New News Headlines

Just some information that I have read that I thought you might find of interest.

THOSE BORING HOLES

You remember that DRIC is spending multi-millions on drilling bore holes to see what sub-surface lands are like. I saw this note about the State's approaching government shut-down:

• "Granholm has issued a series of directives telling departments to stop spending money. On Tuesday she told department heads to begin preparing for a suspension of some state government activities when the state runs out of money in May. "

I wonder if this applies to the MDOT drilling.

I also saw that the Governor was proposing to close "two Michigan State Police posts in the fall because of the state's budget crisis."

Police or drill holes----which would you choose?

EDDIE'S NEW BOSS WAS IN TOWN

That's Premier-to-be John Tory in case you did not know. Or did Eddie tell him thanks but no thanks as he did with Ernie Ees?

I got to hear the clip on A-channel about John Tory saying that he thought Windsor could get a CFL franchise. Geeez, someone should tell him that we have the arena now. The suggestion of Eddie during Super Bowl to build a CFL stadium is dead now

Isn't it?

Tory certainly is up on Windsor issues. Makes me feel a whole lot better that he would be in charge as Premier:

• "Calling the border "the single most important issue" that affects the region and its economy, Tory charged that Premier McGuinty and his cabinet have been treating Windsor as a problem rather than an opportunity...
  
  Asked how likely it is Windsor would have to deal with a surface-level super highway to the new crossing if he were elected premier, Tory replied: "I can't answer that question," and pointed to his lack of access to information on the border file."

WHERE WAS THE STAR

I attended the press conference of the Bridge Co. the other day but saw no Star reporter there. As an accredited Blogger and magazine columnist, I was able to attend. Too bad I still have not heard from City Hall about my accreditation and media mail slot.

I learned and now you are learning too that:

• The existing bridge would provide redundancy and could be used for operational and governmental purposes eg for emergency vehicles to cross the border quickly
• The new bridge will be a cable stayed one 6200 feet long with 220o feet over the river. No piers will be in the river
• The impact on Sandwich and Delray is minimal
• No modification to the circulation pattern on Windsor streets is required
• The new bridge uses the existing plazas
• The extra bridge lanes are for the FAST vehicles to help eliminate back-ups
• The Bridge Co. enhancement is viewed by them as a maintenance project while they view DRIC as adding capacity
• Traffic volumes have plunged since the highs of 1999
• The Bridge Co. will pay for the bridge using non-taxpayer money
• The EA should be completed by year end and the bridge built by 2010
• The artistic renderings of the new bridge are dramatic!

HAS MARK BOSCARIOL FINALLY SEEN THE LIGHT

I saw Mark's comment on Alan Halberstadt's BLOG:

• "Meanwhile the city still doesn't honor its commitment to issuing the RFP for the Urban VIllage. Basically this was promised to the DWBIA in return for remaining silent about the arena moving out of downtown. Now its starting to seem as a bait and switch scam pulled off by the city."

No Mark, you and your association were foolish! You failed to recognize that the downtown was moving eastwards to the Casino area and you allowed yourselves to be suckered.

But hey, I am no genius either. I helped get Eddie elected the first time around.

Welcome to the ever-expanding telephone booth. A lot more people are starting to understand what is going on in this City but unlike Mark seem afraid to speak out. Until they do, more of the same!

ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL EVENT

How are you going to keep Eddie down on the farm after he's seen Jacksonville with Roger Penske?

John Tory will have had to have made a pretty big offer when he was down here if he hopes to have Eddie run in October for the Progressive Conservatives. He has a competitor.

Is it true that Eddie really wants to work with Roger Penske's corporation and not run for office? Those rumours were flying around during Super Bowl time.

Now they can start up again:

• "City to join Prix party
  
  Detroit will host Grand Prix car racing again and, for the first time, Windsor will help.
  
  "It will be the first international event for motor racing here, tying in Detroit and Windsor as we've done recently with other big sporting events," Roger Penske, chairman of the Downtown Detroit Partnership which is promoting the Labour Day weekend race, said Monday. "You're seeing more and more of that because people today commute between the two markets."
  
  The details aren't worked out, but Penske hopes to hold promotional events in Windsor leading up to the race, as well as attract some Canadian corporate sponsorship...
  
  Mayor Eddie Francis said that after the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix was announced, bringing the race back for the first time since 2001, he called Penske to discuss a cross-border component. Francis worked with Penske last year when the former race car driver served as chairman of the Detroit Super Bowl XL, also billed as an international event, as was Wrestlemania 23 at Ford Field on Sunday."

