The Eureka Moment

I read the Star Editorial the other day about the border: "The border: Where do the ministers stand?" I was wondering what the border debate would have been like with Bill Marra as Mayor.

I was pretty sure that we would not have had the "snub." That is not Bill's style as a consensus builder. Moreover, he would not have intervened just before the Detroit mayoral election to attack the Detroit Mayor's position. Windsor still would have "friends" in other words even if there were disagreements.

We would be in the same position re the DRIC study alternatives. We probably would be fighting over a tunnel with the Senior Levels I thought. However, the fight would have started much earlier, not 2 years after election of the new Council and almost 10 months after Schwartz presented his Report. In fact, the road issue might already have been solved too in principle although exact routing was still to be determined. Windsor still would be at the table being listened to by the Senior Levels.

As I have stated before, Bill was the one who first introduced the "tunnel" concept during the last election campaign. [BLOG March 16, 2006 What's Yours Is Mine]. Bill said in a Star story 18 months before the Mayor started to promote a tunnel:

• "It's doable," says former councillor and mayoral candidate Bill Marra. "Going underground is not a new concept. It's being done time and time again, especially in Europe. My family is from Switzerland and they go through mountains there.
  
  "This potentially could be a 100-year solution for Windsor if they do it correctly --not just 30 or 40 years. It's the smart way to go for this community and the environment."
  
  

Then I had my Eureka moment-- the E-machine was desperate that Marra would run for Mayor. Many people think he will. Eddie had failed on the border. How to pretend he was doing something and undercut Bill if he decided to run

Eureka---take Bill's position on the tunnel as yours.

That's exactly what Eddie did with the urban village and the Youth Council as other examples!

Eureka--out of the blue a solution to a problem! Apparently there is a scientific explanation for this too according to an Austalian paper:

• "brain researchers have discovered that this "Aha! experience" - when the answer to a problem seems to pop out of thin air - involves a special kind of brain activity...
  
  people who had Eureka moments often said they had been making little progress on a problem before suddenly seeing a connection that had eluded them.
  
  "This is the nature of many insights - the recognition of new connections across existing knowledge."

It all came together. I read the Windsor Star Editorial where it scolded Sandra and Dwight as our Provincial Liberal Cabinet Ministers and suggested that they "resign their comfy cabinet seats and come on home if they are not prepared to lobby aggressively and publicly for an expedited border crossing that doesn't lower the quality of life for their constituents."

Their crime: "Duncan and Pupatello hid behind the Detroit River International Crossing process, insisting they didn't want to taint the process by taking a position on behalf of their constituents."

This was nothing new; what was the big deal. Politicians have been hiding behind DRIC for a long time. There just seemed to be a different tone in the Editorial, almost one of desperation.

Perhaps Eddie needed something before his May 1 State of the City speech to wow the locals...Hmmmmm I got it: the Provincial Liberals caving in to Eddie and paying millions for an Environmental Assessment for the lands west of Huron Church Road. The Star praises the Liberals, and says it is due to Eddie and everyone is happy at the Cleary.

This whole tunnelling support by the Star bothered me. Who after all was one of the supporters of the DRTP concept until STOPDRTP stopped them cold. The Star. Here is what some of their editorials said:

• The border; Keeping perspective 12-28-2002
  
  Before the federal-provincial study was completed, we argued that the DRTP proposal represented the best way to deal with the problems of congestion and tie-ups in a reasonable time frame. It would increase competition, increase capacity and, with the new train tunnel, it would make rail more competitive -- something that should take some trucks off 401.
  
  Border fix; Ontario's plan has merit 04-19-2003
  
  Last fall,we argued that the DRTP TradeWay proposal for a third border crossing represented the best way to deal with border tie-ups and begin planning for the future. We still believe that's true.
  
  The border; 'Gateway' a workable plan 05-29-2003
  
  The federal-provincial proposal is also an important step forward because it opens the door for another crossing relatively quickly. With the creation of a truck route along E.C. Row, the northern portion of the DRTP TradeWay proposal becomes the logical third crossing.
  
  Within a few years, DRTP can route trucks off E.C. Row north to its proposed route under the river."

Then the Star got the message with the "enhanced" DRTP and changed its tact:

• The border; Council and the solution; 01-17-2004
  
  "What hasn't been discussed is the possibility of either enclosing the original DRTP route or routing it through a tunnel. If the route is enclosed, diesel fumes could be vented and scrubbed, significantly reducing the city's truck pollution.
  
  Perhaps this would involve costs over the $300 million promised by Ottawa and Queen's Park. But the border is so critical to the provincial and federal economies that an enhanced DRTP proposal must be considered.
  
  A revised DRTP proposal has the potential to offer the solution the city needs -- competition, a third crossing, a way to address environmental concerns and a way to get trucks off city streets. "
  
  

Not a word back then about the need for a tunnel beside the major shopping district in Windsor, schools and thousands of homes caused by the intrusive DRTP until about a year after its support of DRTP. Now, crocodile tears for residents along Talbot Road, the corridor to the bridge for over 75 years, rather than support for residents who did not live beside a highway. What a transformation. Just like the Mayor who was very silent about a tunnel until late December, 2005, about a year after the Schwartz Report was introduced in January 2005, even though the word was mentioned a few times in the Report.

The Star realizes better than most that Eddie has no hope in getting anything done on his own about the border. He has no friends now on either side of the river since it has become absolutely clear that his sitting on $300 million of BIF money rather than fixing the road to the border is a major cause of the border problems. The only way that someone can help him is if the Provincial Liberals do a favour for him. It does not really matter what the favour is as long as Eddie can claim it as a further step to whatever and that he was the one who achieved it. Thus the pressure on Sandra and Dwight to act.

The tunnel--nothing more than to hide the fact that, as Mayor, Eddie gambled and lost badly on Schwartz and failed to take into his confidence the people of Windsor who elected him. Not until the Tecumseh meeting did the public really have a chance to speak for the first time on the border issue.

Alan McKinnon spoke for most of us and the applause he received confirmed the anger directed to the Mayor and Council for their secrecy and lack of action. Councillor Zuk felt the "hostility" but I am still not sure if she understands why.

Why would Council want an EA? Clearly so the Mayor and Council can refuse to say anything until after the election since it is a matter in process and they would not want to "taint the process by taking a position." Just like Dwight and Sandra on DRIC!

The "tunnel" program was designed to help Eddie appear decisive and strong after the scare-mongering letters and Tecumseh presentation. More importantly, it was designed take away what the E-machine strategists think will be a major part of Marra's election platform on the border.

Eureka--I got it!