Komsa Shoots, He Scores

Even Don Cherry would not get the correct answer.

If I asked you who the best stick-handler in hockey is, would you say Rocket Richard or Gordie Howe or Bobby Orr or Wayne Gretzky? Well if you did, then you would be wrong!

As far as I am concerned, the guy who knows his way around the ice rink the best, is Marty Komsa of the Windsor Family Credit Union. He did a deal with the City of Windsor that is a marvel to behold.

The matter is supposed to be passed by Council "on consent" if you can believe it! That means it is supposed to be non-controversial.

Another black mark for this Arena transaction and another black mark for the way the City negotiates deals. Oh if we only had a few business people on Council who knew what they were doing!

Try and figure out if the Credit Union is actually paying anything for the naming rights or whether the City has again given away the "Barn." Oooops sorry for the bad pun but I just could not resist.

Marty certainly got the hat trick in this transaction in my opinion while Eddie just got butt-ended. Clearly most would have missed it but for the instant replay that you will find outlined in this BLOG.. Let's see what the deal is. You will find that the Star headline of $1.6 million is not quite accurate once you see the terms:

1. City receives $1.62 million over 10 years, payable $40,000 quarterly per year. (If one does a present value calculation that works out to about $1 million)
2. Marty gets the right of first bid to renew the deal for two periods of 10 years each (If that is the right of first refusal, it means that no one will ever bid seriously for the naming rights in the future because Marty can always match or beat their deal)
3. It is not the naming rights just for the building but for a whole bunch of extra places as well (That means that City can't sell those rights to others to earn extra money. One may wonder why Marty was put on committee for other namng rights. Has City Hall just created a possible conflicts issue for Marty that could result in embarrassing him since he is both a naming rights proponent and a naming rights decision-maker?)
4. Use of a private suite and not just for hockey (The Spitfire's VIP suite at the Barn goes for $2000 per game. I do not know what an East End Arena suite goes for. If there are 34 to 40 nights of hockey per year plus who knows how many other events that take place, it means Marty doesn't have to pay a lot of money to get a whole bunch of tickets for the games or other events and the Arena loses money.)
5. Only WFCU ATM machines can be used (Well, the City makes some money from that but we don't know how much or whether others would have paid for the rights)
6. Marty get some kind of a WFCU kiosk in the building, although not quite sure what that means (But, there is no charge for that)

I don't know how you feel about this transaction but it reminds me of some of the other deals that our distinguished Mayor has been involved in:

• Remember Eddie was involved before he was Mayor, with the Mady garage transaction that wound up costing the city several million dollars.
• The settlement of MFP where millions were lost
• The five cent parking at the Keg restaurant, and
• The granting of a 50% interest in the funky bus terminal to Greyhound for effectively no capital cost but merely paying operating costs
• I am not going to talk about the Spitfires deal or the Canderel lease deal since we have not yet seen those details and I don't want to ruin my breakfast.

It was interesting reading the Administration report on this matter. I don't know if anyone else was interested in bidding on the naming rights since no one else's name was mentioned. I didn't see any kind of analysis of the transaction to show whether it was a good one or a bad one for the City. I guess if it was the only one, don't you think someone should have told us. If this is a bad deal, maybe Administration should have advised that the City not enter into it and not do a naming rights deal at this time since the economy is so bad.

Here are some other things that I did not see that are part of the City's policy with respect to naming rights:

• The significance of the contribution made relative to the construction and/or operating costs of the item being named
• The significance of the contribution relative to the market valuation of the naming opportunity
• Results of a value assessment
• The benefits to and obligations of both the purchaser and the City
• Demonstrated public support for the sale of naming rights of the facility

I'll bet that this is been a very interesting time for Marty Komsa. Komsa as Chair of the Board of the University of Windsor tried to convince the University to move its complex downtown. Komsa as head of WFCU has been able to get naming the East end arena in this deal.

Can you imagine if we had a downtown arena AND a new Engineering Complex right across the street from a major Family Destination/Museum complex at the Junction. Why Ward 2 really would be the place to be in Windsor. Instead....you cannot get a garage built in parts of that Ward!

