BLOGEXTRA: 15,000 Jobs Down The Drain

Nothing will ever satisfy Mayor Eddie Francis until it is too late for this City.

Gord Henderson asks today in his column:

• "I don't like this expression. But how does one suck and blow at the same time?"

The Mayor of Windsor must be a unique politician then. He answered that question. He knows how to do it.

Compare these two news stories, one for the "home crowd" and one for the national media. Tell me that it does not want to make you throw up!

How long have I been advocating that 15,000 infrastructure jobs will help this City NOW as the Ambassador Bridge and border road projects move forward. How long have this Mayor and Council been opposing everything and anything other than their pie in the sky "THINK BIG" dreams which are designed to stall off any solution.

How many millions of taxpayer dollars are being paid to lawyers and consultants while this City sinks deeper into despair. Words fail me to express my disgust!

• Ottawa Sun Sat, February 9, 2008
  
  "Big cities, big problems
  
  The mayors also wanted additional money for what they called a $123 billion infrastructure deficit. They say that in a time of economic downturn, investing in infrastructure will keep people working while at the same time modernizing cities to remain competitive and attract investment.
  
  "It's about the economy. In Windsor, we have a lot of manufacturing jobs and as such we often see signs of a coming recession before the rest of Canada does," said Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis.
  
  "By doing good infrastructure projects, you put money back into the economy. Those workers then spend while at the same time we are modernizing our infrastructure."
  
  
• Windsor Star Sat, February 9, 2008
  
  Manning Road pledge fails to mollify Francis
  
  Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley has provided written assurances to Mayor Eddie Francis that the Manning Road expansion project will not be completed until either 2015 or after completion of a new access road to the border.
  
  But Francis said Friday that Bradley's letter also contains wording that points to Manning and E.C. Row Expressway being used as an interim international truck route during construction of the border route...
  
  "The minister at that meeting listened to the views of the participants," said Nicole Lippa-Gasparro, press secretary for Bradley. "He put the letter out to confirm what he heard from the participants and what was talked about so people had it in writing...
  
  But it concludes with the commitment that the Manning project "will not be completed until 2015 or until after the completion of a new access road to the border, whichever comes first..."
  
  Francis's opposition to Manning Road expansion triggered a rebuke Friday from Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara...
  
  "This guy (Francis) does not want to compromise. It's my way or the highway and that just does not sit well with me. We are losing jobs here and that's what I'm extremely worried about in my community."

There are only two alternatives open to us now. Economic devastation as the Senior Levels pull out or the Senior Levels impose a solution.

In the end, isn't that what Eddie wants so that he will not be blamed. Instead of being a party to the solution, he is the problem. Why else would there be a closed door meeting today "strategizing a legal position" as Councillor Postma so elegantly put it.