Where Did They Go, For I am Their Leader

Councilor Ken Lewenza Jr is wrong.


During the lead-up to his and Councilor Bill Marra’s ward meeting on 10 November, Lewenza is reported as saying he thought,

“Mayor Eddie Francis had the leadership skills and knowledge to end the strike, but a work stoppage became politically advantageous for the mayor.”

However, it has already been determined here that Edgar Francis is completely devoid of any leadership ability or principles, councilor.

Would a “leader” publically berate an employee as happened at City Hall last week? In an unbelievable display of childishness, the mayor yelled and screamed at a customer service employee while in front of members of the public. It was an amped up display that we have come to expect from the mayor during council meetings when he sarcastically chides and belittles councilors. No, I am certain this is not part of being a leader.

A leader leads others toward a common goal. A leader will learn from his or her mistakes, amend their methods, and continue to guide their followers toward the objective. Mistakes will be made but lessons should be learned. How to explain then why the mayor stepped away from his post on the Transit Windsor Board of Directors during contract negotiations, with the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 616.

Why did Councilor Bill Marra have to take the mayor’s place on the board of directors? We may never know, but I’m sure 100’s of daily transit users are grateful that the negotiating committee was able to come to an agreement with the union without a work stoppage. With the same issues on the table as during the 101 day civic strike the negotiating teams for both sides should be congratulated for their accomplishment.

In London, there is a transit strike underway as of Monday. Windsor’s own transit employees could have been heading down the same slippery slope but for the use of alternative methods of negotiation rather than the confrontational politicizing and personalizing, as was done during the summer with CUPE locals 82 and 543. Possibly none on the transit board would play any of the mayor’s games.

Now there is the issue with the expressed apology by Windsor Chief of Police, Gary Smith, to the Islamic community in the city.

In the wake of a raid on a home in search of FBI and RCMP identified terrorist suspects ,Gary Smith thought it appropriate to issue an apology for an Emergency Services Unit officer who physically “patted” down the wife of one of the suspects.

Windsor Police Chief Gary Smith publicly apologized to the Muslim community this week after one of his officers allegedly patted down the wife of a suspect during a raid tied to a case in metro Detroit that ended in the shooting death of an Islamic leader.

“The actions taken did cause embarrassment and did offend their religious beliefs,” Smith said in a statement. “I sincerely apologize to the families and the Islamic community.”

Windsor police assisted other Canadian law enforcement in an Oct. 31 raid to apprehend Windsor residents Mohammad Al-Sahli, 33, and Yassir Ali Khan, 30. Federal authorities said they were part of a radical Muslim group based in Detroit that was led by Luqman Ameen Abdullah, killed by FBI agents in a shootout during an Oct. 28 raid in Dearborn.

Many people have already commented on the operational requirements of securing a scene during a high risk raid such as occurred. I won’t get into that except to quote the president of the Windsor Police Association, Ed Parent.

"In my belief, this isn't a cultural issue," said Ed Parent, president of the Windsor Police Association and a former tactical officer. "These officers had a warrant to arrest someone. They went in, and they arrested this person.... That's it."

"Usually, when you make an apology, that means something was wrong. In my opinion, nothing went wrong here," Parent said. "I believe the officers were doing everything they're entitled to do under the law. I believe they did it professionally. I don't see an issue here."

Lost in the shuffle are other concerns, the first being the meeting of Islamic community leaders with the mayor and the Chief of Police. It may be a common occasion when individuals request to meet with only the Chair of the Police Services Board as Edgar points out.

Francis said the meeting was attended by himself as chairman of the Windsor Police Services Board, Irfan Qadir -- a Muslim member of the Windsor Police Services Board -- Smith, the two deputy police chiefs, and three representatives from the Windsor Islamic Association including Peer.

Asked who arranged the meeting, the mayor replied: "It was something that the community asked for. From time to time, it happens that different groups ask for police services to come forward. Sometimes they'd like to meet with the entire board, sometimes with just the chief and the chair, or the deputy chair.

Sure I’ll give you that, but does the Chief usually hold a press conference, as a result of one of those meetings, on his own initiative? Especially where he would be making a highly controversial statement as is the case? Did the mayor know what the Chief was going to do or was Gary Smith acting alone? Was the apology as discussion point during the meeting? By their own admission the Islamic community representatives said they did not pressure those in attendance.

