Stories From All Over The Place

Different stories from different places for different readers. It’s not that much different from what I have been doing before when I have found all of these different stories for your reading enjoyment.

WHY A DRIC RESOLUTION MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE

There can’t be a resolution when one side believes that it is 100% correct all of the time and is too stubborn to see reality:

“NDP MP Charlie Angus said he wasn’t surprised Harper made only minor changes.

“This is a prime minister who gets really stubborn. So it took Bev Oda having to quit to really making a move,” he said. “He needs to set the reset button, but he’s either too obstinate or too blind to do it. So he’s shuffled cards with the mediocre.”

Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett said the lack of a broader shuffle speaks to Harper’s belief that he’s always right. ” It ‘s pretty difficult for a prime minister to be giving a failing grade to ministers who were merely following orders,” she said. “He obviously isn’t prepared to admit there have been some pretty weak performances and pretty weak ministers, in spite of the fact he makes all the decisions.” (Stephanie Levitz Canadian Press July 5, 2012)

As for the Governerd, we know that only he knows what is the “right thing to do.”

Considering that the Prime Minister and the Michigan Governor have foolishly made themselves front and centre on this file now, I just don’t see how a quick resolution is possible.

A BRILLIANT SOLUTION TO THE HOUSING ISSUE IN DETROIT AND DETROIT

I am sure that you have seen stories whereby the City wants to demolish homes in Detroit where people don’t live. The purpose of it obviously is to reduce costs for street lighting, to reduce crime and to reduce the need to have police and fire staff available for these less populated areas.

The problem is, given the thousands of homes to be torn down and the fact that the occupants don’t have an awful lot of money, where should these people go.

Windsor seems to be having the same problems as well. There are difficulties in the West End, there is flooding in the East End and with the high unemployment rate, many people are losing their homes. Moreover, we too have a stock of homes that ought to be demolished.

I saw this article recently that may explain why the Governerd and the Windsor Mayor have been to China on trips. A solution may be upon us to the housing issue:

“Sky City One, which aims to be the world’s new tallest building, has recently received approval from a local government in China, but awaits final approval from China’s central government. Broad Sustainable Building, a Chinese construction company, has drawn up the plans for Sky City One, a 220-storey building that will beat out Dubai’s Burj Khalifa for the title of world’s tallest building by just 10 metres. The projected 838-metre building will be erected in Changsha, the provincial capital of Hunan Province, in just 90 days. That’s right – just 90 days…

The building itself will have enough space to house 174,000 people and will be of mixed use. It will contain a combination of luxury apartments, low-income housing and retail space. Some sources say it will even have space for a hospital, school and hotel. BSB’s design is said to be earthquake-resistant and will have 104 high-speed elevators to take inhabitants to their homes quickly and efficiently.” (Melanie Epp http://realestate.yourmoney.ca Jul 4, 2012)

174,000 people!  The way that Windsor is losing people who are moving out of town might mean that the entire population of the City could fit into one building. Given the big loss of population in Detroit over the last few years according to census numbers, about four or five buildings might be all that is required for that City.

I guess we can demolish the homes and buildings and then use the rest of the land for farmland to supply food for all those people.

HOW TO BUY INVESTMENTS

Isn’t this what we are trying to do in Windsor but only on a smaller scale:

“State, local incentives of nearly $158.5 million sealed Airbus deal
(Ellen Mitchell Press-Register 07/03/2012)

MOBILE, Alabama — State and local incentives totaling nearly $158.5 million will help secure the $600 million Airbus SAS final assembly plant to be built in Mobile starting next year, according to local officials.

Local incentives — handled by Mobile city and county entities and the Mobile Airport Authority —will equal $33.6 million, including lease payments, money for new construction, site preparation, land lease assistance and roadway improvements.

Mobile city and county governments are each expected to contribute $14.5 million to the package, while the airport authority assumes the remainder.”

And if that did not convince people to pay out all this money, then this will ie go world-class:

“I think that the return on that investment is going to be tenfold what it’s going to do for our community as far as the international recognition we’ll get out of this,” said Troy Wayman, vice president of economic development for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce…

Mobile Airport Authority Executive Director Bill Sisson said the investment also brings Mobile a “global cache” that the city hasn’t had.

“I believe that there is not a community in the world that would not participate to get the kind of recognition Airbus brings to Brookley,” Sisson said. “It’s hard to put a price on the amount of PR potential.”

How can Ontario compete against this for new plants:

“The state provided $253 million in incentives and tax breaks to land the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, which opened in 1997, and $115 million to support an expansion of that business…

The state gave Honda $158 million in incentives and tax breaks in 1999 to build its plant in Lincoln and offered Hyundai about $252 million in public and private incentives for a plant in Montgomery that opened in 2005.

At more than $811 million, the state’s largest incentive package to date helped bring ThyssenKrupp AG to southwest Alabama…

In 2005, Mobile and the state offered Northrop Grumman Corp. and EADS North America a $120 million package of tax breaks, employee training and dock improvements as part of the Northrop/EADS attempt to assemble and modify aerial refueling tankers at what is now Brookley Aeroplex.”

IS THIS A WASTE OF TAXPAYER MONEY

I think so.

On the City Council Agenda is an item whereby one of Chuck Mady’s companies wants to get an Economic Revitalization CIP financial incentive for the work it is doing on its Building downtown where the Star is going to relocate.

Those Incentives are to “provide financial incentives to encourage new investment in targeted economic sectors for the purposes diversifying the local economy and creating/retaining jobs.” I don’t see any diversification or creation or retaining of jobs since the Star wasn’t moving anywhere else anyway. In fact, the Star was able to sell its old Building to the University, indirectly obviously using taxpayer money.

There is a list of sectors and eligible uses set out as well. I don’t see any that fit in frankly except if one wants to stretch “Management of Companies and Enterprises —Corporate Office, Head Office.”

However, never fear when Administration wants to give away taxpayer money. They use this justification: “Creative Industries •Computer Software Developer Digital and Media Studios.” I hardly think that what the Star is doing can be viewed as “computer software developer.”

The only trouble is the Report refers to the Tenant’s use, not the Applicant’s use. While a Tenant can apply for the incentive, in this case the Tenant did not apply for the financial incentive according to the Administrative Report. The Landlord did.

I did not see anything in the Report that dealt with this matter:

“Proposals must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the City (i.e. by business plan or other means), that a financial assistance is necessary in order for the development to be economically viable and that it will provide a measurable public benefit.”

No evidence was provided that:

“Development, redevelopment or adaptive reuse of buildings or land must result in a minimum of 50 new jobs for the manufacturing sector, or more than 20 workers in the remaining targeted sectors.”

No evidence was provided that:

“Development, redevelopment or adaptive reuse of buildings or land must result in… more than 20 new jobs or 35 retained jobs in the remaining targeted sectors.”

After all, not everyone at the Star will be involved in Digital and Media Studios.

It is a $500,000 gift over 10 years for no reason whatsoever to the Landlord. Why? The City’s rules are not met. City Council ought to turn the application down cold.

In passing, it should be interesting to see who if anyone on Council declares a Conflict of Interest in this matter.

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