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

[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"?

[kraig]

They know that they can't change Matty's mind. What's at stake here is the minds of politicians and the minds of the voting public.

Just as Matty has filled the heads of millions of Metro Detroiters with his half truths and lies, these folks want their opinion heard.

Folks are only getting one side of the story, and that's Matty's. That's because he has money. Well, we don't have money, so the only thing we can do is contact our politicians, tell our friends, hit the message boards, and in this case, organize a community action and reach out to the media to bring awareness.

They're not trying to change Matty's mind; he's a honey badger.

As it's been said, too many emotions. Your post glosses over the most obvious moves and you probably don't even realize what they are because you're thinking too emotionally.

[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.

[kraig]

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.

No, I'm saying that no one gave a damn about playing baseball at the park until they realized that Moroun had the fence up. The fence had been up for over five years before anyone really even said anything.

There is no justification for not complying with a court order. Unless you've appealed the order and in the process of waiting on a determination.

And after tearing down the fence, everyone is now ignoring the baseball diamond, again.

Question for you. How many baseball diamonds could the money [[$5,000,000.00) that Moroun has offered for the Riverside Park Baseball Diamond build in that area or even the entire City for that matter?

[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.

[manualshift]

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.

and no one used that only boat launch in the southwest that was blocked off either.

[manualshift]

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?

Fucking idiot.

[SWMAP]

You do know that "federal grants" have to applid for in concert with the City? And you do know that if the City let's the neighborhood apply for a grant, the City receives the money &, in due time , should pay the neighborhood group for work to be done or work done? And you do know that this particular neighborhood has been verifiably neglected by both the Young & Kilpatrick administrations in terms of money & investment as such monies flowed to other neighborhoods more likely to vote for those individuals to the victor belongs the spoils, you know) And if a grant awarded, monies never paid out for years? I am here speaking of less restricted development grants. Perhaps, all-wise Richard, you can help us understand why these actions and non- investments in viable neighborhoods might have happened?

[detroitsgwenivere]

People had been utilizing Riverside Park before all of this, maybe not as often as they should have, and I was one of them. When the fence went up, myself and others didn't question whether or not the fence was legal. No one did, because who would blatantly cordon off public property at the riverfront and think they could get away with it?

[Richard]

You do know that "federal grants" have to applid for in concert with the City? And you do know that if the City let's the neighborhood apply for a grant, the City receives the money &, in due time , should pay the neighborhood group for work to be done or work done? And you do know that this particular neighborhood has been verifiably neglected by both the Young & Kilpatrick administrations in terms of money & investment as such monies flowed to other neighborhoods more likely to vote for those individuals to the victor belongs the spoils, you know) And if a grant awarded, monies never paid out for years? I am here speaking of less restricted development grants. Perhaps, all-wise Richard, you can help us understand why these actions and non- investments in viable neighborhoods might have happened?

Very nice contribution, Thank you

Do not hate the player hate the game.

What went wrong and how do we fix it?

The reason this fist round failed was because Del ray had a little known thing called representation those two non votes made a difference ,it is no secret and really not hard to do a goggle search of Federal grants sent to Detroit to the tune of millions of millions of funds specifically to resolve the neighborhood issues discussed so much in these threads ,there is no excuse.

We also know from the recent and upcoming FBI investigations as where those funds ended up so we are left with two options either continue to spend time attacking individuals or we can change the way the game is played and remove the incentives that certain individuals use to their advantage.

Because that is what it is ,if you look at the many problems hurting Detroit it always points back to the top and the notion of keep them broke and fed and we can do as we wish nobody will care, so it is back to the base which is if the charter passes is this the best way to achieve results? Is it working?When you are given the power of the people after being held back for so many years will anger from the past stand in the way of the future? Are you open to viewing things from a different perspective or able and willing to sometimes take a step backwards and view the plan of attack in a different light.

SWMAP My referrals to fed community block grants were from the Bing tenure allotted for the year 2011 are you saying that things are business as usual at the top? and you really give me to much credit in the all wise aspect I am a bit wiser from going down that road in other cities and the one thing that I have learned is that as you get older it is much harder getting up after laying down in front of bulldozers for hours at a time and have sense discovered the power of the internet and well placed emails.
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