"There was no pressure at all," said Dr. Ismail Peer, president of the association.

"We are in no position to make any pressure on anyone," added Abdelkader Tayebi, the association's secretary. "We respect the law, we follow the law."

Peer said he told the chief at the meeting that an apology "would be very appropriate to calm down some of the concerns and the ill feelings. Some people have ill feelings against the police force for what they have done."

Calm what? I thought you "follow the law"?

So there was discussion during the meeting of an apology and it was brought up by Dr Peer. The mayor was aware that Smith was going to make an apology. Where were the other members of the Police Services Board? Should this have been approved by the board as a whole? Who authorized Chief Smith to formally and publically make this apology? Did the mayor overstep the bounds of the authority of the board to allow the Chief to proceed with his plan?

Police Services Act
R.S.O. 1990

Responsibilities of boards

31.
Members of police force under board’s jurisdiction
(2) The members of the police force, whether they were appointed by the board or not, are under the board’s jurisdiction.

Restriction
(3) The board may give orders and directions to the chief of police, but not to other members of the police force, and no individual member of the board shall give orders or directions to any member of the police force.

Idem
(4) The board shall not direct the chief of police with respect to specific operational decisions or with respect to the day-to-day operation of the police force.

Nothing in there that says the board chair (Edgar) may direct the chief, but rather the board (as a whole) may “give orders and directions”. No member of the board can direct any member of the police service. Where were the other members of the board? Only Edgar and Irfan Qadir were in attendence. Hardly a quorum.

So why did the mayor, apparently aware of what was to happen, allow it to go forward without the consent of the rest of the board? The mayor acted without authority and in contravention of the Police Services Act. Either that, or he has absolutely no idea what the Chief of Police is up to and has failed his responsibilities as board chair.

You be the judge.

In My Opinion...

Ken Lewenza Jr’s stock has risen significantly over the last few days since he and ward-mate Bill Marra hosted an informational meeting for their constituents. And there is a juxtaposition with Marra riding Lewenza’s wave during all of this.


The meeting in question was to disseminate the machinations behind the 101-day civic strike this past summer. I’m sure you’re already well aware of the details that Lewenza spent a great deal of time dissecting for those in attendance. You’ve probably been brought up to date by reading here or here. Where you certainly have not read about it is from the city of Windsor’s sole major daily newspaper, the Windsor Star.

Why the editorial board has decided to ignore the strike revelations is a secret that they are keeping. If they don’t write about it did it really happen? Well, of course it happened, Lewenza announced the meeting many times in the lead up to the actual day; particularly during council meetings. Those announcements were reported by the Star but then they ignore the meeting itself.

Not even the insipid little columnist, Chris Vander Doelen, has tried to twist the details into a pro-Edgar diatribe as he is so capable. We’ll wait over the weekend for Gord Henderson to rear his ugly head, but I would bet his article will be about something mediocre and inconsequential as the forgotten Herb Gray. Just more of his “hard hitting views” to be sure. Yawn.

What exactly is the Windsor Star’s obligation to the community? I would agree with most people that the Star, as an entity, is entitled to endorse any political party and/or candidate of its choosing. And if the paper is in complete lock-step with the current mayor, so be it. In as much as it is a political decision to hitch their wagon to a falling star it is also a business decision. The Star’s editorial board is betting the farm that by supporting Edgar they can tap into the Windsor-Essex news market.

That’s all very well and good. They can live, but are dying instead, by their decisions. Subscriptions are in the dumper since they came out swinging against CUPE during the civic strike.

There are two issues, though, where the editorial staff at the Star continue to fail the citizens of this city.

The first is the matter neglecting to report on specific topics. Case in point would be the Lewenza/Marra ward meeting to reveal the gross misconduct of Edgar and the “hard-liners”. By failing to even report on the eye-openers from Kenny and Bill does a disservice to the readership that borders on deceit. To intentionally ignore the facts of a story, especially one as divisive to the community as the strike was, is a display of moral bankruptcy.