New W.ACT Press Conference Set For Tuesday

It's getting bigger and bigger. The scope of the WUC investigation now has become a local issue in the Provincial election.

And why hasn't Chair Junior replied? Did someone call his bluff?

Instead of trying to resolve matters, politicians schmeared Schnurr and W.ACT. Not too smart. All that is happening is that the resolve of citizens is getting stronger.

Obviously, the Eminence Greasie is on vacation since he would never have allowed this matter to get so out of control.

You are welcome to attend the next W.ACT news conference. I am told that if this cannot be resolved between W.ACT and Lewenza by Monday night, look out for some more headlines!

MEDIA ADVISORY

NOTICE OF Press Conference
Windsor, Ontario, September 23, 2007

DEMAND FOR FULL WUC INVESTIGATION, AGAIN!

It has become a major issue in the Provincial election campaign. The Windsor Utilities fiasco now must be dealt with by our two MPPs/Cabinet Ministers, Sandra Pupatello and Dwight Duncan. Windsor taxpayers demand answers from the province as well.

Chris Schnurr will be holding a press conference to outline what has happened over the past week since W.ACT first demanded a full WUC investigation.

Schnurr pointed out that “W.ACT asked our municipal and provincial governments for two things:

An apology from our municipal government and a court application to settle the conflicts issue, and Action by the Province for a full financial, business, and operational audit of the Windsor Utilities Commission, including its relationship with Enwin.”

Instead of an apology, WUC Chair, Councillor Lewenza cast aspersions. Instead of action, MPP/Cabinet Minister Dwight Duncan smeared W.ACT. Respecting conflicts of interest, that issue seems to have disappeared as far as City Hall is concerned.

W.ACT took up the offer of Councillor Lewenza, Chair of WUC, who stated on a Windsor Star blog that, "We will meet with every group. We will meet with everybody that has concerns."

We asked for a meeting. So far, we have heard nothing back from him.

W.ACT has no intention of backing down. We are encouraged by the support that we have received from taxpayers across the City. This press conference will outline W.ACT’s continuing course of action on behalf of Windsorites.

W.ACT will not rest until the truth is known.

WHERE: The Junction
1200 University Ave. W.
Windsor, ON

WHEN: Tuesday, September 25, 2007
12:15 PM

WHO: Chris Schnurr and fellow Windsorites

PS. Lewenza finally responded at around 8PM Sunday night but unfortunately is not available to meet until around 11 AM or later on Thursday. Someone better give the Councillor a Blackberry so he can respond more quickly.

A Windsor Council Quiz Show

Oh goodie

I can just feel another job for the Governor's Hubby, Dan Mulhern, coming up. Several thousand more Windsor taxpayer dollars to be spent because Councillors are immature and dysfunctional and lack a leader as Mayor. {Sigh} As the Star wrote:

• "A rift on city council was laid bare last Monday when a bid to seek an Ontario auditor general probe of local utilities was shot down. Allegations of conflict of interest were raised and one councillor called another a liar."

That rift has been around for ages and is nothing more than the split that never healed with the last Council. Oh Eddie tried to maintain unity---rally behind Schwartz, use a tunnel for re-election, the arena to show they were doing something. Since he is lame-duck and Councillors are lining themselves for their future, what else can one expect but friction. The shock is that not even one year of this Council has gone by and it is falling apart.

If Eddie's numbers were still strong, then Councillors could still hide behind him. After all, almost 78% of voters voted for him for Mayor just last November. In a poll on the Angus Reid site that people are invited to go to, Eddie's numbers have crashed by over 40%. Of course this poll is not "scientific" and we do not know a lot about it but the numbers are bad considering who has gone there and hardly something to inspire Councillors to stay loyal.

Just watch over the next few weeks as Council blocks are formed; this happened in the last year of the Hurst mayoral term. In numbers there is security. What happened to Mike is happening to Eddie right now.

