Cynics

Professional cynics have to give a tip of their hats to the Mayor of Windsor today.

Few do it better than he:

• "While expressing hope it could lead to an end to the strike by 1,800 municipal workers, now entering its ninth week, CUPE Local 543 president Jean Fox questioned the timing of the mayor's surprise announcement on the eve of the Red Bull Air Race weekend, expected to pack the downtown, and a large CUPE rally planned for Friday.
  
  "It's kinda suspect," said Fox, who represents inside workers..
  
  Asked what brought about the latest development, Francis said it wasn't anything specific but that he's been hearing from a growing number of constituents "significantly inconvenienced" by the strike.
  
  "We'll try to do the best we can -- nobody is happy with this situation," he said. Asked about possible perception on the timing of the announcement, the mayor replied: "You know what I think about cynics."

Sure we do.

• Only a cynic would think that the Mayor knew in advance about Sid Ryan's very thoughtful Guest Column in today's Star


• Only a cynic would think that Mayor's offer to negotiate was designed to undercut in advance why Ryan said there was a need to arbitrate and grab the headlines from him


• Only a cynic would doubt that after not negotiating for weeks that the City all of a sudden wants to do so


• Only a cynic would doubt that that Mayor was serious about negotiating after saying that he would only go back to the table if there was a deal


• Only a cynic would doubt that the back-channel accomplished anything


• Only a cynic would think that there was no real offer since Council supposedly knew nothing about it yet


• Only a cynic would think that the offer to negotiate was designed to undercut the CUPE rally on Friday and the Ryan speech


• Only a cynic would think that the offer to negotiate was a threat to behave properly for the Red Bull race or else


• Only a cynic would think that this has to be one of the funniest lines ever "[Francis] also been moved by the financial hardship and emotional toll of the strike on idled city employees.


• Only a cynic would think that since Eddie's strike has hit the Troronto Star that it was a useful tool for his buddy, the Toronto Mayor's fight with CUPE


• Only a cynic would doubt that the real reason that there is no negotiating until Tuesday is because "there's "a lot of work to do" and the city's negotiating team needs time to prepare.


• Only a cynic would wonder how the Mayor could call for negotiations when his Council had no idea what the negotiating team wanted to offer


• Only a cynic would ask what happens to negotiations if Council turns down completely what the team suggests


• Only a cynic would wonder why the Mayor did not go to Council first before calling for negotiations


• Only a cynic would know that this action demonstrates the continued irrelevancy of Council in Windsor.


• Only a cynic would wonder why the Star forgot to mention the CKLW poll whose results overwhelmingly supported arbitration


• Only a cynic would think that there is no chance for a settlement with CUPE with the Star continuing to inflame passions with anti-striker stories


• Only a cynic would think that the Mayor has called for negotiations so he cannot be accued now of bargaining in bad faith


• Only a cynic would have a good idea now about why polling was being done recently in Windsor


• Only a cynic would think that Gord Henderson is still writing columns during the week for the Star.

Whew, fortunately for me, I am not a cynic.