Is Windsor Paranoid

Wikipedia defines paranoia as

"a disturbed thought process characterized by excessive anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs concerning a perceived threat."

Clearly, the City is not but can we say the same about City Hall? How else to explain the bizarre opening of the Gord Henderson column on Saturday:

• "Councillor Drew Dilkens nearly blew a gasket when I asked him Friday about rumour mongering that he's a frontman for special interests seeking a wedge issue to shatter the city's united stand on a border infrastructure solution.
  
  Dilkens, whose call this week for action to address the 18-wheeler problem on Dougall Avenue made him public enemy No. 1 among truckers but scored huge points with his South Windsor constituents, told me he's had it up to here with a whisper campaign that's portraying him as a tool of various border interest groups, including the bridge company, the DRTP, the area's Liberal cabinet ministers and certain bloggers."

See what I mean....they, the enemies, are everywhere! Make up a phony story to discredit an opponent. Blame it on rumours too so no one takes responsibility for spreading lies.

I'm so glad that I am that important in the City and apparently that powerful that I can be linked with border proponents and powerful Cabinet Ministers. To show you how bad things are, apparently as well, so the rumours circulating that I have heard suggest, I have nothing better to do with my time than to write all of those negative letters on all of the Windsor forums that attack City Hall. All of this just because I write a BLOG on local politics. Unbelievable!

If you want to know what is wrong with City Hall than this column demonstrates it perfectly. There is no discussion of issues in Windsor but rather there are personal, ad hominem attacks if one dares not to have a "W" strapped on to one's chest. You are not allowed to think in this City and if you do, and heaven forbid if you have a differing opinion, then there is a whispering campaign and rumour mongering started against you as Councillor Dilkens found out. Welcome to my phone booth, Councillor.

It is interesting to me that Gord, perhaps inadvertently, has disclosed why people have been so quiet in Windsor for so long as this City falls apart. Who can dare say anything negative publicly without fear of having their business or reputation destroyed in the snap of a finger. Fortunately, this City has been blessed with a number of Bloggers who are not afraid to speak out. If one reads the Windsor Star forums, and I suggest that our local politicians do so, then you will see that Windsorites are now starting to tell it as it is and putting the blame where the blame is deserved.

Some more interesting things from the Henderson column. The name of the Councillor formally known as Councillor Budget was conspicuous by its absence. The reason for that is obvious. On a road issue dealing with the border, he has been invisible. It is his rookie Wardmate who has taken action on something that is so important to the residents of the Ward. Is Councillor Dilkens right or wrong, it does not matter. It is the fact that he brought it to the public's attention that is important.

What is also important is that this matter was not on the public Agenda for delegations to speak on. Rather, it was hidden as part of the Communications Package. Delegations are not allowed to speak on that under the Procedural Bylaw. Wasn't that something that was amended while Eddie was Mayor? If so, it speaks volumes about democracy in Windsor.

Interestingly, the other Communications Package matter about trucks on Wyandotte was previously discussed in public.

Do you want to know why Greenlink is dead... for the second time, Henderson has written that its cost is $2.6 billion. I have no idea where he got that number from which is $1 billion more than is set out on the Greenlink site. Given his relationship with City Hall, there is a question that needs answering: What increased the costs in a few months by such a huge amount of money or is this another mistake that will have to be corrected?

There is more. If the border solution fails, it is not Eddie's fault because he has not been able to negotiate a deal with the senior levels after how many years as Mayor? I guess that snubbing the Senior Levels and coming up with ridiculous road solutions should not be considered as part of the reason why he has been unable to do what he was elected to do in the first place. No, it is Dwight's fault and Sandra's fault. Find a scapegoat.

Gord asked the question:

• "Why, three months after GreenLink was rolled out, are we still waiting for them to get off the pot and get moving?"

Perhaps he should ask the Mayor if the City has submitted yet its response to the DRIC proposal that was supposed to be submitted in mid-November. You know the response that cost the City how many thousands of scarce taxpayer dollars in full-page media ads, radio advertisements and Ward meetings across the City. If it has still not been submitted, the how can anybody possibly know what the City's position is? We would know as well where to point the finger of blame too.

You see the tactic that is used to silence Councillors. If you dare speak out, then you are accused of "shatter[ing] the city's united stand." It is a great technique that has been used for years. First it started with the original Schwartz report, then the full tunneling solution and now Greenlink. It is prevented a border solution and thousands of high-paying jobs being created for years now. There is no "united stand." What we have is an unholy alliance of people who are afraid to speak out for fear of being hammered in the media and are afraid that if they say something negative their mayoral chances in the next election will be reduced significantly.

We now can see the mentality at City Hall in all of its glory and set out publicly. Anybody who has a differing opinion is accused of using a "divide-and-conquer tactic designed to sow discord." Imagine, a Councillor has to justify in a newspaper column why he asked a simple question months ago or else risk his political career being ended. It is one hell of a way to run the City.

So there you have it... speak out and you are part of the conspiracy. You cannot think but you must obey. Dare think and you are a conspirator.

As for me, I'm not paranoic, even though I keep looking over my shoulder!