Three-Part Series: The Epilogue

"If You Cannot Do The Job, Get Out Of The Chair And Let Someone Else Do it."

As a litigator for most of my professional career, it was my job to try and figure out what the "truth" was in a fact situation that obviously was different depending on which side that the client was on. I understood that it was my job not to take my client to court to fight a lawsuit but rather to look at the fact situation and try to assist my client in obtaining a resolution with the other side. I found that once I was able to assist my client to get away from the rhetoric, my client was much more capable than I in figuring out ways to solve the business issue with the opposition. After all, my client was a business person who understood the business better than I ever could. My job was to try to help my client achieve that result in a situation where the two sides were at odds.

I always believed that a lawyer who saw his/her function as merely going to court was doing a disservice to his/her client. Lawsuits take years and cost thousands and the result when one appears in front of a human judge is never predictable.

A good resolution was always better than a bad court judgment in my opinion.

I give you this background because I trust that you enjoyed reading my Series on Windsor's problems and how they can be solved. In effect, using my professional skills, I'm suggesting to you, dear reader, that our problems are not as big as some would want us to believe nor are they all that difficult to solve. I believe that the resolution set out in my Series is workable, practical and easily achievable if people are prepared to put their egos aside and to try to resolve outstanding issues in good faith.

The statement I set out above is a variation of the remark that former Councillor Joyce Zuk made to ex-Mayor Mike Hurst at a Council meeting when she was exasperated at how he could not control the meeting.

I thought about this line when I read the Editorial in the Star the other day. In it, the Star blames the entire world for the problems that Windsor has, our perfect storm remember, and effectively throws up its hands and says that nothing can be done here without Federal assistance.

"Windsor is in the midst of a crisis it didn't create and it can't solve."

HOGWASH!!!

Who would not want money regardless of the source but is it likely that Windsor is going to get any. What do you think? After declaring war on everyone why would anyone want to help us out! Now Councillor Valentinis has the answer to his question about why no one listens to Windsor and why we don't get grants as do other communities.

The Editorial is interesting as well because it effectively says there is nothing that our Mayor can do other than whine and cry and stamp his feet to get money from the Federal Government. In other words, make excuses for a Mayor who has failed us on everything.

I won't give myself any credit but it is very interesting that this Editorial came out right after I completed my Three-part Series on how to solve Windsor's problems and create jobs and prosperity for the region without much difficulty. If my proposition is correct, then there is an important role that Windsor's Mayor can play to achieve success for the region now. He does not have to sit on his ass doing nothing but hold out his hand asking for money.

This brings me to the Saturday closed door meeting on the border. You remember, the Mayor has just said he wants another costly advertising blitz to support the City's position, whatever that is, but in order to do so he has to hold a closed-door meeting keeping everything away from his citizens. Only a few people in this entire City will understand what the strategy is but unfortunately those people will not be taxpayers just Councillors.

Instead of holding a closed-door meeting in which the City and its lawyers are plotting against everyone and preparing for litigation to stall things off, the City should be holding open door meetings in which they talk to everyone in order to resolve issues.

You are well aware, dear reader, that there are differences between the City and the Ambassador Bridge Company with respect to its Enhancement Project. Would it not make more sense to have the Bridge Company sit down with the Mayor and Council and resolve differences now!

You are well aware that there are differences between the City, the Bridge Company and the Senior Levels with respect to the border road and other matters. Would it not make more sense to have the Bridge Company and Senior Levels sit down with the Mayor and Council and resolve differences now!

If one wants to talk a war analogy, it is time for the peace talks to be held already in order to start the reconstruction of the area that has been devastated by this ridiculous battle.

It is time for the City to stop having an entitlement mentality. It is time for the Mayor and Council to stop blaming everyone else for the City's woes. The Bridge Company and Senior Levels are here to create thousands of jobs in Windsor now and yet the Mayor and Council are stalling and opposing them. Why?

It is a shame that we do not have a person like Councillor Zuk on Council now. If we did, that person would say to the Mayor if he cannot do the job, then is time for him to get out of the Chair and let someone else do it! And do it now!!