This and That

Lots of little things to talk about in the media today

Mayor: Make crossing an engineering marvel

"Mayor Eddie Francis said a new border crossing could instead be a design and engineering feat of global impact used to draw tourists and improve the local quality of life. Do we not deserve a better quality of life?"

I guess Schwartz is gone now officially. From the short-term billion dollar dream to quality of life arguments, that is the best that Windsor can show for the millions spent on legal and consulting fees.

At least the "Signature "Bridge" idea can be dredged up.

There is one big problem with all of this: Eddie needs to deal with the road to the border and get that $300M spent already. But that takes making a decision, something he does not like to do unless "Council" is there to take the blame if something goes wrong.

John Conyers Jr. Tunnel.

"The Detroit City Council passed a resolution in an 8-0 vote Wednesday, urging the renaming of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel in honor of the 77-year-old congressman."

Apparently, the calls to Eddie's office by the Detroit News were not returned. Either they were placed when Eddie was given his rah-rah-rah speech at the 11th annual mayor's luncheon or Eddie was home packing for his trip to Mackinac Island for the Mackinac Policy Conference General Session. As part of the BIG FIVE, he will be speaking on "Leading the Region Forward."

I am sure that Eddie did not want to reveal all in Windsor by telling his constituents and voters how he will fix the road to the Brorder but I am almost certain he will tell the BIG SHOTS in the US how he will do it so that traffic can still come to our area! How else will we move the region forward, right?

OR, will he talk to them about "quality of life" too?

I expect that Eddie will be hard-pressed NOT to support what Detroit Council has said. Is there not a movement to name a Bridge after Eddie Francis on this side? You know, that multi-million dollar overpass on Huron Church Road that the school kids do not use except to have a smoke!

Cleary

Boy , were the radio and TV media types played like fools yesterday. Did you hear St. Clair President Strasser on CKLW---things re the Cleary were worse today than last Friday he said. On TV, they were still talking and the Mayor was not going to do anything just to do a deal.

Well in today's Star we saw "nothing should stand in the way of St. Clair College's takeover of the city-owned Cleary International Centre, both Mayor Eddie Francis and college president John Strasser said Wednesday."

So which story is true? The Councillors have something in their package from City Hall also. Perhaps the media can ask them what they have been told so we poor taxpayers can know the truth.

Very, Very "Good news is coming"

If you are as old as I am...what song lyrics comes to mind when you see that phrase? Well they did to me anyway:

Shrimp boats is a-comin'
Their sails are in sight
Shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight
Why don't 'cha hurry hurry hurry home
Why don't 'cha hurry hurry hurry home
Look here! The shrimp boats is a-comin'
There's dancin' tonight

You have to admit it fits perfectly.

Never mind that the Mayor should have been doing taking action a year ago rather than days before the smoking ban came into effect, there are talks going on to see if money can be spent in Windsor to salvage our tourist industry. [NOTE: I just hope the Ontario Government does not ask why we do not use some of our huge slush fund for the arean to do so. Don't we also have a $15 million Rate Stabilization fund for extraordinary events that was used, as an example, to pay some Estrin legal bills that were not in the budget?]

"The mayor told reporters he was "very, very happy" about how discussions have gone so far and that he expects to meet with Tourism Minister Jim Bradley "very, very soon."

I am sure that everyone in Windsor will be so very, very happy if the Mayor can pull this off so very, very quickly even though he started so very, very late on a matter so very, very important. Otherwise so many, many businesses may have to shut down making downtown Windsor very, very empty.

I am so happy that the Mayor and and city officials are "well-engaged" with provincial bureaucrats and the Ontario tourism minister. Now if only they could get "married" and consummate a deal, then I am sure we would be very, very satisfied!

LaSalle arena: The case for taxpayers

Wow, pretty strong language for the Star Editorial today

"The town of LaSalle has pulled what amounts to a bait and switch on unsuspecting taxpayers. The town grossly underestimated -- or misrepresented -- the actual costs of a new recreation complex, which are now pegged to be 44 per cent above initially announced projections...

The town knew, or ought to have known, about these expenditures -- down to the dollar -- when it embarked on the project. If administrators and councillors didn't know these costs were coming, they are irresponsible planners. If they did know they were looming but persisted in perpetrating the myth of a $20-million complex, then they can charitably be described as poor communicators."

I remembered the Star story in April with the headline "City's goal: $55M arena: Councillors rule out retrofit of Old Barn."

In the story it said "In an unusual show of solidarity, city council voted unanimously to forge ahead with plans for a $55-million, four-pad arena, featuring a 7,200-seat rink somewhere in the east side of the city."

The other day the Star reported "Last month city council voted to further study building a 6,500-seat arena on the city's east side, with three additional community pads that would replace the older arenas in the area and a community centre to replace the Edward Street centre...That concept comes at a price tag of about $55 million."

In the second last paragraph in the first story, we learned "The $55-million pricetag includes basic "fit-up costs," such as a basic scoreboard versus a Jumbotron. The construction cost also does not include land costs, architectural and project management costs or cost overruns, which could be as high as 10 per cent."

In the second story in the last sentence we read "An arena on the east end would likely require the city to purchase the land."

See, our Windsor Council is so much better....We have "true, full and plain disclosure" That is provided you read to the end of the Star stories!