Community Action Against DIBC - Join the People Thursday October 27 @ 5:00-6:30 p.m.

[CommonSenseInTheD]

ACTION AGAINST THE DETROIT INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE COMPANY

There is no greater sign of corporate greed than Matty Moroun!

Come Join us to Protest The DIBC/Matty Moroun

When: Thursday October 27, 2011

Time:5PM-6PM

Where:18^th and Lafayette

[[By Ste. Anne’s Church)

For more info email: DetroitBridgewatch@gmail.com

or visit Bridgewatch Detroit on Facebook

[Richard]

The problem when doing battle is allowing emotions to get in the way,right from the start you are giving your opponent the advantage as they are straight-line focused from a business aspect and counting on your clouded judgement,you have lost your cause before you started .

Using the word "you" is not directed at anybody just a word in context.

This is a game of old school old money politics and there are no politicians that hidden deep down will or even can do battle against that.

Instead of hating how about one gets the facts from both sides and then make a decision both sides right now are pulling wool ,ask why the facts are not clear from the other side?

Anti bridge or anti Matty ?

[gnome]

Richard, what the heck are you talking about? I don't see any emotion in the OP. Nothing about Manny stealing a city street, nothing about the almost 9 year battle over the theft of a city park and boat ramp, nothing about squatting on homes and driving out neighbors, nothing about tearing apart neighborhoods by sending hundreds of semis through them at all hours.

Ever comb diesel soot from your baby's hair, just because a billionaire parks a semi truck in front of your house all night?

The emotion conjured by those real life happenings is absent in the OP. Not there. Empty. Gone.

So, again, what exactly are you talking about?

[Richard]

Richard, what the heck are you talking about? I don't see any emotion in the OP. Nothing about Manny stealing a city street, nothing about the almost 9 year battle over the theft of a city park and boat ramp, nothing about squatting on homes and driving out neighbors, nothing about tearing apart neighborhoods by sending hundreds of semis through them at all hours.

Ever comb diesel soot from your baby's hair, just because a billionaire parks a semi truck in front of your house all night?

The emotion conjured by those real life happenings is absent in the OP. Not there. Empty. Gone.

So, again, what exactly are you talking about?

Case in point.

The header reads Community action against DIBC

Fine I understand that concept,I also understand that it is clear that he is not going to give up his money and walk away so the only way to beat this "evil person" is with another bridge so what is the point of channeling energy on a roast ?

The only way you can beat brown nosing politicians is with signatures so
hold a rally to educate and acquire those signatures straight and to the point.


There is no greater sign of corporate greed then Matty Moroun !
Come join us to protest the DIBC/ Matty Moroun


It now has become personal, DIBC is a business that thinks and acts as such , Matty can semi retire and blow the whole argument out of the water and everything will be the same.

So, again, what exactly are you talking about?

Concentrate on the objective without the personal attacks.

As far as the soot aspect sorry it is not valid as when you read the archives on this site there are stories of factory's blowing their coal stacks and covering an entire neighborhood with soot so they should have shut those factories years ago and then this would all be non issue.

The bridge has been there for many years if I was looking for a place to live I would see the bridge and the trucks and know what the end result would be and choose elsewhere, where the new bridge is proposed I guess there are no people there either or do they not count and what was their choice?

I could go on further but as you can see this becomes an example of how issues get distracted

[Scottathew]

Fine I understand that concept,I also understand that it is clear that he is not going to give up his money and walk away so the only way to beat this "evil person" is with another bridge so what is the point of channeling energy on a roast ?

I agree with the others, what are you talking about?

These folks are trying to educate, unite, and bring awareness to the fact the DIBC doesn't care about the community they operate in and only care about money.

It's beyond capitalistic self-interest [[which is fine, by the way, IMHO). DIBC ignores court orders. DIBC doesn't cooperate with M-DOT and a huge project that directly benefited DIBC.

Furthermore, DIBC does all of the same things you accuse the OP of, which is informing people of their point of view. The only difference is that Matty is throwing millions of dollars at it through TV ads that spread half-truths and flat out lies.

This Community Action is a gathering of folks with a common shared PUBLIC interest. These folks are negatively impacted by DIBC's inability to work with M-DOT and comply with court orders.

As far as I'm concerned, we need to shed as much light and awareness on DIBC as possible.

[SWMAP]

The Bridge was a benign neighbor to the several neighborhoods in it's shadow until Maroun's bought it and until it became a NAFTA link. I bought my house very many years before that historical moment. Maroun punishes the neighborhood by refusing to live up to his end of the plan to get those smoke spewing trucks off our streets.

[gnome]

Richard, it seems you do not grasp the meaning of your words. I encourage you to attend the event and then express your point of view.

