We need another newspaper in Windsor!
Thanks to the Windsor Star, its editors and its ace border reporter, Dave Battagello I will have spent about 2 hours watching a video of Detroit Council where the Bridge Co. made its Enhancement Project presentation and then writing about it.
I wasted my time, and I do mean waste, because of Battagello's story: "Bridge plan challenged."
I got a video of the meeting so I could see for my own eyes and hear with my own ears what happened.
I was expecting fireworks, near fisticuffs after reading the quotes of the various Councillors. It seemed so exciting. I expected to see Dan Stamper shouting back as wild statements were being made as he was trying to rebut them. I wanted to watch the show!
The words used in Battagello's story: challenged, question, criticize, opposition, rejection, hit with more than an hour of questions, expressed reservations, expressed dismay. Those were pejorative enough weren't they
A "grilling"....hardly. What I saw and heard were "professional" politicians who work full-time on their job---Detroit Councillors---asking tough questions and getting back straight answers. They were doing their job! They were quiet and respectful in their questioning and the answers came back that way too!
I wish our Councillors would follow their example on Monday night and ask tough questions of the Bridge Co. and get real answers so they would know the truth. I hope that some of them have the guts to ask tough questions of our Mayor on the Tunnel and airport deals on which he is trying to get approval with no significant information provided whatsoever. That would NEVER happen with these Detroit Councillors. They would rip Eddie apart if he dared try.
Sure there were concerns...what else would one expect? They had questions that needed answering and they got them. Were they satisfied with the answers.... who knows. It was not a decision-making meeting but an information session.
Yes there were Councillors who expressed oppostion to a "private" border crossing--that is their personal point of view. But they were at least open and honest about it. However, there was also a comment about Homeland Security issues with Windsor operating the Tunnel. Did you see that reported in Dave's article? I wonder why not.
What you read primarily in the article were the questions or comments by Councillors but not of the Stamper answers to them. Why didn't Dave write about Bill C-3 giving the Federal Government control over International Bridges? That eliminates Windsor's role except as specifically set out in the Act. Why didn't Dave write about Windsor, the owner of the Tunnel, being the competitor of the Bridge Co. and naturally wanting to hurt their competitor's position? That was raised!
You did not read that the City Administrators who were there in big numbers from various departments hardly asked any questions and made few comments. You did not read about the explanation given about the PAB bonds and how the Bridge Co.'s actions help Detroit. You did not read about lower tolls or improving the economy or being a logistics hub for the economic future of the region. You did not read about the Coast Guard's role in the EA process or redundancy contributed by the old bridge or the cost savings of millions per year which would help build the Enhanced Bridge or about DRIC trying to by-pass Detroit to its disadvantage. You did not read about the "no opposition" by MDOT to the Enhancement Project
You did not read any of this because you read the Windsor Star! And that is why I am serious about an online newspaper.
Thanks to the Windsor Star, its editors and its ace border reporter, Dave Battagello I will have spent about 2 hours watching a video of Detroit Council where the Bridge Co. made its Enhancement Project presentation and then writing about it.
I wasted my time, and I do mean waste, because of Battagello's story: "Bridge plan challenged."
I got a video of the meeting so I could see for my own eyes and hear with my own ears what happened.
I was expecting fireworks, near fisticuffs after reading the quotes of the various Councillors. It seemed so exciting. I expected to see Dan Stamper shouting back as wild statements were being made as he was trying to rebut them. I wanted to watch the show!
The words used in Battagello's story: challenged, question, criticize, opposition, rejection, hit with more than an hour of questions, expressed reservations, expressed dismay. Those were pejorative enough weren't they
A "grilling"....hardly. What I saw and heard were "professional" politicians who work full-time on their job---Detroit Councillors---asking tough questions and getting back straight answers. They were doing their job! They were quiet and respectful in their questioning and the answers came back that way too!
I wish our Councillors would follow their example on Monday night and ask tough questions of the Bridge Co. and get real answers so they would know the truth. I hope that some of them have the guts to ask tough questions of our Mayor on the Tunnel and airport deals on which he is trying to get approval with no significant information provided whatsoever. That would NEVER happen with these Detroit Councillors. They would rip Eddie apart if he dared try.
Sure there were concerns...what else would one expect? They had questions that needed answering and they got them. Were they satisfied with the answers.... who knows. It was not a decision-making meeting but an information session.
Yes there were Councillors who expressed oppostion to a "private" border crossing--that is their personal point of view. But they were at least open and honest about it. However, there was also a comment about Homeland Security issues with Windsor operating the Tunnel. Did you see that reported in Dave's article? I wonder why not.
What you read primarily in the article were the questions or comments by Councillors but not of the Stamper answers to them. Why didn't Dave write about Bill C-3 giving the Federal Government control over International Bridges? That eliminates Windsor's role except as specifically set out in the Act. Why didn't Dave write about Windsor, the owner of the Tunnel, being the competitor of the Bridge Co. and naturally wanting to hurt their competitor's position? That was raised!
You did not read that the City Administrators who were there in big numbers from various departments hardly asked any questions and made few comments. You did not read about the explanation given about the PAB bonds and how the Bridge Co.'s actions help Detroit. You did not read about lower tolls or improving the economy or being a logistics hub for the economic future of the region. You did not read about the Coast Guard's role in the EA process or redundancy contributed by the old bridge or the cost savings of millions per year which would help build the Enhanced Bridge or about DRIC trying to by-pass Detroit to its disadvantage. You did not read about the "no opposition" by MDOT to the Enhancement Project
You did not read any of this because you read the Windsor Star! And that is why I am serious about an online newspaper.
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