No wonder Eddie Francis is so terrified to have his Council look at the proposal of the Ambassador Bridge Co. and is trying desperately to prevent it. They might find that they like it since it does not destroy Sandwich and have no reason to oppose the project. His actions and that of Councillors who are following along are shameful and a disgrace.
I happened to be using my remote to see what was on TV the other night and by a fluke saw the last part of the Ambassador Bridge presentation on their Enhancement Project to County Council on Cogeco.
What was more interesting to me since I had seen the presentation at the press conference however, was the reaction of the County Mayors who spoke. I was expecting a "slamming," albeit a polite one, of the Bridge Co.'s proposal. Isn't that what local politicians are expected to do about anything this company does?
That was not what I heard. I heard some politicians who are prepared to listen to and examine a proposal responsibly and comment on what they preceived to be its strengths. I did not have my note paper nearby or else I would have tried to set out in detail what was said but I believe it fair to say that the Mayors were supportive of what the Ambassador Bridge wanted to do. I did NOT hear anyone opposed to their project at all. They understood how important it is to fix up the border to let outsiders know that the region is ready to do business and that the border is not an impediment.
I was very interested that Mayor McNamara understood that one of the key benefits of the project is JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, thousands of them, for people in the region.
The only negative--Huron Church Road and it is a political problem, not that of the Bridge Co. Skip McMahon of the Bridge Co. said that they had been working for nearly 30 years to try to get the road to the bridge completed from Highway 401. They were prepared to work with Government to do so now.
And that brings us right back to Eddie. Huron Church Road is his problem and that of Windsor Council. And everyone on both sides of the border knows it. Eddie foolishly allowed that to become public at the Joint Councils meeting and the thought was picked up in the Lansing hearings as well by Michigan Legislators.
They are afraid to take a realistic position and to make a decision because they know the answer already. Windsor Council made it years ago and I believe that it is still the official City position: the WALTS Road. And that has to remain hidden.
Eddie is the roadblock to a solution. For what reason, I do not know. Is he worried now that the private enterprise proponents may have joined forces against him when they both agreed to sponsor Festival Epicure? Was that the real reason for the Motion? On his radio show on Tuesday, he accused the private interests (plural) of polarizing and distracting the community in favour of their proposal (singular). Or at least that is what it sounded like to me since Eddie speaks so quickly
The Bridge Co. is made the "enemy." He has to send Estrin and Schwartz to Cleveland to oppose them in a Coast Guard hearing. He supports a tunnel when his own Tunnel Ventilation building has no scrubbers and when he knows it will never be built. He does nothing but stall and delay a solution and diverts attention from his actions by trying to focus our attention on others. He does NOT want to be forced to make the only decision possible on the route precisely because it means that the road to the border is finally built---right to the Ambassador Bridge!
But he made a tactical error for his own career and future.
By opposing the Bridge Co. and having Council pass the Motion "in public" making him Chief negotiator, Eddie has put the spotlight on himself. He has made himself front and centre. He can no longer hide behind "Council" or blame it on Council. Of course this Motion was NOT on the Order of Business or dozens of delegations would have appeared including myself to oppose it!
I happened to be using my remote to see what was on TV the other night and by a fluke saw the last part of the Ambassador Bridge presentation on their Enhancement Project to County Council on Cogeco.
What was more interesting to me since I had seen the presentation at the press conference however, was the reaction of the County Mayors who spoke. I was expecting a "slamming," albeit a polite one, of the Bridge Co.'s proposal. Isn't that what local politicians are expected to do about anything this company does?
That was not what I heard. I heard some politicians who are prepared to listen to and examine a proposal responsibly and comment on what they preceived to be its strengths. I did not have my note paper nearby or else I would have tried to set out in detail what was said but I believe it fair to say that the Mayors were supportive of what the Ambassador Bridge wanted to do. I did NOT hear anyone opposed to their project at all. They understood how important it is to fix up the border to let outsiders know that the region is ready to do business and that the border is not an impediment.
I was very interested that Mayor McNamara understood that one of the key benefits of the project is JOBS, JOBS, JOBS, thousands of them, for people in the region.
The only negative--Huron Church Road and it is a political problem, not that of the Bridge Co. Skip McMahon of the Bridge Co. said that they had been working for nearly 30 years to try to get the road to the bridge completed from Highway 401. They were prepared to work with Government to do so now.
And that brings us right back to Eddie. Huron Church Road is his problem and that of Windsor Council. And everyone on both sides of the border knows it. Eddie foolishly allowed that to become public at the Joint Councils meeting and the thought was picked up in the Lansing hearings as well by Michigan Legislators.
They are afraid to take a realistic position and to make a decision because they know the answer already. Windsor Council made it years ago and I believe that it is still the official City position: the WALTS Road. And that has to remain hidden.
