Economic N0-Development Commission

Some of you may be very upset with the Star story today about the search for the new Executive Director of the Economic Development Commission. Don't be. How can we hire someone who would never be able to deliver a sales pitch to set up a new business here since, over the last three years, this City has become the laughing stock of Canada!

After all, this whole process started a couple of years ago, has moved so slowly since then, and only resulted in a huge Board of Directors being appointed (and a few political favours handed out...sort of like our own municipal Senate).

Don't be too anxious. After all, the process "has begun with the placement of ads in a national newspaper and on two websites dedicated to economic development." Gee, I did not know that the Pennysaver was national now! Which ones are they or do we have to guess?

Now I know you might think that the matter might be viewed a bit more urgently with our unemployment rate being the second worst in the Province. After all "John Skorobohacz, chief administrative officer for the City of Windsor and a member of the new board, said "the process has begun and while there is no firm deadline, we would expect to see some applications over the next several weeks."

I should tell you that I suggested someone for such a job several years ago, a fellow I had met. He was actually interviewed here and did some consulting for Windsor since he set up an economic development group in his City that has successfully created jobs in a City even worse off than Windsor. Naturally, no decisions were made about him and he gave up hoping for something here.

What more should you expect from a City who has threatened a lawsuit that would close down the construction of a road to the border thereby losing thouands of infrastrucutre jobs and jeopardizing the economy of South West Ontario (Was that on the agenda for the Mayor's Southwest Economic Initiative Gains Momentum meeting where "Representatives from across Southwestern Ontario met here recently, working to support the economic interests of this region.")

What can you expect from an Economic Development Commission that says

• "Because of the nature of the region’s strategy, traditional performance measures such as the number of new plants attracted, or the number of jobs retained, albeit significant, should not be the primary indicators of success. These could actually be counterproductive by driving the wrong behaviour."

Tell that nonsense to the thousands of autoworkers and employees of parts suppliers who have lost or are about to lose their jobs! Take a look at my March 14 BLOG and the Chamber of Commerce Press Release "URGENT NEED FOR REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT" [March 14, 2006 BLOG "But We Have The Keg"] and what I wrote subsequently:

• "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."

Never fear though, all is not lost. As Chris Vander Doelen wrote in the Windsor Star

• "The new parts plants being built in Windsor to supply the next-generation Chrysler minivan have been going up quietly, with the suppliers trying hard to keep a low profile.
  
  Suffice it to say, there are no "Coming Soon!" signs out front.
  
  The operators of the parts plants probably don't want to be inundated with job applications, with Windsor's high unemployment rate."

Gosh, isn't that what the Mayor has been saying for how long---new plants are opening but I cannot tell you anything because of confidentiality!