Blaming Kwame For The Tunnel Deal Failure

It never, ever sticks does it!

As I have told you so many times before, you must read to the end of Star stories to find out the real reason why a story was written. Here is another example:

• "Kilpatrick won’t give up on deal
  Detroit mayor still hoping $75M tunnel agreement with Windsor can be made by deadline"

Forget the first part of the story, the bravado about the Detroit Mayor's desires. The real story comes right at the end:

• "Local lawyer Cliff Sutts, who is leading the negotiations for Windsor on the tunnel deal, plans to push forward with talks.
  
  But he admits completion of the deal remains in a wait-and-see mode based on what happens in Detroit.
  
  “The manner in which Detroit decides to finance its deficit is a matter that has to be resolved between mayor and council,” Sutts said. “It’s not something we should be involved with or comment on.”
  
  Nobody on either side should be rushed into a deal if they are not comfortable with the terms, he said.
  
  "This deal has to satisfy normal business practices," he said. "Whether Detroit is able to put itself in a position to complete the deal only they can say. But it would be predicated on being able to do so.
  
  "When we make the deal all i's must be dotted and t's crossed before a deal is consummated. You can't do it on a haphazard basis. We question whether all that can be accomplished with the deadline they have."

What that seems to suggest, and who knows what the truth really is, is that our Mayor finally has the scapegoat that he needs in order to walk away from the transaction if he chooses to do so and cannot be blamed for its failure.

It is all Kwame's fault not Eddie's!

Yes, we can now officially blame Detroit's Mayor for the Tunnel fiasco. I am certain that there can be many reasons why he is the obvious target and will take the hit for this. It will just be added to the pile of why others will suggest that he resign. It just makes life so much easier that way.

Thank heavens for that! Our Mayor is still Teflon-coated even though over $1 million has been spent on this transaction for lawyers and consultants fees. I mean, after all, that is pretty hard to explain away if the deal falls apart.

How convenient that Mr. Sutts in June is finally telling us that it is unlikely that the transaction can be concluded before the end of the month, the deadline date. Those pesky "I's" and "T's" are the problems again. If only we could get rid of those letters in the alphabet, life would be much simpler.

Of course, let's not rush into the deal because then Eddie might actually have to produce the $75 million for the financing that he does not have. It is unlikely that he would have that amount by the end of the month if the Province was to be involved because they take a considerable period of time in order to do their due diligence.

Gee, if there was no financing, then would it be, dare I say it, Eddie's fault?

What a funny statement to make..."Whether Detroit is able to put itself in a position to complete the deal only they can say..." That is language like being ready, willing and able to conclude a transaction. Without money, Eddie is not in a position to complete the deal is he?

Oh I almost forgot, rushing won't help Windsor either because they need approval from the Federal Government to do this transaction and that Government has not yet passed Regulations to permit the transaction to go forward. So how can Eddie be ready, willing and able.

Of course, Kwame's failure allows Eddie to pull his application from the Province for provincial money for this transaction or, alternatively allows the Province to say that this transaction cannot go forward because he cannot meet Detroit's deadline. Thus, the Province is not the bad guy by refusing to provide the financing. Kwame is their excuse too!

As I said before, this file is not officially ended until the Sutts law firm is asked to close their file on this matter. I was very troubled by this statement:

• "Local lawyer Cliff Sutts, who is leading the negotiations for Windsor on the tunnel deal, plans to push forward with talks."

What can they possibly be talking about when the deal is now on life-support?

There are two alternatives that I can think of right away:

1. Fees will be charged until the end of the month, until the June 30 deadline is reached, and then the file will be closed, or, and please say that this is not true,
   
2. Eddie has already talked with President Cockrel and has developed a plan to end-run Mayor Kilpatrick and this nonsense will continue to go forward until the bitter end for Windsor taxpayers.

If the real story is the second alternative above, then the Star headline should have read:

• "Eddie won't give up on deal
  No matter how bad for taxpayers, Mayor still wants it!