Labouring Under Fiscal Responsibility Myths

As a dedicated reader of this Blogsite, I am sure that you understood the real reason for the Henderson column on the Windsor District Labour Council "A Spent force."

It really had nothing to do with Councillors Gignac and Brister (and Halberstadt and Valentinis).

Oh sure Gord had to boost Councillor Budget's re-election bid since his re-election may be in doubt now since his Wardmate announced she was not running for Council again. Clearly all of the Ward 1 candidates will be targetting the former Chair of STOPDRTP and his lack of action and visibility over the last three years on the border file. And Gord had to help out the other three "fiscally responsible" Councillors from what are going to be tough fights against rumoured candidates.

WhatI found truly hilarious though about Gord's support of Brister was the excerpt I found from a Henderson column a year ago:

• "Brister...sees "a number of big-dollar issues on the horizon that lead me to believe we should not be proceeding this way ["pour tax dollars into an arena]. I don't think we need to be spending more tax dollars on bricks and mortar at this point. In my opinion, we're going to need those funds."
  
  The budget chairman said he cannot provide any details but there are major issues pending involving the Windsor-Detroit tunnel and Enwin that will consume "a significant amount of taxpayer resources."
  
  

And Gord was "And damn anxious to know what misery is coming at Enwin and the tunnel." Of course, if his Councillor buddy and Mayor friend have let him know, he, and they, have chosen not to share the secrets with us. Sure Councillor salaries increased dramatically since they had to attend so many extra meetings to solve the problems but why tell taxpayers in an election year!

But I am sure that you read between the lines and understood that this was another "Re-elect Eddie for Mayor" piece. After all, the Mayor did not receive Labour endorsement last time around and the column suggests that he may not get it this time either notwithstanding his good friend Junior being on City Council. So we learn that Labour endorsement is no big deal.

We heard the financial myths again---the incorrect debt number (only about $200 million short), the failure to add in the $50 million or so of new debt to be added in 2007, the election year budget holding the line on taxes. I wonder how many times those fairy tales can be told.

Then there was the required Bill Marra attack if he dares to run for Mayor "That was amply demonstrated in the 2003 mayoral race when Bill Marra, who said he was "humbled" by a labour council endorsement, got humbled further in losing every ward, including his own, while being whipped by Eddie Francis." Gord knows better than most that if Bill can convince only 4% of Eddie's supporters to switch sides, Marra will be the new Mayor. After all Eddie only received 53% of the vote in his "landslide." Now that he has a record, not even a Windsor Star endorsement can help Eddie if he has a credible opponent.

I particularly enjoyed the last two paragraphs of the column because it points out how Eddie will try and deflect the blame for the economic melt-down in Windsor. He tried the "It's not my fault that immigrants move here and cannot get a job" line that was an insult. So if you are not going to get their support anyway, blame our economic decline on Labour:

• "In pushing to get rid of Windsor's most effective councillors and crank open the spending taps, the labour council is perpetuating stereotypes about a militant union-dominated city that's stuck in the past and hostile to investors.
  
  It's their call. But it's a dumb, shortsighted message to send from a city with a high jobless rate, a city that's been bypassed by the economic boom most of Canada is enjoying."
  
  

Quite a slap to Buzz and Ken Senior who backed Eddie on Schwartz don't you think!

Oh this election will be so much fun when Labour this time around sends out the bodies to actually help Marra and several others beat incumbents!