It also leads into the second matter, in this case the attempt of some at the Star to rewrite, twist, and lie to readers concerning certain facts. The endorsement of candidates aside, the blatant attempt to play kingmaker by some at the Star is an outrageous affront to every thinking person within the circulation radius.

Take, for instance, this exchange between someone who wrote to Vander Doelen.

“Like I said before Chris stop being the mayor's personal PR agent. Do your research and write the truth.

From: Vander Doelen, Chris (WIN)
Sent: November 11, 2009 2:20 PM
To: [NAME DELETED]
Subject: Re: Arbitration redo

No thanks.”

An explicit admission from the columnist that he couldn’t care less about writing the truth.

There are no Jean Paul Marat’s at the Windsor Star. There is, however, an absence of journalistic integrity that begins with the editorial board and filters down to their minions who are devoid of an ethical and balanced reporting.

Thomas Skinner 1893-1915

On 31 March 1901, the Skinner household at 12 Collingwood St, in the Caldewgate district of Carlisle, contained nine persons of the extended family, as enumerated on the English census. Born in Carlisle, having never married, and at 52 years of age, Ann Skinner was listed as the head of house. Her sister Mary, 15 years younger, and also never married, was next listed, and she was employed at the time as a cotton weaver, carrying on the traditional family occupation of over 100 years. With them was Prudence Skinner, their niece. At 22 years of age, Prudence was born in the coastal town of Ravenglass, the daughter of her aunt’s brother, John Skinner, and his wife, Jane Tyson. In 1901 Prudence found herself employed as a confectioner’s assistant in Carlisle.

Next on the census was Thomas Skinner, another brother of Ann and Mary. He was born in Carlisle and had escaped the spinning and weaving of cotton by becoming a bread baker and confectioner. Possibly it was through Thomas that his niece, Prudence, gained her employment. At 34 years old, Thomas had moved in with his sisters after his wife, Frances Park, had died a little more than a year previous to the census when she had only just turned 32 years. With him to the household, Thomas brought five children less than 13 years of age. His eldest daughter shared a name with her cousin, both of whom were probably named for their grandmother, Prudence Nichols. Next was Sarah Elizabeth, then Katie, and Annie Mary, the youngest. Also present was the 7 year old boy, Thomas, the namesake of his father.

Thomas Skinner, the younger, was born in Carlisle on 2 May 1893, and was the second youngest child, and only son, to Thomas and Frances. Thrust into this large, estrogen filled, extended family, household Thomas found himself being raised by spinster aunts and an elder cousin. In a family photo, shortly before his mother’s death, Thomas is seen as a blur, not being able to remain still long enough for a proper exposure. It may have been a harbinger of the future. When even the still new practice of photography could not hold his attention, the usual and too familiar surroundings of Carlisle made Thomas seek more exciting adventures by joining the British Army, namely the 2nd Battalion of the home town Border Regiment. It was not a typical occupation choice for the son of two staunch Salvation Army members.

After joining, Thomas trained with the 2nd Battalion as they were sent to various posts within the empire. However, he found himself back at the depot in Carlisle to help train the more than 600 volunteers at the outbreak of the First World War. Through one way or another, Thomas was drafted into the 6th Battalion (Bn) and embarked with them for Lincolnshire in September of 1914. There the battalion settled into a tented camp and commenced training while waiting to be properly outfitted with weapons, equipment, and even uniforms.

The 6th Bn was still in Lincolnshire at the end June 1915 when it received orders to prepare for active service. The general rumour-mill suggested that the troops were headed for the Western Front, however they were ordered to leave on 30 June for the Dardanelles in Turkey. The Bn travelled by train to Liverpool and embarked on the SS Empress of Britain, destined for the Island of Lemnos in Greece, the staging area for the operations in Gallipoli. Little did Thomas know that this would shortly become his home for eternity.

The Empress set sail with Thomas on board on 1 July and he found himself in Greece 18 days later. After a short rest on the island, Thomas, as part of A Company, landed at “V” Beach, Cape Helles, on 21 July and he and his mates did not have to wait long before being introduced to modern warfare as the Turks began shelling the battalion as they came ashore. However, the 6th Bn only spent 10 days on the Cape before they were shipped to the Island of Imbros.

