As far-fetched as it may seen, you can't rule out the possibility
of seeing a "For Sale" sign on the Mackinac Bridge, the state lottery
and or the state freeway system.
Has it come down to this?
Here's the inside skinny on a recent closed door meeting with GOP
Gov. Candidate Rick Snyder and about twenty "experts" who were there to
discuss how a new governor might address the $1.6 billion state
deficit..a going away gift from the current governor.
Each participant in this so-called roundtable had three minutes
to wax on the question. One of the issues discussed was the
privatization of certain state services and in that context, you would
have to include the Big Mac Bridge, the successful lottery and the
freeways. This is nothing new as all three have been up for discussion
before but nothing has come to fruition.
Asked about all this on WJR radio the other day, Mr. Snyder had a
chance to reject the fire sale concept, but instead he confessed that
"everything is on the table."
The question is, would there be buyers for any one of the three?
Maybe the owner of the Ambassador Bridge would like to expand
his empire up North?
The answer is you could find the buyers, but the ultimate
question is, would you want to unload these historical assets in order
to make a quick buck?
The chief bean counter for the Michigan Senate suggests leaving
the "For Sale" sign in the garage until more data is available.
Gary Olson reports other states have gone this route. Indiana
recently auctioned off its freeway system. Olson says it may be a "one
time" money maker but long term, the state could actually lose revenue.
So call all your friends and pool your resources because the
State of Michigan may add new meaning to the phrase, "Ya wanna buy a
bridge?