Don't We Ever Learn? Senior Levels Snubbed Again

More on the budget from Windsor's own Dwight Duncan: "We're supporting the 2007 Toronto International Arts Festival... And we're providing a further $49 million to support capital projects at the Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, National Ballet School, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, Royal Conservatory of Music and Canadian Opera Company."

How much for Windsor's Science Centre?

I then found this very interesting news article from New Brunswick.

Infrastructure jobs to help an ailing economy, stadium and roads....How lucky they are in that region that the local mayors did not snub the Senior Levels. We in Windsor have to pay for everything while others get help.

Expect another Henderson "fuming" column as he did re the gifts to Toronto.


NB Telegraph-Journal. March 25, 2006

• $400M highway deal inked
  Funding also announced for Saint John Harbour cleanup, Moncton stadium
  
  By Shannon Hagerman
  Telegraph-Journal
  
  FREDERICTON - Five of New Brunswick's busiest and most treacherous highways will be upgraded over the next decade as part of a $400-million deal signed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Bernard Lord.
  
  During a whirlwind blitz of the province's three major cities Friday, the two Conservative leaders also announced millions for a new stadium in Moncton and pledged to begin cleaning up Saint John's sewage-clogged harbour.
  
  The smiling duo brushed aside criticism the deals were timed to bolster Mr. Lord's fragile minority government.
  
  "I will not apologize for bringing the prime minister to New Brunswick to deliver major announcements for the people of New Brunswick," Mr. Lord said. "I am not planning to call an election until 2007, so I am not going to stop work because there's speculation that maybe there could be an election."
  
  The two levels of government will each contribute $200 million toward long-awaited upgrades for Routes 1, 7, 8, 11 and 17 over the next 10 years.
  
  "This is an investment that will help secure a brighter more prosperous future for all New Brunswickers," Mr. Harper said in Fredericton.
  
  Construction on some of five highways could begin as early as 2007...
  
  The size of the funding deal came as a surprise for many.
  
  "Honestly, this is more than I was expecting," said an almost gleeful Transportation Minister Paul Robichaud...
  
  The $400-million announcement earned applause and whistles from a crowd of onlookers
  
  Construction industry officials said the announcement means momentum from the Trans-Canada Highway twinning won't be lost when the multimillion-dollar project finishes in the fall of 2007.
  
  "It obviously helps our industry, but this also means there will be safer highways in New Brunswick for residents and visitors and that's great news for everybody," said Con Kingston, president of the New Brunswick Road Builders Association...
  
  Mr. Harper began his three-city tour in Mr. Lord's hometown when he bolstered Moncton's bid to host the World Junior Track and Field Championships in 2008.
  
  The federal government has committed $6 million to the $13-million project, but only if the bid is accepted next week by the junior track federation in Osaka, Japan.
  
  The province is contributing $5 million toward the project.
  
  Mr. Harper said amateur athletes display hard work and fair play in communities across Canada.
  
  "The Premier and I believe that Moncton would be the ideal community to showcase these laudable Canadian values to the world," he said.
  
  The city has already budgeted the remaining $2 million needed for the stadium.
  
  The bid, up against Bydgoszcz, Poland - which hosted the same event in 1999 - has always been contingent upon having a stadium built in time, since there are no similar facilities in Moncton already."

Does anyone think that Eddie might learn from that? Naaaaaw, he can practise his cross-examination techniques on delegations instead. Here is what happened at the announcement about the extra $8.856 million for roads at a "budget breakfast" meeting with more than 100 area officials and invited guests at the Fogolar Furlan

• "The announcement on who gets what locally was such a surprise that nobody from city council or Windsor's public works department had thought to attend the breakfast gathering...
  
  Pupatello said her office had sent an invitation to the city for Friday's announcement.
  
  Mayor Eddie Francis wasn't aware of the coming grant but said he had a friend's funeral to attend that morning.
  
  "I don't want us to be perceived as ungrateful," said Coun. Fulvio Valentinis, who chairs council's capital committee, adding he was available and would have attended but wasn't informed of the meeting."
  
  

Where is the Mayor's Chief of Staff to handle matters such as this? Probably too busy rounding up the bills to pay for Windsor Council's "Tecumseh" meeting.