During the week spent on Imbros an epidemic of dysentery spread through the battalion. It is unknown if Thomas was affected, but he could not have escaped unscathed. He would have participated in the practice night landings on 4 August and he would have been as surprised as the rest of the men when they were told at noon on the 6th that their attack at Suvla Bay was going ahead that night. Little practice, extended sickness, and little warning of the attack, coupled with gastric problems caused by the cholera injections, did not bode well for the battalion.


The 6th Bn went ashore at Suvla Bay as part of the 34th Brigade. The objectives of the landing was to take the high points, the hills, in the area and to consolidate a holding along the narrowest part of the Gallipoli Peninsula. One feature, Chocolate Hill, named for the colour of the bush growing on it, was supposed to be captured by dawn on the 7th. This was accomplished between the 6th Bn and another unit, but well after the time allotted. They were ordered back to the beach at Suvla at 9 am on the 8th, but the day was spent in chaos. Water was in very short supply and men did not get the opportunity to fill their canteens. The decision was made to bring ashore mules to assist in carrying water but the horses to pull artillery pieces were left aboard the ships. It was during this “rest” period that the 6th Bn was told to prepare for an attack that was to start at 5:15 am on 9 August.

Moving off from the start line on time, the attack progressed well until about 6:10 am. Counter-attacking Turks prevented the left of the battalion from progressing and a gap opened in the line. The enemy machine-gun fire cut through the battalion isolating groups of men . For the next 5 hours the Turkish army decimated the British troops. During this time Thomas was hit. The bullet ripped through him but he wasn’t killed. Most likely Thomas lay bleeding, losing and regaining consciousness numerous times. As the battalion was consolidated they received orders to withdraw. Parties of men searched for survivors and Thomas would have been carried from the field to an aid station. From there he was transported back to the beach at Suvla and then by boat to Lemnos. Over the next five days Thomas would have undergone surgery, but his wounds were beyond repair.

On 15 August, only 46 days after leaving the friendly shores of England, Thomas Skinner, the younger, died on the Island of Lemnos in Greece, and buried in East Mudros Military Cemetery. Thomas Skinner went ashore at Suvla Bay as part of the 6th Bn, Border Regiment, a unit of 719 men. The day after Thomas’s wounding only 303 all ranks answered their names at roll call.

We will remember them.

The Mayor's Shell Game

Last week we were informed of two more reckless spending initiatives by Windsor City Council.


First out of the gate was the Farhi package of riverfront land in the downtown and the revelation that he hasn’t paid taxes on the land since acquiring it from the city. Shmuel Farhi, head of Farhi Holdings of London, ON, purchased the Lear plant site in the city’s east end in 2005 after meeting mayor Edgar Francis at a wedding in London -- supposedly. They discussed Windsor’s (Edgar’s) plans for the city and a week later Farhi had bought a recently closed factory and waste land in Windsor’s far east side. What exactly did the two talk about? What plans did Edgar have that were relayed to Farhi that provided the impetus to buy land in inhospitable surroundings? Apparently, plans that weren’t even shared with city council, as we shall see.

Not a year later a deal is reached between Edgar and Farhi to “swap” 16 hectares of east end brown-field for a parcel of 0.4 hectares of prime real estate in the down town. Edgar tried to sell the deal this way.

” Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis said the new arena was the driving force behind the deal. The city wanted to look at building in east Windsor and contacted Farhi, who owned the large parcel.”

But he forgets that Farhi didn’t own the property until after the two of them spoke about Edgar’s plans for the city. Or did he forget that?

When it happened, the terms of the deal included the development rights to the downtown land, valued at $2 million, plus another $1.5 million to be paid to Farhi’s company. What wasn’t divulged at the time was that terming the swap as “development rights” the city retained ownership and that Farhi was exempt from paying property taxes to the city on the 1.1 acre parcel until 2010. That little undisclosed detail removed up to $35,000 annually for three years until such time as Farhi was to take possession in April of next year. Add to that the fact that when Farhi does take ownership the city is to have paid to have it cleaned at an estimated cost of another $100,000.

Not only does Farhi trade away 40 of the worst acres of the 110 acre Lear plot and win property tax savings for doing so, but he is awarded a $2 million prime parcel of land, given $1.5 million in cash, doesn’t have to pay property taxes on the downtown land for years, AND gets the city to foot the bill to clean up the land before he takes it over.

