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Mrs. Moroun blasts DRIC - Real Estate Investments Windsor Ontario
April 19, 2010
The wife of billionaire Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun upstaged an all-star lineup of politicians and dignitaries from both sides of the border Friday, blasting them seconds after they completed an enthusiastic 90-minute show of support for the competing downriver Detroit River International Crossing bridge.
"Is this the end of the American dream?" said an emotional Nora Moroun. "You have somebody who operates a crossing that has retained a No. 1 ranking since we owned and operated it. Now the state of Michigan and Canada want to take 70 per cent of our business.
"This is all about Canada wanting our crossing. I'm speaking as a spouse, taxpayer and business operator. We have worked with Canada and Michigan and (the U.S.) federal government and retained the No. 1 crossing in this economy. We have to be doing a lot right.
"They want to destroy our family business and government take it over."
The political event Friday held at the Detroit Regional Chamber was put together as a rally of binational support before senators and state representatives in Michigan cast votes next month on whether it will remain committed to funding the DRIC project.
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm headed the event's lineup, saying the DRIC project will create 10,000 construction jobs and 30,000 additional full-time jobs in her economically battered state once the project is complete.
"Both countries support it," she said. "I support it. It's hard to imagine a project with more support because this means jobs. Time is of the essence and this means as much for new business as you can get. Now let's just 'git R done.'"
But the Ambassador Bridge has a competing plan to build a twin span to safeguard its $60-million annual toll revenues at the Windsor-Detroit border.
Nora Moroun angrily disputed DRIC traffic projections that point to the need for the crossing. She said bridge traffic volumes are half of their peak in 1999, despite a recent 21.9 per cent truck volume uptick in the first quarter of 2010 from a year ago.
"They are creating false numbers," Moroun said. "You can't deny it. It's in black and white. The traffic has gone down. You only have to go to the plants and look at the economy and see.
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