To help you pass a bit of time while you are enjoying your break, I put forward for your pleasure a short quiz. Guess which member of Council fits the description as we play:

NAME THAT MEMBER

1. Which MEMBER will become the Council leader
   
   
2. Which MEMBER is the biggest disappointment
   
   
3. Which MEMBER has the most potential
   
   
4. Which MEMBER is the most disruptive
   
   
5. Which MEMBER is the biggest bore
   
   
6. Which MEMBER has lost big time
   
   
7. Which MEMBER just takes up space
   
   
8. Which MEMBER may not finish this term in office
   
   
9. Which MEMBER is positioning to be the next Mayor
   
   
10. Which MEMBER plays all sides
    
    
11. Which MEMBER lip-syncs questions
    
    
12. Which MEMBER works the hardest
    
    
13. Which MEMBER is the biggest joke
    
    
14. Which MEMBER is waiting for the next shoe to drop
    
    
15. Which 2 Ward Councillors get along the best
    
    
16. Which 2 Ward Councillors get along the worst

The answers----well the questions are based on comments I have heard from people in the Community with whom I speak. As you can tell, they are not too complimentary. There is no right answer. You fill in the blanks for yourself.

All I can hope is that the last Council meeting was a wake-up call to those whom we elected. We have serious issues that need resolution. Not even the Governor's Hubby can help with that!

W.ACT Legal Fund

I like the name that Chris Schnurr chose for his group: Windsor Association of Concerned Taxpayers.

I decided to play with the name a little bit and suggest that Chris use the acronym: W.ACT, pronounced WE ACT!

It is pretty clear that, to date, with relatively few people involved, terrific success has been achieved. Imagine forcing a Mayor who got almost 78% of the vote at the election less than a year ago and the Council to request a Provincial inquiry. Such action, the Ministry has said is "rare."

Doesn't this remind you of another citizens group in town, a grassroots group that became very powerful to the point that even the Windsor Star said that no politician could be elected in this area if the group opposed them. Of course, the group I'm talking about is STOPDRTP.

I had the honour of being General Counsel of that group and had the privilege of working with a very dedicated group of people whose objective was to achieve a result that made sense for the citizens of Windsor in the border crossing file.

I bring this up because I like the concept of starting a group similar to STOPDRTP that could act on behalf of the citizens when the need arises. The obvious example is the Windsor Utilities Commission fiasco. If ever there was a need for a strong and powerful group to be around to fight for taxpayers, it is now.

Can you imagine what a group like this would have done if it had existed around the time when the Mayor and Council pushed through an arena transaction that is making less and less sense every day.

One of the beauties of STOPDRTP was that it was able to achieve a lot without having very much money, contrary to the belief of many people. I would expect that the total amount of money that we raised was probably less than the amount that DRTP spent for a full page in the Windsor Star for one of its advertisements.

The group had the backing not only of citizens in South Windsor who resided along the rail corridor but also from citizens across the City. We also received some support from businesses who were negatively impacted by the proposed truck route. However, many businesses who were supportive nevertheless refused to do so publicly for fear of losing business to those who supported a DRTP solution.

If Chris can create the equivalent of a STOPDRTP, it will become the worst nightmare of some of those who are members of Council today.

Clearly, one of the first actions that W.ACT will have to decide to take is whether to bring an application under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act respecting a possible conflict of interest of the Mayor and several of the Councillors who sit as members of WUC and Enwin. In fact, the entire Council may be conflicted since all of them indirectly receive money from Boards that Councillors sit on it. The money received is divided equally amongst all Councillors.

That brings me to the question of who is going to pay the costs for carrying on such a lawsuit, costs that can easily run into the six-figure mark if the matter is hotly contested. While I'm sure that Chris is a very fine fellow, and would like to help out his fellow citizens, I'm also certain that it would be unfair to put a financial burden on someone who is acting on behalf of the vast majority of the citizens of Windsor.

Accordingly, I will discuss the idea with Chris of setting up a nonprofit corporation, such as STOPDRTP was, to be the organization that provides the structure for citizens. I will also discuss with him the idea of creating a Legal Fund into which citizens of Windsor can make contributions to support required lawsuits to protect the interests of citizens. My belief is that only in such a manner can an effective group be set up without jeopardizing the financial future of the individuals involved.

