Partially Undressed Windsor Stories

If you are older, you might remember this line: "There are eight million stories in the Naked City, and this has been one of them."

We are not as big as the Big Apple and a bit more "provincial," so our City is not completely naked. Moreover, there probably are not as many stories in Windsor. However, here are a few more of them:

1) DRIC AS A BLOCKBUSTER

Where are the protectors of the City who rose up in anger against the Bridge Co. properties on Indian Road? Are they hypocrites? Are they deliberately looking the other way? I have not heard a peep out of them with respect to this problem.

Is this what the Mayor meant when he talked about derelict properties. A note from a reader:

• "SUBJECT: Coming Very Soon To A Home On Highway 3 In Windsor"
  
  There are now some 8 to 10 homes left for demolition on Highway 3 near my mother's house between St.Clair College & Howard Avenue. Some home owners have already taken the government's buyout & left their homes for greener pastures. You can tell which homes are vacant by the uncut grass on their front lawns. Crackhouse anyone???"

And again:

• "I copied this story to an employee of mine. She wasn't surpised at all because her aunt lives on Highway 3 between Howard Avenue & Cousineau Road. Her aunt took the government buyout a few months ago & they stopped by their old home a month back & there was a homeless family living in it.
  
  No s**t."

2) THE FERRY AS A HINT

Here is another reason for thinking that the Enhancement Project is moving forward while the DRIC project will be tabled.

I was thinking about the short story I wrote the other day about the mess with the Ferry project. I should have figured it out before but I didn't. There obviously will not be a DRIC bridge built. If one is going to be built, then there is no need to spend $5 million on the Truck Ferry.

As you may recall, the new bridge is supposed to be able to handle hazardous materials. After all, they're going to bring in so much of the Sarnia traffic to Windsor including garbage trucks or else no one would invest in the project. Once the new DRIC Bridge is built, the Ferry is out of business.

Accordingly, unless the Government is prepared to waste more taxpayer money, they still need a truck ferry.

3) WINDSOR'S NEWEST DRINK: A CLAUDIO MARTINI

I used to be a champagne drinker until it got too expensive. Then I was introduced to apple martinis and that became my drink of choice. Apparently, a Windsor bartender concocted a new cocktail recently, the Claudio Martini.

I'm not sure exactly all of the liquor that it contains, but I hear it packs quite a wallop! One of them can make a Windsor Member of Council pass out cold.

It was just posted on John Middleton's website http://themunicipalgremlin.com/ that he has retained Claudio to act for him as legal counsel after he was terminated as Chair and removed as a member of the Windsor Citizens' Crime Prevention Committee.

As you may recall, Claudio is also acting for the Box Office who will be challenging the City's closing by-law. He is also acting for the Junction in their $1.5 million lawsuit against the City.

Perhaps he has become the counsel of choice if one wants to go after the City. In my experience, not many lawyers in town seem eager to do that.

4) WILL ANYONE FROM WINDSOR DARE ATTEND

Canadian Automotive Insight Forum
Session 1 – Wednesday, June 25, 2008

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Developing strategic business relationships with the new American OEMs

Deloitte, in partnership with the APMA and the Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada, Ontario Region, is pleased to provide a seminar focused on assisting automotive suppliers to be more successful in their relationships with Japanese based OEMs. This one day, comprehensive seminar will provide:

· insight into the latest strategic insights and directions of these OEMs

· highlight significant success factors and approaches in establishing and building relationships and business with them

· document strategic differences amongst the OEMs

As a participant, this session will aim to deliver valuable insights, proven strategies, thought leadership and industry best practices that can increase the efficiency and profitability of your own operations.

5) NOT A HEADLINER

Congratulations to the Mayor for being invited to NYC for an immigration conference. I wonder if he took one of the Red Bull planes to fly there. Do you think he met with Sam Schwartz?

While he was a speaker, unfortunatley he did not get a lead billing as you can see. Perhaps when his fame spreads:

• "IMMIGRATION, JUSTICE AND CRIME: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? (reporting the full story)
  
  Start Date: 6/2/2008 Start Time: 9:00 AM
  End Date: 6/2/2008 End Time: 5:00 PM
  
  Event Description
  
  A candid conversation with scholars, ethnic media, and policymakers.
  
  Luncheon Speaker:
  U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes
  Chairman, House Intelligence Comm
  
  Panelists Include:
  John DeStefano
  Mayor of New Haven
  
  Peter Smith
  Agent-in-Charge, ICE New York
  
  NY State Assemblyman
  Greg Ball
  
  Deepa Fernandes
  WBAI
  
  Margaret Talbot
  The New Yorker
  
  Muzaffar Chishti
  Migration Policy Institute
  
  Cheryl Little
  Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center

6) WHEN IS A BUDGET SUPRLUS NOT A BUDGET SURPLUS

When it can turn into a budget deficit.

I cannot figure this out at all. Back in April, we were told first that there was a budget surplus of $5.4M.

Of course, there was no hope that taxpayers would ever get back any of our own money:

• "A tax break is an option, but you always need to look at the level of service and priorities," said Coun. Caroline Postma. "Before I say tax break I need to look at projects we're working on and make sure we are on the right track with things...
  
  "(A tax cut) is an issue of debate for council to undertake," said Coun. Fulvio Valentinis. "But our (reserve funds) have also been consistently below where they should be ...
  
  The budget surplus may wind up being used for a handful of unexpected expenses, but most of the money should remain in the city's "rainy day" reserve account, suggested city treasurer Onorio Colucci."

Then the Mayor spoke and we were told we did not really have a surplus:

• "Reached on Thursday, Mayor Eddie Francis stressed that the surplus isn't new money, and has already been earmarked to pay for such things as Workplace Safety and Insurance Board claims by firefighters and expected tax reductions as a result of tax appeals.
  
  "It was well understood during the budget negotiations of two months ago that there was going to be a surplus. But it was equally understood that there were costs that had yet to be allocated," Francis said."

So the surlus was not a surplus after all since the money had already been earmarked although it appears that the Councillors did not know that. In fact, Councillor Halberstadt wanted some of that surplus for the Library.

Then at a council meeting:

• "Council decided Monday to move $5.4 million in surplus funds from the 2007 budget into its budget stabilization reserve fund.
  
  Citing fears of potential high payouts this year in the areas of tax appeals, pay equity, rising fuel costs and higher snow removal costs from this winter, it was suggested by the city's finance department it was the most prudent course of action.
  
  "The fear is this is a short-lived transfer into that reserve," said Onorio Colucci, the city's treasurer. "It is going in there, but we may need to use some of that funding."

Now we may have a $6.4M deficit. We shouldn't be upset should we since that is what the $5.4M was for. Not so fast. The Mayor told us that the surplus was already accounted for remember.

According to the Star, we are told that part of the $6.4M deficit is for

• "$3.8 million from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, money the city was expecting to pay for drug costs for the city's social services clients. Another big contributor to the projected deficit involves a recent pay equity ruling for Windsor police that could cost up to $2.5 million, according to a report going to council...Workplace Safety and Insurance Board costs are $930,000 higher than expected, partly because of injuries sustained by four firefighters when their fire truck flipped March 2, 2007, as well as a higher-than-expected number of claims by Huron Lodge employees."

Those seem to be issues that were NOT expected or HIGHER than expected.

Councillor Dilkens told us that "the early deficit projections don't sit well with him." They don't sit too well with me either nor with the vast majority of Windsorites I would wager.

True surplus, accounted for surplus so no surplus, money for reserves, no money for reserves, expected deficit, unexpected deficit... It would be nice then if someone would explain to us what our true financial position is so that we could stop guessing or being so confused.