Leaking: CUPE And The Ambassador Bridge

The leak known as the City Hall of Windsor is becoming scary. If someone within the City Administration wants to destroy a chance for a settlement of a problem: leak to the media. First CUPE and now the Ambassador Bridge. It is absolutely a leak pandemic.

And yet, so far the Police have not yet been called in to investigate. I wonder why not! Who is being protected and why?

That Hilary has become a Payne in the neck to Edgar. I hope that Edgar's chiropractor wife can work her charms given all of the pain that Edgar (aka Eddie) will be taking over the next few days.

What is this, Edgar negotiations CUPE-style with residents and the Bridge Company. Think I am kidding....read on!

Another "bad faith" allegation, this time by the West End residents like the CUPE OLRB bad faith claim:

• "Mayor Eddie Francis was “provocative” and acted in bad faith when he issued an ultimatum Thursday to the Ambassador Bridge company to advise council of its intentions for more than 100 homes acquired in Olde Sandwich Towne or face unspecified action by the city, according to a group representing residents in the area.
  
  By not simply giving the bridge company permission to tear down the vacant homes — which have become ugly, boarded-up eyesores — “the city is exposing itself to action for damages,” Ray Colautti, a lawyer retained by area residents, told reporters Friday. He said the group is “considering our legal options,” including a civil suit against the city for damages due to lowered property values."

Add that to the CUPE "bad faith" claim and the risk of paying $30M for backwages and punitive damages and there goes the 2010 City Budget. Does the City's insurance cover this type of action? Or will our premiums go up too?

It's a tough game for a mere citizen to dare challenge His Worship. First Hilary Payne gets smeared by the Messenger claiming:

• "Watch video of Windsor’s former top bureaucrat, Hilary Payne, as he is escorted out of council chambers by security Monday night after hurling insults at politicians."

That was not true.

Now Edgar chimes in with his insult:

• "Is Hilary Payne negotiating for the Ambassador Bridge now? Who speaks for the Ambassador Bridge and who speaks for the residents?” said Francis."

You know why that was said....Edgar had to lash out childishly at someone who challenged him. He cannot take it (and that is why he would not last one Question Period as a Senior Level Cabinet Minister if someone was so foolish as to offer him that role).

From the Hilary Payne Press release:

• "In view of the Mayor's provocative, unwarranted and bad faith statements in the Windsor Star this morning I am instructed to withdraw our request for deferment...lawyer, Mr. Raymond G. Colautti acting for the residents...
  
  The Mayor's statements today are a further example of the bad faith the City has been exercising throughout this long controversy.
  
  The Canada Transit Corporation (CTC) has always been prepared, and are now prepared, to demolish all the buildings they have purchased and to grade and grass the area...
  
  CTC exercised its legal rights to appeal these by-laws to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB). In 2007 and 2008 CTC applied for demolition permits for the houses in the area. Although the City issued demolition permits in 2007 and 2008 to others, they denied the CTC applications, refusing to issue them demolition permits.
  
  At the OMB prehearing held Tuesday December 1, 2009 CTC advised the City that it is committed to working cooperatively and requested a third party mediator, within the OMB process established at the prehearing, to sit down with the City, CTC and BUHDAG to resolve this situation...
  
  The Mayor's attempt to make the present degradation of the neighbourhood the fault of anybody but the City is simply a gross distortion of the truth."

What's this, someone NOT attacking the Bridge Company but blaming Edgar! How can that be?

Hold on a minute...the Bridge Company wanted mediation to resolve this, to work co-operatively. That makes sense. A civilized and adult way to resolve a dispute.

Darn, there was another leak according to Eh-Channel News and the Mayor's 4-page "ultimatum" was "inadvertantly sent" to the media. According to Hilary Payne, that ended any possibility of a mediated settlement.

Who in the Mayor's office is responsible and will that person be fired immedately?

Call me cynical but this is the CUPE leak all over again. Remember the June 17 leak after the City's position was reversed in two votes after Helga untied the negotiating Committee's hands. That leak, FROM THE CITY AS DETERMINED BY THE INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER BUT NEVER REPORTED BY THE STAR, scuttled negotiations for a month that might have ended the "political action" errrrr labour dispute.

Now another leak to the media FROM THE CITY has scuttled negotiations over resolving the "political action" errrr the housing dispute.

• "Payne said the earlier decision came after a suggestion had been put forward to attempt mediation between the parties, an effort he claims was sabotaged by the mayor’s letter."

Just too many co-incidences for my liking.

Here is the scary part though and tells me a lot about our Mayor's character. Thank goodness the letter was brought out into the open. Presumably, it was never intended to see the light of day. No one was supposed to know about it.

Consider this, the Bridge Company upon receipt of Edgar's letter I am sure would have been outraged and reacted negatively. They would NOT have attended at Council and the Mayor and Councillors would have denounced them publicly.

Hmmm I wonder if the Councillors were not aware of the letter the way they were not aware of the contents of Edgar's Back-to-Work CUPE protocol. That caused another week of no CUPE strike resolution.

No one would be any the wiser as to why they did not come. They would have been demonized again. Nice way to carry on business with one if the City's major taxpayers isn't it. And remember that the letter was sent even though all the parties had agree to mediation!

Just like with the Back-to-Work protocaol, Edgar overreacted with his panic attack and issued it. He did the same with the 4-page Bridge Company ultimatum. He could not have a settlement with CUPE or with the homes torn down? Why not? Hmmmm, does the Province have a role in this?

It's really strange...is Edgar so out of touch:

• "Francis said the city is acting to protect the neighbourhood from the bridge company’s attempts at “blockbusting.”

Yet he won't listen to what the residents in the neighbourhood want. Who is Edgar listening to? It sounds like they do not want his "protection." It's killing them.

I am so glad that Edgar still “invites them [the Bridge Company] to the table."

They would be out of their mind to accept this kind of an invitation from such an immature name-caller. Why should they trust him after his actions?

Seriously, will the Councillors ever do the right thing? They may have a pain in a different part of their anatomy come re-election time unless they start doing so now.