Of course, if we had an open and transparent Council, obviously none of this would be required. If the Chair of WUC did not attack personally a person who dared question what has gone on, none of this would be needed. If we had a Ministry who actually talked and listened to the people and MPPs who were sensitive to our wishes, then none of this would be necessary!

There is no doubt that there are many angry Windsorites who are now just receiving their water bills and finding out about the huge increases and asking what can be done about it. There is no doubt as well that there are many angry people in Windsor who are unhappy about the way this City is being run, especially in relation to such extravaganza as the Windsor Arena and the US $75 million proposed Tunnel deal. There are small matters that stick in one's craw at a time of restraint such as the payments for Super Bowl and for the Detroit Grand Prix. Finally, there is no doubt that a number of businesses are very upset about the way that the City is run and how much is being lost economically.

It is fine to mouth off about all the negatives that are taking place in the City and to demand that something be done. It is another thing however to put your money where your mouth is. Are Windsorites prepared to contribute money to a group that will fight on their behalf against a municipal government with unlimited taxpayer funds that already seems to be out of touch with its citizens?

I do not know the answer to that but it is something that W.ACT members need to discuss over the next few days.

One of the things that I am going to suggest if a Legal Fund is started is that donations can be made anonymously. I have found since starting to write this BLOG that many people are prepared to provide information and assistance but are afraid to do so publicly since it could hurt their interest. As an example, a contractor in town could make a contribution to the Legal Fund without anyone in the municipal government knowing about it and being able to cause the company severe financial distress when it applies to the City for a permit or a rezoning.

Let me know what you think, and quickly. The deadline for bringing a conflict of interest action is very soon, within weeks. Heck, forget telling me what you think and send a cheque. If W.ACT goes along with my suggestion, I'll let you know where you can send money!

How much should you contribute---how about contributing the equivalent of the amount of a water bill for one month. The symbolism should be obvious!

Why I Won't Vote For Sandra Pupatello

Lets get real. It won't really matter whether I vote for Sandra or not. Unless the sky falls (and it might over the WUC matter which I am told is the #1 Provincial election issue in Windsor believe it or not), Sandra is a shoo-in to be re-elected. By saying that, I mean no disrespect to those who are working so hard by running against her. It's a reality that they too have to live with.

She has probably done a decent job as an MPP for our area. She has failed totally on the border issue, but then again so has every other politician. But she has brought us some call-centre jobs (the Star and the CAW have ruined that now haven't they). We'll get our medical school and a new engineering complex that will help the future of the City. Heck, she helped get a few million dollars for the Henderson seal of approval East End arena project.

Of course, if the Liberals win she'll probably remain as a cabinet minister. If the Liberals lose, she may even have a chance to become Leader of the party assuming that Dwight does not beat her. If one therefore is practical, one should be voting for Sandra. Fortunately, I'm not practical when casting my vote.

I won't vote for Sandra because, to be direct, she is not deserving of my support. And she is not deserving of yours either.

I want a politician in power that has resolve and is not afraid. I want a politician who will fight for us and not back off or knuckle under for her own selfish interests. I want a politician who will do the right thing for us and not the politically expedient thing. I want a politician with guts and nerve who is not afraid to spit in the eye of someone who will dare try to harm her constituents.

Sandra fails miserably in not bringing high-paying jobs here because she, along with Dwight and Eddie, have wasted the $300 million BIF money which would have created over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. They also have prevented the Bridge Company from creating thousands of additional jobs with their Enhancement Project. Please tell me that she can do anything significant for us now when an out of town investor or industrialist looks at what is happening in Windsor and she is our MPP! Who would chance putting money into this City?

To be blunt, which business person is not looking to leave Windsor now. For heaven's sake, we cannot even get a garage built in Sandwich.

