Biting The Hand That Feeds

What will happen to Windsor when the Empire strikes back?

Is there something in the water? Has it been a full moon for an extra long time? How can three of the smartest people in Windsor be so foolish with the survival of Windsor at risk? Don't they understand the consequences of their actions or do they think that the "free ride" will continue forever? Or is it something more?

No, I am not suggesting that the three are working together as conspirators for some hidden agenda. I am just asking how three such intelligent people can be making such bad decisions for Windsor.

Don't they remember the famous question asked at City Council when the DRIC team was being questioned:

• "Why doesn't anyone listen to the City of Windsor?"

Eddie Francis has to be one of the smartest people I have ever met: how can he think that he can successfully sue the Federal or Provincial Government or even threaten them with litigation over the DRIC road. He knows about the power of the Province to upload roads easily and the constitutional power of the Federal government and what Bill C-3 proposes so why is he posturing.

Fulvio Valentinis is the man I have always spoken to about problems on City matters since he is the one person that all factions on Council and the Mayor respect most. How can he make such a serious charge respecting the arena about senior Provincial Cabinet Ministers, including those that come from Windsor:

• "There is no question there is a much bigger agenda here. The part that is most disturbing is this could not have been done, would not have been done, without the co-operation of provincial cabinet ministers."

When I invited him during my speech at Council to either withdraw his remarks or to demand a Judicial Investigation under the Municipal Act, he did neither.

Gord Henderson is a most insightful and entertaining "political" columnist of the Windsor Star. How can his column headline read and how can he say

• "The fix is in....If Dwight Duncan and Sandra Pupatello could abandon Windsor on the arena file, what faith can we have that they won't hang this city out to dry on a far more important issue -- fixing the border?"

That just invites the fuming small fry to contribute their two cents worth as if anyone cares

• "Coun. Dave Brister has accused Pupatello and Windsor-St. Clair MPP Dwight Duncan of "not stepping up to the plate" to defend Windsor's interests."

Gee, Councillor, a baseball analogy in a hockey matter! How appropriate.

Let's get real. The City is isolated. Alone. Our unemployment rate is one of the highest in Canada. Our housing starts at the lowest level in years. High-paying jobs are disappearing from our economy as the auto jobs are cut back and as people head to the greener pastures of Alberta. There is nothing on the horizon to replace them. We don't even have a CEO yet for our Economic Development Commission.

I have heard the stories, who knows if they are true or not, about calls being made to embarrass the Government in debates in Queen's Park. I checked Ontario Hansard for Question Period. The questioning was rather tame but I turned white when I saw these answers:

• "Hon. Sandra Pupatello (Minister of Economic Development and Trade, minister responsible for women's issues): Let me say this: I think it's very clear that our government has a track record on economic development that puts most Premiers in the history of Ontario to shame. There were months and months and months that went by under both the NDP and the Conservative government, where the Premier never went past London down the 401. Our Premier, on the other hand, has come to Windsor more times in our short time in office than any of the other Premiers combined. I am proud of the record that we have of our Premier coming to our city, and not just to visit, but to deliver for the people of Windsor."
  
  "Hon. Ms. Pupatello: Our record for the Windsor area is clear, whether it's investment to save the Nemak plant, the expansion of the Valiant plant or the $400-million expansion of the Windsor casino. Or perhaps it's the project associated with DaimlerChrysler that helps our paint shop, or it's a medical school, or it's the investment of $1.2 billion in the city of Windsor since we've become a government. Is that what this member opposite is complaining about?
  
  There's not a resident in my city who would agree with this member opposite, but rather would say that when it comes to the McGuinty government, we deliver for the city of Windsor, and that will not stop."
  
  "Hon. Ms. Pupatello: Let me say this to the people of Windsor: If they think for one moment that there has been an historic government in this province that has done more for Windsor, there simply has not. Since we have become a government, in these short three years alone we have seen the advent of a medical school for Essex county; we saw the expansion of Valiant Machine just last week; we are looking at saving the Nemak plant -- that was last year; we've looked at the DaimlerChrysler expansion, which holds our paint shop for Windsor. These are very important initiatives."

Don't our senior politicans and our distinguished columnist know how they are hurting Windsor? Can they be that insensitive? Are they so arrogant that they are prepared to jeopardize the City of Windsor over a hockey rink?

Sure, Windsor should fight hard to beat Tecumseh. Sure we should throw up every legal roadblock we can to keep the arena here. We should write, phone, lobby, demand, pressure and invite resdients to do so. But winning at any cost can cost quite dearly.

No these people are too smart. I hardly think that Eddie cares about the arena being the Jock that he is not. No it is something more....And as usual, Gord gives it away with his"fixing the border" remark.

He goes on to say:

• "We have to assume, in the wake of their stunning abandonment of the city on the arena, the track and especially the $2.4 million in annual municipal slots revenue, that our Liberal cabinet ministers are prepared to ram a border infrastructure fix, no matter how unpalatable, down the city's throat."
  
  Michael Prue, the NDP critic and former mayor of East York who's been hammering Pupatello in the Ontario legislature this week over the deal between Tecumseh and Windsor Raceway, which obviously needed a top-level political blessing to move the slots out of Windsor, says we'd better prepare for the worst when the border's fate is decided.
  
  "If they're not on your side, you have to assume they're agin you. You should absolutely be very concerned about that border file," said Prue in an interview Wednesday. He said Pupatello and Duncan have demonstrated they either don't care how Windsor reacts or are so weak and inconsequential that they cannot safeguard the city's interests."

It's all about the border and the money. AND THE NEXT PROVINCIAL ELECTION!

What will happen at the Tunnel? Who will run the new bridge if it ever gets built? How to pressure the Bridge Co. to stop them moving forward as they are legally entitled to do? The warning is there from the City's senior politicians (who think they will be re-elected) and the lead Star columnist.

"Do what we want or else we will attack you and attack you hard and in public so that you will never get elected again!"

It's a game of chicken and trust me, Windsor will not win, no matter what!