By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING, MI – A conservative group against a proposed second bridge span between Detroit and Canada is running negative ads about the project in districts of Republicans who have not taken a stance against the bridge. They want voters to call and pressure the lawmakers to oppose Governor Rick Snyder's bridge proposal.
Scott Hagerstrom is with Americans for Prosperity-Michigan. He says the cost of a second bridge would fall to taxpayers, unless it is paid for completely by private money.
"There may or may not be a need for another bridge," says Hagerstrom. "But if there is a need, the Ambassador Bridge was built with private funds in 1929, it's been privately operated for 80 years, they're under intense scrutiny from immigration, customs and Homeland Security, and I have not seen any complaints from Homeland Security that they're operating improperly."
Hagerstrom is not willing to say whether Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun helped pay for the ad campaign against the second bridge proposal.