Even though it is obvious, and has always been so, that no one could beat Sandra, she was afraid. She was brutalized by the attacks by Henderson over her stand on the arena issue. After a Henderson column, there was the NDP asking questions at Queen's Park based on the Henderson column of the day. Remember what I wrote:

• "Have you ever seen our famous Star columnist stay on a topic for so long and go after a politician so hard the way that Gord is after Sandra Pupatello these days? Not even Mike Hurst received the wrath of Gord this long and hard continuously that I can remember. I am surprised that the feminist movement has not yet condemned Gord since hardly a word has been mentioned about her male cabinet colleague, Dwight Duncan. After all, Sandra is also Minister responsible for women's issues."

She was identified, and rightly so, as the weak link in Windsor for the Liberals and the one at risk. She got scared and the Liberals got scared as well that she might lose her seat. Sandra was the target. She knew it and Dalton knew it and they both caved in. After all, a seat is a seat is a seat when the alternative is losing power or a minority Government.

The deal was sealed when Eddie supported Sandra by letter at her nomination meeting. He did not have the guts to be there in person so the deal could be sealed publicly. Instead, a stealth way to do so. Eddie probably hoped that no one would pick up on the fact that he sent a letter of support but he misjudged on that. The only question remaining was what the terms of the deal were.

We're starting to learn what some of the terms are now. Take today's Star:

• "Provincial study urged of twin span
  Dave Battagello, Windsor Star
  
  Mayor Eddie Francis says he is concerned the provincial government has not responded to a city request to conduct an environmental assessment of the proposed twinning of the Ambassador Bridge...
  
  "Despite the city's repeated requests there will be no requirement under the federal process for an examination of the impact on access roads to the new bridge," Francis said in a Sept. 4 letter to MPP and cabinet minister Sandra Pupatello (L -- Windsor West)...
  
  "Minister, your government can do something extremely important about this project to protect the citizens of Windsor -- ensure the Ambassador Bridge Enhancement Project is subject to a full and proper environmental assessment," said Francis in the letter...
  
  Pupatello said Wednesday she agrees the province should conduct an environmental assessment.
  
  "It strikes me we do have a provincial responsibility here. Clearly, it would be one of the first priorities when we hopefully get back after Oct. 10," the provincial election.
  
  "It would be hard to argue not doing it because a bridge does end up on our roads. We already see the impact of that. It stands to reason it's something serious enough we need to be looking at."
  
  Pupatello said she spoke to the environment minister about the need for a provincial assessment at a cabinet meeting about three weeks ago."

Did you notice, a letter was NOT sent to Dwight. Why embarrass him or put him on the spot!Eddie made the same request to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Environment Minister Laurel Broten. What is Eddie's deal with Dwight? We ought to be told.

It is not as if Sandra really cares about the border. Go to her election website and I defy you to find an "issue" dealing with it. Use her "search" too and insert the word "border." http://www.votepupatello.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=14&Itemid=40

What a stupid move on Pupatello's part. Vote for me and maybe we'll do something after I am re-elected. How can anyone even take her comment seriously? It was just like Dwight's $500m gong show comment which he was forced to retract after he was made to look like a fool and which has not been brought back for this election campaign. If the DRIC road is built to the Ambassador Bridge, as it will be, then there is no need for a study of trucks on Huron Church Road. Sandra knows that.

A fundamental flaw in all of this, as again repeated by the Mayor, is that traffic will increase because the enhanced bridge will be built. It will "double the capacity of their bridge." Not even DRIC beleives that traffic will double any more with traffic tanking everywhere. Eddie need only look to his Tunnel for proof. But he prefers to ignore reality.

The Mayor conveniently overlooks the fact that the purpose of the project is to replace an old bridge. Even the world's expert traffic guru, his expert Gridlock Sam, says an old bridge could be a problem!

It is the new DRIC bridge that is supposed to be built for increased capacity, which everyone by now recognizes is not here, and not the enhanced bridge. If the Feds won't do an environmental assessment, then what gives the right to the Province to do so? After all, the matter constitutionally is a federal one since it deals with a bridge.

But we all know that Eddie's purpose is threefold: stall, stall, stall! And Sandra is right there with the Star story to help as his accomplice.

Sandra buckling under is depriving the community of thousands of jobs just so that she can be reelected. What a disgrace for a politician who should never have been worried about her reelection in the first place. And she expects me and others to vote for her. Not a chance!

