Unseemly Haste

Someone at the Star is extremely upset. For what reason, I am not sure yet.

What a strange juxtaposition of a banner headline on the Star Online and photograph of the Mayor of Detroit. I do not think that it is my Freedom of Information application that is being referred to since I have not been interviewed by the Star and mine was with Infrastructure Ontario. I’ll just have to wait until the story is posted or published tomorrow morning.

I did hear recently that there were a flurry of Freedom of Information applications filed.

I started writing this BLOG at around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and will post it when finished and not wait until my usual time of sending out notices of postings. I am very angry and disgusted with part of the story “Kilpatrick pleads guilty, resigns.” The part that really troubles me is the Francis news conference.

What is it about Francis and the Tunnel deal? Why does he want it so badly? And please don’t try to feed me this nonsense about trying to protect 5,000 commuters or worrying about somebody cementing up the opening to the Detroit Tunnel on the American side. There is more to this than that malarkey, a lot more.

Kwame still is the Mayor of Detroit for another two weeks, until the 18th when his resignation is effective. However our Mayor cannot wait.

He generously states that:

• “There is a lot of healing that need to takes place…
  
  there is no other way to describe it, but to say it's sad."

No, what is sad is our Mayor. There he is signalling that he is ready to do the Tunnel deal. Already. Oh I know that business is business but there is also a need for some real compassion given what the people of Detroit have gone through, not just words.

As I speculated before, it appears that Eddie had been talking already with Cockrel about the deal. For how long, it is not clear. I wonder if Kwame knew about that. I also wonder whether it was Eddie directly or one of the other Councillors or someone else.

• “The city's tunnel negotiating team has developed a relationship with council president Ken Cockrel Jr. who steps up to be Detroit's acting mayor, Francis said.
  
  "I have a good working relationship with Ken Cockrel and other staff in Detroit. This deal did not hinge on (Kilpatrick), it was with Detroit."

If it was not Eddie, then he accurately but narrowly could say that he had no conversations with the Council President about the Tunnel deal if asked.

Given the mayoral system in Detroit, I wonder why he was talking with the Council President at all. I would have thought that the proper protocol was to talk only with the Mayor’s Office. I wonder how Eddie would feel if President/Mayor Cockrel spoke with some of the Windsor Councillors about this deal even though Eddie is the "Voice of Council." But then again, what do I know.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder if Eddie will talk to Monica Conyers the new President of Council too so that he can have a working relationship with her as well. Or perhaps with some of the other people who might be running for Mayor. Just in case mind you.

I was outraged by this absolutely pompous and egotistical statement:

• “Ken Cockrel has a list of issues he has inherited. We will give him some time to make the transition and then make that call when the time is right."

Is that the Royal "we" speaking again?

Is tomorrow morning the right time for our Mayor to place to call? So nice that Eddie will make the decision when the time is right. For him.

Clearly, he will have no trouble at all stating that he made the phone call this time around. Just to keep the record straight!

PS. I just saw the Star story. It will take 11,000 hours and cost over $350,000 for the City to provide records on two files: the 400 Building Audit and the Tunnel deal.

Naw, I cannot be bothered writing anything about this tonight. It is so pathetic and so outrageous that it just boggles my mind. I do not know if I should laugh or if I should cry.

However, to be productive let me remind you of the following. Contribute to the WeACT Legal fund:

• "Funds may be paid into the Legal Fund by visiting any branch of the Royal Bank and making a deposit to Account #08152-1008275.Donations can be completely anonymously thereby eliminating any perceived or real concerns of retribution."

What other remedy do taxpayers have in this City until the Councillors get off their collective asses and start fulfilling their legal obligations under the Municipal Act.