Have You Thought About This

Just some strange thoughts that I have been having about a number of issues

COW FARTS

Tie these statements together and you get only one possible answer:

1) Our highs cancer rates are said to be a myth.

2) "Windsor is not "the cancer cesspool" of Ontario as many people believe, a medical oncologist and Windsor Regional Cancer Centre researcher says" and

3) "cancers and other disorders in rich countries aren't caused mainly by pollutants but by a vitamin [D] deficiency,"

Obviously if these statements are true, and it may require more research, we may not need a tunnel to protect us from truck pollution and can save mega-billions of taxpayer dollars that would otherwise be wasted.

If that is the case, then it may not be so foolish for our politicians to demand that the DRIC team study bovine flatulence as an issue as I have suggested before! [BLOG January 05, 2007 "Apocalypse Cow: TEOTWAWKI"]

WHEN WILL WE SEE SCHWARTZ'S NEW DREAM

There is so much "chatter" around by those who are "in the know," or at least say they are, about what Schwartz will supposedly say that one has to assume that taxpayers should know about it shortly.

The issue from Eddie's perspective is whether he should have the Schwartz Plan revealed before or after Sandra and Dwight's nomination meeting. Dwight's meeting is on the 21st according to Chris Schnurr so he is ok (Whoever said that Eddie and Dwight made a deal a long time ago to be be buddies may be right after all!) That leaves Sandra to twist in the wind.

Now if I were Eddie, politically, I would have Schwartz give his report BEFORE her nomination meeting and before DRIC does their open house. Let them react to what Schwartz says and not the other way around.

Imagine the pressure she will be under to approve what Schwartz will say or else face an angry electorate and a possible Ron Jones NDP candidacy.

Why it is enough to make a woman want to run to Dalton to ask for a big but meaningless announcement in Windsor too as he did in the Golden Horseshoe area recently. Except I just hope that Sandra does not say as Donna Cansfield did: "In fact, it was Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield who let the cat out of bag at the end of the event held at a Mississauga bus garage when she said, "Now, let's get elected and get on with it!"

Gong Show 3 coming up! Watch for it.

DOES BILL C-3 APPLY TO THE TUNNEL DEAL

I have still not received an answer back from Transport Canada on my questions to them respecting the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel deal notwithstanding numerous requests:

• "Will you please advise
  
  if this transaction is subject to the International Bridges and Tunnels Act with respect to transfer of ownership and with respect to the transfer of its operating, managing, repairing and maintaining
  
  would any subcontract be subject to the same provisions
  
  what is the procedure that the City must go through for approval
  
  what time period would be involved
  
  will public hearings be undertaken."

Usually responses back are very prompt from Transport Canada. Accordingly the only conclusion I can make is that Bill C-3 does apply but Transport Canada does not want to say this since they would be accused of killing Eddie's deal. Politicially that is not a smart idea.

There has to be a plan in place to salvage the deal. I think I know what it is but to find out you will have to read my BLOG this afternoon!

A REAL OPERATOR

I see that Eddie and his two subordinates are now the Management of the aiport corporation. If you believe this line quoted in the Star then I have a Tunnel for you to buy from Eddie and his two subordinates who are also the Board of the two Tunnel corporations:

• "The mayor will serve as CEO of the corporation with the city's chief administrative officer John Skorobohacz and treasurer Onorio Colucci also serving as signing authorities.
  
  "We will just get it up and running," Francis said. "Our hope is that there will be a new operator in place soon and no need for a new board."

Gee if we do not need a Board soon, then why was a corporation set up in the first place? Does the Mayor think that taxpayers are as gullible as his Council?

CREW OF THE S.S. MINNOW

I still have not received word from Parks and Rec about why they needed to "operate" 2 American Boats "to carry...passengers for excursions on the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair originating and terminating in Windsor, Ontario." I must be on their "do not call back" list.

I figured out that this is a way to give the Mayor and Councillors some extra cash over and above their salaries since some people are wondering why Enwin is giving them so much extra money. They need another source of revenue.

Here's what I think the positions on the boat will be to justify the extra income to which they have become accustomed:

Captain---Eddie obviously,who else
Executive Officers---the CAO and Treasurer just like with the airport and Tunnel corporations
Cruise director--Drew Dilkens since no one is more bubbly on Council
Ticket collector--the Councillor formerly known as Councillor Budget since he will watch that every penny is collected
Look-out---Ron Jones since he can spot a 2,000 year old spear head a mile away
DJ---Caroline Postma since in her lounge you can listen to music or dance but not both
First Mate---Fulvio Valentinis as he is now
Gossip Columnist on the boat newsletter--Alan Halberstadt since with him as a Blogger "Whatever happens in Las Vegas, doesn't necessarily stay in Las Vegas"
Deck Hand--Junior since union members need to run the boat
Captain in Waiting and Waiting and Waiting--Bill Marra
Ships' Photographer--Percy Hatfield has had a lot of CBC experience doing this
Security---One of Councillor Gignac's looks would stop anyone

All ashore who's going ashore!

MONEY FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES ONLY

Unless Eddie is prepared to pay over a good chunk of his Tunnel deal windfall to the University, both the Engineering complex downtown and the medical school are at risk.

The delay alone in starting the Engineering complexl, if it moves downtown, will cost countless extra millions in construction costs. Just like with several other City projects that were delayed. Who will pay for that? The public.....hardly since we will be "donated out" after helping to pay for the medical school.

The medical school's original cost in 2006 was $11M with "the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities [contributing] between $7 million and $8 million." Now the costs are said to be $20M or more. That's quite a shortfall that someone has to make up.

Now rumour has it that the Provincial contribution is $7M but payable over 20 or more years! In other words only a few hundred thousand dollars a year. We need to know from the big medical school booster, Liberal Minister Dwight Duncan, if this is true or not. The annual grant would almost pay for the interest on borrowing the $7M that would have to be paid for construction costs right away.

So if Windsorites have to pay for that $7M too on top of donations to pay for the medical school in the first place, where will the money come from to pay for the Downtown Engineering building?

This financial math is too complex for me. It's given me a major medical condition, a migraine!

REMARKABLE CO-INCIDENCE

On Chris Schnurr's BLOGsite, if you look under Comment on June 17, you will read about a Swiss Tunnel, "A 21-mile over-land tunnel has opened in Switzerland." The Tunnel is called "Loetschberg."

What's interesting is that the comment was totally out of place since Chris wrote about his computer problems and that he was not doing a BLOG that day. The anonymous writer, it seems, just had to get that message out.

Today, what do we read about in Henderson's column, why the Loetschberg Tunnel.

And to justify what he wanted to do, Henderson used Bill Marra. Now THAT is sheer desperation on Gord's part to try to unify the opponents to Francis by trying to get them on-board the Francis train through the Swiss Tunnel. How obvious and how pathetic.

Can we say someone using comments in BLOGs to spread the pretend-tunnel-support-until-the-Schwartz-Greenlink-extravaganza-message is disclosed to the adoring fans. I guess BLOGs in Windsor are more powerful than even the BLOGmeister knew!