I'm also very concerned about the WUC matter. We know that Sandra and Dwight talked to the Minister of Municipal Affairs but we don't know what they talked about. Should we be suspicious about what was said. I am now and especially after Dwight's smear job on Chris Schnurr.

Didn't Dwight say:

• "Unlike Mr. Schnurr and his Conservative friends, we don’t believe the provincial government should just go in for the purposes of beating up municipalities. They’re elected officials at the municipal level, ah, by unanimous resolution, they have as I understand it, they’ve asked us and we’ve complied with their request."

In other words, Dwight prefers to protect the municipality and its elected officials rather than the taxpayers. He would prefer to ignore the complaints that the City Motion may not be proper. He would prefer to ignore that the Ministry investigation may also be improper. He would prefer, it seems, to have a limited audit rather than a full financial, business and operational audit as the people want.

Is this Sandra's position as well? She has been conspicuous by her silence although her Conservative opponent has just issued a press release attacking her position on this matter.

It turns my stomach, but maybe this is how politics is played in Windsor. I can hardly wait to see what the remaining terms of the Eddie/Sandra deal are. And the Dwight/Eddie one too! It should be quite enlightening. And I do not mean with the energy-efficient bulbs being handed out with Eddie's involvement. What an election goodie that is. Where's the Opposition?

So Sandra will win and she will win big time again. She'll be happy, Dalton will be happy and Eddie will be happy. As for her vote totals, they will be one less than they might have been. If you think that makes me happy, it doesn't.

Because I cry for Windsor!

Could Dwight And Sandra Lose

Has the energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb gone on yet in the mind of Dwight Duncan's campaign manager? Have Sandra's people figured out yet that Dwight has put her at risk?

Can his campaign team be that stupid or that arrogant? Does Dwight think he is invincible and that he can never lose an election? Has he just made the Windsor Utilities Commission matter an election issue in the provincial campaign in his riding and perhaps also in the riding of his colleague, Sandra. Has he potentially cost both of them the election?

His absurd comment on CKLW smearing Chris Schnurr is ridiculous and has just made him Public Enemy #2 in the minds of many, right behind Junior!

• "News reader: Duncan meantime is backing an audit of the Windsor Utilities Commission by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. That despite a call by a local group for a full-scale inquiry by the Auditor General. Chris Schnurr and his Association of Concerned Taxpayers made the request on Monday, but Duncan questions his motives..
  
  Duncan: “Unlike Mr. Schnurr and his Conservative friends, we don’t believe the provincial government should just go in for the purposes of beating up municipalities."

It is a very telling comment to me that Dwight is standing up for the municipal government and not the municipal taxpayers. Don't worry we'll find out the reason for it right after the election.

If the Opposition parties and the media pick up on this issue, it could be a brutal few weeks for Sandra and Dwight. We know that Sandra and Dwight have spoken to the Minister of Municipal Affairs but we do NOT know what they talked about do we? What are they hiding? Are they protecting someone?

I guess that Dwight believes that using Ontario government money during the weeks leading up to the election by distributing lightbulbs will do him a lot of good as people struggle to pay their water and sewer charges. Didn't you know that switching to one energy efficient bulb could save a user $50 over 5 years? We'll need all of those savings as we stay up late at night trying to figure out the Enwin and WUC bills. And just wait until smart metering comes in. Will be saving money all the way to the poor house!

Beating up on municipalities! Has Dwight lost it? Can he be serious?

One would have thought that Dwight, at an election time, would embrace any pro-democratic movement in the City of Windsor given the harsh indictment by the Windsor taxpayers of the Mayor and Council. Instead he follows the lead of Junior and attacks the leader of W.ACT, Chris Schurr, who wants nothing else other than a full financial, business and operational audit of the Commission.

This reminds me of what the City/WUC tried to do: meeting with the public, white board presentation, exculpatory statements. Until it all blew up in their faces. The smear tactic could blow up in Duncan's face very quickly just as it did with Bill Marra during the first election campaign against Eddie Francis when his negative radio ad annoyed people.

