Marra And The Tunnel

Who is going to wear the crown of Mr. Tunnel in Windsor now that Al Teshuba was not elected? We do need someone to pick up the tunnel rhetoric after all.

There certainly seems to be a competition going on between the Mayor and the Mayor To-Be over it. Bill Marra actually was the one who started the tunnel talk during his mayoral campaign against Eddie the first time around, a very brief mention mind you. Then when Eddie's Schwartz Plan disappeared in a sinkhole in the West end, out came the Mayor with Tunnel, Tunnel, Tunnel as his scare-mongering platform for re-election.

In a move of Tunnel oneupsmanship, Marra signalled his intent to introduce a Motion "for a council resolution informing the Detroit River International Crossing study group that "they must have a tunnelled solution for Windsor border traffic."

OOOOO, I can just see the DRIC forces shaking in their boots as delegation after delegation, with leader Al in charge, speak at the Council meeting in favour of a Tunnel. (I bet no one discusses the real concern: Essex County and Michigan cows but that is another BLOG! And if you think I am kidding, see Sunday's Detroit News). The poor Councillors who will have to vote in favour of this absurdity will not thank Bill for putting them on the spot. Of course, none will have the nerve to vote NO!

Now why would the Mayor allow Bill to take the lead respecting Tunnels. It's his issue isn't it? The answer is simple: Eddie knows, as do all of us, that there is no hope of a multi-billion dollar tunnel ever being built here. It got him re-elected so it served its purpose.

But Eddie had a major problem after the election. Eddie had to create a strategy to get people to forget about him and tunnels. He knew he could not deliver. Thank goodness for Eddie that Bill did the work for him! Bill has chosen on his own to come forward to be the scape-goat when the Tunnel issue falls flat on its face.

How many rabbits' feet did Eddie have to rub to get that accomplished? Talk about good luck!

Let Marra take the lead and be made the loser on the issue as he is ignored and proven ineffective. The consequences of this:

1. That will allow Eddie's real choice for Mayor when he goes to Queen's Park to be appointed by Council. (You did not think there would be a by-election did you).
2. That will allow Bill's colleagues the excuse not to vote for him
3. That will allow Bill to be smeared subsequently as a closet DRTP-supporter after Hurst jumps on the tunnel bandwagon.
4. That will allow Henderson to blame Marra and his Liberal friends for undermining Windsor and Eddie's great scheme so that Eddie can go to Queen's Park to save us.
5. That will allow for all of the Hurst-Lite venom that was going to used against Marra, during the mayoral campaign that never was, to be employed against Bill to destroy his mayoral ambitions.

And as for Eddie, why he has another Plan that he will spring on us before the provincial election as Marra's concept sinks into the afternoon sun with him being discredited completely.

Of course, you know that the Senior Levels have just about had enough of this. They are going to have some fun too.

I would not be surprised if you see a trial ballon demanding that the City put up one-third of the cost of a tunnel if we want it so much. Windsor will have to find up to a billion dollars for the City-desired tunnel. Then after the noise about that dies down, the coup de grace: an announcement that the $300 million BIF money is being withdrawn after so many years since Windsor has no solution for the border road. If the pollsters are now saying there will not be a Federal election in the spring, then watch out. The Conservatives can pull the funding, blame Windsor and then, when the election is announced, can use money to help get their candidates elected in Windsor.

Eddie will have been elected by then and will be in John Tory's Cabinet as Attorney General. Frankly, by that time, he could no longer give a damn!