Canada offers $550 million for new U.S.-Canada span

**467riverfix** · April-29-10, 02:16 PM

Why is that funny? You're using hundreds of millions of taxpayer money to compete with private enterprise. Seems like Maroun is getting ripped off.

Bearinabox · April-29-10, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by 467riverfix

Seems like Maroun is getting ripped off.

I guess it's time to get out the world's smallest violin again. Poor Matty.

**kraig** · April-29-10, 02:22 PM

Here's the Windsor Star article on the subject. You can also download the letter from John Baird to Governor Granholm from there as well.

http://www.windsorstar.com/news/UPDA...640/story.html

**EastsideAl** · April-29-10, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by 467riverfix

Seems like Maroun is getting ripped off.

Another knee-slapper!

**Meddle** · April-30-10, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by 467riverfix

Why is that funny? You're using hundreds of millions of taxpayer money to compete with private enterprise. Seems like Maroun is getting ripped off.

If you're going to post here Matty, you should use your own name.

**Gistok** · May-01-10, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by 467riverfix

Why is that funny? You're using hundreds of millions of taxpayer money to compete with private enterprise. Seems like Maroun is getting ripped off.

Ummm..... a new bridge is also competing with the publicly owned Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the publicly owned Bluewater Bridge in Port Huron.

When it comes to international bridge crossings, Maroun is the exception, rather than the rule.

However, with Canada offering $550 million in loans [[to be repaid by tolls for the new crossing).... that means that Michigan will have an added debt towards getting bonds to pay off their portion of the new bridge. Potential bondowners may not like the fact that of the bridge tolls... $550 million of those tolls will be required towards the Canadian repayment.

This could make the bonds riskier, and therefore require a lower grade [[higher interest) bonds.

**kraig** · May-01-10, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Ummm..... a new bridge is also competing with the publicly owned Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the publicly owned Bluewater Bridge in Port Huron.

When it comes to international bridge crossings, Maroun is the exception, rather than the rule.

However, with Canada offering $550 million in loans [[to be repaid by tolls for the new crossing).... that means that Michigan will have an added debt towards getting bonds to pay off their portion of the new bridge. Potential bondowners may not like the fact that of the bridge tolls... $550 million of those tolls will be required towards the Canadian repayment.

This could make the bonds riskier, and therefore require a lower grade [[higher interest) bonds.

I'm glad that you mentioned this. It could be a big mistake on the part of Granholm and the canadians to propose this. If the house and the senate don't like the terms of the loan, they may reject them. If that's done, the DRIC would be hard-pressed to get other funding. What looks to be the DRIC's Knight in Shining Armor could turn out to be its Grim Reaper.

**canuck** · May-02-10, 07:43 AM

Lets build the bridge and then at toll time sell it to some other friendly neighborhood billionaire. This way we can have somebody to look up to. Better still, have the chinese govt build and operate, the line between business and govt interests is pretty fuzzy over there, they will teach us a thing or two.