Brister on Art and Buses

Councillor Dave Brister sure knows how to turn a phrase

For budget purposes and aesthetic reasons it seems, he wants an empty Transit Windsor bus to take a work of art that he disagrees with--waste of time money and space he said-- to the city dump to save gas.

Remember, Councillor Brister was the one who wanted the Art Gallery to sell part of its collection, the paintings that were not on the walls, to generate revenues for budget purposes.

In a Gord Henderson column before a vote on the terminal where a $2 million Provincial grant was at stake, we learned Brister took the bus for 2 years in his early career at Hiram Walker, always transferred at Ouellette and Wyandotte and never once used the downtown station. Presumably, this expertise at public transit allowed him to say "There may be an argument for a transit terminal but I haven't seen the numbers to prove that... Where's the business case? Where's the cost/benefit analysis? What's the anticipated payback?" [I wonder if time may have changed things as I assume that Councillor Brister must drive to work today]

Councillor Brister is showing us again his feelings about Transit Windsor and the Art Gallery. And if his comment about the matter benefitting an individual meant Joyce Zuk, then he slammed his Ward mate and potential opponent for mayor in public!

Call Fox 2 News Quick

I see that Councillor Zuk is now in favour of public debates at City Hall. About time!

Perhaps she can convince her colleagues at their "in camera" strategic session on Saturday to adopt the revolutionary concept of "open and transparent" Government as a way to act.

Perhaps if she is very persuasive, we might get some public debate on less important issues than art censorship. You know, issues like:

• the border
• Schwartz legal bills
• the Arena moving to the Raceway
• the Keg Agreement
• the Mady parking garage
• MFP litigation to recover $68 million
• the Greyhound agreement
• Post-employment Code of Conduct etc etc etc.

But wait, I don't care what the Mayor and Councillors do on Saturday at their secret session. I am going to threaten to call Fox 2 and have their ace investigative reporter come over and report on what is happening here.

That ought to scare the Mayor as the "art" story did!

UPDATE:

Has the Windsor Star read my Blog? You decide after reading Saturday's Editorial and Henderson column.

The "Conflicts" Motion That Council Has Forgotten

If time passes quickly when you are having fun, then why do four weeks in Windsor seem like eighteen months?

It must be that the Mayor and Council are in some kind of a funk or are they afraid of something.

I am sure that you remember the brouhaha that was raised when ex-Mayor Hurst joined DRTP. No matter what your position on that was, some of us felt that there was a need to clarify the rules so that this kind of an issue would never rise again. Councillor Postma obviously did so too and had the courage to introduce a Motion dealing with this matter at the Council meeting of March 29, 2004. I spoke in support of her Motion.

Our dear, action-oriented Council, with only the Mayor declaring an interest and abstaining, deferred the matter "pending a report from administration in 4 weeks..." We are still waiting for the Report.

As Prime Minister Martin has written about the Federal code "By acting always in accordance with the principles and specific provisions of this Code, public office holders will provide Canadians with a greater assurance that our government is acting in an honest and transparent manner." Why should we accept less from our Municipal politicians?

I believe that there is a Council strategic session on Saturday. It is about time that they bring the Motion forward for "public" debate. Let us know in an "open and transparent" fashion who on Council is afraid to pass such a Code of Conduct and why.

In case they have forgotten, here is a copy of the Motion:

WHEREAS there is an immediate need to establish rules respecting postemployment practices for the Mayor and City Councillors each of whom are hereinafter referred to as an "official") so that the public will have confidence in the integrity of City Government and so that officials will know what is expected of them; and,

WHEREAS there is a need to balance the right of officials to seek employment after leaving office and the need to avoid real or potential conflicts of interest while in office and afterwards;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Council adopt a POSTEMPLOYMENT CODE OF CONDUCT that shall be applicable to the Mayor and all Councillors immediately that shall include the following terms:

a. All officials should seek to avoid conflict of interest situations, real or potential, in post-employment activities during the term of office and subsequently shall ensure that such activities do not prejudice their official duties or bring the City into disrepute;

b. No official shall use his/her office to make an arrangement for future employment, to obtain a post-employment position or to take an improper advantage;

c. An official shall keep in confidence and not use or disclose to any person or persons outside of the City any confidential or proprietary information gained by reason of the official’s position unless such information was in the public domain at the time it was disclosed or was subsequently made available to the general public without restriction by the City;

d. An official must disclose forthwith, in a confidential report to the Mayor, or to a Designated Councillor, if the Mayor is the party involved, any discussions during the official’s term of office with a party respecting an arrangement for future employment or an offer of employment. Acceptance of any offer of employment shall be reported immediately to the Mayor or the Designated Councillor;

e. No official shall during the period of one (1) year after leaving office:

• i. accept appointment to a board of directors of or employment with any person
  who was involved in a matter in which the official participated or in which the
  official received confidential or proprietary information while an official;
• ii. assist, represent or negotiate for any person in a matter in which the official
  participated or in which the official received confidential or proprietary
  information while an official;
• iii. give advice or information to any person using confidential or proprietary
  information that is not available to the public concerning the programs or
  policies of the City;
• iv. act in a position adverse to the City in a matter in which the official participated
  or in which the official received confidential or proprietary information while an
  official; and
  

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Administration immediately commence
preparation of the appropriate by-law required to carry out this resolution of Council.

Canada's Economy Should be Finnished ASAP

Canada moved up one spot in the World Economic Forum The Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006. http://www.weforum.org/ We are now Number 14 in the world with Finland being at the top of the list for the third consecutive year .

What interested me was this comment about the relationship between high taxes and competitiveness in Nordic countries. Perhaps there is a lesson for us.

Imagine if the money that Gomery will be reporting on soon and other wasteful expenditures that the Auditor General reports on annually had not "misused in some way in what the IMF calls, perhaps euphemistically, “unproductive expenditures.”

“The Nordic countries share a number of characteristics that make them extremely competitive, such as very healthy macroeconomic environments and public institutions that are highly transparent and efficient, with general agreement within society on the spending priorities to be met in the government budget. While the business communities in the Nordic countries point to high tax rates as a potential problem area, there is no evidence that these are adversely affecting the ability of these countries to compete effectively in world markets, or to provide to their respective populations some of the highest standards of living in the world. Indeed, the high levels of government tax revenue have delivered world-class educational establishments, an extensive safety net, and a highly motivated and skilled labour force.”

Out of Touch, Out of Office

It was not that long ago.

Remember the Special Council meetings, the Ward meetings, the Town Hall type meetings when our political leaders actively sought the views of its citizens on the border. Remember how Council took the lead in determining what was good for our City, even opposing the views of a very strong and powerful Mayor when his viewpoint seemed to differ from that of the vast majority of citizens. Remember how Council stared down Big Government, Big Business and Big Labour to get a seat for the City at the decision table.

I was reminded of this when reading a story about a meeting in the US recently in a local newspaper

• Residents voice fears to senator at meeting
  By Bobby Ampezzan, The News-Herald
  PUBLISHED: August 28, 2005
  
  GROSSE ILE — Apparently no island is an island.
• 
  That was proved by the nearly 800 people from as far away as Dearborn and Detroit who packed Grosse Ile High School's auditorium to participate in a state Senate transportation committee hearing on a proposed border crossing project in the area.
  
  In the loudest show of protest, the crowd collectively cried "No!" when Grosse Ile Township Supervisor Kurt Kobiljak asked, "Do we want a bridge?" and then "Yes!" to the question, "Do we want this option taken off the list?"
  
  The meeting was co-chaired by Michigan Department of Transportation Director Gloria Jeff and state Sen. Jud Gilbert (R-Algonac), chairman of the transportation committee.
  
  State Sen. Bruce Patterson (R-Canton Twp.) coordinated the meeting, and Sens. Raymond Basham (D-Taylor) and Burton Leland (D-Detroit) also sat on the panel.
  
