The Star's A-Musing Editorial

If there is one thing that I hope you have learned from reading my BLOG, it is that the Windsor Star is a very political newspaper.

When you read a story or see where a story or photo is positioned on a page and which page or what an Editorial says, especially when it is about a controversial matter, you must not only read what is written but you have to think why the Star did what it did. It's hardly unusual for a paper to be political but in a one newspaper town, the reader has to be on guard.

Let me give you an example. The Star's Saturday Editorial "Postma's Musings." That was a pretty strong attack on a Councillor who is only doing her job ie keep the arena in her Ward. The arena was to be in the area where the City has spent so much money so far buying land and which arena was to have been the focus of an urban village to re-vitalize her Ward. What else do you expect her to do?

So being suspicious, you have to ask what is going on. There has to be more to it than just a slap at Caroline. Here is what it includes.

The word "musings" gave it away. Who but the Blogmeister in my profile at the top right of the page uses the word "musings" about what I am doing. When Veronique Mandal interviewed me, her opening words talked about my "musings." I was expected to understand that part of the Editorial was directed at me.

No, I do not have a swelled head thinking I am self-important, but let me tell you more. City Hall is furious these days. It is leaking like a sieve. Everything is getting out and certain people are upset about that. Remember I was the one who first talked about Riverside Arena ("Arena Update") and about the $12M and $15M for a new arena (Rumour #3 "City Hall Meltdown)

Here is what Gord Henderson wrote the other day: "I'm told fallback plans are being cobbled together for a twinned Riverside Arena at a new location that could service minor hockey as well as the Spits."

Here is what Roseann Danese wrote:

• "There are a lot of different ideas floating out there," Mayor Eddie Francis said Thursday.
  
  One involves combining the $12 million needed for a new minor hockey pad to replace the aging Riverside Arena with the $15 million that has been set aside for a multi-purpose arena to house the Windsor Spitfires.
  
  The city's capital budget committee has allocated $12 million for a new Riverside arena because the alternative is to spend $1 million this year on immediate repairs and millions more in the years to come. Francis said the repairs required at Riverside can no longer be deferred and a combined facility is "one of the possibilities."
  
  The other involves building a complex somewhere in the far east end of the city, or even within the town of Tecumseh, to serve both municipalities."
  

So my sources were quite accurate and that annoyed some people that I spilled the beans before they were ready. But there is more.

Obviously, "amalgamation" of the City and County is going to be an election issue as I predicted...the Star has written several editorials about "regional co-operation." Poor Councillor Postma knocked that when she talked about the "Windsor-Tecumseh Spitfires."

And certain people are desperate for an arena, any arena, any place. Why the Mayor is so desperate, he started talking about a 25,000 seat stadium for a CFL franchise. I already told you why sites in Ward 5, Eddie's stronghold, have been selected to get Councillors Gignac and Wilson onside. It will be the BIG issue in the next election campaign too.

But there is more. Haven't Councillors Postma and Jones been doing their jobs re the border? They have been talking with the DRIC people to preserve Sandwich. Some on Council don't like that I am afraid and they have been attacked in camera about it. So just like when they both complained about the secrecy around the arena, Beztak was run out of town. So here is another shot at Caroline to keep the Ward Councillors from breaking ranks!

And there is even more. It appears that I am not too well-liked these days at City Hall. I am not at the top of the favoured "leakee" list it seems. My gossipy inside sources have said that a number of people at City Hall have been told that it is not a good idea to talk to me. Don't you find that hilarious...but then again, it must be the "Power of the Blog" that scares people.

I am still not finished. There may be more about an East end arena.....However I will save it for another time after I check out some additional facts.