Watermain-gate: The Next Bombshell

Watermain-gate just keeps growing bigger and bigger, with no end to where it will spread. I just cannot understand why no one has taken a firm hand to control this matter but so far no one has.

Two new matters have arisen that again require action to be taken. It is getting messier by the day and dragging anyone who has ever been close to the issue right into the muck!

I'll tell you who the latest victims may be as you read further.

First, what I found interesting was an interview between the Star's Don McArthur and WUC Chair, Councillor Ken Lewenza, that was reported not in the Windsor Star but in MacArthur's BLOG on the online Star. In that article, was a quote by Lewenza that:

• "...he and Max Zalev, WUC's acting general manager, will sit down for a chat with anyone and everyone in this city who has concerns or questions about skyrocketing water rates.
  
  "Max and I, in our discussion the other day, said anytime anyone from the public -- and we're going to announce this at the next meeting -- wants to spend time with us, we are going to spend whatever time is required, within reason, in terms of helping people understand," said Lewenza earlier this week.
  
  "We will meet with every group. We will meet with everybody that has concerns."

Now Junior did continue his attack on W.ACT but what can one expect when Junior has a very bright adversary against him who won't be suckered by silliness:

• "Lewenza stressed he wouldn't be keen on that particular meeting because he doubted Schnurr and the group, which is calling for a "full and complete financial, business and operational investigation of the WUC and any third party relationships with Enwin by an independent third party," would ever be satisfied.
  
  "I know the difference between meeting with a citizens group that no matter how many questions you answer they're just going to keep trying to add more confusion versus a person that has very legitimate questions. I have no time for people who have personal agendas and no interest in bringing some understanding to the issue," said Lewenza.
  
  "They deserve to have their questions answered but we have to look reasonably at how much time that we are going to spend on them when they have no interest in the answer."

Now is this all bravado so that Junior will be able to say that he invited people to talk to them but no one did. Unfortunately for him, and probably the Mayor, Chris Schnurr of W.ACT saw the article and proposed meeting with Junior before the next W.ACT press conference to try to resolve differences between City Hall and the citizens group.

Junior did reply Sunday night and will actually meet with Schnurr next Thursday but after the Press Conference. It's a good thing he did reply or it would cause another issue for City Hall. I wonder if the Councillor will be open to what Chris wants to discuss or is it just a pro forma session!

However that is not the big story. The second and newest revelation is something that came out of the office of Dwight Duncan. Dwight has now put into jeopardy his re-election and that of Sandra. Here's what I mean by that.

When this story first broke the Star reported on August 23, 2007, we read:

• "Munce said Gerretson decided to proceed because it was a direct request from council and followed a discussion with local MPPs and provincial cabinet ministers Dwight Duncan and Sandra Pupatello, who encouraged him to look at the issue."

As you know, I have asked on numerous occasions what they said to the Minister but have never received a reply. Take a look now at this exchange of e-mails sent to me by a reader:

• "To: dwight@fightingforwindsor-tecumseh.com
  Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 11:35 PM
  Subject: Lost Confidence in Dwight Duncan
  
  Mr. Duncan,
  
  It is with great regret that I am writing this email to you. For years, our family has been proud to have you represent us at Queen's Park. However, after your refusal to support the increasing number of citizens in their call for a full financial, business and operational audit in the ever growing WUC debacle, we, a family of 6 eligible voters, have lost faith in your ability to represent us.
  
  On behalf of my family, while we may not know for whom we will be voting for come election, our choices have narrowed by one."
  


• "From: dwight@fightingforwindsor-tecumseh.com
  Sent: September 20, 2007 11:54 AM
  Subject: Re: Lost Confidence in Dwight Duncan
  
  Thank you for your email.
  
  The City of Windsor asked that Dwight and Sandra get involved and request an audit be done by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. They contacted the Minister and although its not that Ministry's mandate to 'police' municipalities the Minister agreed at their (Dwight and Sandra's) urging.
  
  The City did not ask for the Auditor General to do the audit. THe Mayor or Council never asked any local MPP's to get the Auditor General here. Further, the Auditor General was interviewed by the Windsor Star - it was reported - he indicated that the Ministry Audit will be as thorough as one done by him. He has every confidence that the audit will be thorough.
  
  This is a municipal issue that must eventually be addressed by the City, and the WUC board.
  
  Thank you for your email again and its regretful that you will be supporting someone else this time.
  
  Regards, Jenna Duncan Campaing Team."

And just so you remember what Dwight had to say about the inquiry and how he wants to protect the municipality in preference to its citizens, he said:

• "Unlike Mr. Schnurr and his Conservative friends, we don’t believe the provincial government should just go in for the purposes of beating up municipalities."

Do you understand now why citizens have the right to be so concerned that this Ministry audit might be nothing more than just a whitewash. If Sandra and Dwight "urged" the Minister to do something, then what was it? Do you really think it was to undertake a full financial, business and operational audits of Windsor Utilities? Or was it not to "beat up" the Mayor and Council!

The Ministers asked for the Ministy to be involved! Why not the Auditor General since they have the power to ask him to come in under Section 17 of the Auditor General Act:

• The Auditor General shall perform such special assignments as may be required by the Assembly, the standing Public Accounts Committee of the Assembly, by resolution of the committee, or by a minister of the Crown in right of Ontario

Of course the MPPs were never asked to have the Auditor General involved. The Mayor talked to him first privately and then the shenanigans with Councillor Halberstadt's Motion prevented that from happening didn't it.

Oh and as far as Ms. Duncan goes, someone should send her a copy of the relevant statutes of Ontario and point out to her what the Ministry of Municipal Affairs does and what their powers are.

As I predicted, the WUC is becoming a local political issue for the Provincial election. If the No-names have any brains, they will make that issue front and centre and forget about all of the others if they think they have any chance of being elected. Lisa Lumley has started the attack by the Opposition parties by issuing a press release on the subject.

I have an idea for you. When Sandra or Dwight come knocking at your door and ask for your support, ask them whom they represent, the City Hall/WUC establishment or the people of the city of Windsor! Let me know what their answer is.