  Also in attendance were U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D-15th District), Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano and Wayne County Commissioner Joe Palamara (D-Grosse Ile), and state Reps. Kathleen Law (D-Gibraltar) and Barbara Farrah (D-Southgate).
  
  Jeff was joined by MDOT Senior Project Manager Mohammed Alghurabi, who heads the Detroit River International Crossing Project on the U.S. side

Sure I understand that the US side is a lot further behind where we are but they are catching up quickly as they become aware that their communities are at risk.

However, and this is vital to understand, it should also be clearly noted that we are at crunch time; decisions as to the best crossings are to be made shortly. Politicians on the US side seem to understand this and understand "power politics." They also seem to understand that they better listen to the Voice of the People if they intend to be re-elected.

They are rallying their citizenry, publicizing meetings and getting people out to make it clear that a crossing is NOT going into their area. And all of the top politicos are in attendance too, listening and acting! As are the bureaucrats who take their orders from the politicians in the end.

Contrast that with what is taking place in Windsor. What is our position? A secretly endorsed Schwartz proposal without any input from citizens. A Mayor and Council that ran scared when the infamous Agenda Item #5 was placed before Council and 16 people within days appeared ready to blast what was being proposed. A City that is isolated from the decision-makers at the Senior Levels; a population that is in the dark, not knowing what is going on; bureaucrats running the show.

Did our Mayor and Council have the guts to listen to those who elected them? Were they willing to re-consider their position? No, they ran and "deferred" the discussion when the Schwartz proposal was put on the public agenda. They knew they would be soundly defeated!

Rest assured that our Mayor and Council are still having their secret border sessions. I have heard that the Mayor keeps asking them if they still support his billion-dollar short-term dream and they concur in secret again. Who knows what other schemes they are hatching in secret (See my Blog on "The Plan! The Plan!)

Our Mayor and Council are out of touch. They have forgotten how they were elected and why. Last time around, there was a big turnover on Council. I know that a number of people are thinking seriously about their plans for running for office. After all, the next election is only about a year away!

The End of Eddie's Billion-Dollar Dream?

It was like an anonymous fax or a letter delivered in a brown paper envelope. The email said simply "look what the cat dragged in."

It was a copy of Transport Canada's "Statement of Work" for an independent and neutral consultant to evaluate and validate the recommendations of the Schwartz report. It was the project that the Mayor refused to participate in, probably because he already suspects what the outcome will be. He could hardly be expected to participate in the study that could totally destroy HIS and the City's negotiating position!

The Statement is very interesting. I will summarize relevant parts:

• A new crossing is needed for additional capacity but also for security and redundancy
• New crossing will be opened in 2013
• Schwartz is being viewed as a short/medium term alternative, as a solution only for Phase 2, to address Windsor congestion problems
• Horseshoe Road/Brighton Beach proposals are viewed by Transport Canada as a risk to the Bi-national EA process and prejudicing the selection of the new border crossing
• Transport Canada does not believe that the Schwartz proposal is the most practical, efficient, and cost-effective solution for the medium term problems nor will it provide an effective diversion route while other projects are undertaken.

Over two dozen questions are asked of the expert including those involving traffic management, Huron Church truck by-pass and E C Row. Conspicuous by its absence are any questions involving the environmental issues at Ojibway.

The work was to be completed by July 29, 2005, almost 2 months ago.

Some questions:

1. Was anyone hired
2. Who
3. Is the work done
4. What is the result

Since the Statement is out, we should assume that the Report will follow soon, especially if it is anti-Schwartz.

Let's make a wild guess at the results. Given the "concerns" of the Feds in the Statement of Work, I will bet that there are serious problems with the Schwartz solution to the point that it is not feasible. It hardly takes a genius to figure that out.

The Feds must have told the Province already what the answer is to avoid embarassment to the Premier when he came to Windsor for his recent visit. The Provincial Liberal flipflopping on Schwartz is almost comical (see the September 26 Blog re "Dwight Duncan Then and Now" http://windsorcityon.blogspot.com/2005/09/notable-quotes_26.html The 2013 date for the new crossing that McGuinty's Border Czar is to implement is further proof. No need now for a new medium term plan when the Bridge Co. has solved that problem too.

Minister Peterson must have known the answer before he came down and made his remark on the border. The Premier must have known the answer before he came down. And Eddie probably knows the answer too by now.

As for our Mayor, if I am right, then he has not only lost his billion-dollar extravaganza but also his bargaining position with the Bridge Co. is over too.

AUTO JOBS SAVED!

Wow, Ken Lewenza, Senior must be really happy with the Star's front page yesterday (Oh who reads Henderson anyway!) Why the man's a hero with all of those jobs "saved."

But perhaps Ken and Buzz Hargrove might take a look at a BBC story I just found and which I reproduce below when one wants to talk about really saving jobs for auto workers. That story in my mind demonstrates what a real "Hell of a victory" is.

Imagine if they had shown the leadership the VW unions did and offered a small cut in wages to save the hundreds of Ford and Chrysler jobs that Windsor lost. Can you imagine, CAW workers not having to retire early or to uproot and go out of town for a new job.

I'll tell you one thing. The CAW honchos are lucky that the Ford and Chrysler ratification votes are over.

Volkswagen jobs saved in SUV deal

Volkswagen has agreed to build its new sports utility vehicle in Germany after securing wage concessions from unions.

VW had threatened to switch production of its Marrakesh model to Portugal unless it could reduce the cost of manufacturing in its home market.

It will now build it at its Wolfsburg plant after agreeing to cut production costs by 850 euros (£578) per vehicle.

Unions said the agreement would safeguard the jobs of 1,000 apprentices who will now work on the project.

VW said manufacturing costs in Portugal would have been at least 1,000 euros lower per vehicle than those under current labour agreements in Germany.

As a result of the new agreement, workers on the project will earn less than others at VW and could be required to work extra hours.

However, VW has also pledged to build a new model in Emden, another of its German plants, in 2008.

"For everyone involved, this was not an easy path," said Wolfgang Bernhard, chief executive of the VW brand.

"The main thing is that we can now produce and export the vehicle in Germany in competitive conditions."

VW is in the middle of a major cost-cutting drive and revealed plans to reduce its German workforce earlier this month. "

QUOTE FROM German Economy Minister Wolfgang Clement

"The decisions shows that both sides -- both management and employees -- are prepared to make great efforts to safeguard production and jobs in Germany...They are demonstrating a great sense of responsibility and showing that it is possible, by working together, to find solutions to the demands made by globalisation."

Mike Hurst'll Turn Off The Light For You!

Remember Tom Bodet's famous tagline for Motel 6 in their radio and TV ads. Well I changed it a bit to celebrate the death of DRTP. Well, it's unofficial end anyway.

It has been pretty clear that DRTP was finished. The Bi-national Engineers' criteria of a 6-lane truck expressway through Windsor leading to a new 6-lane tunnel under or a 6-lane bridge over the river was the final nail in its coffin as far as I was concerned. Something that would destroy Windsor's heart or that might negatively impact Detroit's waterfront ambitions is just NOT going to happen. Never mind the huge cost.

Of course, OMERS cannot kill off DRTP until after the Financial Services Commission of Ontario issues its report respecting its review "with regard to some of OMERS investment practices, specifically in relation to Borealis Infrastructure. FSCO has indicated that it is reviewing this material to determine whether certain OMERS investments are consistent with the requirements of the Pension Benefits Act."

If DRTP were written down or written off, then such action in itself might well provide the basis of a very negative FSCO Report. So DRTP is still around in name.

As you will recall, FSCO started its review over a year ago and has still not issued a report. That it should take so long is shocking since OMERS keeps increasing its contributions rates.

The delay is especially shameful since the OMERS Act is also in the process of being changed. I recently wrote to the Minister of Finance about this stating:

• "Recently, your colleague, Minister Gerretsen proposed a new Governance model for OMERS. How that can be suggested at a time when OMERS is being investigated is astounding.
  