Dwight and Sandra's campaign managers better understand that this is a small town. Things happen very quickly here such as the public reaction when city Council flip-flopped on DRTP North, when the public thought that Project Ice Track was moving to Tecumseh and the WUC matter.

They better remember that Eddie had almost 78% of the votes when he was elected Mayor in November. In less than a year, the public has expressed their negative view of his Administration by their demand for an outside Auditor General value for money investigation. In the Angus Reid poll, although it is unscientific, Eddie's approval rating is under 40%!

Will Sandra and Dwight lose? Not likely. However, if there is a swing away from the Liberals and if the issue is credibility and ethics, unless Dwight and Sandra put this issue to bed immediately by supporting the people of Windsor, the election could well be anyone's race. Perhaps the no-names have a chance after all notwithstanding Gord Henderson's column.

If the light bulb works, Dwight had better run not walk and apologize to Schnurr!

One final thought Windsorites had better pray that the Liberals win the election. With Eddie's close connections to the Liberal Party, after all he supported Sandra didn't he at her nomination meeting, if John Tory wins we are in serious trouble in Windsor.

I am sure that you are certain that Eddie is very smart politically and that he has made a calculated assessment and is positive that Dalton will win. Yup, he was also positive that Kwame would lose too.

PS. As I predicted, the Opposition is starting to pick up on this story. Check out the website of Lisa Lumley the Progressive Conservative candidate in Sandra Pupatello's riding of Windsor West. Check out the press release that was issued by her campaign team. http://www.lisalumley.ca/press/Sept_19_07.html

I liked this line in the press release that I thought was clever:

• "I want answers for Windsorites from the Auditor General and Sandra Pupatello is comfortable with an 86% tax hike."

Health Alert: SMEARITIS Pandemic

The Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta has issued an alert to US Customs at the Windsor/Detroit border crossings to turn back any person living in Ward 4 in Windsor and in the Provincial riding of Windsor-Tecumseh.

If the person lives in both areas, then a Hazmat team must be called out immediately because they may be carrying a contagious disease called SMEARITIS.

Apparently, health investigators have tracked the disease to drinking water produced by the Windsor Utilitites Commission, some of whose business operations are conducted by Enwin. Its symptoms are quite serious. It allows politicians to mouth off and to speak gibberish without using their brains.

They believe that SMEARITIS may be a variation of the well-known FOOT-IN-MOUTH disease

It has impacted negatively already two prominent politicians in Windsor, WUC Chair and City Councillor Ken Lewenza Jr. and MPP and Minister of Energy Dwight Duncan. The Ontario Energy Board that regulates Enwin reports on administrative matters to the Ontario legislature through the Minister of Energy.

The CDC gave as an example their comments on the WUC matter and W.ACT's founder:

• Lewenza: "The reality is he [Chris Schnurr] ran for city council last term and was unsuccessful and certainly he would like to carry this issue as long as he possibly can." According to Melanie Deveau, he said that Chris Schnurr is "irrelevant" and Bloggers have "no credibility."


• Duncan on CKLW: "Duncan meantime is backing an audit of the Windsor Utilities Commission by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. That despite a call by a local group for a full-scale inquiry by the Auditor General. Chris Schnurr and his Association of Concerned Taxpayers made the request on Monday, but Duncan questions his motives.
  
  Duncan: “Unlike Mr. Schnurr and his Conservative friends, we don’t believe the provincial government should just go in for the purposes of beating up municipalities. They’re elected officials at the municipal level, ah, by unanimous resolution, they have as I understand it, they’ve asked us and we’ve complied with their request.”
  
  Duncan says the Auditor General has endorsed an audit by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs."

It will be interesting to hear what Windsor's other MPP and Cabinet Minister has to say about this subject and whether she too will try and smear Schnurr.

The WUC matter is growing and growing in scope. I wonder how W.ACT will react. If I know the people involved, W.ACT already has a master plan to cover every eventuality, smears being an obvious contingency!

The Provincial election may become interesting after all in Windsor if the Opposition parties can figure out how to use what is being said.