More Notes From Readers
Here are some more reader thoughts. Where are yours:
1) Hi Ed,
I have been reading your blog recently and you are right on the money with the many issues facing Windsor and with all the layoffs, plant closures and investment leaving Windsor I wondered if you noticed the recent taxi by-law that was passed last week stopping outside investment in the Windsor taxi business.
For a city that needs investment and to clean up its image to outside investors, this has moved Windsor 10 steps backwards eliminating anyone from investing in the taxi business and further investment spinoffs it can create. They have eliminated the business owners right to sell their business.
Wiping out everything you worked for and with a stroke of a pen your retirement!
Look in to this and I'm sure you will be very disapointed by what has happened.
2)It seems once again that our illustrious labour leaders have dug themselves (and us) a big hole in the ground.
Not only did Buzz's big mouth not help Windsor one bit (but I'm sure the lemmings loved it!) but I believe that all of those union signs waving in the wind didn't send a positive message either.
How will anyone in Europe or Asia understand that this was supposed to be a rally to say "we are open for business" instead of "we are a group of unions and you will do what we say?" Pictures are worth a thousand words and this rally said it all in the wrong possible way!
Couldn't the unions have had banners that stated Windsor is Ready or We Are the Best, Professionals at Work? Instead they chose to promote what THEY wanted, namely their union local plastered on whatever picture was to be taken.
Too bad because the idea was great but the outcome will not be a pretty sight.
3) I followed the national news coverage of the protest both on CBC and CTV. What did we see, (1) Buzz "Lightyear" basically threatening the federal government to do something about job losses in the auto industry (2) CAW "Kenny" screaming and almost popping a blood vessel as he hollered into the microphone about the government needing to do something Yep... let the cameras roll Canada this is labour oriented Windsor where they have lost lots of jobs.... but we aren't millitant. Every national news report stated that the protest was a union event rightly or wrongly..... what message were the viewers getting?
It is unfortunate that both "Kenny" and his friend "Mr. Lightyear" didn't plan a golf game instead of a protest last Sunday.... the benefit to Windsor and area would have been much more positive. If they are both so starved for media coverage maybe they could both double date Lindsay Lohan and Brittany Spears. We then could read about "Kenny and Buzz" in the gossip column at the grocery check out. At least we wouldn't have to worry about the image "damage" to the City of Windsor
Windsor a militant labour town..... what would you think if you saw the national news coverage from anywhere other than Essex County !!!
4)In that same article written by the Canadian Press, Buzz bemoans the fact that 17,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last two years due to trade agreements or lack there of.
Another memo to Buzz. A 93 cent loonie doesn't help either.
Another memo to Buzz. Don't blame Free Trade. Many Windsorites have TN work permits....you know those little I-94's Homeland Security hands out after you get a job in Detroit. And they bring back hard currency to Windsor.
Another memo to Buzz. Threatening a strike defeated the purpose of the rally. You made it personal. You blew it. As predicted.
Manufacturing jobs are disappearing in Canada.............and in Ontario? Aren't Toyota and Honda building manufacturing plants here?
Jobs disappearing? Another memo to Buzz. You knew there was overcapacity in North America and to the victor goes the spoils (ie: the product people want to buy). To the plants that don't produce what people wish to buy...........then you know what happens.
The greatest threat to any union is efficiency and a good rival product. Ironically it can be a unions greatest ally too.
I hope he gets that memo.
5) Just a quick question for you. What ever happened to Matt Fischer's 120 day action plan? Other than the removal of some in house positions and personnel I haven't seen anything fruitful.
[NOTE: Here is the compensation for members of the Windsor Essex Development Commission;
Board payments:
Chairman $975 per month
Members $600 per month
Special payment to Chairman $1500 per month from Oct 24 to Feb 16, equivalent of three out of region days per month [for the extra work required in setting everything up]
Out of region business travel paid at $500 per day]
6) Only the border czar knows & can speak!
1) Hi Ed,
I have been reading your blog recently and you are right on the money with the many issues facing Windsor and with all the layoffs, plant closures and investment leaving Windsor I wondered if you noticed the recent taxi by-law that was passed last week stopping outside investment in the Windsor taxi business.
For a city that needs investment and to clean up its image to outside investors, this has moved Windsor 10 steps backwards eliminating anyone from investing in the taxi business and further investment spinoffs it can create. They have eliminated the business owners right to sell their business.
Wiping out everything you worked for and with a stroke of a pen your retirement!
Look in to this and I'm sure you will be very disapointed by what has happened.
2)It seems once again that our illustrious labour leaders have dug themselves (and us) a big hole in the ground.
Not only did Buzz's big mouth not help Windsor one bit (but I'm sure the lemmings loved it!) but I believe that all of those union signs waving in the wind didn't send a positive message either.
How will anyone in Europe or Asia understand that this was supposed to be a rally to say "we are open for business" instead of "we are a group of unions and you will do what we say?" Pictures are worth a thousand words and this rally said it all in the wrong possible way!
Couldn't the unions have had banners that stated Windsor is Ready or We Are the Best, Professionals at Work? Instead they chose to promote what THEY wanted, namely their union local plastered on whatever picture was to be taken.
Too bad because the idea was great but the outcome will not be a pretty sight.