  Your colleague stated:
  
  "Certainly the whole intent of referring this legislation to a legislative committee after first reading is so that there can be full and very open and very frank discussions between all the stakeholders, whether they're employers or employees. We intend to do that through the legislative process… We want to give OMERS full autonomy, just like all the other public pension plans in Ontario. We intend to do that, and the legislative process has been set up to, in effect, allow that to happen."
  
  I do not understand how there can be such discussions until stakeholders, especially the taxpayers of this Province who contribute to the Plan through their municipalities, know what errors have been made, if any, and what actions need to be taken to correct them."

Why do I make the bold assertion that DRTP is dead?

I recently went to the OMERS site http://www.omers.com and saw its new design. I think it is quite attractive and a nice use of taxpayer and pensioner money. I clicked on "Infrastructure" to see what was new with DRTP. It was not identified on the main page as a key asset while the PEI Confederation Bridge was.

Next I clicked on "Assets" and read about the "Detroit River Rail Tunnel." That was described as the the 8,5OO-foot Detroit River Rail Tunnel that links Windsor and Detroit that OMERS jointly owns with Canadian Pacific Railway.

I thought that was peculiar. I hadn’t seen the OMERS/CP Rail Windsor asset being described that way before. There was a reference to "Additionally, a $600 million new rail tunnel and high-speed truck route are proposed for completion within five years" and a direction to the DRTP website.

The use of the word "additionally" in corporate-speak seemed to downplay the importance of DRTP. Clearly some genius at OMERS/Borealis/CP Rail figured out that to save face, they better talk about the existing rail tunnel and not the DRTP.

The mystery was deepening so next I clicked on the Borealis Infrastructure website itself http://www.borealisinfrastructure.com Nothing at all about DRTP on the "Snapshot" page. Then there was something strange called "the Detroit River Tradeway Tunnel" on the "Investment Criteria" page. [That seemed like the rail tunnel and DRTP rolled into one since Tradeway was the DRTP name before "The Jobs Tunnel"]. I suspected I would find something under "Assets." And I did: the "Detroit River Rail Tunnel" language again.

I was very confused now so I quickly went to the "News Releases" page to find how DRTP morphed into the Detroit River Rail Tunnel/Detroit River Tradeway Tunnel. Lo and behold, not a word about the Windsor/Detroit project!

I was desperate by now. I went to their "SEARCH" page and typed in lowercase for searching "detroit river tunnel partnership" and "drtp" and received the answer: "no results found"

This made no sense to me at all. What happened to DRTP? Where had it gone? Why was it being de-emphasized and the almost 100 year-old rail tunnels given such prominent attention? And then it hit me. I knew the answer. I went to the DRTP page http://www.thejobstunnel.com and there was the solution, staring me right in the face.

DRTP HEARS COMMUNITY:
Offers Enhancements to Make Project

Near Invisible.

Ex-Mayor and DRTP CEO Mike Hurst succeeded brilliantly in carrying out his second last function at DRTP.

Unlike Tom Bodet, now it’s time he carry out the last job since he will be the last one out of the door.

We Finally Arrived!

Did you see the photograph in the Star on Saturday! If not, go and grab Section "F" before it makes it to the bottom of your bird cage.

There we were, a colour photo of my wife and I, smiling in the Star's version of the "High Society" page.

What a shocker when a friend sent us an email informing us about our new fame and hoping that we would still talk to the "little people."

I do have to admit, we do make a darn good-looking couple! And yes, we will still talk to you. Maybe. hehehe

PS. My Face-to-Face interview will be rerun on Cogeco Cable 11 on Tuesday (7:30 PM) and Wednesday.

Notable Quotes

In surfing the web and and looking at old emails over the last few days, I found some interesting comments that I thought I should share with you.


Sam Schwartz on what can happen with public authorities running bridges:

"I appear before you today to admit that I, in fact my whole profession, traffic and transportation engineers, have failed miserably time and time again in reducing traffic congestion here in New York, across the country and in many other parts of the world. I offer the premise that we failed because we only viewed the problem through government eyes. I offer a few related examples where the government failed but the private sector had measurable successes...

To make a long story short, New York City got cold feet, put in a few bus lanes, parking restrictions and a few good traffic engineering projects, but never got at the root of the problem. Essentially similar stories were played out at major cities across the U.S.

But the auto industry, worrying about car-free cities, did respond (admittedly kicking and screaming). Auto emissions plummeted. Most of the gains in cleaner air were accomplished by the capitalists, not the traffic engineers and planners...

And I don’t buy the argument that driving free is a right and the bridges are merely extensions of city streets. Brooklyn and Queens motorists have suffered unbelievable congestion, and associated costs, as every single East River bridge has had structural emergency shutdowns of lanes and roadways and even an extended closing, from lack of maintenance of the entire Williamsburg Bridge in 1988.

There were times, over the past two decades, that as many as half of the 30 lanes on the four East River bridges were closed due to emergencies and construction. The culprit: corrosion from lack of maintenance from lack of dedicated funds."

Dan Stamper, President, Ambassador Bridge Company on a new border crossing

"Everybody’s been sitting around saying, "We’ll do this, we’ll do that if we can get taxpayers’ money." We can do this ourselves. We have an obligation to do this to protect the region and industry… The binational study is so wrapped up in politics. We’ve decided to go forward on our own."

Warren Kinsella on Plans

"The problem facing this government - the problem facing every government - isn't scandal. Believe me: there isn't a voter alive who doesn't think EVERY political party is morally deficient. They see no qualitative difference between ANY of us politicos, ideology notwithstanding. We're ALL pond scum; the next guy is as bad as the last guy. Marketing scandal is not, therefore, a winning campaign strategy.

No, the killer ballot question is always this one: "Do they have a plan?"

And I don't mean a plan you personally agree with. Voters, unlike right wing bloggers, are always smart enough to appreciate, a la Jaggers and Richards, that you can't always get what you want. You have to compromise, take water in your whine, etc. etc.

The thing that will defeat Paul Martin in 2005 - and, as all of you charitable regular readers recall, I did predict the government would fall in 2005 - is Paul Martin. He and his shrinking circle have no plan. Zero, zippo, zilch. That is not merely evident, it's painfully evident."

Candidate For Mayor Eddie Francis on Plans

"I want to be your mayor. The status quo will no longer do. We cannot continue to stumble from crisis to crisis into the future without a plan…As the new Mayor of Windsor, together with counsel and administration we will implement a new plan which will restore public confidence in our city government… We will become a council driven, people centered government where we will plan, strategize and set the agenda...To me smart growth means planning for a liveable community... Smart growth is also about planning for growth that supports our current economic base and recognizes the potential to attract new industry…. Together council and I will develop an action plan to reverse years of decay and neglect."

Eddie Francis campaign event celebrates his volunteers

"I am proud to have a team of talented and dedicated women and men working with me who believe in me who want a Real Plan, a Clear Vision and who want a clear choice for the future of Windsor.”

Thomas L. Friedman on What A Flat World Needs

"Meeting the challenges of flatism requires as comprehensive, energetic and focused a response as did meeting the challenge of Communism. It requires a president who can summon the nation to work harder, get smarter, attract more young women and men to science and engineering and build the broadband infrastructure, portable pensions and health care that will help every American become more employable in an age in which no one can guarantee you lifetime employment."

Dwight Duncan Then and Now

Then:

"Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan said the federal and provincial governments have accepted the findings of a report on the Windsor gateway, by consultant Sam Schwartz, dealing with delays at border crossings between Canada and the United States. The report, commissioned by the City of Windsor, recommends ways of alleviating border delays by reducing international truck traffic on the city's streets. "We're embracing the entire report," Mr. Duncan told reporters at Queen's Park yesterday."

