By Joel Thurtell
You can say this about Matty:
The guy does not give up.
Even if his behavior puts him smack in the Land of Hypocrisy.
The latest gambit of Manuel “Matty” Moroun in his long effort to build a new bridge link between the U.S. and Canada has a certain raw logic.
Matty’s been blocked by governments on both sides of the border, therefore it follows that he should sue those governments for having the temerity to tell him “no.”
No matter that he started construction on his new bridge without owning the property it would stand on or securing a permit to build.
Those are minor issues for the Billionaire Who Can Do Anything.
I doubt the troll under the bridge honestly expects to win his latest court battle.
Suddenly, at this late date, his lawyers have uncovered a law that supposedly prohibits governments from building a bridge that would compete with Matty’s monopoly.
But hey, why not tie both Canada and the U.S. up in yet another court duel?
It’s only taxpayer time and money he’s wasting.
The advantage for Matty is that given the governments’ refusal to allow him to build a “twin” to his old privately-owned Ambassador Bridge, he is in no hurry.
What’s time to a pig?
Except for one thing. I’ve said this before. Two can play the same game. Isn’t it time the governments stopped playing nice to Matty?
Why not waste HIS time?
The governments have the power of eminent domain. They can condemn private property if they have a public purpose: Fix a fair, lowball price, compensate Matty, seize the bridge and move onto their projects.
Why not condemn the Ambassador?
For no other reason than that the ancient span is in “fair to poor” condition, it deserves to be condemned. Matty’s been a lousy custodian of this historic piece of architecture.
Tie Matty up in court. Force him to defend his rotten stewardship.
Pay Matty what it’s worth — not three billion smackers, as he demanded from Canada, but some figure that would be reasonable for a decrepit piece of soon-to-be-replaced antique infrastructure.
The governments could then proceed to repair and operate the Ambassador while building a new bridge downriver, or they could build the new bridge and turn the Ambassador into a tourist attraction.
It’s true that it’s a landmark, so you’d hate to see it torn down.
But…
Some have proposed hiring Matty to operate a new bridge.
Forget that — he’s shown what kind of partner he’d make.
Better to join up with a rattlesnake than partner with Matty.
Drop me a line at joelthurtell@gmail.com
