Hot Thoughts

Here are some more thoughts. They are short ones since it is too hard to think for a long time on such a hot day

IS A "PUBLIC" DRIC BRIDGE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH

You might want to read this story from the Port Huron Times Herald

• "Foul cargo crosses border
  
  Emergency official: 'Everything' can come into Port Huron"

http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070709/NEWS01/707090303/1002

I wonder if this is the reason why there is no Truck Ferry there to carry hazardous materials.

WHAT GREAT PUBLICITY

Did you see the throngs at Festival Epicure over the weekend? I was there Friday night and the place was packed.

Oh the Mayor is such a spoil-sport

"Asked for reaction about the Ambassador Bridge-DRTP marriage to run the food festival, Francis said: "That's for them to have to explain."

I'd explain it as smart business. I guess that's why the Mayor needs to hire a quarter of a million dollars worth of PR flacks. The City should have been front and centre.

From the Bridge Co.'s perspective, its signage positioning was superb. Everyone who entered the grounds had to see their banner. I took a picture of it Sunday morning when no one was around so you could see it better!

The good-will achieved as sponsor with their name plastered everywhere for months was a bargain at the price paid considering the demographics of the people who attended---the kind of people who are influence-makers in town.

C-WORD

Where is Junior? We need his help right away. Here is what the Star Editorial said:

• "This proud community has a backbone too and we won't settle for spin or second best. We want a solution that promotes our quality of life, along with a greener and healthier tomorrow for our children and grandchildren. That is hardly unreasonable. It is responsible. This community is prepared to compromise on some points but it also stands ready to fight like hell and flex its electoral muscle."

Shouldn't Junior now tell the Star Editors to shut up the way he told Councillor Halberstadt whom he accused of leaking confidential information

• "Lewenza said Tuesday the use of the word "compromise" suggests the city is poised to settle with DRIC for something less than its official stance -- that the route must be tunnelled."

Oh he won't dare, just as he would not dare tell Eddie to shut up when he said that

"Our starting point is a tunnel."

ELMORE CITY NORTH

That's the real town supposedly on which the movie Footloose was based. Perhaps we can get lucky in Windsor and have a movie based on the Junction alhtough no one would believe our By-law on dancing and music.

It looks like the Teen Dance by-law enforcement officers were out again on Friday night. More overtime? The Siblies always get their dancers I guess.

However, I have it on good authority that the Junction CANNOT be prosecuted. What the teens allegedly do at the Junction as the music plays can hardly be called "dancing" [showing my age!] Ergo, no conviction is possible.

Apparently at least one Councillor was disgusted at how much time the Junction affair took at Council. He/she was so angry that Councillors asked so many questions and wasted so much when it had all been "orchestrated" behind the scenes as to what Council's postion was to be. Didn't he/she understand that the in camera boys and girls needed to get the "public" hours up!

Is it true that one of the people who argued against the Junction at Council was insistent to be allowed to attend the Teen Dance as a "youth" and was turned away. The Junction owners had heard how bad teens were with all of the drugs etc. They did not want this poor young person exposed to such debauchery.

Apparently as well, the police were called Friday night to the Jucntion because of a noise complaint but did not find one. Hmmm I wonder who called and was it harrassment. I do not know if George or his lawyer can get the name of the complainant but if it was a phony complaint designed to harass George, he should file a criminal complaint!

Interestingly, the Junction took some steps designed to protect itself against this type of complaint. However, even if acquitted in the end, it would have cost them a huge amount for legal and expert's fees.

EXPEDIATE/ENGAGE

Keep count and at the end of the summer, tell me who uses those words the most at Council. Both politicians and Administrators are eligible

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN WINDSOR

It's at 9.4% and the highest in Ontario.

I wonder what the rate would have been had the Mayor stopped playing silly games and stalling and actually tried to get a road built to the Ambassador Bridge under the BIF program. That program is to end in a few months and $300M disappears that could have been used in our community for about 10,000 high-paying direct and spin-off jobs.

The 7(A) WONDER OF THE WORLD

Darn, why did that contest end so soon! It's not right. It's not fair.

They did not give us a chance to finish our East End arena and to enter it into the contest. Sure, sure it is delayed but so what.

By the time we finish paying for it, as the costs escalate, it will be our Taj Mahal. We would need the Treasury at Petra City.

Mind you, getting any information about the Spits' lease is like trying to break down the Great Wall of China. You'd have to pray to Christ the Redeemer for help.

I am sure that Colosseum will be part of its name once the Financial Institution is named as the winner of the naming rights bid. It has such a nice ring to it.

Mind you, Windsor is becoming a "lost city" with all of our problems. I am hoping though that we Maya do better in the future.

Anyway, Councillors Jones and Postma can take some comfort in all of this. They have a chance to get Sandwich into all of this:

• "THE UN body for culture overnight blasted a private initiative that drew nearly 100 million Internet and telephone voters to choose seven "new" wonders of the world.
  
  "This campaign responds to other criteria and objectives than that of UNESCO in the field of heritage," said Sue Williams, the spokeswoman for the UN cultural body that designates world heritage sites.
  
  "We have a much broader vision," she said."

NEW MEMBER OF THE ENEMIES CLUB

Congratulations should be extended to Stephen Funtig, the Trustee in Bankruptcy of the Capitol Theatre. He may become the newest member of the City's "Enemies" Club.

Since he did not knuckle under and do what the Mayor wanted, the Star reports that

• "lawyers for the city are seeking to have him removed.
  
  They are also pushing to have former city clerk Tom Lynd removed as one of the influential creditors directing Funtig, alleging he is in conflict of interest."

Hmmmm, perhaps Tom should join too.

So the thinking must be to have only people favouring the City as Inspectors and a compliant Trusteee who knows the score when he/she is appointed so the City gets the Capitol assets. That's a lot better than fighting a lawsuit especially if the City's position is weak.

There is only one problem. There are other parties who may want the Capitol assets too as I talked about in a recent BLOG. They are the ones with "political agendas contrary to the City's interests." Any Trustee risks a major personal lawsuit from the Capitol or a prospective purchaser if a sweetheart deal is done! We know now that the Capitol assets are worth at least $1.4M thanks to the City revealing its lawyer's memo.

You see what I mean...a fight over removing a Trustee. Another bit of complexity in a simple matter that could be resolved with a phone call. Heck, why ask me to help; I am an enemy too I guess!

St. Clair will just have to wait a bit longer before they get the Capitol.