Daily Detroit News Byte

Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel wants to build a new jail, because the current one is a squalid death trap. On June 19, he plans to ask a special meeting of the county board of commissioners' Records and Public Safety panel for approval of the $375 million project, plus the OK of ballot language for a tax to pay for the bonds that would pay for it. It's not clear how much the tax millage would be or whether this would constitute a tax increase for residents. But for a generally tax-averse county, this one could get problematic, fast. Oh, and there's a new attempt to thwart the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, this time via an addition to a state budget bill that would prohibit the state from spending any money to finance its half of construction. You know, even though Canada is reimbursing us 100% of the costs. Will wonders never cease? Elsewhere, we run down: Security guards in downtown Detroit began a strike today, though it's unclear how widespread it actually is. The city has broken ground on th