Comparing 2007 And 2008

The Mayor likes comparing what went on last year with what went on this year. Let me do some comparing too and then I will ask the key question.

No, No, No, this has nothing to do with DRIC maps and roadways and whether they did more or less or whether a connection for the County was added. It is much more important than that! It all has to do with the Mackinac Conference.

Here are the agenda items for the same event for 2007 and 2008. Can you spot the difference?

• 2007
  
  3:00 p.m. General Session - Theatre
  "The Big Five" (aired live on WJR)
  
  Speakers:
  William Crouchman, Chairman, Macomb County Commission
  Robert Ficano, Executive, Wayne County
  Eddie Francis, Mayor, City of Windsor
  Kwame Kilpatrick, Mayor, City of Detroit
  L. Brooks Patterson, Executive, Oakland County
  
  
• 2008
  
  11:30 a.m. General Session: The Big Four
  The Big Four engages the business community in a live radio broadcast discussing a regional approach to a stronger Michigan.
  
  The Big Four:
  
  William Crouchman, Chairman, Macomb County Commission
  Robert Ficano, Executive, Wayne County
  Kwame Kilpatrick, Mayor, City of Detroit
  L. Brooks Patterson, Executive, Oakland County

Oh no, the Big Five have been reduced to the Big Four. This is a disturbing situation that requires an immediate answer to the key question:

• Why wasn't Mayor Eddie Francis attending and speaking at the most prestigious conference in the Detroit/Windsor area as he has done in the last several years?

Perhaps a comment like this one infuriated the other side. How absurd:

• "Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis hopes Red Bull Air Race officials will decide to make Windsor a permanent stop on the circuit. Red Bull is expected to release it's 2009 schedule in August."

But then again, the Mayor did say as I wrote before:

• "Our track record speaks for itself to host these events," said Francis at the time.
  
  
  
  "From the Super Bowl, to Wrestlemania, to the Grand Prix."
  
  
  Hrumph.
  
  And people thought that they were Detroit events! How shameful the American media can be when they spread vicious lies like those."

What a load of Red Bull! What an insult to Detroit.

Could it be that the Americans did not want to be bored by a Francis Greenlink presentation. Had they heard about the one at the Chamber of Commerce meeting and did not want all of the Mayors walking out too if Eddie said some nasty things. He might have attacked the politicians for allowing the Ambassador Gateway Project to move forward at this time to make him look foolish for not allowing the Bridge Co. to do some temporary closings of a road for repairs to the Bridge!

Did someone forget his name or did his invitation get lost in the mail? Was he considered as being too minor a player or insignificant or worse?

Was Windsor slighted for some faux pas? Heck, it is not our fault if we cannot find some sucker who will provide $75 million to complete the Tunnel deal financing since it is a declining asset that is not generating traffic volumes or revenues and profits as it did in the past.

Alternatively, did he have other plans? Was he heading overseas again as he did in the pre-budget meeting with Dwight Duncan to find some other startup company that might want Windsor onions? Did he have to attend another school read-a-thon as he did at General Brock elementary school when he could not attend a meeting where infrastructure dollars were being presented to the City by two of the most powerful Members of the Cabinet. Did he go to Quebec City for FCM instead?

Perhaps the answer is as simple as he has to try and flog the Red Bull Race tickets that remained unsold so that he can pretend that he is responsible for whatever success the weekend might bring to Windsor.

I hope that the intrepid News Director at CKLW might be able to find out the answer to make up to his website readers for missing the story on the Chamber Of Commerce luncheon! Just to help him out a bit, here is what I heard:

Eddie may as well keep the money here for whatever good it is doing him. Can you imagine. $75M and sponsoring Detroit events, still does not get a Windsor Mayor a seat at the table in Mackinac!