Even More Stories

They are multiplying faster than rabbits! The stories I mean

PROOF---OTTAWA AND ONTARIO WANT TO TAKE OVER AMBASSADOR BRIDGE

There it is finally. The slip that tells us that DRIC was nothing more than an attempt to take over the Ambassador Bridge cheaply.

This note was not sent by some mere flunky but by the Minister's Director of Communications. He would absolutely have known about the Minister's comment along with that of the Minister of Finance of Ontario with respect to DRIC that had been sent to the Toronto Star.

Obviously, he made a mistake by letting the cat out of the bag. No one in their right mind, Government or P3 investor on either side of the river, would build an entirely new bridge with new plazas when it can be all done at the existing crossing for so much less money and without inconveniencing hundreds of homeowners and businesses by forcing them to move.

• Finaance minister's aid fire's back
  Thu Aug 07, 2008
  
  To the editor:
  Re: Continuous berating of Province won't turn economy around,' Ian McMillan column, July 31.
  
  I respect Ian McMillan's right to express his opinion. However, the credibility of his argument is severely compromised by error in fact and a misinterpretation of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's motive.
  
  I would like to begin by pointing out that Ontario is the most expensive place for industry to invest in Canada. A report released recently by the C.D. Howe Institute reconfirmed this fact, stating Ontario's overall business tax rate is 34.8 per cent, higher than any other province in the country...
  
  Additionally, our government is providing constructive federal support to Ontario like the historic investment of $6.2 billion to modernize the province's infrastructure, support to upgrade the Ambassador Bridge at the Detroit-Windsor border crossing...
  
  Dan Miles
  Director of Communications
  Office of Canada's Minister of Finance

SECURITY AND REDUNDANCY ARE PHONY ARGUMENTS

Have you heard yet the cries for adding a new bridge in the Sarnia/Port Huron area the way they have been made in Windsor/Detroit?

Build as many bridges as you want... the answer is reverse customs as the Ambassador Bridge Company has been arguing for years but no one seems to want to listen.

Another DRIC argument bites the dust!

• Threat closes bridge
  Vehicles and ships halted as authorities search for explosives
  By LIZ SHEPARD, Times Herald, August 8, 2008
  
  A Thursday bomb threat targeting the Canadian side of the Blue Water Bridge clogged traffic in Port Huron and turned a portion of Interstate 94 into a parking lot for more than an hour.
  
  Both spans of the bridge were closed for about 90 minutes after the threat was received about 12:20 p.m. by the Canadian Coast Guard and relayed to the bridge.
  Traffic on the bridge immediately was stopped. All boat and shipping traffic approaching the bridge from Lake Huron and the St. Clair River was stopped until the area was cleared.

WINDSOR TAKEN OVER BY NAYSAYERS

Henderson is right. This town is made up of "hordes of sneering naysayers" along with "the "Get Eddie" posse as well as those who believe "a municipal government should look no higher in its ambitions than the nearest pothole."

Can you imagine, they must actually think that the Mayor's function is to fix the failing infrastructure in this City before building the Grand Canal of Venice.

Here is a recent CKLW poll

What is wrong with these people? Do they not have vision?

All that I can say to them is "Go big or go home." Oh, they are home. Well that insult, courtesy of the Toronto urban designer Mr. Brook, won't work.

NAYSAYERS WIN BIG IN TORONTO

It seems that naysayers are able to accomplish some positives in Toronto.

• "High-speed rail link to airport on fast track
  Province, Lavalin work out kinks stalling proposed train from Union Station to Pearson
  
  The province and a private-sector partner are reworking plans for a high-speed rail link between Union Station and Pearson airport in an attempt to satisfy naysayers.
  
  "We have heard concerns expressed about the original union-airport rail link proposal and the province is currently in discussions with SNC Lavalin to find ways that the airport-rail proposal can be changed to address a number of these concerns," Nicole Lippa-Gasparro, press secretary to Environment Minister John Gerretsen, told the Star. "

HOW DOES THE STAR DO IT

We poor alternative media types have no chance against the Windsor Star. Heck, I have never been able to get accreditation from City Hall the way I have with the Federal and Provincial Governments for the border matter as an example.

While we surf the Internet trying to find information and news to provide to you first, we are scooped so often by Windsor's main news media outlet on City stories. The Canal story is just another example where Gord Henderson is able to get the inside scoop before us and it seems other media types in town.

Do you see what I mean? The Star on a holiday Monday had the City's Red Bull press release that was issued while the Mayor was still out of town in Europe. He was not due back until later. When I checked the City website the following Tuesday morning, it was not posted there are as you can see from the time in the bottom right corner.

It was still not there. Just you wait until the Mayor finds out and demands that we get a better Communications system at City Hall so that his press releases can be posted immediately for the world to see!

Nice story for the Mayor wasn't it! And quite a slap at the Detroit Committee who brought this event to the region in the first place. Obviously they have no idea what they're doing.

CREDIT UNION MEMBERS DEMAND REFUND

No, I have not seen that story yet but it would not surprise me to see it happen.

After all, what is the point of giving the Windsor Essex Economic Development Commission money if they are irrelevant. I mean after all, they were just in London for a trade show and I have not seen one iota of information concerning what they achieved over there. They should have given the money to our Mayor instead.

I would have thought for example that it would have been easy for them to hop on a plane and go to Frankfurt to see the startup onion company there. Nope...the Mayor had to do it!

You would think that the WEDC people could have done some work while they were in London to help ensure that the Red Bull races came back to our area next year. Nope...The Mayor had to do!

Thank goodness that our Mayor is doing the Detroit Red Bull committee work and the WEDC economic development work along with building canals, doing Tunnel deals and so on and so on and so on.

• "Mayor Francis Strengthens Potential European Partnerships

Mayor Eddie Francis will be in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany for four days to strengthen ties with potential business partners in the two countries.

At his first stop, Mayor Francis will be meeting with Red Bull officials about securing a return of the prestigious Red Bull Air Race to our area in 2009. Red Bull has indicated that a decision will be made shortly regarding the 2009 season and the Mayor will be meeting face-to-face to make a pitch to bring the event back.

From there, Mayor Francis will travel to Germany where he will continue discussions with a group of businessmen regarding the next steps towards establishing a perishable food distribution centre at Windsor Airport. The international operation would bring a number of jobs to Windsor in the coming years. The Mayor met previously with this business group earlier this year. "

Hey, that press release is missing now too!