[Richard]

Richard, it seems you do not grasp the meaning of your words. I encourage you to attend the event and then express your point of view.

I digress you guys are right I am whacked out in left field,you guys are doing the right thing and it is working o so well,everything passed and the bridge is getting built,now if you will excuse me I need to go apply for one of those 30,000 jobs it is providing although I may get lost along the way because sometimes when I have my blinders on I have a tendency to get lost along the way. Have fun and good luck .

[Scottathew]

I digress you guys are right I am whacked out in left field,you guys are doing the right thing and it is working o so well,everything passed and the bridge is getting built,now if you will excuse me I need to go apply for one of those 30,000 jobs it is providing although I may get lost along the way because sometimes when I have my blinders on I have a tendency to get lost along the way. Have fun and good luck .

I don't understand your viewpoint.

These folks, especially the ones that live near Ambassador, have legitimate grievances that have played out in court, in their favor, that resulted in court orders, that haven't been followed.

DIBC has been told to comply with M-DOT so they can reopen the truck ramps, yet they don't comply.

DIBC has invested millions in lying to the public to make sure that most Detroit-Windsor traffic goes over their bridge.

The grievances are very legitimate. Why are you so opposed to people protesting DIBC?

If you think it's useless and has no value, then I would suggest you don't attend.

[j to the jeremy]

And that's without mentioning he's illegally seized city property on several occasions...plus the shady deals where a "mysterious buyer" bought up tons of houses by the gateway project and then most of them burned down...plus the monopoly he has on the trucking industry between Chicago and New York..

[gnome]

A very fun afternoon for all involved. More like a loud ice cream social than anything too confrontational.

[kraig]

A very fun afternoon for all involved. More like a loud ice cream social than anything too confrontational.

So what was accomplished? What's the next course of action?

[Dexlin]

So what was accomplished? What's the next course of action?

You couldn't possibly care less. You're being disingenuous.

[kraig]

You couldn't possibly care less. You're being disingenuous.

And you say that because.......?

[Scottathew]

And you say that because.......?

Based off your previous posts you are pro-DIBC and anti-NITC. You ask the question with an agenda.

That would be my guess of what he said that.

[Lowell]

Nice coverage on WDET just now. It is nice to see some balance in the public eye against the DIBC's one-sided multimillion dollar ad campaign. Congrats to the organizers and participants.

[gnome]

Well Kraig, let me unpack this for you.

If the protest was held in Dimondale or Livonia or Petoskey one could rightfully assert that it was so much hollering by a group of uninformed cranks. My grandfather would have said that they were pissing in the wind if the gathering had taken place somewhere other than where it did.

Likewise, if the press had not covered the event, it would have been like a tree falling in the woods with no one there to see it. No press, no event.

But the event shut down an international border. The press did cover it. It did happen and it happened with the promise that it will happen again.

Now, maybe you don't think shutting down an international border is no big deal. The Detroit police, the US Border Patrol and the Wayne County Sheriff think otherwise as they sent upwards of 50 officers.

At issue here is Moroun's refusal to complete the ramps he has previously agreed to build. He promised the people of Michigan to build those ramps so as to create a more effcient and effective international crossing. The people of Michigan agreed help him in meeting that goal by investing millions of dollars by redesigning I-75 and building the Gateway project.

This Gateway Project would get semi-trucks off of city streets and out of the surrounding neighborhoods. Quality of life would be enhanced, ease of commerce would translate into increased economic activity and everyone would win.

But the Moroun family has decided they do not want to honor their commitments. They have not built their part of the project and the result is that international trade is being stymied, trucks are driving pass homes and quality of life is diminshed.

Now, I have not mentioned the ceasing of a city park, a city street, defying a court order or anything not related to Moroun not honoring his previous agreements.

If Moroun does not want his bridge shut down in the future, I suggest he build what needs to be built and then the story will end.

As a side note, I do want to thank Rashida Tlaib, Joe Rashid and the cadre of lawyers who showed up at the event yesterday. Also, I appreciate the police in keeping their powder dry and being a friendly force of reason.

[kraig]

Well Kraig, let me unpack this for you.

If the protest was held in Dimondale or Livonia or Petoskey one could rightfully assert that it was so much hollering by a group of uninformed cranks. My grandfather would have said that they were pissing in the wind if the gathering had taken place somewhere other than where it did.

Likewise, if the press had not covered the event, it would have been like a tree falling in the woods with no one there to see it. No press, no event.

But the event shut down an international border. The press did cover it. It did happen and it happened with the promise that it will happen again.

Now, maybe you don't think shutting down an international border is no big deal. The Detroit police, the US Border Patrol and the Wayne County Sheriff think otherwise as they sent upwards of 50 officers.

