Deep Throat's Highway Robbery

I had not heard from him for a long time. And then I got the summons.

It was slightly after 2 PM in one of the better establishments on Erie Street. He was there, alone, sitting in the corner with a bottle of wine and some appetizers in front of him and the smell of sweet pipe tobacco was all around his spot. The table seemed out of the way, yet he had a commanding view of who entered and who left the restaurant.

• "You cannot smoke in here," I cried out. "Windsor's smoke police might come in and ticket you!"

With a look that only could come from Deep Throat, he glanced up at me, smiling that smile and said "I don't think they will bother me." And I knew they would not dare.

We exchanged a few pleasantries. He asked about my knee and hands and wondered if I had sued the City yet. I couldn't meet him earlier because of physio. "You really are going to subpoena him aren't you?" he chuckled, remembering my BLOG "and ask for punitive damages after all of those damaging Administration Reports on sidewalk concerns. They are making it so easy for you aren't they!"

We talked about the arena, the City's reserves, the continued secrecy, the reduced agenda size of Council meetings and what that meant for open and transparent Government in Windsor. Then, as if he could read my mind, he came to the point of the rendezvous:

• "The Mayor doesn't want you to know about the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel deal does he. Now you understand why your Municipal Freedom of Information application has gone nowhere fast. $100,000 for records....that might be an entry for the Guinness Book of World Records! He could not afford to let you find out what he wanted to do. You were pretty close though to guessing it anyway."

I was shocked. It was just about the only time I had ever been praised by this key insider. If there was someone who knew everything about everything in all the Governments involved about the border issue, it was this person. I still did not know his real identity or for whom he worked. He just said it was "his job" to find things out when we first met and that he would "share" information with me at the appropriate times of his choosing.

Naturally, I had a ton of questions to ask. I started first about the $300M BIF money. It was about to run out. Windsor contractors, their employees and Windsor's economy would suffer with this five years of inaction. I remembered the press release:

• For Immediate Release
  September 25, 2002
  News Release
  
  $300 Million Canada-Ontario Investment at the Windsor Gateway
  
  WINDSOR – Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Ontario Premier Ernie Eves signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today, and committed $300 million over the next 5 years as part of a joint investment to upgrade existing infrastructure on the Ontario approaches to the Windsor-Detroit border crossings.

The praise gave me some courage so, being bold, I blurted out

• "I suspected the $300M was gone a long time ago. The bureaucrats like to trot it out but I have always thought that it was going to be used for a different purpose for quite some time and not for the road to the Ambassador Bridge. I know it was supposed to be used to fix up an existing crossing but other than the multi-million dollar overpass, for what has it really been used in Windsor?
  
  I must admit though that I have still not really figured out whether that BIF money was rolled into the $400M the Feds said was coming to Windsor in their Budget. I read after the Budget that the money "is earmarked to support construction of the controversial Huron Church Road-Talbot Road superhighway, federal transportation and finance authorities confirmed on Tuesday."

My restaurant companion looked at me quizzically since I had not been this forward before

• "Oh don't be silly" my friend chortled. "The federal money has been set aside, not committed to anything. Just like with the Toronto subway money. It will only be dished out when it was politically expedient to do so and for whatever project makes sense at the time. Come on, there could be a Federal election soon"

I was on a roll.....His look was not going to stop me

• "Hold on. I remember reading when BIF monies were set up that "The Prime Minister and Ontario Premier Ernie Eves will announce on Wednesday that their governments are going to spend $300 million to try and relieve traffic congestion at Canada's busiest border crossing...Insiders say the aim is to relieve traffic congestion at the Ambassador Bridge on the Windsor-Detroit border."
  
  I even remember another time when "The Windsor Star obtained a copy of the federal-provincial news release to be released today which focuses on truck routes headed for the Ambassador Bridge." Why they cannot use the money for anything else. It was for the road to the Ambassador Bridge" I stammered.

With a look of incredulity on his face, Deep Throat said

• "HaHaHaHa....are you ever naive. What do you think this is, "highway robbery" or something? Stealing money from the Ambassador Bridge "highway" and giving it to a different project....HaHaHa. If BIF isn't around any more then there is no money for a road to the existing bridge is there? In a few months it will be "What BIF money? That program expired after 5 years." Clever these bureaucrats aren't they! HahaHa?"

