Great Lakes Mystery Deepens as Billions in Corporate Tax Breaks Line Waterfront, Not the Pipes
A quiet audit of Great Lakes restoration projects reveals a startling pattern: two-thirds of the $1.2 billion earmarked for infrastructure improvements since 2021 has instead funneled into private development deals and executive bonuses at firms with direct ties to state regulators. While headlines tout "historic cleanup efforts," internal documents show major polluters—including a Fortune 500 chemical conglomerate—received tax incentives to build luxury condos along Lake Erie, while aging water treatment plants in Flint and Toledo remain unfunded. Who stands to profit when the water is "saved"? Follow the money, not the current.