Sure-thing Bet
The Raceway Arena is dead!
The lesson to be learned, being smart in business does not necessarily make you smart in politics.
Whoever has been advising the Toldo and Rosati families should be looking for a new job. Imagine going public before the Mayor permitted it to let the public in on their arena plans at the Raceway. Why even Gord Henderson seemed to like the concept, at first at least. Then the ultimate sin...issuing a press release on Monday to "clarify" what the Mayor said in the Star on Saturday.
What a nerve!
Even hinting that Eddie has made a mistake is fatal. He is the Teflon Mayor after all. All good things are due to his efforts. Mistakes are made by Council, not by him.
Look how Eddie attacked CPOW's Alan MacKinnon at the Tecumseh Council meeting. Why Perry Mason could not have cross-examined a witness better. And the Shock and Awe attack on the Labour Council and the vicious smashes against Bill Marra even before he annouced he was running...just more examples.
The Families released a press release on Monday---so what...who knew, who got a copy. But there is a Star story in which Eddie points out their mistakes. He never makes mistakes and we all have to know it just in case someone actually saw a copy of that release.
I am being somewhat facetious. Since these families ARE smart, there has to be more to it. And I am sure there is. They are going public, in my opinion, to try and circumvent the Mayor. It has been made clear to them I am sure that there are so many issues that their proposal will never get in front of Council in a timely fashion. For the Jebb group, I will guess what is being done to them by this Administration is deja vu! So how to raise the stakes---go public! That to me was a sign of absolute desperation on their part. What did they have to lose?
So they will get their Council meeting on Thursday but there will be no decision. More information will be required. Administration will be directed to meet with them. Eddie has already signalled that in the Star story. When in doubt, administrate!
In the end though, the Toldos and Rosatis have no chance.
Why not you might ask. I watched a story about their proposal on A-Channel news last night. The more I listened, the more I knew they were done. Their complex is to be a Sports and Entertainment Destination. There will be entertainment facilities there, a Gretzky restaurant, Sports Hall of Fame, and hockey to draw people and keep them there. Obviously though, the main reason for all of this is gambling. SLOTS---That's how they are going to make the real money.
So who then has become their competition? Eddie's favourite: the Casino!
Do you honestly believe that the Mayor is going to allow anyone to compete with the Casino after they are going to spend $400 million here. More importantly, it is the Casino and the shift of the downtown eastward that is key to his vision of the re-birth of Windsor's downtown, not the Urban village (That is Bill Marra's idea for heaven's sake!). The old downtown is being destroyed as the new one is being created. And the ultimate irony, the DWBIA is running multi-page ads supporting the actions of the Mayor who is putting them all out of business!
The Raceway arena proposal had its purpose. Its leaked concept initially helped chase Beztak out of town. The exclusivity period for negotiations bought time. Adminsitration questions made life difficult. The end of the Barn refurbishment and the out-of-the-blue East End megacomplex pointed to the ultimate Council choice. Even the St. Clair deal had a use. Their Cleary transaction means there is no downtown alternative to the Casino arena for conventions, even small ones.
No wonder the Toldos and Rosatis went public. But do not bet on them winning the horserace.
The lesson to be learned, being smart in business does not necessarily make you smart in politics.
Whoever has been advising the Toldo and Rosati families should be looking for a new job. Imagine going public before the Mayor permitted it to let the public in on their arena plans at the Raceway. Why even Gord Henderson seemed to like the concept, at first at least. Then the ultimate sin...issuing a press release on Monday to "clarify" what the Mayor said in the Star on Saturday.
What a nerve!
Even hinting that Eddie has made a mistake is fatal. He is the Teflon Mayor after all. All good things are due to his efforts. Mistakes are made by Council, not by him.
Look how Eddie attacked CPOW's Alan MacKinnon at the Tecumseh Council meeting. Why Perry Mason could not have cross-examined a witness better. And the Shock and Awe attack on the Labour Council and the vicious smashes against Bill Marra even before he annouced he was running...just more examples.
The Families released a press release on Monday---so what...who knew, who got a copy. But there is a Star story in which Eddie points out their mistakes. He never makes mistakes and we all have to know it just in case someone actually saw a copy of that release.
I am being somewhat facetious. Since these families ARE smart, there has to be more to it. And I am sure there is. They are going public, in my opinion, to try and circumvent the Mayor. It has been made clear to them I am sure that there are so many issues that their proposal will never get in front of Council in a timely fashion. For the Jebb group, I will guess what is being done to them by this Administration is deja vu! So how to raise the stakes---go public! That to me was a sign of absolute desperation on their part. What did they have to lose?
So they will get their Council meeting on Thursday but there will be no decision. More information will be required. Administration will be directed to meet with them. Eddie has already signalled that in the Star story. When in doubt, administrate!
In the end though, the Toldos and Rosatis have no chance.
Why not you might ask. I watched a story about their proposal on A-Channel news last night. The more I listened, the more I knew they were done. Their complex is to be a Sports and Entertainment Destination. There will be entertainment facilities there, a Gretzky restaurant, Sports Hall of Fame, and hockey to draw people and keep them there. Obviously though, the main reason for all of this is gambling. SLOTS---That's how they are going to make the real money.
So who then has become their competition? Eddie's favourite: the Casino!
Do you honestly believe that the Mayor is going to allow anyone to compete with the Casino after they are going to spend $400 million here. More importantly, it is the Casino and the shift of the downtown eastward that is key to his vision of the re-birth of Windsor's downtown, not the Urban village (That is Bill Marra's idea for heaven's sake!). The old downtown is being destroyed as the new one is being created. And the ultimate irony, the DWBIA is running multi-page ads supporting the actions of the Mayor who is putting them all out of business!
The Raceway arena proposal had its purpose. Its leaked concept initially helped chase Beztak out of town. The exclusivity period for negotiations bought time. Adminsitration questions made life difficult. The end of the Barn refurbishment and the out-of-the-blue East End megacomplex pointed to the ultimate Council choice. Even the St. Clair deal had a use. Their Cleary transaction means there is no downtown alternative to the Casino arena for conventions, even small ones.
No wonder the Toldos and Rosatis went public. But do not bet on them winning the horserace.
UPDATE: Obviously, Eddie has felt the heat of insulting one of the most prominent and "giving" persons in Windsor. So what does he do, the Star quotes: "Mayor Eddie Francis and the proponents of an arena development at Windsor Raceway say talks are moving forward."
But they are not. Eddie is following his typical trick: process over action:
- "You can't negotiate these matters in the media," Francis said. "There is a process."
The process involves the preparation of two reports by city administrators. One scenario would see the construction of a complex on the city's east side... The other scenario involves a main pad at the racetrack.... "We're not going to rush to a judgment here. There has to be a solid business case."
The end result to get it out of the front page of the newspaper and cool things off (and let the Casino build more):
- "MEETING DEFERRED
The arena issue was to be discussed at a special meeting of council Thursday, but it's been deferred because staff reports analyzing two proposals are not ready. Mayor Eddie Francis said he's not sure when the arena proposals will be debated by council, but it should be within the next few weeks."
If the Toldos and Rosatis do NOT keep it on the front page every day, and do not start lobbying Councillors, then they are very, very foolish. And if they want total success, then get Bill Marra onside. Then Eddie will have to support it!
posted by JoeBlog at 6:52 a.m.
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