More News For Everyone

There seem to have been a lot of stories published in the last little while. Let me make a comment on number of them to let others know what is happening out there.

THE TUNNEL

Another delay in completing the Detroit – Windsor Tunnel. I assume that problems are still around because it is difficult for people to cross the border with one of the crossings under repair.

When are the repairs finally going to be made? Can anyone really give us a final date:

“For a third time, completion of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel’s ceiling replacement project has been pushed to an indefinite later date.” (Dalson Chen, Windsor Star, December 21, 2018) 

The reason for this is the following:

“The overall project has been a little more complex than anybody had realized,” said Neal Belitsky, president and CEO of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, on Friday.”

This is the 3^rd delay and who knows how long it will be or how many more delays there will be.

However, my thought is what would have happened if this was a delay in the Ambassador Bridge Construction project.  My own opinion is really quite simple. The Moroun Family would have been smeared many times for the delay. The negativity would have been unbelievable because clearly this would be a way to try to convince the public that the Morouns should be bought out.

Let’s just see what is going to happen next at the Tunnel.

PAUL MARTIN BUILDING

This building has just sat around for years it seems. I just find that truly amazing since it is right in the heart of Windsor’s downtown. Is it any wonder then that the downtown is not finished well with a key building empty for so long and with construction issues.

By the time that you read this Website, I expect that the City of Windsor will make some kind of decision as to what they want to do. I assume that they will try very hard to buy the building and then do something with it.

What they’ll do with it, who knows!

I wonder if they have already talked to someone from Detroit who may want to buy that building. At a low price from the City of Windsor of course who, presumably will buy it for $1 from the Feds. After all:

“We are talking to multiple parties and I'm excited. It's just a matter of what opportunity happens first," says Dilkens.” (CTV Windsor, December 21, 2018) 

BYE-BYE DOWNTOWN

As you know, the former head of Windsor’s Business Association did not want to allow the sale of the Enwin building downtown:

“Enwin’s plan to sell its 1950s-era Ouellette Avenue office building and move close to 100 staff to its Rhodes Drive operations centre should absolutely not be allowed, the chairman of the downtown BIA said Friday…

The mayor and city council “should just end this speculation” immediately, [Larry Horwitz] said.”

I wonder if a remark such as this helped lead to his removal from office recently. Here’s what happened:

“One month after Enwin Utilities announced it was exploring options to move its employees to the Rhodes Drive location, the energy provider says its location on Ouellette Avenue is up for sale.

"This building [downtown] has been assessed as being excess to our needs and obviously, as a cost-reduction measure, we've made the decision to put the building up for sale," said Enwin president and CEO Helga Reidel.” (Sanjay Maru, CBC News, December 20, 2018) 

Hmmm. I wonder, will someone be buying this building from the City along with the Paul Martin Building up the road at the same time? Is there a deal already about to be accomplished but we just don’t know about it? After all, why does it make sense for the City to sell one building at the same time that it is buying another one?

Oh what the heck, the Enwin Utilities building can always be used for the new Public Library downtown.

FORGET ABOUT YOUR TEETH

So you are happy that fluoridation is coming back to the water system in Windsor are you? If I was still living in the City of Windsor, I would be too. However, is it really coming back? Take a look at this:

“We have to make sure we do our due diligence there to ensure the safety of the water system,” Garry Rossi, vice-president of water operations for EnWin, said Tuesday.

EnWin, which manages the water system for Windsor Utilities Commission, must also find the money — an estimated $850,000 for new equipment and installation, plus $150,000 to $200,000 annually to purchase the chemical and maintain the system. Fluoridation is a complicated endeavour that EnWin hadn’t budgeted for, Rossi said.” (Brian Cross, Windsor Star, December 19, 2018) 

It seemed pretty cheap, and easy, to get rid of fluoridation back in 2013 when the Council decided to end it in the water system in Windsor. Here’s how it seemed to happen:

“With a couple of computer clicks in the control room of the A.H. Weeks Water Treatment Plant in East Windsor, more than 50 years of adding fluoride to the city’s water supply to fight cavities ended Monday afternoon.

“Out of Service” blinked in red on a digital screen as Wayne White, production supervisor with the Enwin water division, stopped the flow of hydrofluorosilicic acid into the water system.” (Doug Schmidt, Windsor Star, March 25, 2013) 

I wonder why it seems so hard to bring it back today and why it takes a long time. Plus, it seems not only expensive to put it back in but expensive to run it every year. How about this:

“You’re adding this chemical into the system, you want to make sure there aren’t any effects, either within the process or downstream with respect to adding this.”

Pretty negative isn’t it? It seems to be now while it wasn’t such a concern in 2013 and the 50 years before that when fluoridation was active. Let’s see if something comes up that makes fluoridation very difficult to put back into practice.

ONE DOLLAR SHORT

What a nice contract was entered into in Michigan with respect to the Gordie Howe International Bridge. It was so nicely set up too. Mind you, at first, when I read the article I was a bit surprised:

“Attorney Andy Doctoroff, senior special projects adviser for Gov. Rick Snyder, has been the governor's point man on the Gordie Howe International Bridge project since 2013. He started a contract job Monday worth $499,999 over 15 months that continues his work as the state's liaison to Canada for construction of the new Detroit River span.

Gov. Rick Snyder's point man on the Gordie Howe International Bridge project got a $499,999, 15-month contract to continue his work serving as Michigan's liaison to the international authority overseeing construction of the massive Detroit River infrastructure project after Snyder leaves office in two weeks.

Attorney Andy Doctoroff, Snyder's senior special projects adviser, left the governor's office last week to begin the contract work that took effect Monday, Snyder spokesman Ari Adler said.” (Chad Livengood, Crain's Detroit, December 18, 2018) 

Whew, for him he has to be very happy that the contract was entered into with the Governor who is leaving office shortly. Who knows if the new Governor who will just be coming into office would have set one up with him.

I have to admit that I thought that the figure of $499,999 for the contract was a strange one. And then I find out the reason why:

“The $499,999 cost of the contract is one dollar short of a $500,000 threshold that triggers review of state contracts by the State Administrative Board, a panel whose members include representatives of the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, MDOT director and superintendent of public instruction.”

It appears that a key person who, before was in favour of the Gordie Howe Bridge, will still be around to help make it happen. Being appointed again by the gentleman about to leave as Governor should make sure that nothing significant changes since the new Governor will be advised by this gentleman:

“Andy has been an instrumental project leader on the GHIB for about five and a half years now," Adler said. "His being around longer will help ensure transitional stability as he works with the incoming Whitmer Administration on such a massive international undertaking."