Off With Their Heads--DRIC Is Now A Proven Farce

Did Ontario bureaucrat Steve Salmons pull a Granholm?

You remember, out of the blue, she unilaterally killed a number of the potential downriver Michigan DRIC crossings without consulting anyone? At least she was a Governor not a bureaucrat.

What is the purpose of going through the DRIC process and spending millions of taxpayer dollars to justify what the bureaucrats want to do anyway. The politicians have no role in this frankly as is becoming obvious now. The bureaucrats just out-wait them to do what they want .

It is clear however that the bureaucrats on our side are much stronger than the American Civil Servants. The MDOT ones allowed the Michigan legislators to outflank them and the Michigan Governor not to oppose the Ambassador Bridge's project.

Our bureaucrats though are much better organized. Has Federal Minister Cannon been allowed to come to Windsor yet to see the border and talk with proponents...NOPE. Will Cannon meet them in Ottawa....Not that we have ever heard. When Minister Cansfield comes here, does anyone know about it so they can meet with her....NOPE (unless she makes a speech that the Star does not report!)

For once Eddie Francis and I agree on something "Mayor Eddie Francis said he was under the impression terms of ownership for the crossing were still being decided by the binational government team assigned to decide the new border route." As far as I know that is also the Federal Government position as well.

BUT not for Ontario's BIIG bureaucrat Steve Salmons. He has had enough of the border file indecision. He wants it over and the Province owning the bridge. And Federal Finance Minister Flaherty can pay for it too. Why pussyfoot around:

• "Steve Salmons, policy adviser to Ontario's Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield, confirmed the feds and province will explore private sector funding to help fix Windsor's border traffic problems.
  
  "This development is expected and welcomed news," said Salmons. "This project was always considered for alternative funding methods."
  
  While private investment for the new bridge or feeder roads will be weighed by Ontario, "private ownership or operation of the next crossing is not an option on the table," Salmons said."

Note the Minister almost let the cat out of the bag in a magazine article a few months ago and obviously had to be slapped down by her bureaucrats for speaking too soon. As I said before [BLOG Friday, September 29, 2006, The Cansfield Shocker]:

• "Note that she backed off completely from her previously published comment that the Bridge would be publicly owned in the Star interview saying now that "the next Windsor-Detroit crossing will "definitely have public oversight, but we will look at a variety of options when it comes to ownership." One of the 41 staffers finally gave her the party line on that!"

Obviously, Mr. Salmons has had enough. Either what he said is true and that means DRIC is a farce and everything we are told is a lie or, if he is wrong, then Mr. Salmons must be terminated from his position!

And Dwight Duncan better be careful what he says. Cabinet solidarity and all that! I'd hate to think that the Premier might demote him too.

In either case, Mike Hurst now has support for his DRTP lawsuit and on a silver platter. Let's see if he has the guts to do something other than do pretty Powerpoint presentations about parklands.