Dave Cooke For Mayor

Can you imagine the outcry, the blistering Windsor Star Editorials, another Jason Moore CKLW commentary if the major Detroit media supported a third crossing that would destroy Sandwich.

In effect, the Saturday Star Editorial has chosen to destroy Delray. That is where the downriver bridge will go and the Star knows it. After all, since its readership is in Windsor, the Star has to protect its readers' interests doesn't it? What does it care if hundreds of residents and businesses in Delray have to relocate.

After all

• "the interests of residents and businesses north of E.C. Row would be much better served by a crossing constructed to the west, away from built-up areas."

Those are the people who are important to the Star not the people in Delray who would be given a few thousand dollars for their properties and told to find a new place to live. Of course, the Star forgot to mention that a bridge could be built at the existing Ambassador Bridge location that would not disrupt homes and businesses on both sides of the river since it already owns all of the properties it needs and the new Enhancement Project bridge would be contained within the existing border crossing.

What a bizarre Editorial don't you think and the timing of it was strange too. But it should explain one thing to you, dear reader. If you want to understand why the Windsor Star supports a Mayor who has failed miserably in everything that he has done so far, it is because of its irrational view of the Ambassador Bridge Company. As long as Eddie continues to call the Bridge Company the "enemy" and take steps to oppose them, the Star will forgive his failures. Oh, it might take a dig at him every so often but they will keep on supporting him for as long as they can ie until they can develop a new champion.

I can just imagine when the Councillor was eating his version of the champions power breakfast, TRIX cereal, on Saturday morning and was reading the Star. He must have gagged and choked when he saw what was happening. The Star had started to pick its favourite for the next mayoral election and he was not their choice.

Oh, you thought I was talking about Councillor Marra. Hardly. He already knows that he is the one to knock off and that the Star does not love him. I am talking about the Councillor formerly known as Councillor Budget, Councillor Brister. I'm sure he picked up pretty quickly that what I've been saying about him was true. He was being set up to take the fall for the Mayor over the arena. What he thought was Henderson praise for his diligence in pinching pennies on the arena was really setting him up to eliminate his chance to be Mayor.

Who is the Star hoping will run... the new Chair of the Board of the University of Windsor, Dave Cooke. The headline gave it all away "The right person at the right time." Can you believe the size of the story just because there is a new Chair of the Board.

Think I am kidding, then how do you explain this:

• "Rae's admiration extends to Cooke's parents, whose health issues and advancing age is one reason he is planning to move back to Windsor from Toronto...
  
  The slower pace of a smaller city is another draw, adds Cooke. "You know, I love Windsor; it sounds hokey, but it's a great place to live," he says. "There's a much nicer quality of life, friendlier...
  
  His two-bedroom condo in Toronto will soon go on the market, says Cooke, who is eyeing a new address on Riverside Drive."

Mr. Windsor Casino sems to have the Eddie endorsement that Brister desperately was hoping for:

• "Even Francis -- who worked closely with Cooke and Paul on the failed downtown campus pitch -- agrees that Cooke is "the right person at the right time. What I've seen from Dave is he's always put the city first and he's always put the right thing first.... The challenge is going to be whether he's going to have support, and I think board members at the university have to recognize the unique talents and skills sets that he brings, and that we have to work together."

Notice how the headline picked up on the Francis remark. As well, there are certain rumours being spread about who is promoting heavily Cooke as the next Mayor.

The guy has a sharp political mind you; he's meeting with Larry Horwitz already and probably hoping that Larry will bring Pam Anderson to town to help him on his campaign if he decides to run. Plus he wants to ensure that Larry does not run either.

If Cooke chooses to run, he will have two years with the platform of being University Chair to give "non-partisan" partisan speeches about Windsor, the downtown, and its future. He can be front and centre in so many ribbon-cutting ceremonies that it would make your head spin. He would be knocking on the doors of all the movers and shakers asking for money for both the medical building and the Engineering Complex. He would get to know a lot of people in a very short period time on top of his existing connections. Being an NDPer wouldn't hurt either.

I don't believe that Councillor Marra needs to be too concerned, at least not yet. He's got his well-oiled machine, "Marra's Marauders" around. They almost knocked Eddie off the first time when Bill ran for Mayor but for a few foolish mistakes and the team was able to defeat the Senator and put Councillor Pitbull into second place in Ward 4. He is well-connected with a broad base of support across party lines within the City. He already knew that he would have a tough fight to be Mayor and that he would be smeared to prevent him from doing so.

He is learning. His end-run of the Mayor on the Interm Control Bylaw was a marvel to watch. He was the one who immediately put forward the compromise solution to extend the Bylaw to give Residents a choice to have a proper hearing and effectively undercut what Eddie wanted to achieve on Friday. Do you think that Bill would be too upset if dozens of residents from Sandwich attend the next Council meeting on the Interim By-law and slam the Mayor for his foolish bylaw that is destroying the Community.

In fact if you read the story about the Special Council Meeting, it is the Bridge Company that has become the protector of the people of Sandwich. What irony. The number of people who congratulated the Bridge Company's lawyer for standing up to Eddie was quite amazing.

It was pretty clear that Eddie was rattled on Friday both by the lawyer of the Bridge Company and by Marra's quick action. Do you think that Eddie was pleased when Les Chaif said that he disenfranchised two thirds of the working people of Sandwich by holding a meeting at 4 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. Marra has just become the working man and woman's choice!

I have traveled far a field from the Star's editorial haven't I. Dave Cooke better understand that if he wants the Star's support, he had better hate the Ambassador Bridge Company too. He might have a bit of a problem doing that. The Star story about him says:

• "I think he's not afraid of change and not afraid of change for improvement. He found a way to work with lots of people with differing points of view...
  
  unlike many, he could also be practical and exercise common sense...
  
  he didn't hesitate to rile some feathers if he found that was the right thing to do"

Hmmmm, Dave better be careful. Eddie may not boost him after all if he can be practical.