Shorties Break
You need a break so here are some shorter BLOG items for you.
Yes, the Windsor Star will help us believe in our City. It will help us feel good about ourselves even though a lot of our neighbors may be out of a job or be having difficulty paying the mortgage on their homes.
Why, it will help spread the good news about Windsor to counter the negative images shown on Radio-Canada TV as an example. You know the ones showing storefronts saying Closed or Out of Business.
We learned from the Star that the WEDC will be sending out a "specially printed magazine... across Canada.
How nice for the Star to be so helpful and to make a couple bucks as well boosting their community. Philanthropy and profit-making coming together. After all, we were told by Remo Mancini Chairman of the Board of Directors and Bob Renaud Chairman, Communications Committee Windsor-Essex Development Commission:
- "We are asking our fellow citizens in Windsor and Essex County to be proud of this community and as expressed in the Windsor Star campaign, Believe WindsorEssex.
We thank The Windsor Star and publisher Jim Venney for their support in expanding our campaign locally and nationally. Our plans are to morph W.E. Can and Believe WindsorEssex into an ongoing promotion.
Perhaps the Star can print the WEDC brochures at a discount too.
I thought you might want to see one of the Star pro-Believe ads that they published recently. Will you join the movement too? Just call Ray in advertising!
WHEN IS AN INTERIM CEO NOT AN INTERIM CEO
When he is Remo Mancini, the Chair of the Economic Development Commission, who "has taken on extra duties at the body, which has a budget of $1.5 million annually, funded by the city and the county." He is doing these things "while the search is on for a replacement" for Matt Fischer who was fired by the Commission. I wonder if he gets paid per diem or whether he now gets the equivalent of Mr. Fischer's salary.
My recollection is that the information was that the Chair would not be the interim CEO. Rumours originially suggested that:
- "Remo Mancini, board chairman for the commission, will be named as interim CEO until a new permanent replacement can be found, some of the sources said. "
However, however his name was conspicuously absent in the contact list for the Commission when Fischer's termination announcement was made. Instead it was said
- "The capable staff of the WEDC will continue to pursue with the full support of the Board, their business retention, attraction, innovation and small business support plans. Contacts which would normally be made to the CEO should now be made to Michael Burton, VP, Corporate Services and Communication, until a new CEO begins to lead the organization."
A list of names was then given and Mr. Mancini's was not on it. Can you imagine the confusion for poor out-of-towners who now will not have the faintest idea to whom they should call to get a copy of the new brochure of the Commission, assuming one has been printed.
JUNE IN LONDON
June is a wonderful time in London, England. Of course there are world-class events that take place in June such as the Trooping of the Colours for the Queen's Birthday, the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and all of the different shows at the various galleries and museums including Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.
With all of the turmoil that is taking place at the WEDC, and given the fact that the Commission has been flogging the London Financial Times award for how long has it been with nothing achieved because of it, it is hardly surprising that a trade show has being organized for London, England. They do need a break from all of the stress and why shouldn't taxpayers pay for since they are working so hard for us.
I wonder how many trips to Europe members of the Commission have taken since it has been reconstituted and the results obtained.
Perhaps Council Dilkens who wants to have open and transparent government in Windsor including all of the Boards could ask the Chair for a copy of the Minutes to see if this information is revealed or perhaps he could ask the Chair to give a breakdown on trips taken. With that information, Councillor Dilkens could report to the public.
I truly cannot believe that the Star report is correct:
- "The embattled Windsor-Essex Development Commission received a show of unanimous support from city councillors and support from some county councillors Tuesday night."
Seriously, look at what they are doing for almost $2 million a year:
- "Among initiatives the commission is taking on are a planned trade show in London, England, in June, identifying research and development opportunities locally, working with the University of Windsor, and teaming up with the Woodslee Credit Union and The Windsor Star in extolling the virtues of the region as a place to invest. A specially printed magazine will be sent out across Canada."
And our Mayor wants to give them $100 million for a development fund. OMG!!!
CHOO-CHOO-CHOO
The Big Train Trip to Toronto with all of the Windsor movers and shakers on board to meet up with Toronto VIPs is about to take place.
The big question is not whether the Mayor will be on board both going to Toronto and returning after the soirée but what will be his excuse for not being able to be on the train and flying back and forth, from YQG of course.
I would have expected mind you that the Mayor would be on board since he would have a captive audience to harangue for four to five hours each way about Greenlink and to ask them to fill in a postcard but he faces the risk that they might toss him off at the first station stop in Chatham if he annoyed them too much.
I have heard that a number of the senior Business People in town have been calling City Hall demanding a solution to the border road. Why that almost sounds like something that Councillor Marra has been advocating. If that is the case, Eddie will never do it.
It would not surprise me that if Eddie went along on the trip, we will see a Gord Henderson column a few days later saying that Eddie, Sandra and Dwight resolved all of their differences re the border road on the train. Why it would just be like Eddie and President Strasser starting to talk about moving St. Clair downtown at a Rotary lobsterfest and doing the deal in a Timmie's or Eddie's attendance at a wedding in London resulting in the purchase of the East End arena lands.
That's how urban legends are created and mayoral careers are saved. No wonder Gord Henderson asked for CAW involvement in this file. They can teach Eddie how to claim victory after a massive defeat.
AND YOU THINK MICHIGAN CAN AFFORD TO DUPLICATE BORDER FACILITIES
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • May 4, 2008
While Pontiac has unique problems -- like the $1.5 million it spends annually to keep the roof inflated on the deserted Silverdome -- it's not alone in its financial troubles. Thirteen other cities in metro Detroit also appear on a state watch list for financial difficulty, according to fiscal scorecards compiled by the state's Treasury Department for the first time based on 2006 financial data submitted to the state last year.
Two of those 13 cities -- Highland Park and River Rouge -- already are considered financial emergencies. Declining populations, falling property values and rising costs for things like energy and health care are creating money problems for cities across Michigan, experts say.
"I firmly believe that this is just the beginning of a wave of cities falling into a variety of levels of fiscal distress," said Paul Tait, executive director of the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments, or SEMCOG.
WHERE IN THE WORLD...
...will Gord Henderson go to try and find another tunnel so that he can support Greenlink or whatever Eddie's latest stall solution is.
He didn't mention an interesting fact about the proposed tunnel that may explain why it is being considered
- "Finance Minister Michael Cullen confirmed today that a steering group had been set up to look at the feasibility of private sector involvement in building a 5km tunnel largely under Prime Minister Helen Clark's Mt Albert electorate."
The cost of that tunnel is estimated to be NZ$2 billion for a 5 km tunnel. Triple that cost or more for Windsor's length. And do not forget the tolls to pay for it which would make our crossing uncompetitive thereby killing economic development here.
Oh Gordo....you ought to know better. This is not true:
- "Now we have a federal government holding out a blank cheque for a state-of-the-art national gateway right here at the country's most vital border crossing."
Here is what I wrote the other day about Transport Minister Cannon:
- "The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today welcomed the proposal from the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) study team on the technically preferred alternative for the access road from Highway 401 to the proposed new international border crossing...
"Our Government committed $400 million to this project in Budget 2007 to deliver economic benefits, increased employment, and a cleaner environment for the region," said Minister Cannon."
Whatever happened to a commitment for an additional $4-500 million needed to pay half of the cost of the DRIC $1.6-1.8B road."
Why that $400M is barely enough to pay for a "cheap solution!"
posted by JoeBlog at 11:20 a.m.
<< Home