More US/Canada Border Woes

So many border stories taking place that it is almost impossible to keep up

OLDER SIBLING

Isn't the relationship between Canada and the US today over the border just like having an older sibling. As Norwegian researchers have pointed out:

• "Settling nearly a century of debate, researchers in Norway have confirmed what many older siblings have thought all along -- they're smarter."

Poor Canada!

THE AMBASSADOR BRIDGE WILL BE OUR NEW SOFTWOOD LUMBER ISSUE

There are so many issues brewing between Canada and the US---border "thickening," where will cars be built, energy supply, trade surplus---that there will be the need to have a symbol of our disagreements.

The construction of a new border crossing will be that issue and it will be ugly.

Does anyone really think that the Americans, when they finally do wake up to what is going on here, will allow Canada to control the border crossings:

• "In an interview broadcast Monday on the CBC, Ms. Napolitano attempted to justify her call for stricter border security on the premise that "suspected or known terrorists" have entered the U. S. across the Canadian border, including the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack."

The Americans no longer will allow for a weak border with Caanda no matter what the reality.

As the Secretary said:

• "There needs to be some level of parity between the two borders. We don't want to appear to go heavy on the southern border and light on the northern border. We will have a balanced approach, consistent with effective security for our entire country. "

Just mark my words.

US HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY

On the Canada/US border, Janet Napolitano, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary said:

• "It is a real border, and we need to address it as a real border."

There must be a competition in the White House as to which member of the Administration can terrorize Canada the most.

The President did a very good job already over renegotiating NAFTA. Oh don't you realize that this is being done now, unofficially of course.

When President Obama mused about "Buy America" and steel early on and Canadians ran to the US in horror, he knew he could get whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Why else did Canada hire two former senior Administration officials:

• "Canada's federal government has hired two former White House spokesmen to raise Canada's profile in the United States, local media reports said on Thursday.
  
  The government has hired Mike McCurry, who served as press secretary to former president Bill Clinton, as well as Ari Fleischer, who held the same role under former president George W. Bush, the reports cited Kory Teneycke, the communications director for the Prime Minister's Office, as saying.
  
  He said both men have "unparalleled" experience working with U.S. media outlets.
  
  "I think it serves Canada well to have some of the basic facts of our relationship better known in the United States," Teneycke told the "Globe and Mail."

US Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, is making her run for the prize with her "terrorist comments." Can you believe the visciousness of the Caandian counter-attacks against her. Those are NOT helpful at all:

• "U.S. Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano's erroneous suggestion earlier this week that some of the 9/11 hijackers entered the U.S. from Canada was more than just a gaffe. It demonstrated an ignorance on the part of some top U.S. officials about what really happened on Sept. 11, 2001.
  
  
• The border for dummies
  
  Can someone please tell us how U. S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano got her job? She appears to be about as knowledgeable about border issues as a late-night radio call-in yahoo.
  
  
• Border gaffe
  
  Napolitano doesn't get it
  
  
• Harper must deal with border blather
  
  
• Close the border to U.S. baloney
  
  Alas, in office, she's been sounding distressingly like a clueless first-term congressman fishing for attention and votes with a jingoistic spinner."

She must be sitting in her office in Washington just breaking up in laughter over the storm of panic that she caused with just an off-hand remark. Imagine if she said something as part of a speech as her prepared remarks.

Here is why Ottawa MUST be so concerned:

• "However, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan downplayed the comments and said that Napolitano is well aware that Canada was not the source of the 9-11 terrorists.
  
  "We spoke about it back in March, and we were sharing a chuckle at the fact that the urban myth does circulate," he told CTV's Power Play.
  
  "Ms. Napolitano understood quite clearly, then and now, that none of the September 11 terrorists came through Canada, as the 9-11 Commission found."

In other words, she knew the truth and yet still made the remark. She knew exactly what she was saying and said it on purpose. Has someone in Ottawa or in our DC Embassy figured out that the US is teaching us a lesson about who runs the world?

In other words, no more anti-Obama NAFTA-gates, no more energy threats and do not think at all that Canada will control the border! And sending troops to Afghanistan to die won't help either.

Some people in Ottawa forgot that when the U.S. sneezes, Canada gets pneumonia!

TIME FOR MICHAEL WILSON TO RESIGN

The people in Transport Canada must be fit to be tied right now. The Canadian Ambassador keeps putting his foot in his mouth. Considering that he is well aware of the settlement between the Bridge Company and Canada after the FIRA lawsuit, his latest remark is absurd and specifically goes against what Transport Canada said in the Senate:

• "On other border issues, Wilson reiterated the Canadian government's position that it doesn't want the private owner of the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, to build a second span. Instead, Canadian, Ontario, U.S. and Michigan officials back efforts to build a publicly financed bridge about a mile downstream from the current bridge. "

Absolutely amazing...the Canadian Ambassador to the US slamming an American citizen and telling the world that Canada is trying to put him out of business! Is the guy so out of touch with reality? He personally and his strategy are destroying our relationship with the US!

Wait until Secretary Napolitano gets through with him!

Oh, and perhaps our Mayor might send him a roadmap of Windsor to since he is so clueless:

• "Wilson said the new bridge would take bridge traffic out of downtown Windsor and be more secure. "

DUH!

GREENLINK WAR IS OVER FOR EDDIE

He has conceded. He has given up finally. Perhaps now we can get a road solution:

• "The provincial Environment Ministry on Tuesday ordered the city to remove a growing hill of illegally dumped garbage on the street outside at a waste drop off station as a strike by city outside workers continues.
  
  "We have to comply with the ministry of the environment," said Mayor Eddie Francis."

So when the Minister of the Environment makes his decision on the border road, Eddie has effectively said that he must comply!

$100 MILLION DIFFERENCE

I still cannot figure out Eddie's number as to the difference in cost between Greenlink and the DRIC road. Greenlink has always been so much higher in price. Assuming it is correct, I do know now where a big part of the difference in cost comes from.

Read on!

If Eddie really wanted to cut the costs down dramatically, it can be easily done alhtough we might lose the raves!

There is no doubt now but that the acres of new parkland for Greenlink were to be covered in artificial turf:

• "The grass is always greener with fake turf, city finds
  
  The city has installed fake grass on Dougall Avenue medians as part of a $1-million gateway beautification program and is considering laying down the bright green turf near other key arteries.
  
  "We put it there as an experiment just to see the reaction of everybody in the community and what we're getting right now is rave reviews," said city parks and facilities director Don Sadler. "Everybody loves it."

The cost is almost like getting excellent quality carpeting for a home: $8 to $9 per square foot installed.

In total, we are told that the Modified GreenLink provides approximately 350 acres of of potential recreational area.

In an acre there are 43,560 square feet. Accordingly, in 350 acres there are 15,246,000 square feet.

To cover all of that parkland in artificial turf would cost at $8.50 per sq ft (the mid-point) $129,591,000!

There's the difference. I am sure that we can find enough acreage we can leave as "naturalized" to bring that number down to Eddie's $100M!