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Re: E-M:/ Transportation lobbying efforts to benefit Detroit.

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Enviro-Mich message from "Alex J. Sagady & Associates" <ajs@sagady.com>
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On the issue of Casinos in Detroit and how to get transported to 
these future casinos....

....someone should figure out where the money is coming from to 
condemn the land on the riverfront that the casinos will be built on....

....there had been some kind of commitment from Engler that 
bond fund money would not be used to finance the condemnation 
for casinos.   The question that remains is where is Detroit getting the 
money, and are funds being used from the bond fund that will free up 
funds for the casino condemnation....inquiring minds want to know.....

This is another public condemnation to benefit a private party for 
alleged public purposes.......   if Detroit is floating tax exempt bonds to 
finance such a condemantion it should be illegal....if memory serves me
correctly I believe there is an IRS rule against such public bond funds
being used to benefit private parties....

That's all for now....I'm  heading down to Columbus OH  (where "up north" 
is Toledo....)


At 04:06 PM 08/15/1999 -0400, you wrote:
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>Enviro-Mich message from "Karen D. Kendrick-Hands" <kdkhands@voyager.net>
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>
>Sorry about cross postings!!!
>
>Announcements from:
>Transportation Riders United
>A coalition to improve Public Transportation in Metro Detroit
>
>1. Sunday August 15 on NBC's Datline, there will be a discussion of
>Curitiba Brazil, a successful, and environmentally sound, first world city
>in a mostly third world country, and its principal Archtitect Jamie
>Learner. The express bus system there provides an intriguing model of a
>subway on rubber tires, that could very readily be implementd in Detroit at
>little cost and great benefit. IN Detroit it's Channel 4 at 7p.m.( that's
>tonight) check your local listing.
>
>
>2. MDOT planners have been busy revising Downtown's road map for I-375 GM
>and Riverfront Casino Access. They have overlooked planning for public
>transportation infrastructure - Private Casino Developers are planning to
>take the last rail access into the Ren Cen and the Riverfront and convert
>it to a 4 lane private Casino Expressway - only 0.4 of a mile from I-375's
>8 lanes of pavement. St. Aubin will continue with 6 lanes of pavement and
>no plans for traffic calming to benefit the Lafayette Park and Elmwood Park
>neighborhoods.
> It's not too late to influence the plans so that pavement does continue to
>carve up downtown as we strangle with cars and choke on the pollution. A
>Southeast Michigan air quality monitor recorded the highest number of bad
>air days (ozone/smog standard violations) of any monitor in the US so far
>this summer. Vehicular congestion and lack of public transit contributed to
>this. It's not too late to influence the CASINO/Riverfront plans. We need a
>mass turnout on August 26, 1999.
>
>August 26
>MDOT Public Info Meeting on I-375 and E. Jefferson redesign. -  5 pm to
>8:30: 4 different redesign scenarios on display. 6 - 7:30 pm Formal
>presentation. Historic Trinity Lutheran Church of Detroit , 1345 Gratiot
>Detroit, MI, info 1.877.360 .4375 (toll free) It appears no transit reps
>from MDOT currently plan to attend.  We should lobby MDOT to change that. I
>suggest calling Andrew Zeigler of MDOT, 517.373.3251, Ruth Hepfer of FHWA,
>517.377.1844. and Stephanie Green of the City of Detroit. 
>
>Other Transit Lobbying and organizing opportunities.
>August 25:
>a. SEMCOG's Transportation Advisory Committee - 9:30 am,
>b. MDOT State funding study meeting, 9-11am in the Lansing Center, Michigan
>Avenue - call Conan at 517.487.9539 same day 
>c. Michigan Land Use Institute Transportation Coalition, Lansing Room 210
>Farnham Building, noon to 5 pm - rm 210 (bundled with the morning meeting)
>
>August 27
>Act 51 Transit Funding Formula subcommittee - Aeronautics Auditorium
>Lansing Airport MDOT office Lansing MI - 9am to ? call Conan for details at
>517.487.9539
>
>September 7
>Act 51 Transit Funding Formula subcommittee - expected to be in Detroit
>call Conan for details at 517.487.9539
>
>September 29, SEMCOG's Transportation Visioning Workshop - Detroit Opera
>Theatre 8am to noon.  For info call SEMCOG - 313.961.4266 - Carmine Palumbo
>
>Transportation Riders United is a partner with M.O.S.E.S in convening a
>Transportation Summit with Rodney Slater, US Secretary of Transportation,
>and the "BIG 4" - Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, Macomb County Commissioner
>John Hertel , Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and Wayne County
>Executive Edward H. McNamara.
> 
>For more information about TRU contact:Karen Kendrick-Hands  or Stephen
>Hands at 313.885.7588. Emails Karen: kdkhands@voyager.net , Stephen:
>slkhands@voyager.net Larry: lhands@voyager.net 
> Next TRU Meeting:
>September 9, 1999, 7 pm,  4204 Woodward (N. W. Corner of Willis), Detroit
>
>
>
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Alex J. Sagady & Associates        Email:  ajs@sagady.com

Environmental Enforcement, Technical Review, Public Policy and
Communications on Air, Water and Waste Issues
and Community Environmental Protection

PO Box 39  East Lansing, MI  48826-0039  
(517) 332-6971 (voice); (517) 332-8987 (fax)
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