Eddie is the roadblock to a solution. For what reason, I do not know. Is he worried now that the private enterprise proponents may have joined forces against him when they both agreed to sponsor Festival Epicure? Was that the real reason for the Motion? On his radio show on Tuesday, he accused the private interests (plural) of polarizing and distracting the community in favour of their proposal (singular). Or at least that is what it sounded like to me since Eddie speaks so quickly
The Bridge Co. is made the "enemy." He has to send Estrin and Schwartz to Cleveland to oppose them in a Coast Guard hearing. He supports a tunnel when his own Tunnel Ventilation building has no scrubbers and when he knows it will never be built. He does nothing but stall and delay a solution and diverts attention from his actions by trying to focus our attention on others. He does NOT want to be forced to make the only decision possible on the route precisely because it means that the road to the border is finally built---right to the Ambassador Bridge!
But he made a tactical error for his own career and future.
By opposing the Bridge Co. and having Council pass the Motion "in public" making him Chief negotiator, Eddie has put the spotlight on himself. He has made himself front and centre. He can no longer hide behind "Council" or blame it on Council. Of course this Motion was NOT on the Order of Business or dozens of delegations would have appeared including myself to oppose it!
But you know what....he still tries to pass the buck:
- "The bridge company on Monday unveiled plans for a series of public consultation meetings across Windsor and Essex County. As part of the process, a request was made to meet with city council and the mayor.
"It will be up to council through a majority to decide whether they will act upon the request," said Mayor Eddie Francis."
Imagine the signal to outsiders. Snub one of the largest taxpayers in the City who has already invested $500M and wants to invest another $500M in the region. Why bother spending taxpayer money to make the airport lands "shovel-ready." Few will invest here with Eddie Francis as Mayor!
One other matter. To those who thought that the Americans did not expect to use the new Ambassador Gateway project for the enhancement project, here is something I found back that was written by MDOT in 1997.
Were they talking about a Public Private Partnership back then before the term became so fashionable? Absolutely! And who was their private partner to build the bridge---the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge
To be quite blunt about it, why is MDOT wasting taxpayer money in even thinking about using another corridor and looking at another partner! How could they do anything otherwise today. What a fine lawsuit this would make since, in reliance, the Bridge Co. has spent a half a billion over the decade since that time to be ready to proceed on their project.
One other matter. To those who thought that the Americans did not expect to use the new Ambassador Gateway project for the enhancement project, here is something I found back that was written by MDOT in 1997.
Were they talking about a Public Private Partnership back then before the term became so fashionable? Absolutely! And who was their private partner to build the bridge---the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge
To be quite blunt about it, why is MDOT wasting taxpayer money in even thinking about using another corridor and looking at another partner! How could they do anything otherwise today. What a fine lawsuit this would make since, in reliance, the Bridge Co. has spent a half a billion over the decade since that time to be ready to proceed on their project.
- MDOT CLEARS THE AIR REGARDING GATEWAY PROJECT
Contact: Gary G. Naeyaert (517) 335-3084
Agency: Transportation
December 5, 1997
Statewide Media Reports Misrepresent Facts in Story About Ambassador Bridge
LANSING-Recent media reports about the Detroit International Bridge Company's Ambassador Bridge, the Gateway Project and access between Michigan's highway system and the bridge contain inaccuracies and do not reflect either current project plans or funding issues. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT ) is working diligently to ensure clear and concise understanding of the issue.
On October 23, 1997, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) signed a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on the $100 million Gateway Project, providing approval to move the project to the design stage. Project objectives are threefold: to improve direct access between the Ambassador Bridge and Michigan's highway system, to accommodate future border crossing capacity needs and to accommodate access to a proposed private Travel Information Center/Retail Complex.
"The opportunity for FHWA and M•DOT to partner with the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge for these access improvements is one step closer to reality with the FONSI agreement," said State Transportation Director Jim DeSana. "This project is an ambitious and creative partnership between the federal government, M•DOT and the privately-owned Ambassador Bridge. We need changes in federal transportation law, which we expect in the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), to allow for federal participation in the access improvements," he continued.
Under current federal law, public funds may not to be used to connect highways to a privately-owned bridge, like the Ambassador Bridge. Michigan transportation officials are working with federal legislators to ensure the new version of ISTEA, when enacted, allows for the potential for funding access improvements of this type.
Any improvements to the actual bridge, or a potential second span of the Ambassador Bridge, would be entirely the financial responsibility of the Detroit International Bridge Company and no public funds would be spent on the bridge itself.
"We will not fund improvements to the actual Ambassador Bridge structure or any potential second span," stated DeSana. If the Detroit International Bridge Company decides they want to build a second span, that's their decision and financial responsibility," DeSana concluded.
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest international border crossing in North America, carrying more than 10 million vehicles. Direct access between Michigan's highway system and the bridge will facilitate international trade for the state of Michigan, the Midwest, including Chicago and St. Louis, and the entire U.S. via the interstate corridors of I-94, I-96, I-69 and I-75.
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