ambassador Bridge at a cost of around $500 million rather than another bridge that may well cost up to $4 billion as was recently projected. He doesn't care because he will change his position whenever it makes him look better. Naturally, he will take credit for whatever happens in all of the new news stories that will be coming out over the next little while or else how can he get re-elected! 

Do you see what I mean, dear reader? All of this is so absurd and ridiculous. It really needs to stop. Like it or not, a new Ambassador Bridge is going to be built and it had better be started now before our area becomes even worse economically. We just cannot allow that to happen any longer. 

I have to admit that I do like to be involved in talking about the border file. I talked about it for so long and the subject does interest me a lot. However, the reality is that I'm tired of it. It is not how I should be living my life after my illness. I ought to be doing a lot of other more interesting things so that I can enjoy my time left. 

Everything to do for the future of the border crossing is all resolved in reality. The game being tried for so many years by the opponents of the Ambassador Bridge Company just did not work out. The Moroun Family has stayed involved contrary to expectations. Another Ambassador Bridge has to be built and it will be because there is no other rational resolution. All that has to be worked on, and I hope that it is, is the deal that will be negotiated between the Governments and the Moroun Family. 

It is something after all that President Obama should have as one of his closing files with the new Prime Minister of Canada that will make both of these gentlemen appear as if they are fantastic politicians in the future.