At issue here is Moroun's refusal to complete the ramps he has previously agreed to build. He promised the people of Michigan to build those ramps so as to create a more effcient and effective international crossing. The people of Michigan agreed help him in meeting that goal by investing millions of dollars by redesigning I-75 and building the Gateway project.

This Gateway Project would get semi-trucks off of city streets and out of the surrounding neighborhoods. Quality of life would be enhanced, ease of commerce would translate into increased economic activity and everyone would win.

But the Moroun family has decided they do not want to honor their commitments. They have not built their part of the project and the result is that international trade is being stymied, trucks are driving pass homes and quality of life is diminshed.

Now, I have not mentioned the ceasing of a city park, a city street, defying a court order or anything not related to Moroun not honoring his previous agreements.

If Moroun does not want his bridge shut down in the future, I suggest he build what needs to be built and then the story will end.

As a side note, I do want to thank Rashida Tlaib, Joe Rashid and the cadre of lawyers who showed up at the event yesterday. Also, I appreciate the police in keeping their powder dry and being a friendly force of reason.

So, in protesting that his unfinishing of the bridge project, which, as you've stated, keeps the trucks on our streets. The protest shut down the international border that those trucks cross. Which, in turn, kept those same trucks on our streets longer than they would have.

Is anyone familiar with the term "defeating the purpose"?

[manualshift]

So, in protesting that his unfinishing of the bridge project, which, as you've stated, keeps the trucks on our streets. The protest shut down the international border that those trucks cross. Which, in turn, kept those same trucks on our streets longer than they would have.

Is anyone familiar with the term "defeating the purpose"?

Someone should hire you to be an analyst.

[Scottathew]

Kraig, other than tell people their opinion, they have no other way of changing things.

What are they supposed to do, go and tear down Matty's illegal gas station themselves?

[kraig]

Kraig, other than tell people their opinion, they have no other way of changing things.

What are they supposed to do, go and tear down Matty's illegal gas station themselves?

If one carefully analyzes the situation and not make it about one man, better solutions will easily present themselves. Let me ask you this. What really sparked the protest?

To help you out, here's an article on the protest.

Protest on Ambassador Bridge temporarily slows truck traffic

Mark Hicks/ The Detroit News

Detroit — A large group of protesters temporarily stalled international trade Thursday when they blocked part of the Ambassador Bridge.
Dozens of protesters from Bridge Watch Detroit, an advocacy group, Occupy Detroit and Good Jobs Now formed a human chain in front of the truck entrance to stop their crossing into Canada for about an hour.
They chanted slogans and hoisted signs to show their opposition to what they call elite business interests blocking a second span that could bring more jobs to the region.
"This shows how much people are really beginning to be fed up with this 1 percent," said the Rev. Charles Williams II, pastor at Detroit's historic King Solomon Baptist Church and a leader with Good Jobs Now who joined the protest.
State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, who represents the Delray area where the proposed new public bridge would be, also participated.
Detroit police were called to monitor the crowd, but no arrests were made, Sgt. Eren Stephens said.
The protest came a week after legislation to allow the New International Trade Crossing championed by Gov. Rick Snyder was defeated in a Senate committee.
Backed by the state's major business and labor groups, Snyder pushed the public bridge as a way, in part, to ensure Michigan's automakers and other exporters have secure and easy access to Canada, the largest trading partner.
He promised the bridge would be publicly owned but privately financed, built and run, without cost to state taxpayers because of $550 million from the Canadian government.
Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel "Matty" Moroun has spent millions on TV ads, lobbying and campaign donations to fight the proposal, saying it's an unfair encroachment by government on his private business.
The protesters Thursday said the efforts that helped vote down the bridge bill show "complete disregard for the community and for those who are suffering," Williams said.


From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111028/...#ixzz1c5YMx7df

[Scottathew]

The truckers support the protesters. The truckers don't want to go through the community, they want Matty and DIBC to comply with court orders and complete their part of the Gateway Project.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...dge_prote.html

Occupy Detroit joined southwest Detroit residents Thursday to protest the Ambassador Bridge’s failure to complete the Gateway Project as ordered by a judge.

By Jonathan Oosting | MLive.com

Protesters blocked Fort St. traffic to the bridge for nearly an hour Thursday afternoon to call attention to the hazards posed by international truck traffic on local roads. The Gateway Project—which cost Michigan taxpayers $230 million—was supposed to alleviate the problem by creating direct connections between freeways and the bridge.However, MDOT and local residents say the Ambassador Bridge, owned by Matty Moroun’s Detroit International Bridge Company, failed to complete its portion of the public-private partnership, forcing trucks to remain on service streets in route to the bridge.

