Border compromise is the name of the game

Gord Henderson wrote today:

“There’s a good reason why newspapers and most other media enterprises sever ties with reporters who enter politics. They recognize an individual cannot work both sides of this dark and grubby street without opening a can of worms.

If I were to run for public office, and God forbid, The Star would haul my butt out of here, and rightly so, given the inevitable conflict involved in answering to two masters — the electorate and the news gathering business — whose aims and objectives often coincide but are bound to clash from time to time.”

I absolutely agree with Gord with this statement. Newspaper reporters, their family and associates involved in politics should not have any direct relation to any media company. There’s a big difference in working for a media outlet and a councillor “scribbling” on a blog for his constituents.

In the past I have had issues with Gord Henderson presenting red herrings; not citing his sources; conveniently leaving out relevant information regarding tunnel ventilation systems and citing examples that are not applicable to the argument he is presenting.

Now I think Gord Henderson has been day dreaming of sipping chardonnay at the soon to be completed peace beacon. He boldly states that, “Maybe it’s time, way past time, for Halberstadt to make a choice. Does he want to be a politician? Or a journalist?”

Mr. Henderson might be interested to know that several councillors across the province, and quite frankly around the world blog for their constituents not limited to the following:Vicky Beard & Ian Findlay, Guelph Ward 2; Mike Salisbury, Guelph, Ward 4; Leanne Piper & Lise Burcher, Guelph, Ward 5; Adam Giambrone, Toronto, Ward 18; Gord Perks, Toronto, Ward 14 and even the Mayor of London, England.

Apparently the above mentioned didn’t get Gord Henderson’s message. But perhaps the most critical comment of Gord Henderson was the following:

“And when a blog, the ultimate vanity exercise, has the potential to compromise negotiations involving billions of dollars and the city’s very future, that’s especially true.”

Well, in my own humble opinion, I believe the city’s position was compromised long ago. Let’s review the border tunnel issue:

• January 26, 2005 – Pollution filtered by trees (no tunnel)
  

“I understand the concerns from residents in the area, but once they see how far from their homes this route would run, I think some of their fears will be answered,” said Francis. “Given the alternatives we’re facing, I would far rather see truck pollution filtered by trees than by lungs.”

• February 18th, 2005 – Promoting tunnel under Ojibway Park
  

“Clearly there are different people who have different ideas about what needs to take place but we have a well thought out, costed plan that achieves both short and long-term solutions,” said Francis.

The [Schwartz] report,unveiled a month ago, calls for a new truck route around the city leading to a new crossing on the west side, increased use of the truck ferry, a multi-modal transportation centre at Windsor Airport, a new rail tunnel, improved transportation information systems and upgrades at both the Ambassador Bridge and Windsor-Detroit tunnel.

• November 26, 2005

“On the border issue, Francis says the city must balance the needs of industry with the interests of residents. “At the end of the day, he goes back to Toronto. I have to answer to the ratepayers of this city. And I’m always going to put the interests of Windsorites first.”

• December 10th, 2005

“Francis admits he’s had to learn patience in dealing with government bodies that move at a glacial pace and doesn’t deny he’s done his share of micro-managing. “I look forward to the day I don’t have to micro-manage. But there are a lot of things we have to fix and at the end of the day I’m the one accountable to the public.”

• March 23, 2006

“All they [DRIC] say is ‘this is the corridor’ even though the reality is there is a number of abutting neighbourhoods and people are inhaling diesel fumes and toxins. What they are saying is expand that and further impact quality of life.“ Councillors are also expected to come out of the meeting with demands for a tunnel under Talbot Road for border traffic (expected to take three to five years to build), and also that the new plaza and bridge be built in Brighton Beach away from Sandwich.

• March 28th, 2006 – Opposed only to an at-grade extension
  

“The city would accept a proposal that gets trucks off our streets and out of our neighbourhoods,” said Francis, adding an at-grade extension of Highway 401 down Huron Church “would be destructive to this community.”

