This is for all of those that think Windsor is in love with the DRIC

[kraig]

Border file

Paul Martin's promise

The Windsor StarMay 16, 2009

The border file has taken so many twists and turns over the last five years that most people forget how, and why, this whole thing unfolded.
A pivotal moment came in March 2004, when then-prime minister Paul Martin, meeting with The Star's editorial board, was asked what could be done to solve the city's traffic woes, which had accelerated dramatically in the years following 9-11.
Martin was clear and focused when he gave his response, saying Windsor would be given whatever it needed to divert international truck traffic off our city streets.
"We are not going to do this unless it really conforms to what the people of the city want," he told the editorial board. "So now it's a question of getting on to it and determining how the city wants to see us do it. This is not going to be imposed, that's an absolute guarantee."
The relief was palpable. The prime minister not only understood that solving the border crossing issue was critical to facilitating international trade, he understood it had to be done in a way that would not compromise the health and well-being of those living in Windsor and Essex County. There was no doubt the city would be an integral part of the process; Martin said we'd be a driving force in crafting a solution.
How then, did things go so wrong? How is it that the province took the lead on the access road, and has been allowed to all but ignore the wants and needs of the citizens living here?
From the moment Premier Dalton McGuinty got involved, it became apparent that Essex County's input was irrelevant. Worse, Windsor's two Liberal cabinet ministers -- Dwight Duncan and Sandra Pupatello -- became invisible to their constituents.
The latest blow to this region came last month, when Environment Minister John Gerretson rejected a request by Mayor Eddie Francis to appoint a mediator to help resolve the battle between the city and province over the $1.6-billion Windsor-Essex Parkway.
"I have determined that issues raised are not amenable to the mediation process and are not suitable for successful mediation," said Gerretson, with an obvious note of finality.
The response shouldn't have surprised anyone. This was just another indication that the provincial Liberals are not the least bit interested in finding a middle ground. They've never had the slightest desire to see Windsor's point of view, especially when it concerns the GreenLink option. The DRIC team ruled it out without so much as a token glance.
But then, every step of the way has been a struggle when it comes to the border; almost every Windsor request has been discounted. Surely residents are insulted that the MoE is now seeking "public feedback" on its recent environmental assessment of the border. Feedback has been solicited many times throughout this long and arduous process; comments have always fallen on deaf ears.
Why would the ministry encourage people to speak out when it has no intention of listening to what they have to say? There is no need to prolong the process. The province has decided the fate of Windsorites.
Still, the words of Paul Martin continue to haunt us. "Fundamentally, this is going to have to be a decision that is made in the best interest of the people of Windsor," he said on that March day in 2004.
Why isn't the goal the same in May 2009?
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