news

WJR - CBC speaking about Moroun's Jailing

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:29:11 +0100

http://www.wjr.com/Sectional.asp?id=34612

WDET Podcast - Moroun's Jailing

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:26:57 +0100

http://wdet.org/shows/craig-fahle-show/episode/podcast-craig-fahle-01-13-2012/#.TxTNM8w1bPk.gmail

CBC Press Release 10/21

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:45:41 +0100

This following statement can be attributed to Scott Brines,
President, Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition

A decision on moving forward with the New International Trade Crossing still hangs over the Delray and Southwest Detroit community where the bridge would be built. The governor, business, labor and others remain united in support of the bridge, while the owner of the Ambassador Bridge Company seems prepared to spend whatever it takes to defeat it. In the meantime, local residents of Delray continue to suffer the consequences of the indecision.

The Bridge Company’s multi-million dollar ad campaign has attacked basic community protection from impacts of a new bridge development. That isn’t a surprise given how the Bridge Company does business in our community spreading blight with hundreds of derelict vacant properties that lead to life-threatening fires in our community and more. People across Michigan need to realize that these are not public service announcements, they are million-dollar ads meant to confuse real issues and outdo our democratic process. This manipulation continues to hurt families impacted by the bridge project and those who desperately need the jobs.

Legislation offered by Senator Tupac Hunter and supported by the full Democratic caucus would provide essential support for community protections with a new bridge—simply the right to negotiate with the private bridge concessionaire for protections to be paid by the concessionaire--not with any taxpayer dollars.

We are grateful for both Senators Hunter and Virgil Smith who voted in support of the NITC Bridge with the important community protection. We asked and hoped that all senators would vote on this bridge as it if were being put in their own community, with the protections they would want for their families. Our community already suffers multiple pollution burdens from heavy industries and transportation infrastructure that we host for all of Michigan’s benefit.

We know this development can be done right to benefit our state’s economy and also exist in a healthy community. Any company would want to operate in a place where it would be good for residents, employees, and customers, and create the climate to attract even more new business. Such agreements with the impacted host communities have succeeded across the county and are not anything new.

Governor Snyder re-pledged his support for community benefits at a press conference after the failed bridge votes. We are thankful for the Governor’s support and others in understanding the challenges and the opportunities to have an effective border community for all.

Guest commentary: Build new bridge with nearby communities in mind

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:13:47 +0100

http://www.freep.com/article/20110605/OPINION05/106050482/Guest-commentary-Build-new-bridge-nearby-communities-mind

The debate over a Detroit River bridge has intensified now that Gov. Rick Snyder has set a July 1 deadline to finish the legislative framework to build a public-private structure, which he calls the New International Trade Crossing.

There is no doubt that we need to cultivate more trade and create more good-paying jobs for Michigan workers. But during the debate on the bridge to be built in the Delray neighborhood, the community, its infrastructure and its residents cannot be forgotten.

Michigan is home to three international border crossing points. The development of these crossings has opened the door for tremendous economic opportunities. According to a recent SEMCOG study, U.S. trade with Canada averages $1.5 billion per day. It is the one of the busiest and densest border crossings in North America. We can continue to foster international trade while making sustainable investments that will help revitalize our state by building the NITC.

However, Michigan residents and the residents and business owners of the host community in Delray deserve accountability and investment so that the impacts will be positive for everyone.

Large transportation projects impact communities with noise, vibrations, nuisance truck traffic and diesel emissions that cause many health conditions. By creating positive impacts that support local community members and the local economy, we can create more permanent jobs and new economic hubs that will attract new businesses. NITC can become the model example of responsible development that will better serve Michigan's citizens and communities.

Gov. Snyder needs to ensure a comprehensive approach to development that fosters not only the immediate benefits of the transportation infrastructure, but also the broader economic development that would result if the neighborhood and environment are improved. The large NITC investments would more readily multiply if we improve the host community.

Some call it a "community benefits process," or "infrastructure accountability measures," or "the right way of doing development." Whatever it's called, it makes sense.

State Sen. Coleman Young II, D-Detroit, and I have introduced bills that would ensure NITC is done responsibly, providing our state with a model international bridge that guarantees a win-win for residents, local investors and business. Our bills are part of the Border Accountability & Investment Bills Package, which requires that any new or future public international border development in Michigan include criteria for community protections.

This is not inventing something new. There is a growing track record of success across the country from a comprehensive investment and accountability approach. It is a departure from the tax-break development of the past, which has delivered broken promises, and moves to a process that ensures quality of life.

The opportunities of NITC are endless. Just think of the redevelopment of Fort Street, the riverfront at Fort Wayne as a state recreational treasure, and the thousands of nonconstruction jobs that can be created if our state supports this approach. A comprehensive approach will maximize returns on investment -- more jobs and business development -- and help transform the region through a stronger host community.

