More Thoughts

It has been a busy few days. So much to write about. Here are just a few more things, some quite surprising, that I was thinking of that I thought you might find of interest

SHOCKING VULGARITY

Obviously, someone thought they were being very clever. The double entendre I'm sure was considered brilliant. If that is the case, I might be persuaded that there is a need for proper public relations department within the City, one that understands their public. Think I am overreacting, take a look at this from the City's newsroom. If you don't understand it...just watch out for the warm fuzzies.

• "Eat My Valentine!
  
  What better way to say I love you than with chocolates and a card... that you create! Mackenzie Hall offers Eat My Valentine, a one-night program to create delicious sweets.
  
  Let artist Pina Bernardi show you how to make hand moulded chocolates and a card so unique and filled with warm fuzzies, your favourite person’s heart will melt.
  
  Eat My Valentine is offered on Feb. 7 from 6 – 9 pm. Cost is only $54 including all materials. Call 519-255-7600 to register, or register online at www.reconnectwindsor.ca."

This is a job for Councillor Postma. As a wife and mother and one who attacked that sign on Huron Church Road on behalf of her constituents, she should demand that the name of the program be changed immediately especially since it is taking place on City property and in her Ward.

SETTING THE MOOD FOR THE SATURDAY BORDER MEETING

Now that the final peace talks have ended and war has been declared by the City of Windsor, and against everyone, I wanted to set out for you in full transcripts involving both the Mayor and Councillor Lewenza to show you why any kind a resolution was virtually impossible.

Unfortunately I can't type that quickly. There was no way that someone with my poor typing skills, even with using Dictation software, could ever possibly type the number of words that those two gentlemen used in a very short period of time. Let me therefore set out some of their comments so that you will understand how productive the meeting could not be on Saturday between the Mayor of Windsor, the Mayors of various other local governments and our MPPs.

Eddie on CKLW:

• "Everyone said that they didn't want it. So to have this meeting right now whereby they are going to attempt to gang up on the City of Windsor... and beat up on the City of Windsor to accept the cheap solution and accept EC Row. So if this is a meeting where that is the intent .... we are not going to sell out the city."


• "This Community has been held hostage to the border file for some time...It is time to get moving."


• "I hope this is not going to be a situation where they believe they are going to get everybody to gang up on Windsor because Tecumseh, Lasalle and the County of Essex think it is the right thing, that the City of Windsor is going to surrender and put trucks onto EC Row."


• "But the infrastructure doesn't carve through their Community...It builds a wall through this City."


• "We have a better plan. Don't you think that you would, that the residents of this region deserve a better plan? Why settle? Why settle?"


• "I promise you and on behalf of myself and members of City Council, we are not going to sell out this Community."

There is Eddie as the poor victim but still our champion, our martyr. Pssst, don't tell him though that trucks have been using the exiting corridor since 1929 and was there before the City was allowed to be built up around it. So much for the carving argument. People bought hones knowing they lived next to the truck corridor didn't they after the City approved the subdivisions being built. From the guy who is responsible for stalling the border wrote solution for years, the desire to act immediately rings hollow.

You see it's Eddie's better way and his highway!

Then there is Eddie's pitbull. The guy who can shoot off his mouth to get Eddie's point across and then can be disowned by the Mayor when he becomes an embarrassment. Wasn't that called "plausible deniability."

• "Melanie: Now you are claiming that some of our neighbouring municipalities have been bought by the province. What do you mean by that?
  Ken: Well I think that is pretty obvious"


• "I find it awfully frightening that the time we were launching GreenLink...that both Tecumseh and Lasalle consistently came out speaking in opposition and also come out supporting DRIC...the province can come in and just pay for some of their projects that they currently don't have the money for."


• "we have had a lot of discussions with DRIC and there has been a lot of questions going back and forth and I can just tell you that it is not a very healthy environment of discussion and that's all that I can say."


• "Sam deals in the world of, you know, practical, sensible and common-sense practices."


• "it is very interesting that a lot of things that we have somewhat predicted - I can assure you that I strongly believe that that happened. That's what I predict" [I told you that a psychic was a City consultant now!]


