Is Eddie Terrified Of Taxpayers

He has to be. How else can one explain the actions at Council recently when there is a controversial matter where citizens want to appear as delegations.

I blame it on that Ojibway protector, Alan McKinnon. If he had not scared Eddie so much, and so successfully, at the Windsor Council meeting held in Tecumseh last year where he attacked everything Eddie was doing on the border, we would probably be allowed to appear as delegations at Council.

Now citizen voices are shut out.

Clearly that explains the maneuvering to prevent citizens from being able to discuss the Windsor Utilities Commission matter at Council. Eddie might well have been successfully shown to be at fault given the anomalies in his WUC explanation.

Eddie just cannot take anyone opposing him or being put in a position where the finger of blame can be pointed at him. Why else is his favourite word "Council" when decision-making takes place. But if there is to be praise to be garnered, guess who is there front and centre!

It seems that Eddie cannot handle confrontation. For his sake, I hope he never runs for a Senior Level position. If he were a Minister, the Opposition with crush him in Question Period within days of his appointment. He just could not take heat.

I raise this with you because of the games being played with respect to the Schwartz presentation. It was given first last night, in camera as usual. I'm having trouble understanding under what provision of the Municipal Act this meeting was being held. It is a presentation of the Schwartz border route after all. It has nothing to do with buying or selling land, does not involve a personnelle matter, there is nothing litigious about it and there is no solicitor-client privilege involved.

Then on Tuesday, the public gets to hear Schwartz and friends anyway. What's the big deal for the need for secrecy? Aren't you also suprised that the Star did not provide any leaks or will that come in Henderson's column on Saturday? Something to be thankful for on this holiday weekend I guess is how it will be billed.

Now before you get all excited and say that you want to sign up as a delegation, the City website states clearly

• "As this is a presentation only, no delegations will be heard."

At least one knows in advance that one will be cut off and doesn't have to attend a Council meeting and waste a Monday night before learning it as happened with WUC!

However the public does get a chance to speak about it.

• "Please note: City Council at its meeting on October 9, 2007 will be asked to cancel the meeting scheduled for October 15, 2007 to allow for a week of ward meetings respecting the border issues beginning October 15th. Details to follow as to times and locations."

Now does this seem fair? We can't hear what people think about the Schwartz report at Council. Unless we attend each and every one of the Ward meetings, we cannot hear what people from all parts of the City say. No one knows who will be in attendance at the Ward meetings. The Ward Councillors will be there I am sure but will the Mayor or Sam or someone from the tunnel consulting firm?

Doesn't seem fair to Windsorites but it is probably fair for Eddie. He can control the Ward meetings and, probably after the first one, the media won't be all that interested. Except for the few people who attend the meetings, no one will know what happened and City Hall can spin it any way that they want. That would not have happened if citizens could appear as delegations at the Council meeting.

But, you protest, the voices of citizens will he heard and be acted upon. Not really. It is all a phony exercise since the wishes will not be heard by DRIC. The interesting thing, as Chris Schnurr pointed out in his BLOG, theWindsor Star report on September 19th, 2007 stated that:

• “Schwartz and the engineering team are to inform council later this week when their work will be complete. The date will be before Oct. 15, the deadline DRIC has given the city to respond to the DRIC plan.”

Eddie's Ward meetings do not start until October 15, the deadline as set out in the article. So what is this, nothing more than a public relations exercise or to offer citizens what Eddie wants them to approve! It's a joke and a disgrace to democracy.

Of course there is a legal question whether what is being proposed for the form of the Council meeting is legal or not on Tuesday. In my view, the mere fact that it is a presentation does not mean the delegations cannot be heard.

Isn't this Windsor's answer to the DRIC? The precedent has been set. Remember what the Tecumseh meeting was all about. It was a Special Meeting too wasn't it:

• "Council meets in formal session this day at 6:00 o'clock p.m., at the Ciociaro Club, 3745 North Talbot Road, to discuss the City of Windsor’s response to the Detroit River International Crossing Partnership (DRICP) Environmental Process."

There were delegations there, including Mr. McKinnon!

So Eddie, I don't really care what it says on the City's website. Why are you so afraid of Windsorites if what you are going to present is so good. Why won't you post it in advance as other Reports to Council are posted so people can think about it before they speak? Why are you playing such silly games and wasting so much Taxpayer money?

Now you understand Mayor and Members of Council---and you too dear reader---why there is a need for the WeACT Legal Fund. If it had some money in the bank now, it would be applying for an injunction to prevent the Tuesday meeting from taking place unless delegations were heard at Council.

Someone needs to stand up for the rights of the public. WeACT can if YOU, dear reader, get onboard with a contribution.