State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, represents the 12th District in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Editorial: Local communities deserve benefits from bridge project

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:12:13 +0100

http://www.freep.com/article/20110615/OPINION01/106150388/Editorial-Local-communities-deserve-benefits-from-bridge-project

So-called community benefits agreements have become commonplace in large public works projects, especially in urban neighborhoods. It's easy to see why. Too often, the benefits of construction projects have been promised to low-income communities that never see them. They get the pollution and traffic; people outside the neighborhood get the jobs and reap the benefits.

A bill introduced by state Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, would help make sure that doesn't happen in Michigan, at least not on international crossing projects. It requires a community benefits agreement for the New International Trade Crossing (NITC) in southwest Detroit's Delray community. Tlaib's bill would also apply to any new international border crossing development in Michigan.

Legislators should approve the bill. It's a reasonable plan to ensure that communities derive certain benefits from the projects they host and continue to support them. Such a measure would have likely avoided the contentious relationship between southwest Detroit and the Ambassador Bridge. Ideally, Tlaib's proposal should become part of more comprehensive legislation enabling the NITC project to move forward.

Tlaib's bill would require the project's contractor, developer or concessionaire to approve a community benefits agreement with a nonprofit organization representing the community. (In Delray, the Community Benefits Coalition would likely negotiate on behalf of the community.) The resulting agreement would cover job opportunities; monitoring of noise, vibration and air quality; truck routes that minimize residential impact; job training and education for neighborhood residents; and a plan to preserve and create parks and green space. The agreement would also guarantee adequate housing opportunities for the nearly 700 residents expected to be displaced by NITC.

Similar community benefits agreements have already worked around the country. In Los Angeles, for example, the Los Angeles Airports Authority in 2005 signed an agreement tied to the airport expansion that included guarantees for local hiring, $15 million for job training programs, and noise protections for adjacent schools and residents.

Community benefits agreements can make large projects more predictable for developers, cities and communities -- while helping all of them prosper.

Synder, Calley talk bridge with Detroit Council

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:01:19 +0100

SNYDER, CALLEY TALK BRIDGE WITH DETROIT COUNCIL

Gongwer News Service

Governor Rick Snyder promised Thursday to the Detroit City Council that the area of Detroit where a new bridge to Windsor, Ontario, would be built would receive at least comparable treatment in community benefits as Port Huron did when the Blue Water Bridge plaza was redone.

Governor Rick Snyder made his strongest statement yet Thursday about providing community benefits to Detroit as part of the new bridge.

Mr. Snyder spoke by phone during a council meeting, which was attended by Lt. Governor Brian Calley, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and Roy Norton, the Canadian consul general in Detroit.

Probably the top issue for Detroit officials, beyond actually building the bridge, is ensuring the project contains so-called community benefits for the city, which generally means making sure Detroiters get a chance to perform construction jobs and that Detroit-based businesses get a share of the contracts associated with the project.

For years, it has been a sore point in Detroit that when the council agrees to tax breaks to lure a major development, seemingly few of the construction or permanent jobs go to city residents.

Mr. Snyder was on speakerphone at the beginning of the meeting. Council President Charles Pugh asked Mr. Snyder how the city would know he would ensure “jobs for Detroiters” with the project and what type of community benefits the Snyder administration would support.

Mr. Snyder said he would support “at least as many community benefits as the Blue Water Bridge has had.” The measures taken by the state (PAs 5, 11 and 28 of 2010) primarily enabled a series of renaissance zones in Port Huron.

“That’s something that we need to work in partnership on,” Mr. Snyder told the council. “We’ve got a neighborhood that’s challenged, and how do we help it come back.”

Before the phone call with Mr. Snyder ended, Mr. Pugh said, “We love the verbal commitment, but we want to put some action behind that commitment so that once construction is under way real Detroiters are hired.”

Thursday’s meeting marked an extraordinarily rare moment of direct engagement between a governor and the council.

Mr. Calley took a shot at a poll commissioned by the Detroit International Bridge Company, owner of the rival Ambassador Bridge and fervent opponent of the proposed new government-led bridge, that asked those surveyed about whether they would support a community benefits package that included items like neighborhood swimming pools. Mr. Calley called the moment a low point and the allegation “absurd.”

Still, Mr. Calley was cautious about making any promises on ensuring jobs go to Detroiters with the project. He noted that a private contractor, chosen by a state authority and Canada, will make those hiring decisions, not the state directly. And he noted the universe of companies capable of pulling of this scale of project is limited. Still, he suggested there might be ways to structure the concessionaire agreement and that the would be subcontracting opportunities.

“There’s still all kinds of opportunities to work underneath that,” he said of the main contract.

