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 t...

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...