• "I have no doubt that this is a set up where they are going to tell Mayor Francis, you know how this is going to unwind, which again won't be in the city's best interests. It is very predictable."


• "I think he [Dwight] needs to check his address and find out where he lives"


• "they keep ramming a solution down our throats."

You see, dear reader, if you do not agree with Kennie, then you are "bought" or the discussion is not healthy or it's a set-up. If money is the criteria, then was Windsor bought when the City received a $4M grant for its arena?

As for practical Sam, he has given us THINK BIG, the Champs Elysee, the Garden of Eden and "we're writing the guidebook here in Windsor on sustainable highways."

I keep calling Kennie Eddie's pitbull. That is a mistake. If he was one, he would have to be muzzled!

FRANCIS PRESS RELEASE ON JOBS FROM GERMANY STILL NOT ISSUED

Still waiting and waiting and waiting. For all of the money spent to send 2 people to Europe, you'd think we would have heard something by now!

Oh, by the way, do you think there will be a press release issued if the Mayor has to go to Mexico to try to get more Mexicana flights to land in Windsor? Will he go through YQG?

DRTP IS STILL TRYING

I wonder if DRTP has told SEMCOG what happened on this side of the river about their rail tunnel. Here is why I ask:

• SEMCOG invites public comment on amendment to the
  2030 Regional Transportation Plan for Southeast Michigan
  
  SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, announces the public comment period for projects being considered for amendment to the long-range 2030 Regional Transportation Plan for Southeast Michigan (RTP).
  
  Three projects are proposed to be added to the RTP:
  Detroit River Rail Tunnel, construct replacement rail tunnel between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario (Wayne County)
  
  Detroit River Tunnel (ID #4425)
  The Detroit River Tunnel Partnership (DRTP) is proposing to construct a replacement rail tunnel between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. The existing tunnel is approaching 100 years of age and cannot accommodate all modern sizes of rail cars used to transport freight between the U.S. and Canada. The new tunnel would be constructed immediately adjacent to the existing tunnel and would accommodate double-stacked container cars and high-capacity Auto-Max cars, which would enhance economical freight shipping in the region. The total cost of the tunnel is $358.5 million, to be funded privately. The U.S. portion of the cost totals $172.8 million.

I assume that the City will retain Mr. Estrin to oppose this project the same way that they opposed the Bridge Company's project when he ran to Cleveland and the Close Guard hearing.

BRANDING IRON BUSINESS

I am trying to control the market in Branding Irons. In case you did not know, a branding iron is a tool used by Cowboys "that is heated and used for indicating identity or ownership."

I think that there will be a big need for them so that brands can be put on all kinds of merchandise, publications, letterheads, business cards, brochures and so on, not just on cows. Councillor Halberstadt warned us that the City wants to spend $900,000 on branding itself. That got me all excited until I saw this note and I decided that I'm going to corner the market and become filthy rich:

• “Our efforts are focused on building the Ontario brand in India, and helping Ontario companies bring their innovation and competitiveness to the lucrative Indian market,” said Pupatello."

You got it right. Our Sandra said this in a press release which she issued recently with respect to her trip to India "leading a business mission of 12 automotive parts firms at the Delhi region’s largest Auto Expo."

CONGRATULATIONS TO PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF

That was the Company that Sam brought in to be the consultant on the Greenlink Schwunnels. They must be thrilled with their lawsuit settlement:

• "Big Dig Lawsuit Settled for $400 Million
  By DENISE LAVOIE

BOSTON (AP) — Contractors who worked on the long-troubled Big Dig highway project have agreed to pay more than $400 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the state over a fatal tunnel ceiling collapse and to cover the costs of leaks and design flaws.

Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, the consortium that oversaw design and construction of the nation's costliest public works project, has agreed to pay $407 million, while several smaller companies will pay about $51 million collectively, U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan said in announcing the deal.

Under the agreement, Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff would not face criminal charges in the July 2006 Interstate 90 tunnel ceiling collapse that killed Milena Del Valle, 39, of Boston. She was crushed by 26 tons of concrete as she and her husband drove to Logan International Airport. "