On Monday night, city council voted in favor of closing all nine of the city run day care facilities. In a debate that lasted well past 11:30 it came down to the vote, and with 3 councilors abstaining from the vote due to a conflict of interest, the motion passed. 118 workers will now either be bumped into other positions within the city or lose their jobs outright. Just what Windsor needs, more unemployed. The speakers were passionate, most were there objecting to the proposal and pleaded their case to what was obviously deaf ears.

Follow up:

Two speakers in particular, both owners and or operators of private, not for profit centers got the most air time. The ones who have the most to gain from the closure of city run day cares. It was during this time that I knew for sure that the motion was going to pass. Council seemed to ignore those opposed to it, even when a speaker who happens to be a researcher spoke about the difference in quality of care between private and public run day care. Even when the two ladies who stem to gain from the closings were challenged on the differences. Apparently research means nothing. They tried to paint themselves as equal to city run services but the reality is that it just isn't true. They can't offer extended hours due to not having the room, but it was suggested that one of them could buy the Jefferson road facility to accommodate for the need.

All in all, last nights meeting was basically free advertising for these two particular facilities that will remain unnamed because I will not be advertising for them. It was a battle of private vs public, no matter what the Mayor wishes to tell people and in the end, private won. So the city is out of the day care business, 118 people's lives affected, plus the children who will now be placed into new day cares or not placed at all due to animosity or other reasons. I failed to understand how just by closing a few of the facilities, as one councilor had suggested, that the costs would still rise. It makes no sense to me, and if I do understand this correctly, this one part, the city will still be subsidizing the spots in the private day care centers, but at a lower cost.

One speaker in particular, Marion Overholt attempted to get an answer as to why there was such a rush to close the facilities rather than wait at least a month to have some discussions and possibly come up with some alternative solutions. Mayor Francis, rather than answer her, chose to be arrogant and belittle her for apparently not understanding him. In what was a shining moment for her, she fired back and told him that she has already answered his question and that because he simply doesn't like the answer she would not be answering him again.

EDIT:hat tip to Chris Schnurr over at Schnurr's Sound-Off for originally posting this video

It was a valiant effort on the part of the CUPE workers and their supporters but it seems this hard line mayor will not budge. The war is not over, there will be more cuts coming, you can bank on it.

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