A pretty sweet deal based on a chance meeting between Farhi and Francis at a wedding and a questionable business decision to buy a closed factory on the east side in the middle of nowhere; all within a month of that meeting.

Who could believe it? $3.7 million to the benefit of Farhi Holdings. Did Fahri even end up paying anything for the Lear lands when all is said and done? Apparently councilors didn’t know all the details of the deal either since last week’s article was prompted by a question from Councilor Halberstadt.

Once again councilors are approving transactions without knowing all the information. It’s not like they were unknown at the time; Edgar was in possession of the terms but simply chose not to disclose them.

From that bill of sale we now have a look at the developments going on with the city and the new tunnel corporation.

The city purchased the Canadian half of the Detroit-Windsor international tunnel and was operated under the auspisies of the Tunnel Commission. Acting on the advice of lawyer-for-hire, Cliff Sutts, the mayor thought best that a separate corporation should be set up, owned solely by the city, and the corporation would buy the tunnel from the city. The reasoning given for doing so would be to provide a sense of separation between the tunnel and tax payers in case of any liabilities that may arise from the operation of the tunnel. Forget that any terrorist worth his salt could have caused havoc in the intervening year and a half just by visiting the city’s own website.

However, by moving the asset to a private corporation (as the city did with the airport and the Windsor Utilities Commission) tunnel activities would remain hidden from scrutiny by the public, the very people paying the bill. This despite the fact that city staffers would be running the show and councilors on the board of directors. That’s what I would hardly call an “arm’s length” entity.

However, beyond the subterfuge of ownership, the main issue right now is the cost that tax payers will be expected to pony up.

Purchase price Is $104,302,660. This amount +/- any Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable at 12/31/2009 (which will be determined subject to the final year-end audit) will be paid by the issuance to the Corporation of the City of Windsor of common shares in the capital stock of the WDTC as fully paid and non-assessable for a consideration equal to the purchase price.

What this means is that the city will waive the outstanding promissory note it holds for $101 million and in exchange receive stock in the new corporation. What? The city is already the sole shareholder of the corporation and now it is receiving MORE stock in the company and removing an asset of $101 million from its books? How is this beneficial to the rate payers?

The Tunnel Corp is to pay, instead of interest to the city, dividends as declared by the board of directors. Considering the 50% decline in traffic at most border crossings between Canada and the US since 2001 (including the little used tunnel), it is unlikely dividends will be a regular occurrence nor in an amount that will see the city obtaining a return on its investment for decades to come.

It is just another shell game being played by the mayor just like the one concerning the restructuring at city hall.

To Farhi and the WDTC goes $104.7 million of public money and in return rate payers receive nothing.

What Windsor Needs Part 4 - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

What does it take to run a half a billion dollar organization? What does it take to run one successfully? When hiring managers a business owner should select the best suited and qualified if they expect the business to be a winner. They should avoid employing those who are ill-equipped to perform the required functions. As tax payers we are, if you will, the shareholders of the city of Windsor, and every four years we attend a shareholder’s meeting to express our confidence of, or our displeasure in, the performance of the managers selected at the last meeting.


Collectively on Windsor city council we have two lawyers, two housewives, three businessmen, a former fire fighter, a former reporter, the son of a trade unionist, and a retired person running the show. What qualifies them to operate this corporation of $500 million, and why should we expect them to be successful? I believe we get the government we deserve.

When Gordon McGregor organized investors to turn Walkerville Wagon Works into Ford Motor Company of Canada in 1904 it marked the beginning of Windsor’s tie to the auto industry and was the start of the Automotive Capital of Canada. For some reason, however, I can envision the current mayor and council (had they been around) to be against the venture. Given their collective penchant for squandering tax payer’s money on fruitless schemes I’m sure they would have believed that they could better oversee the building of an empire than Henry Ford.

