Money should not be able to buy THIS
Sixth (and last) in a series on the ballot proposals on Michigan’s November 6, 2012 ballot. Read them all HERE.
Michigan Proposal 6 is about one thing: allowing billionaire Matty Moroun to purchase a constitutional amendment that will secure his monopoly on bridges and tunnels to Canada. Period. There is nothing else really to be said about it. The Proposal, which requires a statewide vote on any further international bridges and tunnels in Michigan, even includes a clause that excludes Moroun’s existing bridges and tunnel from such a vote.
It’s that vulgar.
We don’t vote on new highways or any other transit infrastructure so there is no precedent for this.
Moroun didn’t have a grassroots group of supporters out collecting petition signatures to put this on the ballot. He paid companies to do that for him. It is estimated that Moroun will spend “well over $20 million” to put this monopoly clause in the state constitution, including $5.1 million in the past week alone.
[UPDATE: Wow. Yeah, it was “well over $20 million”, alright. It was $31.3 million.]
The bridge that is currently being considered and that is driving Moroun’s purchase will not cost Michiganders a dime. Canada is paying for it. Despite what you might hear in the highly deceptive ads run by Moroun, this is a great deal for Michigan — now and in the future.
This crass attempt to literally buy a constitutional amendment to protect Moroun monopolistic income stream must be defeated if for no other reason than to send a signal that we are allowing money to influence the governing of our state in this offensive way.
VOTE NO ON PROPOSAL 6 AND PREVENT A CONSTITUTIONAL GIVE-AWAY TO BILLIONAIRE BRIDGE OWNER MATTY MOROUN.
