[dante]

Yes, this could probably go in the "zero faith in humanity" thread, but since we're only talking about Americans here I felt it deserved a new thread:

Ultimate in stupidity of American voters.

Canada, understand, has agreed to pay for the bridge in full, including liabilities — and potential cost overruns — under an agreement that was about a decade-in-the-making and officially announced to much fanfare, at least on the Canadian side of the border, by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder in Windsor/Detroit in mid-June.
...
Manuel (Matty) Moroun, an 85-year-old self-made billionaire who owns the 83-year-old Ambassador Bridge, is Cynic-in-Chief. The Ambassador is currently the only transport truck-bearing bridge in town. Twenty-five percent of Canadian-American trade, representing about $120-billion, flows across it each year.
...
It is a perfect monopoly for the Moroun family, a golden goose that just keeps on laying eggs, putting upwards of $80-million a year in tolls, duty free gas and shopping sales in their pockets.
...
The Morouns have reportedly spent over $10-million to thwart the free bridge, an effort highlighted by door-to-door flier campaigns, robocalls and their ubiquitous television spots featuring a soundtrack of ominous-sounding piano chords and a series of plain-talking Michigan folk — retired cops, stay-at-home-moms, nurses aides and longtime Detroit residents — striking apocalyptic notes about a paid-for-by-Canada border crossing.

“There is no such thing as a free bridge,” one woman says.

“Eventually, we the people are going to end up paying for it,” warns a Vietnam veteran with an American flag on the back of his motorcycle.

“Quit being so arrogant with our money,” a weathered-senior in a yellow golf shirt growls. “We can’t go out and start building bridges, our grandkids are going to have to pay the debt off.”

The message: “The People Should Decide.” The impact? It is working. Polls show voter support for Proposal 6 at about 50%, down from 57% a few months ago, but still a figure that no Canadian, anywhere, and especially not one living in southwestern Ontario, where the economy is bound-and-tied to the Big Three automakers and the American industrial heartland beyond, should be comfortable with.

Le sigh.

 

[Pesqueeb]

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
― Albert Einstein