But Mr. Calley said the administration wants a plan backed by the community and Ms. Tlaib – who represents the area in the House.

“I want this project to move forward in a way that everyone can agree on,” he said.

Mr. Pugh said he invited Ambassador officials to participate in the meeting, but they were unable to attend. He noted that Ambassador officials have invited council members to tour the area where they want to build a new span to Windsor.

http://buildthedricnow.com/2011/07/08/snyder-calley-talk-bridge-with-detroit-council/

Lt. Governor Brian Calley states case for the NITC bridge at Detroit City Council

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:00:07 +0100

Lt. Governor Brian Calley states case for the NITC bridge at Detroit City Council

Published: Friday, July 08, 2011, 7:19 AM Updated: Friday, July 08, 2011, 8:12 AM

By Jeff T. Wattrick | MLive.com

Jeff T. Wattrick | MLive.comLt. Gov. Brian Calley at Detroit City Council

Lt. Governor Brian Calley called the Detroit-Windsor border crossing the “worst bottleneck in the entire Pan American freeway system” Thursday afternoon during a presentation to the Detroit City Council about the planned New International Trade Crossing (NITC) bridge.

“You could go from Montreal to Mexico City without hitting a stop light,” said Calley. “But you can’t go from I-75 to the 401 in Canada without hitting 18 or 19 stoplights. This is the worst bottleneck in the entire system. A freeway-to-freeway connection is absolutely essential for efficient trade.”

Governor Rick Snyder briefly joined the meeting by phone, telling Council that the NITC project is an opportunity for the state to build a partnership with city government.

Calley said the new bridge is essential because, while the 2008 economic meltdown decreased trade and truck traffic, trade between the two nations has rebounded and continues to increase. He said truck traffic between the U.S. and Canada is estimated to triple over the next 30 years.

Calley also one in eight southeast Michigan jobs and one in seven west Michigan jobs are directly connected to trade with Canada, which totaled more than $64 billion in 2010. Canada is the United States’ biggest trading partner.

Calley was joined at Council by Canadian Consular-General Roy Norton and state Rep. Rashida Talib (D-Detroit). Both Norton and Talib spoke in favor of the NITC.

Norton said the new bridge is Canada’s most important infrastructure project because the Detroit-Windsor border is so critical to both nations’ economies. He added that the Ambassador Bridge “bottleneck” creates supply chain delays that increase Chrysler’s costs by roughly $700 per vehicle.

A sketch of the proposed New International Trade Crossing previously prepared by the Michigan Department of Transportation.

“Two million U.S. jobs depend on everything working right every day at that bridge,” he said.

Their argument yesterday wasn’t all that new to anyone following the NITC/DRIC debate. A new bridge not only adds extra lanes of traffic, but freeway-to-freeway access and greater capacity for Customs and other border functions. Norton says the Windsor’s proposed NITC plaza would be ten times the size of the existing Ambassador Bridge plaza.

Both Calley and Norton addressed issues raised by the Matty Moroun-owned Detroit International Bridge Company, which operates the Ambassador Bridge and opposes the NITC.

Norton said the DIBC’s plan to “twin” the Ambassador has not received any necessary approvals to move forward, noting the NITC’s environmental impact study took five years to complete and DIBC has only submitted paperwork to begin that process in the last few months.

Calley also disputed DIBC claims that toll revenue wasn’t sufficient to pay for the NITC bridge’s costs.

“What they say is the Windsor-Essex Freeway improvements of about $1.4 billion, they include that in their computations and act like that would be the responsibility of the bridge to pay for a Canadian freeway project,” he said. “That’s not true. That would be like us saying, the bridge has to pay for I-75.”

Almost to a one, Councilmembers expressed support for the project but wanted assurances Detroit residents would benefit from the project with opportunities to work on the construction project and bid for contracts.

Calley responded to those concerns by calling the bridge one part of larger commitment by the state to redevelop southwest Detroit. He said the concessionaire’s agreement for bridge’s construction will be negotiated to provide appropriate community benefits.

“I don’t want us moving forward on this project unless it’s acceptable to Rashia [Talib] and the entire [Southwest Detroit] Community Benefits Coalition,” said Calley.

The Community Benefits Coalition is an umbrella organization for southwest Detroit groups advocating to ensure their community is accommodated by the NITC project, including job training for local residents, addressing environmental and quality of life concerns relating to truck traffic, and what they termed a “win-win” process for moving the some 500 Delray residents who would be relocated by the project. Representatives from the Coalition also spoke in support of the NITC.

City Council is preparing a resolution in support of the NITC bridge, provided the project ensures community concerns are addressed. The previous Council had passed a resolution supporting an earlier plan to build the NITC bridge, then known as the Detroit River International Crossing.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2011/07/lt_governor_brian_calley_state.html