Republican Rick Snyder may not have much in common with the Occupy Wall Street protestors but after his fellow Republicans defeated his plan to build a new bridge across the Detroit River he might want to re-think that.
Outside the Occupy Ann Arbor encampment recently there has been a sign that reads, "Get $ Out of Politics." After the piles of cash that were spent by opponents of the proposed bridge, Snyder might agree with that sentiment.
Livingston County residents received multiple mailings asking Republican Sen. Joe Hune to vote against the bridge, and they had to endure countless television commercials, paid for by the owner of the private Ambassador Bridge, as well. Americans for Prosperity even posted fake eviction notices on homes in the vicinity of the proposed new bridge to scare people into opposing it. Backers of the bridge had nothing similar.
Construction of the bridge would have meant jobs for Michigan workers and was backed by businesses as well. Ford Motor Co. has complained that delays at Matty Moroun's privately-owned Ambassador Bridge cost it hundreds of dollars per car. But because Moroun is a billionaire, he will maintain his stranglehold on bridge traffic, at least for now. His money makes the un-elected Moroun more powerful than the governor.
Time to get money out of politics, for sure.
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