Under the B---Disaster

Do you get the feeling that there is no sense of urgency about anything at City Hall. Everything seems to take so long and even then there is no action.

The latest Schwartz presentation was last minute it seems since the only place that could be found to hold the meeting was outside of Windsor in Tecumseh. Then there was a 2 year study on the taxi industry that the Mayor talked about during the taxi strike and a Report that was to be examined by Administration for 6-8 weeks. Has that been released yet?

Then there is bingo.

I only played BINGO as a kid. I have never even been inside a BINGO hall in Windsor or elsewhere. I really do not understand the industry or how it is such a big business in Windsor or why but it is.

On December 6, 2005, Bingo Country closed Bingo Country on Northway Avenue that employs 24 people and generates more than $1.5 million for local charities.

On December 7, the Mayor was quoted in the Star saying:

• "This is a multimillion-dollar industry that supports tourism, that supports charities, that supports local and provincial economies," Mayor Eddie Francis said.
  
  "When the industry comes knocking at your door" and says it's on the brink of collapse, "then you need to move if you believe this industry needs to continue."
  
  

In early January, according to the Star, "Options to stop the financial bleeding for charities and operators were discussed Wednesday by a group of five city councillors during a closed-door meeting with consultants reviewing the bingo business.

On Monday, over 3 months after the Mayor's comments, a Report came before Council dealing with this matter. It does impact not only the industry but also about 600 charities, $18 million in revenues and about $2 million in City licensing fees. Wasn't it tabled for more comments?

Then today's Star told us about the Report that says we may have devastation in our economy: "Strategic Advisory Group concluded that the traditional economy of the region is facing a crisis." And this Report was started in November, 2004. Almost 15 months in the making when we have a crisis that has been proven true by the auto plant problems! Why couldn't someone have "hurried up" the Report? Read the Star story for yourself and the Report is on the City website.

No wonder the Chamber wrote the press release it did the other week. "The Chamber calls for a recast organization that understands and knows the needs of the business community. The new Economic Development organization should have a business-led Board of Directors from the region that would be capable of making binding decisions for this organization." [March 14, 2006 BLOG"But We Have The Keg"]

Nothing to me shows the state of denial that City Hall is in than 2 headlines in today's Star:

Crisis looms in economy, report says Global competition hurts local business

Tunnel 'can be done:' Francis Mayor urges binational agency to drop freeway options for border.

Let's litigate rather than fix our roads to the border. Let's start a lawsuit and hide behind "solicitor-client" privilege rather than use up the $300 million BIF funding for infrastructure improvement and jobs. We all know we are not getting a complete tunnel from the end of Highway 401 to the border. Why not arrive at a compromise with the Senior Levels now that will work for everyone and will allow us to get through the EA process quickly and get the road built sooner rather than later.

Nothing will ever be enough for Eddie. Even though DRIC has said they will look at the tunnel option, he demands that they drop every other option. He knows that will not be done so he can keep on manufacturing crises.

Oh well, we know the really huge crisis that has to be dealt with first that is even more important than economic devastation: getting this Mayor and Council re-elected! That's the priority.