Then the look on his face and his mood changed dramatically. His voice was softer, low as if he did not want anyone to hear, other than me, what he was about to say. His tone was almost conspiratorial now.

• "You are not the only one with inside moles my Blogging friend.
  
  Several years ago I was given by my informants a top-secret, draft blueprint of the PLAN for the border. It was not the final draft mind you but very detailed. It was a multi-year PLAN with timetables and key decision points noted and with unbelievable diversions built in designed to distract attention. People were to be sent on wild-goose chases as silently, in the backrooms, everything was being pieced together.
  
  The Rail lands by-law that might have allowed DRTP to be built notwithstanding what Council and citizens wanted always intrigued me. I always wondered if someone had masterminded it or whether the fuss was just an over-reaction. As much as I tried, I never could prove it one way or the other.
  
  Even the Ambassador Bridge people got duped. Remember when the first Bi-national report came out on alternatives, their Twinned Bridge ranked highly! Well it took some time to get the PLAN going. Effectively, the Ambassador Bridge was fooled into thinking they had a chance. They were stalled off for years by being part of DRIC and then were tossed out when it was near final decision time! It was only later that Dan Stamper figured out what happened to them with the DRIC drawing of the plaza design being the #1 Exhibit!
  
  Now obviously the PLAN has changed over the years but not dramatically. Your Mayor bought into it early on and since he is so smart, it has to be the only way to go. Therefore the PLAN cannot ever change significantly. If it did, then your Mayor would have to admit he made a mistake. And that can never be allowed to happen. So we are watching the PLAN blueprint being played out."

I just sucked my breath in. Never before had he been so direct with me....Before, it was always the Socratic method of dialogue---asking me the question so I myself could arrive at the answer. No, this time he was "telling" me directly not "asking." This change bothered me. Something was very bad and that did not bode well for me or for Windsor!

• "The Detroit Windsor Tunnel deal is part of this now although originally it was not. No one cares about the Tunnel except Eddie. That's why the Feds and Province signed Phase 1. They did not care about a $30M Tunnel Plaza Improvement deal. It was chicken-feed in the big scheme of things. But Eddie did since it was going to be the way he became a Mayoral superstar. Everything was moving nicely for Eddie until the Bridge Co. signed the Tunnel deal with Kwame. Eddie freaked and had to pull in the heavy artillery to try to kill that one."

I remembered that Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan said that there were "security and "redundancy" concerns about creating one Canada-U.S. superplaza" (except isn't that what "Shared Border Management" is in the Buffalo area) Why she even "sent a letter to Mayor Eddie Francis to emphasize there are no plans to move Canada Customs officers to Detroit." Moreover, "The Canadian government has threatened Detroit with legal action if it approves the Ambassador bridge's bid to take over the U.S. side of the Windsor-Detroit tunnel. "

• "That is when the Tunnel became part of the PLAN," I shouted out!

A slight nod of the head which I took for a "yes" and a big "SSSSSSSShhhhhhhhhhh" was what I got in return.

• "Let me continue. The original PLAN was quite convoluted, trying to accomplish a whole bunch of local political objectives for something quite simple and straight-forward. That was your Mayor. Why be simple if it can be complicated. When I saw the PLAN, I noted the obvious legality concern re financing but I was told that was not a big issue!
  
  In a nutshell, as one part of the total PLAN, the City would pay each of OMERS/Borealis and CP Rail $150 million for their interest in the almost 100 year old rail tunnels that DRTP proposed to use for their truck highway. Those two companies would only get that money provided that they agreed to use it for building a double or triple-stack new rail tunnel in Windsor to compete with the one owned in Sarnia by CN! That money was originally to be provided to Windsor under the BIF program and whatever Government infrastructure program fund was around. Highway robbery and more right HaHaHa! However, as time passed the financing changed as more money was needed.”