Now:

"The Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and the City of Windsor and Essex County will continue to work together to ensure the expedient implementation of initiatives under the Strategy to improve the efficiency of the Windsor-Detroit Gateway, in a manner that is consistent with the long-term planning already underway under the Bi-National Partnership...As you know, a number of proposals for new or expanded border crossings have already been put forward. these proposals will provide valuable input to the process, as will the Schwartz Report that was recently made public by the City of Windsor. The partnership will consider all of these proposals, together with suggestions that may be identified by stakeholders.

At this time these are just options that are put forward, which would need to be vetted through both planning and environmental assessment processes...We must ensure that full consideration is given to all alternatives."

Windsor Is Flat

What a shock! There has been no economic development plan in place for Windsor for the last two years. No wonder Dennis Perlin left. He must have been totally frustrated in a job where he was given few directions by his political bosses.

That’s the gist of what I got out of Gord Henderson’s column yesterday. I was looking for a grand Plan. Instead I found out what book Eddie read 5 times, "The World Is Flat." Hmmm I wonder if there will be a run on that book now at Chapters a la Oprah.

It is absolutely clear now that the Mayor and Council have been sitting around waiting for an Economic Statement to be produced. As if another piece of paper will create a single job. It’s like thinking that the Community Improvement Plan document in itself will build a single house in an urban village in Windsor West.

Can you believe the Mayor’s comment: "Things are looking much better than last week." Tell that to the people who have lost their jobs. Tell that to the people who will have to uproot their lives to go to Oakville or St. Thomas for work. Tell that to the merchants in town who will see their businesses decline as people leave the workforce.

Apparently there is a strategic direction that the City is following. I guess a major achievement of that Direction is the announcement of the Keg restaurant opening. It will open IF the parking issue is resolved that is. (Another mess that we might be getting into).

Apparently, it was known 2 years ago that Windsor would be experiencing some major economic disaster. Gord Henderson said that the news would necessitate increased efforts to diversify and attract new industry. His column today signalled loud and clear the total failure on the part of City Hall!

Finally though, thanks to Gord, I got it. We don’t have an entrepreneur in charge at City Hall, young or otherwise. We have a bureaucrat, a planner. He has no problem in planning but considerable difficulty in executing. Can you imagine sitting around until October 3, as if he didn’t know what his CAO was going to suggest.

It is like the border. Develop the Schwartz plan which is great on paper, flog it to death even though it bears no relationship to reality and then watch it die as the Senior Levels dismiss it out of hand and as the Bridge Co. on its own solves our problems!

Frankly, instead of reading what a New York Times columnist thinks about the real world, as Mayor, I would have contacted the major business people in town who really understand what is happening and who know how to achieve success. I would put them together in a room, lock the door and not let them out until they came up with an economic development plan for Windsor and a commitment to carrying it out, together!

It may be the time to set up an alliance amongst the major business players here whereby they agree to set aside "egos and ambitions" and work together or we all lose. We may need an "Economic Czar" in Windsor to get things moving not just a Border Czar.

No, I won’t mock anyone for having a plan, a plan. I can mock someone though who has sat around reading a book 5 times while waiting for the bad news that he knew was coming.

More on solicitor-client privilege

Oh my goodness, I am finally agreeing with the editors of the Windsor Star on something.

Their editorial yesterday said:

• "If the Capitol Theatre expects a cent of support from taxpayers, it must immediately make public a pair of reports probing its operations. The downtown playhouse's board of directors has taken the position, on its lawyer's advice, that "solicitor-client privilege" precludes releasing a self-imposed managerial review prepared by former Superior Court justice and Essex-Kent MP Robert Daudlin..."

I am sure that the Star, in order to be absolutely consistent, will now write an editorial castigating Council for not releasing all the Schwartz documents and hiding behind its lawyer on the parking garage receivership.

Naaaaaaaaaaaw, that will never happen.

The Border and Terence Corcoran

Two articles in yesterday's Star ought to be quite concerning to Windsorites.

First, Corcoran, the editor of the Financial Post, did a column about how NAFTA is at risk. He pointed out that there is serious talk of Canadian economic retaliation against the US and partnering instead with India and China. He talks about government managed trade rather than free trade. That should concern business people here who depend on cross-border trade. [For a bit of history, go back and read about the National Energy Program and the Canadian oil industry]

Second, the front page story in the Star talked about fewer Americans crossing our border. Gordon Orr did not mention that one reason for the reduction could be a consequence of the various political and economic irritants that we have with our largest trade partner.

Why are these two stories disturbing? Taken together, our area is in serious economic jeopardy.

Unfortunately, what I see helping to create this downturn is certain Windsorites and others making it easy for decisions to be made to stay out of this area, whether for business or for pleasure, to our economic disadvantage.

Why come to Windsor to open a plant or go shopping or to a restauruant or to stay for a weekend when we are told that there are border backups. On the one hand the Casino is spending money on media ads trying to convince Americans that it is easy to come over here while on the other we may tell them they will be caught in traffic jams unless they get a subsidized Nexus card for their several trips a year here.

Instead of praising Minister Peterson for being ready to tell the world that our short-term problems are over, we scold him. Even our friend the Premier wanted to hire someone to tell some good stories about the border to improve business. How do we react: scare stories from our leading paper and the City's retained traffic guru that the Bridge may have structural problems.

Would you really want to cross the bridge that Senator Kenny has said is a prime target for terrorists? He got a lot of coverage in the US media when his Senate Report came out.

Can we really blame an American choosing not to cross the border and to go to an American Casino in downtown Detroit? Would you really want to build a plant here with all of that bad news? We are indeed our own worst enemy.

Coming Home To Roost

Gord Henderson generously attributes Eddie's problems these days to bad luck or the cyclical auto industry slowdown or just bad timing!

Yet, in his column dated January 6, 2004, Gord wrote:

• Francis conceded this will be an "extremely challenging" year. Those challenges include some anticipated bad economic news that can't be revealed at this point (that sounds ominous) but which will necessitate increased efforts to diversify and attract new industry.

There is bad news for our two major industries in town. The job situation has not been good for Windsor and it is getting worse.

First, we lose 1100 Ford jobs. Then we lose 600 Chrysler jobs. Next, how many GM jobs will be sacrificed? But that is not all. How many spin-off jobs will be lost because of the downturn in the auto industry? Don’t those auto execs ever wonder who is going to be able to buy a car if the numbers of unemployed keep increasing?

If that is not a kick where it hurts, we read also that "Windsor's hospitality and retail industries were hit with "scary" news Tuesday when Statistics Canada revealed the number of same-day car travellers from the United States tumbled to its lowest monthly number on record." We experienced a 12.7% drop in traffic. Just to make us feel oh so much better, the Statscan analyst quoted said "We have no idea what's going to happen from here."

What increased efforts have we made to diversify and attract new industry?

Knowing about the Mayor’s platform promise to create a knowledge based industry here, I tried to help. I introduced some time ago the concept of the "Innovation Centre" that was started in Sault Ste. Marie to help out that community. "The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to assist Sault Ste. Marie District with economic diversification in Information Technology or knowledge based industries. By developing innovative partnerships with industry, government, and other public organizations, the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre is a "catalyst for change"

Their former head came down to Windsor at my invitation to assist us in looking at the concept to see if it would work here. I believe he prepared a paper on the subject. I even pushed for his hiring, given his experience, to cut down on the time needed for us to create something similar. Why re-invent the wheel after all since the idea made good sense to me.

I brought forward the idea of building on Enwin's expertise (and to make them some money) by turning Windsor "wireless" ie everyone in town would have wireless broadband connection to the Internet to provide inexpensive access and VoIP telephony. [Oakland County across the river is doing this now] More than that Windsor could have become a "showcase" for a major hardware company in North America so that we could attract technology innovators here to use our city as a testbed for the latest technologies.

Unfortunately, everything got bogged down as the City and County did their myriad of studies into what we should be doing. An Economic Development Statement is to be released in a few weeks, on October 3.

Remember what the Mayor said at his Chamber of Commerce Speech – Managing Your Money Better in May 2004:

• "I also understand, that often, the best thing that a government can do to help business, can be summarized in five words:
  
  Get out of the way!
  
