The Michigan International Bridge Initiative, better known
as Proposal 6, will be voted on statewide on Election Day (November 6). If
Proposal 6 becomes enacted it would require voters to approve on any new bridge
or tunnel from Michigan to Canada and is being proposed by the Detroit
International Bridge Company. At the start of election season it seemed to be
clear that Proposal 6 would pass but with articles coming out about it’s
questionable wording and it’s benefits to oppose it, polls show that voters
have changed their vote. In a press release published in September 2012, Gov. Snyder said,
"While the proposal is intended to protect one company's monopoly on truck
crossings between Detroit and Canada, it was sloppily written and jeopardizes
ANY bridge under construction today that won't be completed by January 1, 2012,
or any bridge built thereafter.” (Ballot
Pedia)
Recent
articles have released the different benefits that can come from the new bridge
as well as breaking the rumors that it will cost taxpayers in Michigan money. MLive explains that it will have no
costs to Michigan taxpayers because “under the legally binding contract, Canada is
responsible for guaranteeing all of the construction costs of the bridge, which
will be financed by a private concessionaire, and only U.S. and Canadian steel
will be used to build it.” This contract prevents Michigan taxpayers from
having to worry about paying to build the bridge as well as by using steel from
Michigan it would bring money into the state. With The Detroit News predicting an increase in traffic on the bridge it
makes building another bridge a must to keep money following in and out of the
State and increasing trade with Canada. “In addition, the NITC will create at
least 11,000 construction-related jobs, 750 long-term jobs, and generate and/or
preserve as many as 25,000 jobs here in Michigan.” (MLive)
With such a big opportunity for jobs to be created and for more trade
with Canada it is easy to see why the polls have changed to voters opposing Proposal
6. The Detroit local newspaper, The Detroit News, did a poll of 600
likely voters and found that 51.8% oppose the Proposal. Even though that number
is higher then most of the other polls it is not far from the others. The Examiner reports that The Free Press also has the majority of
state voters oppose the Proposal (42% yes to 47% no). The most recent poll
comes from Detroit’s local television station, Channel 7 Actions News, which reports that as of November 2 that
47% of the state population is opposed to Proposal 6.
Even though these polls are all local to the Detroit area, it is clear
to see that the chances of Proposal 6 passing have truly decreased. With the
election literally two days away and the most recent poll being four days away
from the election saying that the majority of people oppose the Proposal it is
a safe prediction to say that most likely this Proposal will not pass.
BALLOT PEDIA http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Michigan_International_Bridge_Initiative,_Proposal_6_(2012)
7 ACTION NEWS http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/political/exclusive-poll-proposals-2--6-battle-to-the-finish-line
THE DETROIT NEWS http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121026/POLITICS01/210260479
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