Eddie Telephones Our Windsor-Born PM For a Chat

• Francis lobbies PM over border
  
  
  Prime Minister Paul Martin is committed to finding a solution to the city's border traffic problems that both the federal government and Windsor "can live with," Mayor Eddie Francis said Wednesday.

The Feds (and the Province after they said that they too are "respecting" the Bi-national Process) are clearly not as stupid as is Windsor to even consider spending a billion dollars on Eddie's short-term border dream. I wonder how Eddie got any sympathy when he had to admit that what Minister Peterson said was true when he confirmed that there were no truck back-up problems now on Huron Churcg Road. (Hmmm I wonder if Eddie and the PM discussed the "peer review" of Schwartz which Eddie refused to participate in). If Councillors can grasp this seemingly difficult concept at there next in camera border strategic session, perhaps they might get somewhere.

Secondly, Windsorites will not at a "sham" public session give the Mayor and Council a blank cheque to do whatever they want on the border. It was tried with Agenda Item #5 but obviously, someone could not stand the heat of 16 Windsorites being critical at a public session and it was "deferred." What a mockery of open and transparent government that was!

Thirdly, Councillors might ask Eddie at the in camera strategic session what his real PLAN is before they get totally surprised when it is sprung on them. And they know they will be surprised otherwise given past cases. Obviously, the Tunnel is part of it (and the Mady parking garage has to be as well since it provides the parking spaces for Customs).

Oh and Councillors should not get dazzled by the big dollars that Windsor will supposedly get that will solve our every problem for years to come when they finally hear about Eddie's PLAN at the in camera session just minutes before the "sham" public meeting. I have a bet who will be asked to move and second the "Friendly Resolution" too and those Councillors will jump to carry out their assigned tasks .

Finally, in the end, the choice is between DRTP and the Bridge Co. (I know that some are dreaming about a "public authority" controlling the border, perhaps even with a City controlled crossing but the City cannot afford the litigation costs nor the damages claim. And the Tunnel is NOT the money-maker that some might think either to generate big bucks on some half-baked financing scheme.) Like it or not--like the company or not--any real analysis of the border should demonstrate what I have said so many times before: the Bridge Co. has already won.

By the way, I take great offence at the comment by Councillor Lewenza that there is no other alternative other than hiring David Estrin and his band of experts. The only real alternative that makes any sense is for the City to partner with the Bridge Co. to solve the border fiasco. Council should insist that Eddie and the Councillors in Wards 1 and 2, the impacted Wards, meet with the Bridge Co. forthwith!

PS I bet that the City did not mention anything about a horrible border situation in the nice glossy magazine sent around to 200,000 people with the Globe and Mail! On the one hand we try to encourage investment here and on the other we have the Mayor saying we have a major problem that requires a billion dollar short-term fix. Nice way to undercut our true story and chase away investors. I wonder if there was a story about how we deal with outside developers like Beztak too!