Join freedom loving Michiganders to protest Show-me-your-papers law

Freedom loving Michiganders will gather at noon tomorrow - Wednesday June 2 - on the lawn of the State Capitol in Lansing to protest the attempt to pass a law similar to Arizona’s unconstitutional and racist Show-me-your-papers law in Michigan.

The event is sponsored by Gamaliel Civil Rights for Immigrants-Cristo Rey Chapter. Speakers include Rep Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, and Arizona Rep Kirsten Cinema. The Michigan Peace Team will be there to speak on their experience in Juarez, Mexico. Also set to speak is the Peace Education Center, Ryan Bates from Reform Immigration For America and other speakers yet to be confirmed.

In an attempt to gain votes in the Republican Senate primary election, carpetbagger Rep. Kim Meltzer, R-Clinton Twp.?, has sponsored legislation to similar to Arizona’s racist law.

Come out and enjoy a beautiful day and celebrate freedom. For information, call (517)899-1412.

The mission of Gamaliel Foundation is to assist local community leaders to create, maintain and expand independent, grassroots, and powerful faith-based community organizations so that ordinary people can impact the political, social, economic, and environmental decisions that affect their lives; to provide these organizations with leadership training programs, consultation, research and analysis on social justice issues; to be a network for mutual learning environments and working coalitions.

Protest planned against misguided choice for ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’

Residents of Southwest Detroit are outraged that Grosse Pointe billionaire and Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Arab American Chaldean Council.

They are so outraged that they are sending a petition of protest to the Council, and they plan to protest at the 30th Annual Civic and Humanitarian Awards Gala on Saturday at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. The protest starts at 5:30 p.m.

The petition highlights Moroun’s sleazy business practices. He is going forward on building a second bridge span right next to the current Ambassador Bridge without a single permit or environmental clearance; not from the City of Detroit, the state of Michigan, the federal government or the Canadian government.

State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, has tried to get Moroun to undertake a full environmental impact study for the planned second span of the Ambassador Bridge, but the bridge company has refused to do it. Instead, they tried to mount a recall against Tlaib, who represents Southwest Detroit, for pushing the issue.

Residents say he and the bridge company are not good neighbors. Southwest Detroit has some of the worst air quality in the state, and the children of Southwest Detroit are suffering from high rates of asthma. Rates of respiratory diseases are skyrocketing. The Ambassador Bridge brings in over 10,000 vehicles a day with more diesel trucks idling in the bridge plaza. The community deserves to know the impact of this massive transportation project on environment and human health.

While the Bridge Company makes profits from allowing more trucks across the bridge, the community pays the toll. Organizers of the protest say the Ambassador Bridge Company has not made a single attempt to engage in dialogue with the community to discuss measures to mitigate air pollution, such as planting trees, creating a buffer zone around the truck plaza or anti-idling regulations for diesel trucks.

The company took possession of Riverside Park at 23rd Street to build the second span because it claims an old act of Congress designated it an instrument of the federal government because it controlled traffic on an international crossing. They then said they had permission from former Mayor Dennis Archer. The city tried to evict them, and the Bridge Company sued to stop it.

But just a few weeks ago a District Court Judge ruled they have 90 days to get out of the park. But that is not the only court loss the Bridge company has suffered this month.

The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest commercial border crossing in all of North America, handling 20 percent more trucks than its closest competitor and almost double the commercial traffic of the next busiest crossing on the Canadian border. In all, almost 30 percent of all U.S./Canada trade and over 25 percent of the truck traffic between the U.S. and Canada passes through the Detroit-Windsor gateway. This U.S.-Canadian trade directly supports 7.1 million U.S. jobs, 221,500 Michigan jobs, and one in three Canadian jobs. More than $1 billon in trade crosses the bridge everyday.

Yet, not a single government official - local, state or federal - is allowed to inspect the bridge for safety. The company hires a private contractor to do the annual inspection. The company has tried to keep the latest report secret, and it went to court to stop it’s release after U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, obtained a copy from the Federal Highway Administration. On Tuesday a U.S. District Court Judge denied the request to keep the report secret.

Remember, the protest is set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, October 17 at Jefferson in front of the Renaissance Center.

A rally to help fight politically motivated recall is Thursday

A rally is set for Thursday to support Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, as she fights a recall attempt by Grosse Pointe billionaire and Republican benefactor Matty Moroun.

Moroun has been trying to build a second span right next to the current Ambassador Bridge he owns - only one of two international border crossings in the country in private hands - but the Canadian and U.S. government want to a new public-private bridge at a site located downriver from the current Ambassador Bridge. He has already begun to build the bridge despite not having a single permit, and Tlaib has been very vocal that he have an economic impact study completed.

The recall attempt is simply intimidation. Ambassador Bridge Company employee and connected Detroit political consultant Adolph Mongo is running the recall campaign against Tlaib. The clarity hearing to verify the language that will go on the recall petitions is set for tomorrow in front of the Wayne County Election Commission, and that’s where the rally will be held.

