Survey Results

Survey is completed and not a big surprise considering my last survey on what you thought of the job that Councillors were doing.

The vast majority of respondents do not think much of Council I am afraid. I had suggested that 5 Councillors appeared likely to stand up to the Mayor finally and perform their function under the Municipal Act. I asked simply who would be the sixth one.

One third of you obviously felt that the remaining five had no guts. In fact, if we add in “All the Councillors will fall back into line after the Star hammers them” almost exactly half of you have no respect whatsoever for Councillors.

Most of those who chose a Councillor felt that Councillor Gignac would be the one. She has shown flashes of independence but then falls back into line. No one Councillor, even Councillor Gignac, received an overwhelming endorsement from respondents. They were all pretty much bunched in together.

It actually is fortunate that I finished the survey when I did or I might have had to cancel it. Take a look at this photo. Do you see what I mean:

I thought that Councillor Mom with her views on the Indian Road homes and her thoughts on the canal as expressed on her BLOG was taking a position that some might argue was different. It seems though that she is back in line.

Check out Chris Schnurr’s BLOG where he said:

• “Tonight, I witnessed both Councillor Postma, Mayor Eddie Francis as well as Norma Coleman heading up together to a 5th floor meeting room at Victoria Park Place to give a canal presentation to a select group of downtown residents, apparently arranged at the last minute.
  
  I wonder how many other “private” presentations have been made?
  
  Is this the public consultation process the councillor has agreed to?
  
  While it’s great that a semblance of seeking public feedback has begun, this hardly constitutes consulting the “citizens of Windsor at large.”

I am certain that the Councillor knows this already. Guess who was to speak at Council on Tuesday:

• “DELEGATIONS: (5 minutes maximum)
  Regarding 2009 Capital Budget:
  
  - Dave Cooke, Chair, Canal Feasibility Study Team”

In fact one BLOGGER in town claims

• "Council needs to vote for the Canal Plan Tuesday."

Wow, "needs to." That sounds to me like desperation talking. The sky will fall if it is not done. Ram it through. Don't even let people know that a vote is going to be taken in the first place on the project. Who needs to hear from citizens as Delegations on the spending of their money.

When I am psoting this I do not know what the results will be. I hope that Councillor Postma and her colleagues refuse Mr. Cooke permission to speak on a project that Council has not approved already several times. How many times more must this be brought forward!

Considering what she has written, if Councillor Postman wishes to have any credibility, she needed to demand an open and transparent process before the canal sees the light of day again in front of Council:

• "Let me be very clear on my position with the Canal. I cannot vote in favour of a project that was not only submitted to the Federal government but also shown to a columnist from the Windsor Star before it was submitted to me. I represent the area, am in tune with my residents, live close by the area and deserve to see the report before the Feds or a reporter! The residents deserve to see it at the same time and so do the citizens of Windsor at large.”