More On Windsor's Lack Of Democracy

Hooray, CUPE finally got it!

Did you see their full-page Star ad? They finally figured out what the big issue in their strike is: Eddie Francis.

They have been striking according to his agenda. Now perhaps they have changed the conversation as the expression the Mayor has used says:

• "Get us back to work,” said Wood, adding the mayor was against having arbitration “because he’s scared — he likes to have control.”

What they must do is build on this in unique ways to re-establish credibility and must ensure they do NOT annoy the public to give Eddie the excuses he needs to take action against them.

Seriously, given when Art in the Park is to start, was the Star story today a big surprise. Wait until Red Bull is close to see real horror stories published!

If you read Vander Doelen's supposedly anti-CUPE column, read it again. Has he learned how to attack Eddie as the Sheriff cleverly did:

• "There have been a slew of votes cast by council behind closed doors regarding various aspects of Windsor's labour situation over the past two months.
  
  Most of the council votes, I'm told, have ended 7-4 or 6-5 in favour of holding out against the strikers for labour savings.
  
  Mayor Eddie Francis has been leading the holdouts every time, insiders say.
  
  The six holdouts -- or seven, depending on who you talk to -- are all saying "let them stay out...
  
  I called most of the members of council over the past few days to poll them on where they stand on the issue of the CUPE strike. Of those who returned my calls, several said they have been warned by Mayor Francis they face severe punishment if they break the news blackout he has ordered over the talks."

So he has become the Voice of Council on the strike now too just as he has had several Resolutions passed saying that he is the Voice of Council on the Border. Who cares what the Councillors' positions are even though they are supposed to represent us and have legal obloigations. Better for everyone to think they are united. We do not want to help our enemies as the Three Blind Mice once did!

Eddie can no longer hide behind Council. He can no longer play the victim when he has chosen to be front and centre.

• "Francis said he finds it a “predictable” strategy that CUPE would paint the mayor’s office as a target for public criticism. “They do this everywhere they go. They target the mayor... They try to break down the mayor and break down city council.”

It is his neck that is on the line too. He is the one to be blamed for no garbage pick-ups and the sorry state of the parks.

Heaven help us if he runs the strike the way he runs the border file.

Frankly, who needs a Ward Boundary Review as I said before. Get rid of all of the Councillors and let Eddie rule as the Supreme Leader. He does now anyway. By the way, in case you do not get it, I am being sarcastic!

He keeps information from Councillors as he sends it off to other levels of Government for their buy-in in advance anyway. And he keeps bringing his matter back in front of them until they approve it, no matter how many times they have rejected it before. Keeping key documents, Councillors have not been allowed to do that in some instances. Do Councillors know about all his secret meetings with provincial government officials?

I am surprised that the Procedural By-law was not used last night as well but that is available for the next run-in. The use of the Rules waiver will be justified because of the "raucous" behaviour by a mostly carpet-bagger CUPE crowd I am sure.

And if all of that is not enough, then we have the Windsor Star. If Percy can rely on a high-school student for hybrid buses so can the Star. Good old 15 year old Zoe is allowed to speculate:

• "CUPE denies sabotage claims
  
  ...she picked up about 20 pieces [of metre-long pieces of wire] last Thursday and seven Sunday.
  
  “It’s really dangerous,” she said. “You can't see them hidden in the grass and weeds.”
  
  ...she found most of the wire — which appears to be cut from chain-linked fencing — littered along the perimeter of the park with tire tracks running alongside where the wire was found.
  
  She speculated that the wire was placed there by striking CUPE workers to prevent private companies from mowing the grass before the Art in the Park festival, scheduled for June 6 and 7.
  
  “Who else is going to drive by and throw out chain-link fence?”
  
  “I can understand that they’re on strike, but if they do hateful things they won’t get any empathy from the people. I think it's really mean and selfish.”

Who indeed, Zoe! The problem is that Zoe has probably never heard about "dirty tricks" and "strike-breakers" either. One can easily speculate a different alternative.

However, true to form, we never read the "official position" from the Police until the end of the story:

• "Windsor police Staff Sgt. Steve Bodri said police investigated a complaint of wire in the park and spoke with picketing CUPE members.
  
  “There’s no evidence to establish that the strikers were responsible.”
  
  Willistead Park is bordered by black metal fencing, not the green chain-linked fencing the wire pieces are believed to have originated from. “It doesn’t appear that there is fencing from that park, so who knows where it came from?” Bodri said."

Democracy in Windsor is not that important after all so why worry. As Churchill once said:

• "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."