Circling The Wagons

There is full-fledged panic attack taking place at E-Machine HeadQuarters. They are circling the wagons. They have to stop Bill Marra from running for Mayor at all costs. They know that Eddie cannot win once people start looking at his non-record of achievement. The Labour Council attacked Eddie's biggest myth, fiscal responsibility, and the E-Machine did not like it. The counter-attack is on!

One vicious, last ditch effort is being made to discourage Marra and to lead him to the "Promised land," a Ward 4 Council seat. [I hope that Bill is smart enough not to fall for that one. If Eddie is "acclaimed" then Marra will be attacked even more viciously to keep him off of Council entirely. Eddie does not need a competitor!] At the same time a warning is being delivered to any foolhardy soul who dares say a bad word about His Worship!

Imagine, another Henderson column taking a shot at the Labour Council and a Star Editorial as well. Unbelievable! I do not get it though. I thought that Gord suggested that no one listened to the Labour Council any more so why all the print being wasted on something so unimportant.

Shock and Awe tactics just to make sure challengers and critics get the message before the election campaign begins: Don't mess with the Mayor!

Not only that, can you imagine the arm-twisting required to get Councillor Ken Junior, son of the CAW 444 President, to lead the charge against Labour. "Ken Lewenza Jr. believes the labour council is in dire need of new blood and fresh, visionary thinking... "I read it in horror. It showed a lack of class," fumed Lewenza."

It makes my head swim. Eddie through Ken Jr. just told Labour to BUZZ off. [Ed Sleiman and John Fairley, if he runs, better start preparing a victory speech for Ward 4 Council seat. One of them will need it after Ken just committed political suicide!] Now you know the Schwartz border plan is dead since the CAW was a big booster of it. Eddie does not need Labour any more for anything.

As I said before, this has nothing whatsoever to do with the Labour Council. It has everything to do with:

1. Re-elect Eddie for Mayor by discouraging Marra from running
2. Get Marra to run in Ward 4 and then make sure that he (and Cassivi?) don't win
3. Labour endorsement is no big deal since Eddie is not going to get it anyway
4. Preserve the myth of "fiscal responsibility"

Don't you find it hilarious. Another Henderson attack on Marra too. Bill must be splitting his sides with laughter knowing that he is generating such fear at E-Machine HQ merely by saying he is running. Here is what Gord wrote this time:

• "Lewenza has come out swinging and with good reason. If former Ward 4 councillor and failed mayoral candidate Bill Marra chooses in the next few days to try to reclaim his old seat, that will be the most hotly contested race in November.
  
  The last thing Lewenza needs at a time like this is a labour council playing into Marra's hands with cheap shots at the current council team."

Gord is really talking about the Mayor's race. REPLACE THE WORD "LEWENZA" WITH "EDDIE" IN THE QUOTE ABOVE AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN.

Now Ken Jr. is not dumb. Why would he be doing this? Well he did suck up to the Mayor on the Urban Village at Council praising him to the point that Eddie had to shut down his microphone. I am sure that Ken knows that it is July and assumes that he can do a "mea culpa" when he needs Labour bodies for his campaign and they will forgive him. Or perhaps he is foolish enough to think that he is an Eddie Francis who needs no one at all to win or that Eddie's coattails will help him win!

I enjoyed the patronizing Editorial by the Star giving Labour an education in Municipal Finance 101. If the Star was doing its job frankly, we would have known by now what "are major issues pending involving the Windsor-Detroit tunnel and Enwin that will consume a significant amount of taxpayer resources." Do you know who was the Councillor who revealed that there was a problem but would not tell us what it was. Why none other than Councillor Budget of Ward 1, the same one that the Star praises so highly!

What financial surprises is the Star not reporting? And why not? I guess they do not want to win any more newspaper awards for investigative journalism.

Have you seen the Star take action after Councillors received a huge salary increase by attending meetings trying to fix Enwin's problems? What will the real cost of the Tunnel Ventilation Building be? What deal is being proposed re leasing and operating the Tunnel? What is the true financial position of the Tunnel after years of low tolls. Even Gord was "damn anxious to know what misery is coming at Enwin and the tunnel."

So why aren't our fiscally responsible Councillors telling us? And where is the Star demanding answers from their favourite, fiscally responsible Mayor and Councillors? Where is the Star demanding open and transparent government?

Are our municipal politicians hiding bad news before an election perhaps? After all, wasn't it the same Councillor Lewenza who told us the truth about this year's "fiscally responsible" election budget:

• "But Lewenza said there's very little wiggle room in the budget and taxpayers should not expect to see the frugality of the last two budgets repeated next year. "This is probably the last go- around," he said, adding that there will be either higher tax hikes next year or a reduction in services."

If I were Bill Marra, I'd just sit back and enjoy the summer. I'd make the odd comment here and there, be seen around town a bit and give an interview or two. It will drive the E-machine crazy.