3) I followed the national news coverage of the protest both on CBC and CTV. What did we see, (1) Buzz "Lightyear" basically threatening the federal government to do something about job losses in the auto industry (2) CAW "Kenny" screaming and almost popping a blood vessel as he hollered into the microphone about the government needing to do something Yep... let the cameras roll Canada this is labour oriented Windsor where they have lost lots of jobs.... but we aren't millitant. Every national news report stated that the protest was a union event rightly or wrongly..... what message were the viewers getting?
It is unfortunate that both "Kenny" and his friend "Mr. Lightyear" didn't plan a golf game instead of a protest last Sunday.... the benefit to Windsor and area would have been much more positive. If they are both so starved for media coverage maybe they could both double date Lindsay Lohan and Brittany Spears. We then could read about "Kenny and Buzz" in the gossip column at the grocery check out. At least we wouldn't have to worry about the image "damage" to the City of Windsor
Windsor a militant labour town..... what would you think if you saw the national news coverage from anywhere other than Essex County !!!
4)In that same article written by the Canadian Press, Buzz bemoans the fact that 17,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last two years due to trade agreements or lack there of.
Another memo to Buzz. A 93 cent loonie doesn't help either.
Another memo to Buzz. Don't blame Free Trade. Many Windsorites have TN work permits....you know those little I-94's Homeland Security hands out after you get a job in Detroit. And they bring back hard currency to Windsor.
Another memo to Buzz. Threatening a strike defeated the purpose of the rally. You made it personal. You blew it. As predicted.
Manufacturing jobs are disappearing in Canada.............and in Ontario? Aren't Toyota and Honda building manufacturing plants here?
Jobs disappearing? Another memo to Buzz. You knew there was overcapacity in North America and to the victor goes the spoils (ie: the product people want to buy). To the plants that don't produce what people wish to buy...........then you know what happens.
The greatest threat to any union is efficiency and a good rival product. Ironically it can be a unions greatest ally too.
I hope he gets that memo.
5) Just a quick question for you. What ever happened to Matt Fischer's 120 day action plan? Other than the removal of some in house positions and personnel I haven't seen anything fruitful.
[NOTE: Here is the compensation for members of the Windsor Essex Development Commission;
Board payments:
Chairman $975 per month
Members $600 per month
Special payment to Chairman $1500 per month from Oct 24 to Feb 16, equivalent of three out of region days per month [for the extra work required in setting everything up]
Out of region business travel paid at $500 per day]
6) Only the border czar knows & can speak!
And if Eddie is the czar, that makes Michelle the czarina –
what will that make their baby, when it is born and other children he might have?
Why, czardines, of course!
7) Hi Ed,
I was just writing to say how much I enjoy reading your blog. I have just recently come across your writings a couple of months ago and haven't stopped reading since (I've even spent hours reading your archives). Its great to see that there are Windsor residents that a passion for local politics and choosing to take an active role. Although I have no political experience or political money, I would like to run for city council in 2010 if my personal life allows. So, please keep on blogging as I find your insight incredibly informative and refreshing. Thanks Ed and keep up the good work!
8) Hi Ed,
I just got off the phone with Enwin (who wins? They win!) and found out that our illustrious 35% hike in water fees will actually be more like 70%+! I was informed by the CSR that the customer service reps were told a day or two ago that should any Enwin customers call about the rate hike that they should respond that it will approximately double the water bill!
The audacity of this mayor and especially Enwin to pull off a stunt like this when the city is bleeding jobs and people that they would sock it to the one's who are staying (or should I say stuck) here. Will Tecumseh's water rates now be lower than Windsor's? What makes this more painful is the fact that Tecumseh relies on Windor's water treatment for their source.
Add this to the increase to the property taxes, add this to the high delivery charges we get from Enwin Electricity (how can the cost of delivery be the same as the cost of the electricity we purchase?) and we are getting slammed from all sides. Of course we are told that the water mains need replacing but no one says anything about the sprawl that continues unabated and the cost of putting new water mains in these new locations. If we don't have the money to fix the ones we have what business do we have in building more? How will we pay for these to be replaced in the future? I know, WE will pay and pay and pay some more.
The problem that Eddie doesn't understand is that we do not have unlimited amounts of funds in our pockets. No wonder people are moving to the suburbs or out of the county altogether. With no one steering the ship it is a matter of time before this city slams into the proverbial rocks. The question is... Will anyone be here to witness it?
9) What if we started applying on Thursdays to “provisionally/conditionally petition to be a delegate reserving the right to speak on as yet unnamed agenda items”.
10) A rant from Dennis DesRosiers:
You have to wonder which planet Buzz lives on these days. He's lost about 30,000 members with the problems at GM, Ford and DCX, his friends in the UAW are down a million members from their peak way back in 1972 and yet they have the confidence in their position that they are willing to "take down" GM if they don't get a new product for the GM Transmission plant in Windsor.
And in the same speech he says the problems with the auto sector in North America is that we allow imports into our country. So his solution is to break every international trade law in the world and restrict imports and to threaten GM. Smart, real smart! "Earth to Buzz, come in please ... you are no longer in the power position. The problem isn't that Koreans are not allowed to buy your products it is that CANADIANS and AMERICAN are not buying your product." And if you ever hope to see these people come back and buy your product you had better let the GM's of the world do what they need to do to become competitive.
11) Bravo Ed -- awesome read with the java this a.m.! A few out loud hoots were heard. Nice research. I loved the Garlock and Reinas quotes. This needs to get out to a wider audience... You are blogger of the year!
posted by JoeBlog at 6:25 a.m.
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