Who Will Second The Halberstadt Motion

Quite an Editorial in today's Star. If they had mentioned the name of one of Canada's best forensic auditors, Al Rosen, in it, you might have thought that I had a hand in it being written since that is what I have advocated!

It's put up or shut up time now for Councillor Halberstadt. It seems that the Councillor feels he was "duped" by WUC:

• "it appears to be pretty obvious they (were) trying to downplay the extent of the increase."

Too bad no one from the Commission with any facts was around:

• "WUC chairman Ken Lewenza couldn't be reached for comment. WUC's acting general manager Max Zalev was unavailable Tuesday and his staff referred questions to WUC spokeswoman Sylvia deVries, who was on leave in the spring when the utility created the inserts."

Strange that the Mayor who was contacted by the Star did not return the page since he did all the talking before and he was not even the WUC Chair, Junior was. Then again, I can understand why not:

• "Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis has handled this issue poorly from the start, offering contradictory statements that have done little to instill public faith."

Those people at WUC should have been the big Buskers sponsor after all. According to the Star today they work acts of magic. They turn 86 per cent increases into 36 per cent ones and $600 million in 30 years to replace watermains from $660 million over 100 years. Feats of pure wonder and amazement.

Back to the Councillor. He should receive the credit for not knuckling under. He left his Motion on the table so Windsorites have the chance to express their opinion as delegations about what should be done with an investigation at Council next Monday. BUT....who will second it. I know that five Councillors have been contacted to do so and not one has said he/she would.

Are they personally afraid to do so? Are they afraid of the consequences to their political career? They must know that seconding a Motion does not necessarily mean a person is in favour of it. Someone CAN second a Motion in order to have the debate.

Are they afraid to antagonize the Mayor or their colleagues? You know, not be part of the team. If so, they do not deserve to remain on Council. They would not performing their duty as a Councillor!

Without a seconder, the Motion dies under the Procedural By-law and no one gets heard. If the Star is right that there was "what seemed an attempt -- a well-orchestrated one -- to upstage Halberstadt, Francis introduced a motion, passed unanimously without public notice or input" then do not expect anyone to second Alan's Motion. After all, we all know that the Mayor cannot handle any kind of criticism against his infallibility and cannot tolerate being blamed for anything.

It is up to Alan, not only as a Councillor but as a member of the City's Audit Committee, to take charge and to get a seconder from amongst Councillors Dilkens, Postma, Valentinis, Gignac and Hatfield. I did not mention the Mayor or Councillors Lewenza, Jones, Marra and Brister. As far as I am concerned the latter were on WUC during the relevant time period and should have absolutely no involvement whatsoever in anything to do with an investigation.

In fact, one should question how the Mayor could introduce his Motion in the first place and how the four could vote on it! Where were the City Clerk and City Solicitor when that happened at the last Council meeting!

If Councillor Halberstadt does not have the ability to get a seconder on a matter such as this, then he is powerless and any hope that he may have to be our next mayor or perhaps run for a Senior Level position would be dashed. Oh I know his fellow colleagues get mad at him but he should have the ability to line them up on something so important as this.

If there is no seconder....well, let us not even contemplate what could happen next! I cannot believe that the six remaining Councillors would act so irresponsibly.