• May 1 2006 – State of the City Address
  

“Tell us how you are going to improve the quality of life for our residents. Tell us how you are going to get trucks off of city streets and reduce air emissions in our city. Tell us how you are going to create a world-class solution that urban planners and civil engineers will marvel at … because it is ahead of the times. Our children, our families, our health, our future, and our city deserve nothing less. Modern engineering has come so far. Things can be done now that could not have been done thirty years ago … or even ten years ago. In 2006, engineers can build islands in the ocean off the desert near Dubai. Islands that can be seen from space. In 2006, there are tunnels under Boston harbour, and under the English Channel. In 2006, roads being built in Calgary and Quebec are designed to reduce the effect of harmful emissions caused by car traffic. Why then … Why, I ask, can the same not be done for our city? That’s why your City Council and I are going to keep working. We will not rest until we’ve got the DRIC agreeing to a solution that is good for Canada”

• September 6, 2006 – Tunnel under Ojibway
  

Francis said the city has been pushing DRIC to consider an environmental assessment that would examine “all options” including tunnelling. He said the Schwartz proposal, which was commissioned by the city and completed by New York traffic expert Sam Schwartz, moves the traffic off city streets and creates a tunnel under the Ojibway natural area. “They’ve not even looked at that alternative,” Francis said.

• September 9, 2006

“[Donna Cannsfield] This is a fragile and important community resource [Ojibway Nature preserve], recognized around the world for its uniqueness. We are working with all levels of government to keep it the way it is, for current and future generations to come.”

• December 4, 2006 – Inaugural Address – Total Tunnel

“If pushing for a better quality of life for our residents so they don’t have to see, smell, feel, or inhale fumes from the trucks makes me obstructionist …”

• December 9, 2006 – Total Tunnel
  

“They are setting up the tunnel option to fail,” Francis said. “They have emphasized the negative rather than give it an unbiased and fair treatment in comparison to other options…The “sheer number of unnecessary” expropriated properties, number of trucks that will “continue to run through the heart of the city” and “other ill effects of the currently proposed scenarios leads me to question the desire of DRIC,” said Francis.”

• February 8, 2007

“The mayor said simply presenting the provincial government with one option — a tunnel — was not the best course of action because a whole range of solutions are needed, including reducing the number of rail tracks in the city and creating a transportation hub at the airport”

• April 3, 2007 – Tunnelled solution
  

Council unanimously supported a resolution that a binational commission — the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) team – - assigned to fix the city’s international truck woes “be advised they must have a tunnelled solution.”

• May 26, 2007 – Partial tunneling – Total tunnel as a starting point

Mayor Eddie Francis said he briefed councillors on his discussions last week with DRIC officials and attempted to reach a consensus among them on how much of the route they want tunnelled.

“We are aware DRIC is moving towards a decision in regards to the corridor and what the route will be,” Francis said. “Our experience in dealing with them in the past leads to concern on what the ultimate decision will be…We will get as much technical data together as we can,” the mayor said. He said the city doesn’t want an at-grade route. “We will not accept a cheap solution. We want something that works.

“Our starting point is a tunnel.”

So as you can see, if Gord Henderson is going to lob thinly veiled accusations that Councillor Halberstadt is compromising the border discussion, the above quotations demonstrate that the Mayor himself has been sending mixed messages – from a roadway that is mitigated by trees; to tunnelling under Ojibway, to a completely tunneled route to “a tunnel” being the starting point of negotiations with DRIC and an intermodal transportation hub at the airport.

Silly question really, on a side note – if planes, trains, and automobiles are to converge at the airport, however will cargo carried by those trucks get there to be transported by rail and vice-versa?

Quite frankly, our Mayor all along has been stating that he is willing to compromise. Afterall, simply presenting the provincial government with one option — a tunnel — was not the best course of action.

If our starting point is a tunnel, what is our finishing point? Sounds like a compromise waiting to happen.

To me, Councillor Halberstadt was only stating the obvious. It’s too bad, however, compromise didn’t involve working with the Ambassador Bridge Company.

That would be really opening a can of worms now wouldn’t it?