  When governments leave businesses alone to do what they do best, it is
  amazing the innovation and creativity that takes form."

So what did we do in Windsor? Did we follow our Mayor's advice? Hardly. Our Statement is being prepared by the CAO's of the City and the County, with the help of a consultant from KPMG, staff from the City and County and an Advisory Committee of Chamber, Education and private sector representatives.

We will see the Eddie "future vision," in the Gord Henderson column today (It had been postponed for some reason). That future vision will earn tremendous praise I am sure from the Star Editorial writers.

Next we will have the Statement 10 days later which will fit in remarkably well with what has already been disclosed.

Finally, we will need a catalyst, a big event to get everyone excited about how our Region is going to prosper. I have it. Why not set up a conference similar to the one Alfie Morgan talked about in the Letters to the Editor section of the Star a few days ago. Alfie was acting CAO after Dennis left before and so he can step in again to help out the Mayor.

Now I feel better. Hey buddy, I can spare that dime now.

Why The Bridge Company Has Won!

The border issue has dominated our lives in Windsor for much too long. It has caused people to sell or consider selling their home for fear of what may happen. It has paralyzed Council when they should have been thinking about the economic redevelopment of our economy.

We must take into account facts and reality, not what we may wish things to be. It is not 50 years ago. I am sorry but I cannot take responsibility for errors of judgment that may have been made in the past. I have to deal with what we have now when trying to consider a solution.

Like them or not, the fact is that someone will have to talk to the Bridge Co. and deal with them since that Company is the key player in the border game.

The bridge is there and it is not moving. They have built up a business and they are not going to let someone take it away. They are smart, well-connected, powerful and they are not afraid to litigate!

There are certain facts that we just have to accept. Once we do, the result is inevitable:

1. The Bridge Company’s new 200 booth proposal, which they are to finance on their own, and the new Bi-National Engineer's projections about reduced traffic volumes may mean we never need a new crossing. When reverse customs and Bluewater bridge expansion are introduced, the redundancy and security concerns are solved too. The only EA assessment that needs to be done is on the US side, not an international extravaganza.


2. Who can afford to finance a new crossing and to operate it profitably when the two existing crossings are having difficulties making money after auto industry changes, 9/11, SARS, job losses, Detroit Casino expansion, higher dollar etc. Does someone have a "death wish" to bankrupt the City-owned Tunnel? If the Bridge Co. 200 booth construction is completed by 2007, a new crossing would be doomed to fail
   
   
3. Do you really think George W. Bush is going to let Paul Martin expropriate the assets of an American company and how could it be done anyway? Bill C-44, the basis of Eddie’s billion-dollar dream and the bureaucrat’s desire to control the Bridge Co business in both Windsor and their proposed Buffalo area development, is being buried
   
   
4. The Bridge Co. is the only show in town respecting truck traffic and they "own" that business
   
   
5. The Windsor Star reported years ago that the Bridge Co. already owns the land where the major corridors might go for a new crossing. It is unlikely that their lands can be expropriated, especially in the US.
   
   
6. It would take billions to buy out the Bridge Co border investments at a time when the Feds need their surplus to buy voters for the next election and Ontario is becoming a "have-not" Province
   
   
7. MDOT and the US Government have sunk hundreds of millions into the Bridge Co. Ambassador Gateway project. Why would they spend hundreds of millions more on a new road infrastructure at a new crossing and be forced to staff Customs at another location.
   
   
8. Minister Peterson has recognized that there is no short-term problem since the Bridge Co. solved it with 4 new Customs booths and is increasing capacity by 50% by proposing to build 7 more. There is no budget money set aside for Windsor other than the balance of the initial BIF $300 million.
   
   
9. Premier McGuinty’s announcement that the Border Czar is to bring in a new crossing by 2013 means that he has recognized that there is no short-term problem since the Bridge Co. solved it 4 new Customs booths and is increasing capacity by 50% by proposing to build 7 more. Other than Dwight Duncan's "Gong Show" $500 million that will not be available until after 2010, if ever, there is no money for Windsor.
   
   
10. Everyone knows that it is the Americans who will ultimately decide what happens and the Bridge Co. knows everyone on that side of the border.
    
    
11. The Bridge Co. has never suggested using E. C. Row as a roadway to its crossing for trucks.
    
    
12. There are only 2 viable crossings according to the Bi-National Engineers: Ojibway and the Twinned Bridge corridors. Guess who owns property there on both sides of the border.
    

Looking then at the inevitable, our Mayor and Council should have been working on a strategy a long time ago for negotiating with the Bridge Co. Frankly, after the Senior Level shafts, we don't have anyone else to partner with. And Windsor cannot do it alone.

UPDATE: Council Agenda Peeve

Remember what I wrote yesterday: "I hope Cogeco does not have technical problems at Council tonight."

Well something happened. The Council session was not broadcast until 9 PM. Who wanted to see Prof Weis answer question about the Schwartz Plan anyway.

Anybody But ...?

Can it be any worse for Mayor Eddie Francis? I cannot think of a worse insult than that which he received from his so-called partner on the border, Premier McGuinty. Effectively, there will be no new crossing until 2013. So much for the Schwartz billion-dollar strategy that Eddie relied upon.

Clearly it was a big win for Dwight Duncan in the competition to be the #1 power guy in Windsor (and perhaps to get the federal Liberal nomination to go after Joe Comartin).

Can you imagine, poor Eddie having to go through Steve Salmons, the former administrator at City Hall, whenever he wants to talk to the Province about the border. Is that what adding insult to injury means?

Writing a Blog that is viewed by some as "political" results in interesting conversations with some of the movers and shakers in town. The big news is that even though we are more than a year before the next municipal election two warring camps have set up. First we have the "Trust Eddie" crowd who are spreading the word that Eddie is unbeatable. Then, shockingly, we have the "Anybody but..." camp who is trying to line up someone to run against Eddie.

The strategists are at play already. We have seen Eddie tell his Councillor colleagues some months ago that he is running for a second term. Why would he do this so far in advance when it took him so long to announce that he was running for Mayor in the first place?

In my view, he announced to tell people he was not running federally (who would have wanted to anyway at that time) but also to foreclose any of his Council colleagues, or others, from running. Why run now and lose, people are being told, when you can wait for three more years since Eddie has said he is a maximum 2-term Mayor. I have personally been told by several Councillors that Eddie cannot be beaten in their opinion. We saw a good example of this publicly when Gord Henderson in one of his columns dared Bill Marra to run.

In reality, what Eddie has done is buy himself some time to decide if he should run federally. (The Gomery inquiry’s delay has given him more time. That lets the major parties fight over him to see which will offer him the most and for him to decide who the winner would be. I am sure that Eddie would not want to be a mere backbencher). If he finally decides not to run federally, then he has already prevented possible opposition for Mayor at the same time. Keep those options open.

The fact that Eddie has developed such a strong opposition in such a short period of time is almost beyond belief to me. I know he promised a lot, perhaps too much and it was unlikely that he could do everything. But then again, Eddie only received 53% of the vote against someone who had to carry the previous Administration’s baggage and had to overcome his campaign team’s costly mistakes.

The damaging part for Eddie is that many are the people who helped Eddie win in the first place. In a nutshell, they feel let down. They had expected so much from him and feel he has not delivered. Whether it is a complex issue like the border or something simple like not returning a phone call or visiting a plant or giving a speech at a dinner, Eddie is losing friends. As someone said, it takes a lot of bodies and $750 contributions to run a Mayoral campaign.

The "Anybody But" crowd has learned from the past election campaign. They are out there aggressively looking for ONE candidate and only one. They know that if there is more than one good alternative to Eddie, then Eddie can be re-elected if the anti-Eddie vote is split. That was the big fear last time that Eddie and Bill would split the vote allowing Hurst to win.

