Matty’s little “in” at Riverside park
10/21/08
[donation]
Why is it that one businessman could simply take over parts of a Detroit city park, closing a public boat ramp, and not be met by a SWAT squad of armed city cops telling his hooligans to put the park back the way it was?
Thanks to David Josar and Christine MacDonald of The Detroit News we know trucking tycoon and Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun had a special in with deposed Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
The News yesterday (October 20, 2008) reported that no outsider had more contact with the former mayor than Matty, who gave at least $50,000 in political contributions to Kwame.
The two News reporters reviewed 1,886 paves of Kilpatrick’s daily schedules from 2003 to 2007. They reported that “no one got more face time with Kilpatrick than Manuel “Matty” Moroun, the enigmatic trucking magnate and owner of the Ambassador Bridge. They met 11 times in 2006 and 2007, while the Grosse Pointe Shores industrialist’s company was negotiating with the city to buy land for an expanded Cobo Center and for the base of the bridge. Moroun and his family donated more than $50,000 to Kilpatrick.”
Well, well.
Wonder if the twain ever talked about Matty’s favorite Riverside Park? That’s the one adjacent to his bridge on the south side, the park with the public walkway with a beautiful view of the Detroit River and Windsor. The park with the very nice public boat launch crudely chained and padlocked by Matty’s hirelings.
The lock-out is to protect the bridge from terrorists, according to bridge president Dan Stamper.
‘Course, no other international bridge locks people out. Check the international bridge at Sault Ste. Marie, the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron or hey — get this — check out the Canadian side of Matty’s beloved Ambassador Bridge.
Open to the public!
But of course, Matty no doubt has not met 11 times with the political officials responsible for protecting the other bridges or even the Windsor side of his own bridge. Or — presumably — spread his monetary largesse their way.
Eleven times he met with Kwame in two years. How many times did Matty meet with Kwame in 2001 and 2002, when he supposedly seized the park?
Back to the drawing board, Newsies! We need more information.
Okay, okay. I’ll see what I can do.
Drop me a line at joelontheroad.com
