Bits and Pieces

TOP HAT CLUB SITE

Councillor Joyce Zuk, in answering a question about that site from John Fairley on Face-To-Face, said that it was not available at the time for the bus terminal site when the City was looking. So I wondered what it could be used for now since the Club had closed.

I had a brilliant idea. I thought that it would be a great location for the Burger King restaurant! Their present location must have suffered after 9/11 and clearly it will be expropriated when the Tunnel plaza is built.

So why doesn't the City expropriate (or buy) the existing Burger King site, move Burger King over [Similar precedents have been set in other expropriations] and then Burger King could use the cash to buy and build at the Top Hat site. All one neat package!

Canderel Building

Not only is the City paying out good money for the two floors but it seems to be totally unsucessful in getting anyone to lease out the space. To induce real estate agents to show potential tenants the space and to rent it out, Administration is suggesting that the real estate agent commission be raised to a possible $105,000 or about twice what it was before.

Vacancy rate in Downtown Windsor

Administration estimates office space vacancy rate at between 30-35%

Buskers and Brister

I knew it would be too good to last. Councillor Brister would voted against the Buskers again. For Councillor Budget, it seems that "Pocketbook benefits... through increased tourism" should only be examined for those projects that Gord Henderson approves first.

Secrecy and In Camera at Council

A report about those subjects was on the agenda last week. Ironically, the Star reported the next day that in 2004, Council approved "behind closed doors" a pay equity plan that may now cost the City $7 million. Also "behind closed doors," Council directed Administration to negotiate with St. Clair College on a Cleary deal.

Pay Equity

It must be getting closer to election time. How else to explain the actions of five "courageous" Councillors who "refused to endorse a status report on pay equity." Note also the Mayor did not break the tie to support them. Presumably, he knew he could not since it made no sense from a legal perspective.

All they did was defer the matter for a week to allow them to make some fearless quotes to make themselves look good. If they were so concerned about this where was the Group of Five a year ago. If they had wanted, they should have told Counsel to appeal the decision then and not granstand now.

I guess posturing over finances is better for their election brochures

MFP $68 million loss

Has Council received yet a legal opinion about how to recover some or all of this loss or has it decided that taxpayers can afford it? Has Councillor Lewenza done the math to determine how much this represents per household per year?

Medical Assistance required

According to the Toronto Star, the OMA is saying that "Ontario has become much worse since it first warned the doctor shortage problem represented a "looming crisis" in 1999. The year 2005 finds the province in the midst of a deepening physician resources crisis...Family medicine in particular has deteriorated into a dying specialty and requires urgent resuscitation."

It is clearly worse in this part of the Province. Council must take action on our behalf to allow foreign trained doctors to be admitted immediately into Ontatio. Even with more doctors being admitted into medical school, it will take years before they graduate.

At the least admit them as "physician assistants" and don't pay them as doctors if the issue is really one of money.

Take a look at my previous blog, "Is There A Doctor In The House?" for the Emergency Resolution that I believe Council must pass and on which it must take immediate action.

For Tunnel Lovers

Interesting numbers about the Chunnel. It seems the story is like the Big Dig in Boston.

From The Times: "The tunnel was meant to open in 1993 at a cost of £5 billion. In fact it limped into operation with a limited service in 1994 at £12 billion, and in its first year of operation lost £900m. Eurotunnel, the Anglo-French operating company, owes more than £6 billion.

Election Day, November 13, 2006

Will the 13th be unlucky for the Mayor and certain Councillors?