The rally is set for 1-4 p.m. Thursday Sept. 10 in front of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Ave, in downtown Detroit.

Bridge company goes after critic with recall

Its official; the misguided recall of a dedicated advocate for her Detroit district is being recalled for refusing to kowtow to Grosse Pointe billionaire and Republican benefactor Matty Moroun.

According to subscription only MIRS, three recall petitions were filed against Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, for daring to stand up to Moroun and representing her district. Detroit resident Robert Cartwright is listed as the official filer of the petitions, but the Ambassador Bridge Company has hired connected Detroit political consultant Adolph Mongo to run a recall campaign against Tlaib.

Moroun is already building a second bridge span right next to the current Ambassador Bridge, and they do not have one single permit; not from the City of Detroit, the state of Michigan, the federal government or the Canadian government. The company is also taking Riverside Park and 23rd street because it claims an old act of Congress designated it an instrument of the federal government because it controlled traffic on an international crossing. Tlaib has been a vocal critic of that action.

The Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) study has widespread bipartisan support, and they are going forward with building a new crossing a mile away near the Del Ray neighborhood. The exhaustive study has the support of the U.S. and Canadian governments, as well as the majority of local and state officials.

The Bridge company has a history of flouting the rules and doing what it pleases. The bridge company is dragging their feet on the $170 million Gateway Project in order to endanger the project to kill the DRIC bridge. The Gateway Project will address long term congestion mitigation issues and provide direct access improvements between the Ambassador Bridge, I-75 and I-96. The project will also reconstruct I-96 and I-75, accommodate traffic for a potential future second span of the Ambassador Bridge, and access to the Mexican town International Welcome Center.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) said it is having ongoing issues over contractual obligations with the Bridge Company, and the state could be in danger of having to pay back the federal funds for the project if they fail to meet the original "Purpose and Need" of the project. The federal government is providing 80 percent of the money.

The proposed recall language must go before the Wayne County Election Commission for a clarity hearing within the next 20 days, and if the language is approved, it is good for 180 days, but the actual petition drive for signatures must be within 90 days. In other words, there must be 90 days between the first and last signature. They must collect signatures equal to 25 percent of the number of voters who submitted a ballot in the 2006 gubernatorial race, and that comes out to a ridiculously low number of 1,846 signatures.

The recall must be based on the language and reasons approved by the election commission, but Mongo told MIRS recall organizers also will use Tlaib's support for turning over Cobo Hall's management to a regional authority against her during the recall campaign.

Ambassador Bridge Company hires political consultant to run recall against critic

It’s a simple fact of life that most rich people do not like being told no and certainly are not accustomed to hearing that word. Grosse Pointe billionaire, Ambassador Bridge owner and Republican benefactor Matty Moroun is a perfect example of that.

One person who has stood up to Moroun for her Southwest Detroit District is State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and she has become a target.

Moroun has been trying to build a second span right next to the current Ambassador Bridge - only one of two international border crossings in the country in private hands - but the Canadian and U.S. government wants to a new public-private bridge at a site located downriver from the current Ambassador Bridge at the site of the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) Study.

But that hasn’t stopped Moroun. He has already began building his bridge to keep his monopoly even though he does not have one single permit; not from the City of Detroit, the state of Michigan, the federal government or the Canadian government. The company is taking Riverside Park and 23rd street because it claims an old act of Congress designated it an instrument of the federal government because it controlled traffic on an international crossing.

His money has lined the pockets of Senate Republicans who are fighting the DRIC study and refuse to fund it, and Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt, appears to be ready to go so far as to declare war on Canada because they are not willing to give Moroun a permit to land a second Ambassador Bridge on Canadian soil.

The Ambassador Bridge Company has even been dragging its feet on the $170 million Gateway Project; hoping to endanger the project to kill the DRIC bridge, and it could cost the state millions of dollars. The Gateway Project will address long term congestion mitigation issues and provide direct access improvements between the Ambassador Bridge, I-75 and I-96. The project will also reconstruct I-96 and I-75, accommodate traffic for a potential future second span of the Ambassador Bridge, and access to the Mexicantown International Welcome Center.

Subscription only Gongwer is reporting that the bridge company has hired connected Detroit political consultant Adolph Mongo to run a recall campaign against Tlaib, although no petitions have been filed with the Wayne County clerk.

The bridge company has been running a high-priced PR campaign against MDOT and any other person standing in their way. Apparently, the bridge company hired Mongo a few months ago to publicly rebut Tlaib’s comments on the bridge, including organizing a group of counter protestors during a recent U.S. Coast Guard hearing. The U.S. Coast Guard has asked the company to show why constructing the ramp before receiving the government's permission isn't a violation of the law.

Mongo has been invoked with many successful political campaigns, but he gained some notoriety in 2006 when he took out an ad in the Detroit-based Michigan Chronicle newspaper that featured photographs of Hitler and Gov. Jennifer Granholm and accused Democrats of taking African-American voters for granted.

Just say no to the recall, Moroun and the bridge company, but be careful if you do.