Next time around, it is not going to be pleasant election campaign. It will be mean and negative. The arm-twisting will be intense. A lot of careers, and egos, will be at stake. So who are the possible alternatives?

On Council, Dave Brister is the one that immediately comes to mind, especially since Gord H. has called him a "sharp pencil." However, he needs someone to help him stop from making so many rookie mistakes. The fact that he has not taken a leading role for the Community that gave him the biggest number of votes of all Councillors will also hurt.

Joyce Zuk is another. She is probably the smartest and toughest-minded person on Council. After all, she had the nerve to tell Mike Hurst to "get out of the chair" if he could not run a Council meeting properly. And Joyce is trying hard to say that everyone is working well together on Council to preserve unity in a situation where Council is imploding with personal and philosophical animosities.

But the name that I have heard the most these days is Jo-Anne Gignac. That surprised me because frankly, I just cannot figure her out. I am not sure what she stands for or what her philosophy is. She speaks well and asks questions but I just do not have a clear view about her at all. To be taken seriously, she needs to start articulating a point of view that people can grasp.

Outside of Council, the name of Rick Limoges keeps popping up. He is well-liked and well-respected. But he has lost twice federally so would coming back to local politics seem like a consolation prize.

And then there is BILL! The ex-public host of Council Close-up and runner-up to Eddie. His "gentlemanly" speech after he lost won him a lot of admirers. If Bill decides to run for Mayor (and he may run for the Ward 4 Council seat instead), he will be a much more formidable opponent because he cannot now be viewed as "Hurst-Lite." That baggage is gone with the passage of time. However, Bill has to learn to make the "right" decision the first time around. He can no longer afford the reversals of positions as in the past. He also better drop a lot of the people who advised him during the last campaign.

I have heard that the Liberals are doing some polling in town. The results would be interesting. My bet is that all of the posssible people I have mentioned would like to know the answer too.

Question: If an election were held today, for whom would you vote?

UPDATE: Council Agenda Peeve

What a co-incidence.

Prof Weis of the Windsor Essex County Environment Committee (WECEC) will be at Council tonight. His group issued a very negative report against parts of the Schwartz proposal. Of course, you would not know that from looking at the Delegation list that the City publishes Friday afternoon before the meeting.

Unfortunately, the City website is not working today so that if you wanted to know what is on tap tonight, you could not find out. And if you wanted to get theWECEC report to read before tonight, you cannot get it either because the website is down

If we had Council Close-up, the commentator could have explained to the public what WECEC is, what it does and explain why they issued the report on the border. But there is no Council Close-up now.

I hope Cogeco does not have technical problems at Council tonight so that some of the important parts of the meeting will not take place after midnight again.

Is There A Doctor In The House?

The Windsor Star reported that "A new study says that Chatham-Kent and Essex County, including Windsor, have the lowest and third-lowest population of family doctors in Ontario respectively, replacing the north as the most underserviced region."

A new medial school opened in Northern Ontario that is supposed to help with the doctor shortage. It won’t. Windsor has a new satellite medical school that is supposed to help with the doctor shortage. It won’t. Ontario has never produced enough doctors. A rep from The College of Physicians and Surgeons told me that we have always relied on foreign trained doctors to meet our deficiency. Look at the numbers for a reality check.

• "Ontario doctors praised the opening of [The Northern Ontario School of Medicine] on Tuesday. They said it's a key step to addressing the shortage of physicians in the province…. Ontario is short almost 2,200 physicians, leaving almost 1.2 million patients without access to a doctor…. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty encouraged the first 56 students in the school to stay in northern Ontario after they graduate… The school will produce its first graduates in 2009." CBC News report
  
  "An additional 104 spots are to be created at existing facilities over the next four years. Queen's Park has also boosted the number of physician residency positions and slots for international medical school graduates." Windsor Star Editorial

How can a shortage of several thousand doctors with additional complications due to changes in lifestyle---more women doctors and aging male family practitioners who tend to work fewer hours—be met by the few new doctors being turned out. That number would hardly dent the number of retiring doctors in our area considering the first doctors in the northern school will not graduate until 2009!

I know that there is a movement in our area to create a new medical school in Windsor. While commendable, realistically, the chances of it actually being built in the near-term are remote notwithstanding the valiant efforts of the community and our political representatives.

In my mind, a better alternative is to encourage foreign trained doctors to move here and to do so NOW! We would not be depriving countries of their doctors since there actually are certain countries that have a surplus of well-trained doctors who could be admitted here quickly.

Certainly, some training would be necessary and required to ensure that their standards met ours and to ensure that they are acclimatized to the Canadian system. That’s where our local schools would come in. We would design a program so that there would be no cost to taxpayers. My experience is that these doctors would be prepared to pay the full tuition costs of such a program and would be prepared to work in under-serviced areas to solve our shortage problem.

We can justify such a new program in Windsor for foreign trained doctors. Moreover, we can view it as an interim step between the satellite school and the day that we get a full-fledged medical school. We would have created a built-in specialty before the medical school was even constructed.

Our University and Community College would play a vital role as I see it. The University of Windsor would not have a "stand-alone" medical school right away but rather would have the school where every foreign trained doctor would be assessed and upgraded, if needed, so that he/she could practise in Ontario. St. Clair College would have the responsibility to ensure that the doctor and his/her family become accustomed to the Canadian way of life and fit in to the community as quickly and as painlessly as possible.

The big PLUS for this program is that we turn out doctors almost immediately and at a much lower cost than waiting for a totally new doctor to go through school and graduate. I would expect that many graduates of the school would choose to stay in our area.

Even if there is a concern about admitting them as "doctors," they could be admitted as physician assistants or "apprentices," working to help out the doctor and reduce the pressure due to high caseloads. It works this way in other professions; why not medicine. Frankly, and to be cynical, it also is a way of getting doctors here and paying them less than a doctor's income so that the Ministry of Health can save taxpayer money too.

The foreign trained doctors are NOT doing this for the money. Most I have spoken with want to bring their family to North America to live, for the better life that they believe that we can offer to their children.

If what I am saying makes sense, then we need to start. Our City and County Councils need to take the lead. We need the dedicated members of our area who helped us to get the satellite school to take action for this next step. I drafted a Resolution that I hope we can consider as our Mission Statement for this project. All it takes now is for us to demand that our local politicians get moving and get this process started!

WHEREAS the health and well being of the residents of Windsor and Essex County are of prime importance; and

WHEREAS more than 50,000 residents of the Region are now faced with a situation where they have no ready access to a doctor because of an acute shortage of doctors in the area; and

WHEREAS the Region has a need for more than 250 family physicians and specialists now and over 175 doctors are 50 years of age or older; and

WHEREAS communities in the Region are having difficulties recruiting and retaining doctors and are facing a situation where the aging of doctors and lifestyle changes will result in reduced case-loads and a worsening of the problem; and

WHEREAS communities in order to attract new doctors may have to engage in wasteful, competitive activities; and

WHEREAS the University of Windsor will be setting up a satellite campus as part of the Medical School of the University of Western Ontario; and

WHEREAS the doctor shortage crisis can only be resolved in the short term by recruiting and encouraging foreign trained doctors to come to and remain in the Region

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Windsor City Council

1. declare that the City of Windsor is in a medical state of emergency respecting the shortage of doctors in the area including Family Practitioners and specialists in a number of medical specialties
2. work together with all of the communities in the Region co-operatively on a co-ordinated recruitment strategy for repatriating Canadian doctors who work out of Canada, foreign trained doctors who already live in Canada and for IMGs
3. urge the Government of Ontario and the Minister of Health and Long Term Care to take immediate action to deal with the doctor shortage crisis by setting up a "pilot" program in the Region to be known as the Executive Medical Preparation Program for recruited doctors which would consist of a self-funded, intensive training program to ensure that the doctors meet Ontario standards
4. work with the Federal government to develop a "fast track" immigration process, which does not compromise national security, or CMA credentials and competency standards.
5. request the University of Windsor medical school to develop the expertise for the Province in developing the Executive Medical Preparation Program to train the recruited doctors to Ontario standards
6. request St. Clair College to provide cultural training to assist the recruited doctors and their families to become acclimatized to the culture of Ontario and its healthcare environment
7. request the Essex County Medical Society and the Essex Kent Lambton District Health Council to provide practical experience on aspects of the medical services and understanding the complexities of the health system, and
8. require that the recruited doctors commit to practice in the Region for a period of not less than 5 years

From B.I.G.To B.I.I.Ger To B.I.I.I.Gest

For all of you cynics out there, you should hang your head in shame. Premier McGuinty made a major announcement for Windsor. Can you believe it. It took 5 months of dedicated, full-time effort, probably with teams of experts, for this to happen. The "Border Implementation Group" has become the "Border Initiative Implementation Group." BIG has become BIIGer.

