Judicial review a myth: History Rewritten

“A cheque from the finance minister would be greatly appreciated instead of the criticism he’s giving us today,” said Francis. “If they want to do the right thing they should pay us because their consultants left that money on the table. They benefited from the work we are doing.”

Mayor Eddie Francis, Windsor Star, January 16, 2009

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This community rightly boasts of its skilled workforce.

Those who design sophisticated, mould, fabricate and assemble some of the most remarkable and sophisticated machinery in the world.  

There is one other less heralded, but no less skilled that should be recognized.

These our speechwriters.  Our spin-doctors.   The smiths and tinkers of resilient rhetoric.

For example, look at the masterful venture of verbiage created for Mayor Eddie Francis at his semi-private State of the City Address presented to the Windsor Chamber of Commerce yesterday:

But there are sceptics. There are special and narrow interests.

Naysayers quick to criticize City Council for not capitulating. For not giving in. Criticizing us for standing up for our community.

The same sceptics and special interests that wanted us to settle for the $300 million dollar solution, and have yet to recognize the $1.4 billion dollar gain we have made for this community.

Let me tell you – your City Council members have been the unsung heroes in the border debate.

We will follow this process to the very end. We will represent our community, and seek to achieve a better solution.

And contrary to what you may have heard, or falsely led to believe…

Today City Council is not taking action through the courts – even though other stakeholders are doing just that.

This process is not over until Cabinet makes a final decision. They are well aware of our community’s position. 

And I look forward to meeting with our Cabinet Ministers once cabinet exercises its authority.

Give this speechwriter a raise!

How do you turn a failure – despite the threats of brain cancer affecting our children; with a 6 KM ”diesel ditch”  of destruction and death leaving people gasping for breath – to achieve Greenlink into a success?

• First, take credit for the very solution you have opposed for the last three years  - an important step.
• Second, criticize those who have criticized you for not accepting the Province’s W.E. Parkway proposal, and then accept the Parkway Proposal.
• Third, deny, deny, deny.  We’re not taking legal action – despite the headlines, the threats, the accusations outlined extensively here and on other blogs.
• Once cabinet exercises its authority, what good is it to talk to our cabinet ministers…unless…it’s about getting the Province to fork over some dough.  In other words, selling out Greenlink for cash.
• And finally, take a pre-emptive strike against those who may take legal action, despite threatening to do the same.  In other words, create a scape-goat.  Who is this stakeholder that has launched a lawsuit against the W.E. Parkway?

But the Mayor’s speechwriter is a crafty fellow:

Today City Council is not taking action through the courts – even though other stakeholders are doing just that.

Accurate but narrow. 

Maybe not today, but maybe tomorrow – if, only if, the Province doesn’t pay up or other stakeholders do not launch their lawsuits, whoever they may be.

I don’t recall anyone stating City Council has actually taken legal action; all I’ve heard is that city council has threatened to do so when they passed an in-camera motion making a judicial review an option.

Now please do not confuse my above statements to mean I want a judicial review to occur.

Because I do not.

However, based upon the Mayor and council’s comments over the last three years – from full tunnelling to partial tunnelling; the 3 hour presentations at council; the gavel pounding legal presentations; the accusations, the threats  and the intentional inflaming of passions – and not forgetting the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on Greenlink (that we are told of) – any credibility the Mayor and council may have had is shot.

Don’t  tell me the Mayor and council were fighting for the W.E. Parkway – because they were not.

Perhaps in May 2008 that strategy would be credible – but over a year later is nothing more than sheer political opportunism and deception.

What happened to the health hazards? 

Utilizing council arguments of the past, how much are the lives of those individuals living in the 42 homes along the corridor worth?

Or was this all just politics as usual with residents as pawns to meet some unspoken political objective?

It’s your responsibility not mine

Sacrifice on the alter of Greenlink

How much is dangerous W.E. Parkway worth?

City’s Border position maintains the status quo

Protecting residents by killing DRIC