I mean, what other reason is there for council to have declined Wayne Gretzky’s generous offer and instead of $15 million as budgeted, they elect to spend $71 million of public money on the city owned WFCU Centre? Why else would the mayor be floating the canal project or lining the pockets of a German consultant (to the tune of $500,000) to turn an unknown and under-utilized airport into a cargo village? And why would the city drain the coffers and seek to enter into negotiations to buy the Detroit side of the cross-border tunnel but for the idea that they know better how to operate it? What, in their collective backgrounds, qualifies them to know that they can do any of those things better than private investors?

And these are only the most recent examples.

Municipal revenue streams should be from property taxes, licensing, permits, etc, and not from dabbling in endeavors that are better off in the hands of the private sector. For every Windsor owned entity there is one less business contributing to the city’s revenue; income that has to be made up by individuals. Owning Enwin certainly hasn’t kept costs in line for rate payers; to the contrary.

Over this past summer there was resurrected the idea of a high speed rail line through the Chicago-Quebec corridor. While a good idea, it concerns mainly Transport Canada, Canadian Pacific, and Canadian National Railway, and does not need any interference from the city of Windsor.

Between now and whenever that project starts we may get a look at how many fingers the mayor wants to put in that pie when VIA Rail commences the improvements/replacement of their station in Walkerville. Will the city attempt to dictate the location of the terminal as they did with the Greyhound bus depot? Will there be stalling tactics, an outlay of public money, the hiring of consultants and lawyers from 400-500 kms away, and threats of law suits as they have with GreenLink?

Another idea in response to the economic downturn came, not surprisingly, from the mouth of Edgar. Maybe still high on his notion of a cargo village, Francis suggested that, instead of bringing jobs to Windsor (which he still hasn’t produced), he would send residents to the jobs.

During his State of the City address last month, Francis announced a multi-faceted plan to address the city's economic woes. The program will see a long-distance commuter flight service established between Windsor and the booming hubs of Western Canada, shuttling workers to Edmonton, Calgary and Regina on Monday and bringing them home to their families on Friday.

"Truth is, airports are becoming the new bus depots," Francis told his audience. He's already reached out with the proposal to his western counterparts, who have been receptive. If it gets off the ground, the shuttle could be a win-win situation — addressing the labour shortages that plague those cities without eroding Windsor's population and tax base.

Really? Is that the “truth” Edgar? Who exactly is going to run this little intrigue you have going? And when are you suppose have this up and running, or get off the ground, if you will?

Francis says it will still take time to crunch the numbers, identify potential subsidies and business partners, and find a carrier. He hopes to have the link between the City of Roses and Wild Rose Country up and running by the end of the year.

So another “partnered” venture with the city’s fingers in the pie, in other words. If there really was a need for this, and if it could be run at a profit, wouldn’t savvy private interests have already jumped on it? Is that why it’s been eight months since you publicly hatched this egg and absolutely nothing has happened? At least this pie in the sky absurdity didn’t cost us any money…that we know of.

Beyond regulation (to a degree) government has no business running a business. Each level of government has core responsibilities, specific duties owed to the constituents. Proceeding beyond those obligations and government fails miserably delivering the goods. Government has no more ability to profitably manage an oil company (remember the NEP and Petro Canada?) than they do operating a tunnel, a bridge, or an airport, let alone a cargo hub, or any of the other incongruous machinations Edgar has come up with.

There doesn’t seem to be any indication that this mayor and council will stop playing developer, while on the tax payer’s dime, and stop ignoring their basic tasks at the heart of administering a city. With an imperious mayor running roughshod over a council of sheep, it is not surprising that Windsor ranked 24th out of 27 in the best places to live and work in Canada for young professionals according to Next Generation Consulting. Or that Windsor finished 26th out of 31 in McLean’s reporting of the Best Run Cities in Canada.

You can place the blame squarely in the lap of Edgar Francis.

Cirque de Cirque

You would be so hard-pressed to find a person who was unaware that we’re in the midst of a recession that Pro-Line wouldn’t give odds for success. And even in this region where unemployment reigns supreme while the mayor and city council act like entrepreneurs as the tax payers take all the risks, there are horrific stories of despair from elsewhere in the country.

One such story involves the recent court case in Sageunay, QC, concerning the suicide pact between mother and father and the murders of their children.

Cathie Gauthier faces three charges of first-degree murder of her children: Joelle, 12; Marc-Ange, 7; and Louis- Philippe, 4. Her husband, Marc Laliberte, also died in the incident.