Earlier this year, DIBC President Dan Stamper was briefly jailed for contempt of court by Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Prentis Edwards because the DIBC refused to follow court orders relating the Gateway Project.“The arrangement was this, we will temporarily allow you that northern lane [on Fort St.],” said Hubbard Farms’ resident Deb Sumner, as she points to concrete barriers separating lanes of traffic for bridge-bound vehicles. “Once Gateway is done and you build your direct connections then we go back to normal. But, oh no! The judge even ordered him to build what you’re supposed to build—direct connections.”

Protesters successfully prevented trucks from accessing the bridge by physically blocking access to the road from an Ambassador Bridge toll plaza.Police and Homeland Security officers on the scene did not arrest protesters, who promised from the beginning that their demonstration, which began around 5:15, would end promptly at 6:00 PM.“They have the right to protest,” Detroit Deputy Police Chief James Tolbert said at the scene. “We’re working with them to keep everyone safe and get these trucks moving when we can.”

The idea that demonstrators had the right to protest, even if it meant blocking traffic, found support in unexpected places.Joe Dear spent the entire protest sitting in his rig, waiting to get moving again. Dear said that while the demonstration was an inconvenience and that he doesn’t support the plan for a second Detroit-Windsor border crossing, he didn’t object to the protest.“They’ve got their rights,” he said.Standing just a couple feet in front of Dear’s truck was Bill Johnson and his dog.“People have to live with this every day. This is wrong,” Johnson said. “What do you do when something is wrong? You do this.”

At one point, a legal observer from the National Lawyers Guild asked Johnson if he had made arrangements for his pet in case he was arrested or injured. He had not, and a Guild lawyer volunteered to care for the dog if necessary.Obviously, standing in front of a rig is a risky proposition, but Johnson said he didn’t believe he was in any real danger.“He’s got a friendly face,” Johnson said of the driver he was staring down. “You know, this isn’t risky. He’s not going to run me over.”

In fact, the protesters actually found a surprisingly sympathetic audience among the truckers they were blocking. Except for one driver with an artfully raised finger, the response from drivers was overwhelmingly positive. At 6:00 PM, as the protest ceded the road and rigs began moving, truckers sounded their horns and gave thumbs up in apparent support as they passed by the dispersing protesters.“I’ve talked to truckers,” said state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who joined with her constituents to block the road. “They want the ramps too. They don’t want to have to go through our community every single day. It takes them an extra 15 minutes to get to the highways. Their jobs are on the line. They want those ramps built as much as we do.”

Judge Edwards is expected to make another ruling on the Gateway controversy November 3. The Michigan Department of Transportation said yesterday they’ll ask for a special receiver to be appointed to complete the project.

[Richard]

I would kinda look at it like this,first of all there have been two persons or organizations that have been proven to be unswayed by bridge owners one is the Judge that enforces the orders and MDOT that issues the orders.

Both are accountable to the taxpayers but yet nobody camps out there?

Dept of homeland security made mandates that the bridge had to follow at a cost to the surrounding neighborhood ,has anybody contacted DHS as to neighborhood compensation directly related to these changes?

Rush to get the ramps built but have the sound buffering issues that would effect the surrounding neighborhood been addressed?

A scan of neighborhood grants given to the city by the feds shows me that nobody has ever even applied for the funds that would have helped clean up the surrounding area,other neighborhoods applied and received them.that's over $150,000 dollars plus passed up,you could have acquired those lots before he did,the funds were there. Entire city angry at one man but yet the funds were there for use but unclaimed because of no neighborhood representation.See the irony in this?

This is interesting for me to see unfold because if the city charter passes the people for the first time in a long time will have a venue for representation and will need more then ever to have an organized voice and if this is a sample of that organized voice then the bridge is going to be the least of ones worries.

What really blows my mind though is the concept of a non taxpayer funded bridge that has already cost taxpayers millions those same millions could have been used to help with the real life issues that have been so eloquently explained in this thread combine that with everybody wanting to hang anybody that even remotely resembles big business,where are they going to work?

[kraig]

Great post. There's a lot more to all of this than Matty Moroun. Then again, no one wanted to play baseball at Riverside Park until he put a fence up. Perhaps a way to get things done in the neighborhood is to have them believe that Matty wants it.

[Scottathew]

Great post. There's a lot more to all of this than Matty Moroun. Then again, no one wanted to play baseball at Riverside Park until he put a fence up. Perhaps a way to get things done in the neighborhood is to have them believe that Matty wants it.

So you're saying this area of Detroit doesn't deserve to have a park because you didn't notice anyone playing baseball there?

What about the two-year delay to comply with the court order? I suppose you have some kind of justification for that?

The people of the neighborhood had to tear that fence down themselves and reclaim their park.