Asian Carp Journalism

Did you see those videos of Asian carp flipflopping in the water and in boats when caught. Immediately, I thought of that when reading mini-Gord's Saturday column "Birth of a green giant."

I already wrote about his flipflopping "Samsung Deal: Bruce Nuclear #2" once a few days ago. But his latest column is pathetic. What a change from his first story

• "$7-billion Samsung energy deal to benefit Windsor-Essex County
  
  The Windsor portion of the project includes a large-scale solar farm covering hundreds of acres of vacant property to start, with further phases likely. The solar panel mother glass plant would be located near the solar farm for marketing and sales purposes."

On Saturday, mini-Gord shamelessly writes without a hint of an apology to his readers:

• "Windsor and Essex County, however, will have to compete with the rest of southern Ontario for their share of the $7-billion investment pot, Duncan warned Friday. "No decisions have been made" about where any of the manufacturing facilities will be located, Duncan stressed, and neither Windsor nor Essex County is guaranteed to win any part of the investment under the terms of the deal.
  
  "There's a lot of work to do yet," said Pat Persichilli, executive vice-president of the Windsor Essex Development Corporation. "A lot of work."

At least have the decency to admit that you were wrong or that your source misled you.

Then consider this. Dwight offered this advice to people. Frankly should people take him seriously even though he is the Minister of Finance and ought to know one would think:

• "Duncan said he would advise those interested in working in the energy sector to contact St. Clair College or the University of Windsor for schooling options. Both will soon be involved with the OPA to teach the skills needed by Ontario's evolving energy industry.
  
  Power is going to be a good field to be in, Duncan predicts: the average Hydro worker is nearing retirement age, "and there is going to be a large amount of turnover in the next 10 to 15 years."

Frankly, I would be very hesitant to take any prediction advice from Dwight about the future and to base my career on it. Ask the Casino workers who have been laid off if I am right or not. In May, 2006 I Blogged:

• "I trust you read the Report prepared for the City on the consequences of the No Smoking law on our Community. It seemed to be a well-researched and well-written Report to me. Notwithstanding that the Report came out just a few weeks before the ban is put into place, it made a very convincing case that this City's businesses need help and badly...
  
  However, Ontario's Minister of Finance, the Member for Windsor-St. Clair, the one and only Dwight Duncan dismisses the Report out of hand! "I don't share their pessimism..."
  
  However, is Dwight betting his career on his opinion? "It will be an initially short-term decline, but things will pick up. In six months, we'll see who's right and who's wrong...we will monitor this very carefully."

You tell me if Dwight won that bet or not.