Very few people can realize or comprehend the sense of hopelessness that these parents must have been living under to feel compelled to kill themselves and their children. In one letter they try to describe their situation and covey the helplessness they tried to endure.

"We are not able to go on anymore, to fight. We have reached the bottom of the abyss and our courage pit is really empty," said one letter. "We have decided in serenity to leave this world and take with us our three children that are our greatest wealth. It is not a cruel gesture, but one of love. Leaving them behind would have been cruel," the letter said. It added the children did not suffer, nor were they conscious of "their departure for a better world."

What led to this bleak condition, this state of affairs so seemingly without resolution but to “leave this world”?

The documents said both parents were out of work, in debt and threatened with eviction by their landlord. "All we have are worries," one letter said. "We can't live in a world so cruel anymore." The godparents of Gauthier said she had been working at a shopping mall in Chicoutimi, but just before Christmas she lost her job. Her husband had also lost his job as a real estate agent in recent months, and the couple had recently purchased their home.

Facing eviction and in debt. How many people are in those same circumstances in our neck of the woods? But suicide and murder isn’t the solution. It would seem that hard work and dedication is the answer.

Compare their story to that of namesake, Guy Labiberte. Former stiltwalker, fire eater, and 2006 Ernst & Young Entreprenuer of the Year, the founder of Circque to Soleil recently spent $35 million to clown amongst the stars aboard a Soyuz rocket as Canada’s first space tourist. While wearing a clown’s red nose during the stunt he shamelessly plugged his circus and other interests. A despicable and obsene expenditure during these economic times.

$35 million? I mean even Queen Elizabeth was shocked.

The Queen has told former prime minister Jean Chretien she found the price tag for billionaire clown Guy Laliberte's recent extra-terrestrial adventure to be excessive. Chretien says Queen Elizabeth said she would not have gone into space, and found Laliberte's trip a bit expensive.

While Laliberte does spread his wealth around as the founder, also, of One Drop, an international program to fight poverty in the world by giving everyone access to water. Quite how that would work, I don’t know, but his $100 million investment is being spread over 25 years; apparently not one to spend money on frivolous endevours.

As far as I’m concerned, charity begins at home and I would challenge Laliberte, and I challenge you, the reader, to find worthy causes here in Canada. How much would the Laliberte family have needed to avoid their tragic demise? Much less than $35 million I would venture.

What Windsor Needs Part 3 - The Dev Tyagi Story

When Dave Battagello wrote his “Revolving Door” piece, about the exodus of senior managers from city hall under mayor Edgar Francis’ watch, there must have been some editors asleep at the switch at the Windsor Star. How else could the article have made it to print? It was no surprise, however, to read Chris Vander Doelen’s response to the item and his attempt to rescue Edgar as if he were his loyal companion.
Since the announcement of the firing of ex-CAO John Skorobohacz there’s one person who has largely been lost in the shuffle; that being Dev Tyagi, former general manager of public works. Why was he let go? What’s his story?

I believe the Tyagi tale is a shared one. What can be written about Tyagi can also be written about a number of other senior management who have been shown the door at city hall.

During the 101-day strike this summer council approved to go ahead on seeking funding to build a sewage retention basin that is much needed by the city to help eliminate effluent overflow into the Detroit River. Windsor is the third largest polluter in the province of Ontario according to Ecojustice.

Unless addressed, the situation is only going to get worse, argues Ecojustice, because climate change is making storms more intense and frequent. Dev Tyagi doesn't dispute that assessment. Windsor's general manager of public works said the city has been expanding the treatment capacity at the Lou Romano Reclamation Plant.

The construction of a $60-million storm retention basin just west of downtown should dramatically improve the situation, Tyagi said. The retention basin will capture storm water overflow, give it primary treatment and then redirect it to the Lou Romano plant. The city needs to build two retention basins to get the problem completely under control as well as spend $450 million to separate storm and sewage lines, Tyagi said.

Compare that to Edgar’s thoughts on the merit of building the retention basin.

“Other cities are putting forward massive projects with vision. Today, here, instead of such vision, we have a receptor sewer project … how does that diversify our economy,” Francis said after the meeting.

