It was Eddie's To Lose

“Payback is sweet, and deep down satisfying if you are administering it.” I bet that’s how David Cassivi feels today.

I admit it, I missed the message David conveyed a few weeks ago but I got it loud and clear when I read the Star this morning. David in relation to the arena said:

• “Coun. David Cassivi is dismayed council is even considering a new option of a four-pad arena when the Windsor Raceway proposal isn't dead.
  
  "We tend to lose our focus," Cassivi said. "This is why we still don't have a (new) arena after 25 years."
  
  Cassivi said the city never met with Windsor Raceway and its partner, the Jebb Group, to see if a deal could be restructured.”
  
  

Now David is not a foolish man. Sure he thinks a Gretzky connected deal makes sense but with the Raceway throwing in the towel and Millson leaving, the chances of a Raceway arena are slim to none. So there has to be more to it than that. And there is. Let me try and explain.

As I have said before, “David Cassivi is an honourable man. He is an experienced politician who serves Windsor well.” He is known to be close to the Mayor of the City, no matter who he/she is and is portrayed as a “loyal soldier” to the person in charge (as if that is a fault sometimes).

David was hurt badly when he was “trashed” by the Star. It was totally uncalled for. But in my opinion, what he was really hurt by was the Mayor not sticking up for him and defending him. After all, he took several of the trips on behalf of the Mayor. Why couldn’t the Mayor have been loyal in return?

I think David finally understood what he instinctively knew but refused to admit to himself at the beginning. He knew what this was all about and got angry. The last thing a young Mayor should do is have the experienced Senator get mad at him! David understood that it was he who was being fingered to be sacrificed to lose his Council seat and he was NOT going to allow that to happen.

How then does one teach the Mayor a lesson? It was Eddie’s bud, Gord Henderson, who gave him the means to do so. As I pointed out before:

• “Eddie has figured out that the arena is fundamental to his re-election. It's not that he really wants one but he said that he could get us one in order to be elected in the first place. It's an easy issue for a voter to decide upon unlike the border that is so complicated. Either the arena is built or it is not. He chased Beztak out of town, used the Raceway and Jebb groups to buy time and now has to do something or at least appear to do so.”
  

As Gord Henderson wrote:

"Now or never. And if it's now, what a coup that would be for city politicians in an election year."

He really meant Eddie but it was his way of saying that Councillors better come onside too. What Gord did though is give David and the other anti-Eddie Councillors on Council the easy way to make sure that Eddie is a one-term wonder: vote against an arena.

The Star headline writer must be a Bill Marra supporter. Can you believe today’s headline about the arena: Four-pad complex may doom small arenas.

Now to salvage Eddie’s career another new idea out of the blue, a 4 pad arena which means that neighbourhood arenas around the City will close down so that the parents have to drag their kids all over town! That won’t play very well.

We already know that the gossip at City Hall is to put the new Arena/ice-pad structure near the recently sold Lear plant. We should have a rough idea as to costs. (After all, Fulvio could tell Beztac what the costs were when they were chased out of town!) I just cannot see spending money for an East End arena (to get Gignac onside) when for a much lower cost, we can refurbish the Barn, give Riverside a twinpad and fix up the West End facilities too. (Notice that A.D. Knox was barely mentioned or else Councillors Postma and Jones would have gone ballistic!) Why wouldn't we keep an arena downtown when the new road plans at the Tunnel make it so convenient for tourists. Didn't we just see what a downtown stadium did for Detroit during Super Bowl.

Oh the decision was put off for a month so that Administration can do its report, so that Councillors’ arms can be twisted and so people can forget about the local arenas closing.

What has this all got to do with David you must be wondering? In trying to predict what Council will do, my reading is that the vote now is 5-4 against building a new arena or even the 4-pad hybrid that someone dreamed up in the last second. Who is the deciding vote and he knows it: David Cassivi.

Will David vote for a new arena---NO!

Will David vote against a new arena---NO!

David will vote to “follow process,” as the Mayor so much likes to do. He will vote to go back to the Raceway to talk to them. In this very business-like and proper manner, David gets his revenge.

When David voted against Hurst on the border in March 2003, we knew Mike’s career was over as mayor. Effectively, David cast his vote against Eddie in March, 2006 on the arena. Eddie’s mayoral career is now over too!

Never cross a Windsor Senator. It can be painful. When I see David, I’ll buy him an Apple Martini because it is sweet and satisfying too!