Writing A New TecumsehCityBlog Article

I have not written a new TecumsehCityBlog Website article for more than a few days this last week. That is certainly not something that I did when I was previously posting on the Internet. I would usually post at least one article per day during the workweek and sometimes even more.

However, that has all changed now. This new website is not a "professional" one that I used to participate in before. At that time, I had full responsibilities to ensure that everything followed the agenda that was created. One of the matters that I took upon myself was to create Blog articles just about every working day and to post them immediately.

It's is not the same now. I only post when I have the time to write one and have created an article that makes sense for me to let you read.  That is just the way it is now since I have "retired" and am just using this new website to create posts which I want to share with my readers dealing with my recent thoughts.

I do try to make sure when I post something that it is as well written as I can do right  now and researched if required.  I do want to let you know what my perspective is on a subject but I am not, repeat NOT, creating an article with the objective of making sure that you are supportive of me. All that I am doing is setting out my point of view as best that I can.

One of the things I like doing is finding interesting news stories that I hope will interest you as well and then commenting on them as required. Every so often I might write an article specifically about one subject that I may have seen on someone else's publication about which I want to comment in detail. On other occasions, I will list 3 or 4 stories that I found interesting and just give you a very short comments about it or just let you know that it was written.

So today, let me do what I enjoy doing which is to set a bunch of articles for you to consider. By the way, you may find that some of my articles are dealing with news articles written some time ago. But that's okay because I still consider them to be relevant today:

WHO IS REALLY GOING TO BUILD THE NEW BRIDGE

It really is such a farce. The whole border file make no sense to me whatsoever any more.

Yes, I told you that I was not going to write very many articles about this topic. I thought I would do one every so often, especially if something out there is a farce. Consider this one and tell me if it makes any sense or not:

"Feds buy two properties for bridge

The federal government purchased two west-end properties — one for $6 million and the other for $500,000 — as it continues to put the pieces in place for the Gordie Howe bridge and customs plaza...

The two pieces of property were needed for the new customs inspection area of the Gordie Howe bridge, for the secondary inspection area and for the bridge’s footings, according to government sources."  (Roseann Danese, Windsor Star, June 10, 2016)

Sure, the Government of Canada is going to spend so many billions to build a new bridge when the cost to build a 2nd Bridge at the Ambassador Bridge area would cost a fraction of that!  I just don't understand this at all. Why would they even consider spending taxpayer money in this fashion.

JUST ONE MORE ON THE NEW BRIDGE CROSSING

Just one more article so that you will understand how silly the new bridge crossing approach is being handled these days. In my opinion anyway.

Here's a fascinating article from the Washington Post that was just published a couple of days ago. Why that newspaper one might wonder. Obviously, there is a political reason for it being posted in the first place there. I say that because I hardly think it is an article that this newspaper would be all that interested in unless someone approached them and convinced them to do one. Who did it and why, I am not certain.

"A wealthy U.S. family fights to control a key route to Canada

By Kevin Williams July 1 at 9:32 PM 

DETROIT — Every year, $100 billion in trade passes back and forth between the United States and Canada here — roughly 16.5 percent of the total annual trade between the two countries. And it all trundles across the traffic-impaired and slowly declining 86-year-old Ambassador Bridge.

The Ambassador’s questionable condition — concrete chunks rained down upon the Canadian side last year — has trade experts concerned that a vital route could come to an unexpected halt. Truck companies, meanwhile, decry delays that can make crossing the less than two-mile bridge a four-hour hassle.

Canada promises to solve all of that with its $2.1 billion planned Gordie Howe International Bridge, which would begin construction within the year and open in 2020. Canada touts it as its single biggest infrastructural priority. And it has the added emotional pull of being named after the beloved Howe, a Canadian ice hockey legend who played for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 seasons, and who just passed away last month at age 88.

But the new expanse would bring bitter defeat to the wealthy Michigan family that owns - and profits heavily from — the Ambassador. And they are not giving up without a fight." (Kevin Williams, Washington Post, July 1, 2016)

The article goes through the fight that is going on with respect to the new crossing. It is a very long article however I won't go into that. Frankly it does not discuss enough information. However, it at least lets people know the sum of the problems that are going on.

However, there is one key line that I want to point out the tells me that the Bridge Company is still in a key position and wants to resolve the problem with both of the Federal Governments in Canada and the United States. I say that because the reporter published it. In reality, that is all that this article is really about as far as I'm concerned:

"The bottom line is that there has to be a better, collaborative solution,” says Mickey Blashfield, spokesman for the Moroun’s Detroit International Bridge Company."

As I posted once before, a "better, collaborative solution" is already known and all that needs to be done is for the Parties to sit down together and finalize it already. 

Why they are not prepared to do so, I have no idea.

A HUGE BUSINESS DEAL

I have to admit that I cannot understand why Microsoft would want to spend so much money to buy this Internet website:

"Microsoft to buy LinkedIn in $26.2 billion deal

By Barbara Ortutay The Associated Press, June 13, 2016

NEW YORK—In a surprise move, Microsoft said Monday that it is buying professional networking service site LinkedIn for about $26.2 billion (U.S.).

It is by far Microsoft's largest acquisition, bigger than Skype, which the company bought for $8.5 billion in 2011.

LinkedIn, based in Mountain View, California, has more than 430 million members. Users can connect with professionals, upload their resumes and search for jobs on its site and apps.

Microsoft Corp. is paying $196 for each share of LinkedIn Corp., a 50 per cent premium over the stock's closing price of $131.08 on Friday."

It seems like it is a way for Microsoft to have access with a lot of business people around the world, presumably people with whom it would like to have contacts and a relationship.  Apparently, the website has over 430 million members around the world.  What would be more interesting to know is how many of those 430 million people actually use the website when they are not looking for jobs.

Presumably, I expect that Microsoft will have to find new ways to encourage people to come there if they want to get back their $26.2 billion in a relatively quick time. Now that might be an interesting task to watch for.  Heck, if you have some ideas, it might be worthwhile to see if you can find a person at Microsoft who might pay you for them.

A WINDSOR AIRPORT THEFT

Honestly, I have a very difficult time understanding how this could be done. The former employee is being charged with stealing $230,000:

"Windsor police said Monday they have charged a LaSalle woman with theft over $5,000. The 54-year-old suspect, who was fired in February from her job as finance manager, is alleged to have taken the money over three years. She was released after being charged and is to appear in court July 26...

“As soon as we realized that this was going on, which we found out through an internal review, we immediately terminated the employee,” said Mayor Drew Dilkens, who is chairman of the airport board. “The director of finance was looking at some financial receipts and started asking questions. 

And he said, ‘How come these numbers aren’t adding up?’" (Craig Pearson, Dylan Kristy, Windsor Star, June 14, 2016)
 

The Airport was not making a lot of money and so how this took place and was not found out for so many years is something that we will learn about as this matter is pursued.