More than just having opposing views of what the city needs (although that is a big issue when it comes to the mayor), possibly Edgar was also upset that Tyagi seemed to be overstepping administration’s prerogative and making a public suggestion as to where council should be spending and on what projects.

Instead of addressing the pollution issue, Edgar has allowed it to fester during his tenure as mayor. The overflow problem was first identified by Ecojustice in 2006. And where the Town of Leamington simply got on with the infrastructure improvements, the mayor has instead had his head in the clouds with his cargo village or in the depths of a canal, among other less-than-core side lights.

When Leamington finishes its $40-million renovation and expansion of its sewage treatment plant in late 2010, it hopes to permanently eliminate the dumping of effluent into Lake Erie, said John Tofflemire, director of community services. "The Ministry of the Environment was after us, that's why we are anxious to get the project done," Tofflemire said. "It's environmentally unacceptable to be doing this.”

But the mayor seems to think it’s alright. Interestingly, Tofflemire is another ex-pat Windsorite who left his employment with the city during Edgar’s reign of error.

While attempting to be seen to be tough on the CUPE, and apparently wanting to personalize the strike, numerous times the mayor tried to flex his muscles and endeavored to assert his authority. Changing the locks on the doors at city hall and tabling a No Board report even before the walkout deadline, threatening to shut down the CUPE riverside parade for lack of a permit, and sending managers into a dangerous and grievous situation at the Caboto Club to distribute a back to work protocol moments before a ratification vote, are just a few such instances. However, when the local CUPE headquarters was ordered by the Windsor-Essex Health Unit to clean up garbage on their property during the strike, Edgar must have cringed when opportunity was lost to make more out of it.

Dev Tyagi, the city’s general manager of public works, said Thursday contracted crews would address the issue. As for billing the perpetrators, Tyagi would only say that while “technically we could do it …it’s not an issue we really need to make an issue of.”

Wow. The city paid to clean up the garbage and did not, in turn, invoice CUPE for the service? That statement certainly could not have endeared Tyagi with Francis. And in less than two months, Tyagi for a third time upended the mayor over the post-strike garbage pick-up issue.

The mayor claimed that during the strike residents managed to drop their garbage off at one of the temporary transfer sites, or with a private receiver, at a 70% rate. However, garbage pickup was still behind in September, two months after the end of the strike; and this was after canceling the city’s yard waste pickups. CUPE local 82 president, Jim Wood, estimated the actual amount that was disposed of by residents was closer to 30%.

Wood said Mayor Eddie Francis’s claims that residents managed to deal with 70 per cent of their garbage were inaccurate. “It was more like 30 per cent,” said Wood. “People just kept it in the back and hid it. Unfortunately when you get that long of a work stoppage, it takes a long time to get back to normal.”

And here’s what Dev Tyagi had to say about it.

Tyagi said city garbage crews are running about a day and a half to two days behind regular pick-up. “I know it’s very hard to watch garbage sit on the street but we are asking residents to be patient,” said Tyagi. Tyagi said infrastructure work like road repairing and painting and sidewalk repair will continue but some projects will be delayed until next year. “Basically all things are delayed because of the strike,” said Tyagi.

Pretty damning of the mayor and, no doubt, when viewed together with all the public contradictions of Edgar, led to a frictional working relationship between the two. Also, as John Skorobohacz indicated why he left his position as CAO,

Skorobohacz cited several reasons for his decision to part ways with the city, including growing disagreements with council and weariness from the heavy-handed control of Francis.

I believe that Edgar’s confrontational approach, his lawyerly litigious nature, has led to a drain of knowledge as well as millions of tax dollars from the city’s coffers. Repeated time after time for each person on Battagello’s list of departures. Former University of Windsor business professor, and fill-in CAO for the city, Alfie Morgan concludes it this way.

"In Windsor, I don't see the separation of power," said Morgan, dating it back to former mayor Mike Hurst and continuing with Francis. "The people with power win and ones with less power lose. "If you are not with me, you are against me -- they have to get out of that mindset. There can be tremendous psychological and financial cost to this. All this restructuring, there is a lot of money in that. There is also cost of mistakes unless it's done with tremendous care."