I shook my head in amazement and spit out sarcastically

• "Not only will the two organizations get a new rail tunnel, they will get thousands of trucks a day through their rail tunnel being trucks taken away from the Ambassador Bridge. Instead of a loss on their project and a write-down of assets, they make a “profit” on the sale and get guaranteed revenue with the mandatory marshalling yard for which Ontario has issued an RFP. That yard will direct trucks to the CP Rail system, about 2,000 a day.
  
  It’s almost April 30. I am so glad that taxpayer pocket-books will help save the balance-sheets and bottom-lines of the organizations that tried to destroy the heart of Windsor with DRTP. It even helps out OMERS with the FSCO investigation.”

Deep Throat took a sip of wine and continued

• “There were some confidential talks held between the City and CP Rail early on.
  
  Talks got a lot more serious when the Bridge Co. tried to do the Tunnel deal. The shock to Eddie was an asset that he thought was worth $2-300M being valued at around US$50M after the US$20M offer for the Detroit half. Eddie was frantic. His plan was to copy what Mayor Daley did with his Chicago toll-road and lease the whole Tunnel to make a gazillion dollars.
  
  Now he was stuck. He needed Federal money but he recognized that he overplayed his hand by snubbing them. Accordingly, he cozied up to them using both charm with a Provincial contact and fear using the power of his friends by hammering Sandra and Dwight over Project Ice Track. He used the Province to get the Feds back to the bargaining table.
  
  Without going into the gory details, there is serious talk of the CP Rail rail tunnel (Nobrega’s speech and the Bill Muir articles) BUT there is an addition. Eddie needs another $100M for a total of about $400M so he can pay off Detroit and Alinda for their half of the Tunnel and have a few extra millions needed since the cost of the Tunnel Plaza improvements has increased dramatically!”
  
  It’s pretty clear that the Feds won’t throw in all of the money for a new rail tunnel or to help out completely with the Tunnel even though they talked about $400M in the budget (just a co-incidence on the Budget figure eh!)…. they would have trouble with the Americans if they were involved with strategic border crossings into the US. But Mr. Nobrega in his speech said
  
  “We are committed to investing another $300 million of equity to significantly expand this corridor to create a one-billion-dollar trade gateway asset."
  
  All of a sudden we might see Borealis as an equity investor with CP Rail in its new rail tunnel and with the City in the Tunnel. And if Eddie is that tied into Borealis….

“OH MY GOODNESS!,” I screamed out loud. "It can't be. I thought Windsorites had fought that battle and won. A Highway 401/Lauzon/E C Row link to the airport lands and then a continuation to a 2-lane DRTP North to use the old tunnels for a truck border crossing!”

I was stunned. I could not believe what I had just blurted out. All of that the public opposition down the drain. Was a reversal really possible? I know there was a flip-flop on DRTP North after a secret Council meeting during the Hurst regime or maybe there was not. No one could say for sure afterwards since there were so much confusion. This could never be true. Surely this could never happen again. Council would never allow this to happen.

• “Oh, right. Just like with the Western Super Anchor and Eddie’s demand for a P3 arena with a $15M maximum taxpayer investment before he was elected mayor. Now what do you have in the East end and, at $65M and counting, with not a negative word from the Councillors! Why one Councillor even justified spending more since it would be a premier facility!”

With that last remark, Deep Throat pushed his chair back and started getting up.

• "Hold on," I said. "Not so fast. Do you mean to tell me that the Ambassador Bridge won't get its enhancement project?"

He looked straight at me and then I heard this huge burst of laughter

• "Won't get it? My Blogger friend, the Governments just handed the enhanced Bridge to them on a silver platter. Not only that, a road to the bridge as well. The beauty of it is that the bureaucrats don't know it yet! You see, that part was NOT in their blueprint!
  
  Their PLAN was to force the bridge owner to sell out and cheaply too...I can tell you that the bureaucrats expected them to fold not to move forward on their enhanced bridge! They expected the bridge executives to come on bended knee begging for a purchase by the Government before their bridge was devalued.
  
  A fatal error on their part."

And with that, he got up, shook my hand and left with only the smell of sweet pipe tobacco to acknowledge that he was even there at all. Then the waiter came with the bill!