Friday, September 1, 2017

FAILED HAT TRICK FOR JIM THIBERT

All three of Economic Development and Tourism head Jim Thibert's current pet projects have so far failed. An earlier one, a golf course on the Niagara Parkway failed years ago.

I must say that I'm surprised and heartened by the good journalism coming from James Culic these days. His earlier article on the lack of progress on the Canadian Motor Speedway project defies the hype coming from other sources and gets to the truth of the NOT-NASCAR Middle-Eastern project.

Other Kuwaiti-based investors bailed on a major marina project on the Niagara Parkway a couple of years ago and the project was put up for interested developers. No one came to that party and the present marina remains untouched.

The third, mentioned in the article is that Trump-supporting, bat-wielding, thrown-off-the-Buffalo-School-Board, developer Carl Paladino who now owns the Fort Erie Race Track. He has claimed that he will provide the much-needed improvements to the aging horse track when the Canadian Motor Speedway is actually being built.  Good one, Carl. The rubes and Thibert fans bought that one wholesale. Carl is just like his idol Donald Trump. Need I say anything more?

And Mr. Thibert, the guy who sued me with taxpayer money, is batting zero right now and, if there were any people in position with real care for the use of taxpayer money, Thibert would be fired and replaced with someone who can actually get real projects done, not some guy who enjoys trips to exotic countries on the taxpayers' dime looking for business opportunities and new slot machines. Someone who can bring real jobs to Fort Erie, not some pie-in-the-sky developer BS. We've heard it before. I just came across an article published a few years ago about all the jobs that were coming to a new call centre in the now-empty visitors centre across from the race track. Earlier, in 2011, a call centre opened on Garrison Road promising hundreds of jobs. Where is it now? Thibert and Martin once went on an excellent adventure to the Mideast to look for investors in projects like the ill-fated massive development of the Fort Erie Race Track that fizzled. And then Carl Paladino bought the track and, like most of his projects, will cause great stress to the people in its area. For an example, please visit the once-beautiful Ellicot Square Building in Buffalo now owned by Paladino. 

So, other than successfully suing me, Thibert missed his Golden Hat Trick by a mile. Time to hang up your skates, Jimmy.

Clarification: It's not like I don't want to see the marina improved and modernized. It's just that the ridiculous plans by the Kuwaiti-based developer would have cut a huge portion of the fabled Niagara Parkway into a giant, probably gated development. The people who paid dearly for the beautiful view from their homes on the parkway would have their views blocked by a gigantic development. Not fair at all. A new marina could be built without upsetting the existing vista. Except that some developers only see the profit figures; not the wreckage of natural assets. BTW, the poorly built buildings of one braggart developer have now developed big problems. Water damage to the foundations along with the short driveways. Looks like they will never be sold to anyone with a good pair of eyes. Should never have been allowed to be built as such. Where was the planning department as this eyesore developer was applying for building permits?

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