The appointment of Michael Kergin should also cause us great excitement. He has a job to "to deliver a new Detroit River crossing no later than 2013." I hate to be a wet blanket but wasn't that the timetable of the Bi-national Partnership already that everyone has said is too long to wait? I thought the Premier wanted to expedite matters

I do think that Mr. Kergin is the right guy though. From his biography, I see that he was posted in Cameroon, Chile and Cuba, all underdeveloped areas. He should be right at home in Windsor after the auto industry takes away thousands of jobs from here and with little in the way of economic develoment in view!

We should be grateful for small miracles. It looks like 34 government people will be involved in the project. If they are all out-of-towners, we will have a few people replacing the hundreds of auto workers who will be leaving for St. Thomas and Oakville.

Kergin "will work with provincial officials, the federal government and the City of Windsor." It is clear that a former Ambassador is needed to work with these warring factions if we are ever to get a solution.

I wonder if the City is now snubbing its former ally. Not a word in the Press Release from our Mayor who praised the Premier previously. If you see the Mayor with a black eye, it is because he was hit across the head by a 2 X 4! The Feds and Province have just told him in no uncertain words that they have no desire to spend money to follow or carry out his billion dollar short-term dream. They know there is NO short-term problem at the border so why spend the cash!

The Feds have voters to buy in the next election with their budget surplus for heaven's sake. They cannot waste it on matters like our economic well-being. And Ontario is now a "have-not" province so we don't have the money at all

The Mayor may as well cancel the Schwartz contract and save some fees that way rather than keep spending money to pay for services that are not required any longer.

I also notice that Mr. Salmons' name was not mentioned in the press release. Now that would have been rubbing it into the faces of his former bosses at City Hall.

I believe that the weather helped the Premier today. I understand that his plane could not arrive in Windsor so he did his conference by phone. Better that way than to be laughed out of Windsor after this joke of pretending to be concerned about what happens to Windsorites or the economies of North America.

I bet the Americans will be mad that they are not included in this. Pretty soon we will see BIIIG: the Border International Initiative Implementation Group.

B.I.G. Deal

BORDER CZAR ANNOUNCEMENT COMING. CKLW reported that Premier Dalton McGuinty is to visit Windsor to announce who will be the special advisor on border issues. Former City of Windsor senior manager Steve Salmons is to head up a border office in Windsor. That office is to be part of the announcement.

This must be a BIG announcement since the Premier is coming here. Clearly, the Premier is concerned about Windsor's BIG problems. Why he stated only 5 months ago on April 19th, 2005, in a speech in Washington D.C., "his intention to create a new Border Implementation Group to oversee the important upcoming phase of border improvements. The chair of this blue ribbon task force will be appointed shortly and will report directly to the Premier."

BIG deal!

Another way to pretend to be doing something when doing nothing.

Steve Salmons must be pleased. Back in 2004, a Star headline stated "Demoted manager quits post." Three weeks after he left as CEO of the Windsor Public Library, he was hired as a senior policy adviser with the Management Board of Cabinet. And now he is back in Windsor to work with his former bosses.

Who said McGuinty Liberals do not have a sense of humour. I would love to be a fly on the wall at the first BIG meeting between Salmons and his former bosses.

The Premier is coming, The Premier is coming!

Joe Comartin better start worrying!

I hear the Premier of Ontario is coming to town tomorrow and is to make a border announcment. Who the heck picked this time when the CAW is negotiating an agreement.

1,100 Ford jobs gone, a chance of 1,500 Chrysler jobs going and who knows how many spin-off jobs. What about GM? What were his strategists thinking?

But what a great set-up for Eddie! What great co-incidental timing. Gord Henderson's column actually mentioned him by name today. It's not Eddie's fault we are in a mess. He's merely a "victim of bad timing." He's just not "lucky."

But all is not lost....we will have to buy the Star on Saturday to see what Gord's solution will be. Gord tells us there a "light at the end of the tunnel" [I hope he does not mean the DRTP Tunnel].

Gord will be able to incorporate McGuinty's announcement to demonstrate how well Eddie is working for us. I wonder if Gord's solution will include begging Eddie to go to Ottawa to be our champion there: to get us money for the border, to get us what St. Thomas and Oakville got for the auto industry. I guess all of us will just have to wait.

The Premier clearly has to endorse Schwartz and offer up some goodies because Sandra and Dwight have to get re-elected. Can't have all of those other auto cities getting the money and not the town of two powerful Cabinet Ministers! And there has to be a carrot of jobs for infrastructure work to start soon. We have lost too many already. I bet Dwight can take credit for that $500 million Gong show promise that he was forced to disown. Wow it's 2010 already!

Then Windsor's own PM Paul Martin and Eddie can negotiate the terms of the deal for Eddie to run federally "mano a mano." I hope that Eddie is a very good negotiator on these kinds of things.

I told you that The Real Plan! The Real Plan! has started http://windsorcityon.blogspot.com/2005/09/part-ii-ambassador-bridge-is-falling.html

Joe, you better get out there campaigning already. The election will be in March, 30 days after the Gomery Report comes out. Or is there a Senate vacancy in Ontario?

UPDATE: Windsor's own, PM Paul Martin is coming to town tomorrow too for a fundraiser I was told. I guess the Three Amigos will be getting together if they are all around for a meeting about something important. (Don't worry, Gord's source will leak all the details so we can read about it in his Saturday column)

Bartown or Ghost Town...OR A New Urban Village?

I like Mark Boscariol. He has a tough job as DBIA President and a tougher one as a person who has invested his money in our City Centre. We have spent time exchanging emails and having a coffee (at his restaurant) talking about downtown. We don't always agree, and that's the fun of exchanging ideas, but we both want a better Windsor.

Isn't that the choice that he and his DBIA members are facing? Give him credit for thinking about downtown Windsor and trying to do something about it.

• "A section of Pelissier Street risks becoming a "dead zone" if the city shuts down the retail section of a municipal parking garage, the head of the downtown business association warned Tuesday.
  
  Mark Boscariol said foot traffic along the 400-block of Pelissier Street will disappear if the ground floor commercial space reverts to parking."

Why would the City want to chase away retailers from the area: "[Gereige] pays the city about $2,000 a month for rent --more than what he paid Mady last year. Gereige believes the city upped the rent to scare away tenants."

If Mark and his members will understand that the downtown is being deliberately shifted eastward to the new Casino complex, then what is being done will be understandable. Why else would the City of Windsor's official plan be changed to confine "kiddie bars" to the downtown core. What retailer would want to open a new store or keep open an existing store in Bartown? If there are no retailers, who cares about pedestrians?

As the Mayor said in a Star story "Downtown is a place where you can live, work and play." What is conspicuously absent from the Mayor's listing is the word "shop!" There is no desire to have a retail element in what was once a thriving downtown when I moved to Windsor.

Good luck in getting "public debate on the issue so that businesses can make their case to council." Debate as much as you want Downtown BIA. The decision to help the Casino and to move the downtown was made a long time ago. We just did not know it, until now.

UPDATE: And Mark, you have bigger problems now since it looks like the University could not make a deal to go to a downtown campus. Who is going to fill up all of that empty space now?