No money for the Capitol, no money for the Festival Epicure. Oh my, how much will this cost Windsor for a Sponsorship this time to boost Eddie's career and will Eddie dare to have it come before Council to approve in one of its bi-weekly meeting?

WHY THE CAPITOL HAD TO GO BANKRUPT

I used to practise bankruptcy law and I am sure that Eddie must have had a course in it while going to law school.

I do not like my intelligence being insulted. Anyone who knows anything about a Trustee in Bankruptcy would have known that he would take a shot at the City's so-called mortgage on the Theatre.

• "Questions have been raised whether the city is entitled to the building's assets. It may not have a valid mortgage because $1.8 million advanced to the theatre in the 1990s was structured as a financial grant instead of a loan, according to the trustee's lawyer."

If the City has no interest, then the City would have been dumb to put it into bankruptcy. That is why the Capitol had to be manoeuvred to do it. It had little to do with employees as stories claimed.

I do not understand why the City did not just grab it when it was insolvent and take it out of the bankruptcy process. The City could have done a deal with creditors.

Now the fun will begin as someone will put in an offer to the Trustee to buy the whole building and equipment and then threaten to tear it down and turn it into a parking lot.

Who will be the white knight to save this "jewel" for Windsor and earn plaudits. Of course there is a PLAN...there always is a PLAN....we taxpayers just do not know what it is yet. Heck , we just pay the bills and nod approvingly.

THE TUNNELS CONFLICT

Now let's get real

I am indirectly a shareholder in the Windsor/Detroit Tunnel as are all residents of Windsor. It is our asset that at one time was a "jewel," a cash cow that contributed millions to the City's bottom line.

No wonder it has fallen back. No one seems to pay it any attention. Everything is focused on the new border crossing. The most recent and obvious example is that Eddie has still not hired the person who is supposed to breathe the Tunnel. Moreover the Tunnel Plaza Improvements meeting was cancelled and still has not been rescheduled

Can you imagine what was said at Council on the tunnel to the border debate even by Councillors who are on the Tunnel Commission! It was shocking and disheartening for me as a shareholder.

The new tunnel would put us on the map. It would make us a world leader in transportation. It would get vehicles across the border in a very efficient manner. People living nearby in all of the subdivisions rhymed off would be healthier. It would allow us to diversify our economy (someone on Council has been reading my BLOG!)

Why are they helping out a competitor to the City-owned Tunnel pray tell. Aren't they possibly in a potential conflict of interest when helping out an organization--a P3 bridge--that may take away business from the Tunnel and perhaps even put it into bankruptcy?

This has got to stop. Fair's fair! There are people and businesses beside the Tunnel and especially if the Tunnel expands. There are idling vehicles on city streets. There are fumes being spewed all over the downtown. The Tunnel has to be made a world leader too or else all of its traffic will leave.

There is only one solution. We need to have Council pass a Motion demanding that the Senior Levels tunnel all of the roads in downtown around the Tunnel. That would include roads subject to back-ups including Goyeau, Wyandotte, Ouellette. If it is right for the West End, then it is right for downtown.

What's another billion or two if they could build the Confederation Bridge for Anne of Green Gables. They owe it to us. We deserve the best!

AIRPORT BLEEDING RED INK

It's not just bleeding it, it is awash in red ink!

Serco is, for your information:

• "the only significant non-government provider of air traffic services in the world. We operate on a global basis and handle about 6 million aircraft movements each year at airports in Europe, the Middle East and North America...
  
  In the US, we operate 54 air traffic control towers for the Federal Aviation Administration. We also provide air traffic engineering, meteorological services, rescue and fire-fighting services, electronic and electrical maintenance services and other airport support services such as catering and cleaning."

The story says that "The airport has been losing roughly $40,000 per month" but it did not say for how long. It has been since at least November 2006 and probably long before Eddie spilled his guts to Gord Henderson in his column the day AFTER the election. (I don't remember hearing about this problem before the election)

And who will take it over? Our airport will probably be like

• "London Airport, which is booming under the inspired leadership of a non-profit transportation authority."

Hmmmmm. There are those words "transportation authority." I wonder if the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel might be folded into it, our THINK BIG transportation hub, maybe other border crossings down the road and the port too. I bet I can guess who would head that huge organization too if it took place.

What really concerns me however is the following:

• "Another major component of the termination agreement sees the city regain control from Serco of land development of over 1,000 acres on the airport’s grounds."

If they gave up the land, which is probably where they anticipated to make the real money on this deal, what does this say for Windsor's future.

One interesting fact that should be obvious---people from Windsor leaving town to travel out West for new jobs are not flying. They are going to be taking the Greyhound bus from the new funky bus terminal! They cannot afford to fly.