The Government Mind

Honest, bureaucrats don't think the way we do. They have their own value system, thought process and sense of logic. They cannot understand us and we cannot understand them.

We are two ships passing in the night

The "Buy the Bridge" story is a terrific example of this.

Just look at some of the things that Government people are saying in these two stories and wonder why we are entrusting them with our tax money and our future. It's scary.

DETROIT NEWS:

• "Canada offers to buy Ambassador Bridge
  
  Bill Shreck, director of communications for the Michigan Department of Transportation, said MDOT had only heard about the offer late Monday.
  
  "We didn't know anything about the offer, nor should we since you negotiate in private," Shreck said.
  
  "It's an interesting proposition, though."

Errr uhhh, Bill, didn't MDOT and Transport Canada just issue an RFPOI

• "asking private investors if they'd like a piece of the action when it comes to the proposed Detroit River International Crossing."

Don't you think that Canada's action to buy the Ambassador Bridge might just undercut your partnership? It makes the RFPOI irrelvant don't you think. If they got the Bridge, then they would pull out of DRIC wouldn't they? Why would they need two separate bridge sytems?

And MDOT did not know about it? Come on Bill, that is a huge slap in the face. Is that how partners act towards each other.....oh I forgot, that is what MDOT did to its partner, the Ambassador Bridge Company and you are being sued about it.

But then again the Governor did that to Canada too when she pulled the downriver crossings off the table.

Karma. Even/Steven. That is how Governments act normally I guess...sucking people in and then screwing them!

Oh boy, the Government partnership is falling apart fast. And what will the US President and Congress say to the Michigan Governor when they figure out that Canada is no different than DP World, a foreign state-owned company that wanted to buy six major US ports. Here a foreign government directly wants to take over the major North American land border crossing as part of a plan to dominate the import and export of goods to the US.

How will Jenny get a new job now? She is term-limited. Who would hire her after this fiasco? Poor Bill, his work will be cut out for him then.

CANADIAN PRESS

• "Transport Canada offers to buy Ambassador Bridge linking Ontario to Michigan
  
  WINDSOR, Ont. — Transport Canada confirms it has been in talks to buy the Ambassador Bridge, which spans the Detroit River to connect Windsor, Ont., with Detroit.
  
  There's no word on a price that would be paid to the current owner, Manuel (Matty) Moroun.
  
  If it is successful in buying the bridge, Transport Canada says it would have no impact on plans for a new bridge down river at Brighton Beach.
  
  The federal government has purchased 38 hectares of land from the city of Windsor, at a cost of $34 million, to help build a new six-lane bridge.
  
  Officials have been working for years to add capacity at the world's busiest border crossing, now served by the current bridge and a tunnel that runs under the river."

So let me get this right. The Ambassador Bridge was kicked out of the DRIC process even though its location was the best because it would destroy Sandwich. But now the Government wants to buy the old bridge for several billion dollars and then what? I guess Canada would build a new one beside it and rehabilitate the old one thereby resulting in the destruction of Sandwich.

Rest assured everyone, Canada will still go forward and help build the DRIC bridge too.

Since Canada has to be seen not to screw its partner, Canada and MDOT will spend multi-billons on the new DRIC bridge and plaza which will destroy Delray. After all, Canada has to justify paying about 7 times what the land is worth at Brighton Beach: $34M for land worth maybe $5M.

Considering that traffic numbers are down to the 1999 levels, so what capacity problem is there, and that up to 75% of the border traffic will go to the new DRIC bridge, the Canadian Government Ambassador Bridge will either go bankrupt or the Government will have to subsidize it.

Considering that traffic numbers are down to the 1999 levels and that there is not enough traffic for two bridges, then the two Governments' DRIC Bridge will either go bankrupt or the Governments will have to subsidize it.

Of course, operating costs will be double with 2 locations each handling a low amount of volume but I bet no one has thought of that.

No matter which way it goes taxpayers on both sides of the border are being fleeced.

And P3 operators....do you think anyone will be interested in overpaying for competing bridges where toll revenues will never cover costs.

This makes no sense to me. No business person using their own money would ever contemplate such idiocy. No normal mind would ever do this.

Wait, I forgot. I am dealing with unaccountable bureaucrats dealing with an unlimited source of money: taxpayer cash.

I am so foolish. They are acting absolutely fairly and even-handedly in their own world.

Oh I get it now...the Governments want to be equitable, neither side should suffer more than the other. Spend gagillions of taxpayer dollars for 2 bridge systems that will never be needed or be financially successful and then wipe out a community on each side of the river.

Government logic. I understand!