I liked your concept about Kalamazoo in the Star today. (I would prefer it be more like Ann Arbor to be honest!)

Hey I have a real good idea. How about you and I going to meet Beztak and Chuck Mady and trying to convince them to build an urban village in the Windsor West area along the lines you have suggested with a new University/College campus as the focus. I have some ideas about other partners as well who I think would be interested. Perhaps Caroline and Ron, the Councillors in Ward 2, would like to help too.

A Tale of Two Cities

Chatham, Ontario

A new call centre is opening in Chatham, bringing some 300 jobs to the city. Minacs Worldwide says it will open a 33-hundred-square-metre facility early next year.

Windsor, Ontario

Windsorites are fearful of a bleak economic future as the effect of having 1,100 fewer Ford jobs trickles through the local economy.

We in Windsor really shouldn't worry so much. After all, didn't we have recently the major announcement of the Keg opening up a new restaurant downtown! All those high paying jobs to help revitalize the community. <sarcasm intended>

Heck, things are so good here that we can chase a developer out of town who wanted to help build us an arena and an urban village in that part of the city that needs major improvement, the West End.

I just read in the Star the other day that the Mayor said that a new economic development report will be released shortly which "paints a 'bleak picture' for the future of Windsor and Essex County if the region does not diversify its economy."

Really! Did we need another report to tell us the obvious. But then again, economic development does not appear to be high on the list of "things to do" by this Administration. To give one example, Dennis Perlin of Enterprise Windsor just announced he is leaving town. I would have thought that his replacement should have been announced right away. I didn't hear of anyone.

Check out the Mayor's Report Card to see how little has really been accomplished in this area http://www.citywindsor.ca/DisplayAttach.asp?AttachID=1439

Back in those pre-election days, the Mayor promised as part of his platform:

• "Many cities across North America have identified and are seeking to develop their cities as technological growth areas. Windsor cannot be left behind.
  
  We need to plan how we are going to capture this business in a highly co-ordinated fashion.
  
  I will set up a task force to develop a strategy for helping us gain the huge potential of the knowledge industry."

I think it is about time for that Task Force to be set up! I think it is about time we start doing something before it is too late.

Oh, and by the way, I just learned yesterday about a company that is very interested in opening a Call Centre in Windsor. It's about 40-60 new jobs. I think I'll give Dennis Perlin a call before he goes to let him know about the opportunity. Hmmmm I wonder whom he should call at City Hall to have this followed up? Perhaps that person might also want to talk to me about my idea for wireless broadband for the entire City building upon Enwin's fibre infrastructure. That might help out the Mayor's Task Force if it is ever set up.

The Guest Column The Windsor Star Refused To Print

I wrote the following note some time ago, or a version of it, several times and asked the Star to publish it as a "Guest Column." Unfortunately, I have not had any success. I still believe that its message is current.

The Star has just undertaken a series of steps---front page news story, Henderson column, editorial cartoon, Editorial--attacking the "secrecy" of the Bridge Company over the state of the bridge structure. It is now clear that the attack articles were really designed to try persuade people that a "publicly" owned crossing is the way to go.

The Star's actions may bolster as well the failed Plan of Mayor Eddie Francis, the billion dollar short-term dream when there is no short-term problem. Eddie needs Federal statute Bill C-44 passed if he is ever to accomplish whatever he wants to do on the border.

I believe that my solution makes better sense than what the Star advocates. Look how poorly the City has handled the Tunnel: the declining volumes and increased costs. Why is the Star so interested in having a multi-hundred million dollar lawsuit between the Government and the Bridge Co?

My solution is a good middle position that accomplishes what I believe everyone can live with!

GUEST COLUMN

I never thought the Cleary performance where the City snubbed the two Senior Levels could be topped. But I was wrong. Provincial Liberal Ministers Duncan and Caplan announced out of the blue that the Province had committed $500 million of new money to Windsor for the border (although they were unable to provide specifics on the spending and it was not even available until 2010). The next day, they had to apologize for revealing it! The "Gong Show" as Gord Henderson called it.

What a dismal outlook, with no political leadership at any level in sight. Thank goodness for "private enterprise."

Thank goodness for the Ambassador Bridge Company!

There I said it. Like them or not, one has to respect that, while the politicians flail away, the Bridge Company moves forward with their vision of a reasonable and practical solution for the border. I am saying publicly what most in Windsor already know but which, for some reason, people are afraid or choose not to give Matty Moroun, the company's owner, the credit he deserves.

Forget the public/private arguments and the charges of monopolistic power which the Bi-national Partnership demonstrated are untrue. If you look at the numbers post 9/11including those at "public" crossings, the Bridge Company is slowly but surely building back its traffic over time. It must be doing something right.

Sure it is doing this to make money. What a crime that appears to be to some! But they have to stay in business also and be competitive so they have learned not to waste money either. Can we say the same for our politicians?

The Bridge Company solved our immediate border problem without spending $150 million of taxpayer money as DRTP wanted and without destroying the heart of Windsor. It fought the US Government for over a year to get the four new US Customs booths opened and staffed fully so that truck backups on Huron Church Road have virtually been eliminated. Ask our Deputy Chief of Police. His big problem on Huron Church is speeders today, not traffic jams.

Now its newest announcement surprises the City. The Bi-national engineers admitted that their truck traffic projections were wrong such that their projections are off by 10 years. The Bridge Company’s new short/medium term solution for the border addresses that issue and even raises the question whether we need another crossing. Simply put, if 4 new customs booths work to end backups so well, then dramatically increasing the total number to 200 ought to work even better! It ought to keep trucks from being backed up on Huron Church Road and cars from blocking Goyeau and Wyandotte. Our redundancy is provided by a similar project in Sarnia. It minimizes social and environmental concerns on both sides of the border while the Bridge Company finances the project at their expense, not taxpayers.

Our Mayor, who is on the Tunnel Commission, reacted by merely talking about protecting the Tunnel’s competitive position in the cross-border market-place. Never mind that what the Bridge Company proposed would help the Mayor salvage the Schwartz Plan, which the Senior levels are ignoring, and help boost our economic development. The Mayor seems more concerned with Tunnel and Duty-Free Shop Revenues than the well-being of Windsor.

Let’s get real. We cannot rely on our politicians. They have proven to be failures at all levels. It has been how long since Gridlock Sam has issued his Report. Where is the promised action?

Where is the Agreement amongst the three levels of Government on our side to move forward aggressively considering that the US Ambassador to Canada said that he wanted a crossing now and the US might even pay for 50% of its cost!

Aren’t we all tired of hearing the Federal lackeys come to town telling us how important our border crossing is for the future of North America and then do absolutely nothing. They hide behind the multi-year Bi-National process and set aside not one penny for the border in the Federal Budget. The Premier wants a new bridge built now but who is the proponent for the lengthy Bi-National environmental process: the Ontario Government. He offers only a fraction of the money needed to build the "horseshoe" road knowing the Feds won’t pay the balance and the City cannot. And then there is the $500 million Gong Show money.

Windsorites have to ensure that our politicians do not mess things up. What we must insist upon is that the City meet the Bridge Company to form a strategic alliance that is in the interest of all of the parties, whether in Windsor or the rest of Ontario and Canada. We need a real short/medium term solution, not a billion dollar pipedream, that leads to the best crossing, if one is actually needed, and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers.

The City needs a strong partner with money, clout and strong US connections, who knows how to run a border crossing and who is an employer and taxpayer of the City. And whom the Senior Levels fear.

Mayor Francis is a clever young man. It should not be hard for him and Council to work with the Bridge Company to negotiate a satisfactory arrangement that makes sense for taxpayers financially, environmentally and socially. The Bridge Company has said again that its solution can fit in exactly with the City’s preferred Schwartz corridor. Then Windsor and the Bridge Company can let the Senior Levels know that it is Windsorites that are calling the shots so that we may get finality at last!