Windsor Star's Change, Positive Change

It seems that the Windsor Star is on some kind of a mission. Again. I really do wish that they would report the news instead of trying to make it.

I was amused reading the story "West side's demise predicted." Predicted was a strange word to use for an area that has been in rapid decline for years and seems to be going nowhere anyway.

Their Councillors have achieved little for many years for Ward 2, being effectively ignored by their colleagues. One should expect more of the same given the re-election of Councillors Jones and Postma.

I would have thought that:

• the near inaction on an urban village for years
  
• their support of the move of the Western Super anchor site to the East end
  
• their failure to accomplish much in Sandwich except to do a study and to propose a Heritage Designation that would be thrown out of court if litigated for obvious reasons

did more to destroy the future of the West end than the Bridge Co. doing exactly what they said they would do for years now! Failure to achieve anything significant on the border for over three years is another measure of the Councillors' inability to protect their neighbourhoods. They had the chance to lead but blew it. It is not an acceptable excuse for them to keep saying that the Mayor has carriage of the file

Councillor Jones has been on this kick about "watching" the Bridge Co. for some time now, mentioning it several times at Council. Each time he was told by Administration, as it was related in the story, that the Bridge Co. was acted absolutely legally. I am sure that must really trouble him!

I found it hilarious who were being quoted: people who rented Bridge Co. homes in the area where the Bridge Co.'s enhancement project was going to be built! If they are so angry, why did they move there in the first place? Surely Windsor's vacancy rate, which is about the highest in Canada, means that there were places to rent other than on Indian Road. Or were their homes sold to the Bridge Co. for a nice price and they were being allowed to continue living in them until they were needed at a good rental rate?

It's a no-win for the Bridge Co. no matter what they do. Imagine if they did NOT tear the homes down so that Councillor Jones could accuse them of not taking action to prevent fire and vandalism risks.

"No respect for the community" is a charge made. But the enhancement project does NOT sandwich Sandwich between two bridges as both DRIC and the City want to do nor does it destroy hundreds of homes and businesses in Delray across the river. Oh but that is Detroit's problem isn't it.

It is up to our Governments to figure out how to get trucks to the Ambassador Bridge but it is so much easier to tar the Bridge Co. or to do nothing but yell Tunnel, Tunnel, Tunnel. Why be realistic after all?

Remember before what I wrote about the Star and the Bridge Co.:

• "Take Saturday's Star as an example. We should have a debate some time whether the Star is performing a service to this Community as the major media outlet in town or a disservice. Are they providing the news or making it or manipulating it for their own purposes?
  
  Remember what I remarked on, given what the Star's Editor said, in the context of stories about the Ambassador Bridge [BLOG April 19, 2006 "Between A Pepsi And A Lemon Juice"]:
  
  "Now I think I get it. Now I think I know the reason for the two news stories about the hazardous goods crossing the Ambassador Bridge...
  
  [Windsor Star executive editor Marty] Beneteau credited the news team for helping to bring about positive change through its coverage of the Lori Dupont slaying at Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital.
  
  "I think we can take partial credit into calling an inquest into the nurse's slaying," Beneteau said. "We did things that newspapers can do to bring about change, positive change. I think we got a lot of results this year and this now validates the results we got."
  
  So shall we insert "Ambassador Bridge" in place of "Lori Dupont" to explain the coverage?
  Is the Star on another mission to change things, like building a public bridge perhaps?"

I refer you back to my BLOG October 13, 2006 "West Enders Bite Bridge" where I was commenting on another Star story "Bridge work raises fears." It was a similar story to the one the other day: "West-end community leaders fear land preparation by the Ambassador Bridge is linked to the company's bid to twin its span or resurrect a controversial ring road proposal in the heart of their neighbourhood."

Expect more of the same....after all, we will be spending more hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to fight our "enemy!" After all, the Star has to guide Eddie and Council to make a positive change doesn't it?