Short And Sweet

Nothing sugar-coated. Just straight forward commenting on some news of local interest.

SNEERING

Is the Star having some bad financial times too? I wonder if Gord Henderson just got a cut in salary or was he red-circled. He is out there breaking news stories now it seems. Is he a reporter now? Does that mean the Star cannot afford him as a columnist any more?

Naaaaaaw, I think this is a signal to us dumb subscribers. This is supposed to mean that the story is IMPORTANT with a capital "I" in case we could not figure it out for ourselves.

I am sure you saw his front page story:

"500 more IT jobs headed our way"

I have to admit I was confused. Are there jobs coming as the headline suggested or not. Here's what I mean in reading what Gord wrote:

• "It will be scant comfort for those impacted by the DaimlerChrysler layoffs, but a key player in the information technology field will soon unveil plans for a downtown Windsor call centre with more than 500 jobs...
  
  Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis refused to confirm or deny reports of a downtown IT centre. He said he was focused on responding to the grim news from DaimlerChrysler about a radical downsizing of its Windsor workforce...
  
  This much is certain. If and when the announcement is made, it will draw sneers on radio talk shows and in letters to the editor that Windsor is trading $33-an-hour jobs with out-of-this-world benefits for bargain-basement jobs paying a mere $10 to $15 an hour."

Nope the only sneering will be from people who hate the cynical way this story was reported: big story to help Eddie when there is all of this bad news. Try to offset the negativity and lack of economic development action since he became Mayor

Such a co-incidence that it was reported on the day the Chrysler job losses were reported in the Star. Amazing that it got front page play rather than page 3

Amazing it was a Henderson story and not just some reporter so it must be true.

How did Gord get the info? Who leaked it? When did he get it?

And is it real?

• "a key player in the information technology field will soon unveil plans....Business sources say the announcement, to be made in the next two to three weeks if there are no last-minute hitches...If it comes to pass...Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis refused to confirm or deny reports of a downtown IT centre...If and when the announcement is made"

GRADUATING INTO THE REAL WORLD OF WINDSOR POLITICS

No heritage designation for the GRAD Building at the University. Here's the hypocrisy though. Councillor Budget said

• "he didn’t think council would support designating the house, which is currently being used as a restaurant and student office space, because doing so would interfere with the university’s plans to build the medical school.
  
  "The committee did not want to put council in a position where we had to put the medical education facility at risk,” Brister said."

But Council thinks nothing of putting Sandwich development into limbo for how long? Or rather Ambassador Bridge multi-hundred million dollar development.

Nor did Council oppose designating the property of the Sisters of St. Joseph as heritage.

• "Council's move could cause the nuns to lose the highest bid for Holy Rosary Convent, at 3975 Riverside Dr. E., from the Mady development company."

"The heritage committee has to select its battles wisely," said chairman Gregory Heil in speaking about the Grad house even though "the committee agreed Gignac house, also known as the Grad House, is worth saving based on its historical and architectural merits."

Mr. Heil must have forgotten his earlier comments on the Sisters' property "Heil said the building is in good shape and "highly worthy of designation" because of its architectural significance as a well- preserved example of the tudor revival style."

I wonder if Councillor Budget's remark could result in an appeal. What does subsequent use have to do with whether the building is heritage or not. Did he go off on a tangent or is that relevant for heritage. I'll let the law students at the University work that out with the heritage proponents. There's a pro bono group active I thought at the Law School.

The City and the University better watch out. The site is is very near a yellow zone on the Windsor Archaeological Master Plan. Whew, thank goodness it is not in Sandwich!

WHAT ME WORRY? I HAVE TENURE

Here is some comfort for those who will be pressured or shamed into retiring early to save the jobs of their fellow workers or for those who get laid off or in suppliers' plants that will be let go:

• "It could have been worse...
  
  "The announcement I think was very positive for Windsor," said Tony Faria, an auto industry expert at the University of Windsor.
  
  "It could have been a lot worse. We have not been hit hard with anything. Period."
  
  Faria said he had long ago written off the 800 jobs for those employees currently on layoff..."

ScotiaMcLeod Windsor branch manager Matthew Tobin said Wednesday's announcement should be viewed in terms of the short- and long-term implications...

• The silver lining, Tobin said, is that Windsor's cost of living and real estate prices will remain low, something the community must capitalize on."

Yuppers. Using that logic, let's close everything down so there will be real home bargains here too. I guess Mr. Tobin does not work for the mortgages side of ScotiaBank.

DETROIT CASINOS ARE SMOKING

• "Detroit's three state-licensed casinos rang in the new year by recording higher revenues...
  
  The Detroit gaming houses raked in an extra US$5 million in gaming receipts in January for a total of $109.3 million. The casinos saw revenues increase by an average of 4.8 per cent compared to the same month in 2006."

CITY/COUNTY CO-OPERATION NEEDED

There is an issue about whether the former Lakewood golf course clubhouse should be demolished or whether the 88-year-old building deserves historical designation and preservation

I have an idea for Cheryl Hardcastle, of the town's heritage advisory committee. She "wasn't sure how long it would take to come up with a recommendation on historical designation. The town has never been through the process before."

Eddie should immediately call up Mayor McNamara to provide our expertise. Windsor has a lot of experience in such designations! Hundreds of millions of dollars worth.