MAYOR sam Katz called an 11th-hour attempt by some councillors to save rapid transit "ridiculous, desperate and totally false."

Katz was responding to concerns expressed by councillors Jenny Gerbasi and Donald Benham that three future corridors slated for Winnipeg's east side could be killed if council votes this morning to delay the southwest transit corridor.

The city is now negotiating with CN Rail for some surplus rail land in north St. Boniface that's critical to the eastern legs of rapid transit. If council votes this morning to delay rapid transit, that could send a signal to CN that the city is no longer interested in the land, the councillors said.

They warned that CN might sell it to the highest bidder on the open market.

With the strongest language he's used duriig the two-week debate, Katz rejected the suggestion that the negotiations with CN and the future of rapid transit could be compromised by council's vote this morning.

"I guess it's not the first time in the last couple of weeks I've heard the sky is falling," said Katz. "Who knows what we're going to hear next? I guess they call this Chicken Little politics."

Katz said the city still wants the CN land because rapid transit will get built eventually. He said CN has made no threats and set no deadlines for a deal, meaning the city is in no danger of losing its chance to buy the land.

Katz also condemned Gerbasi and Benham for compromising the city's bargaining position with CN.

"What this really has done is jeopardize the negotiations that are taking place between the administration and CN, which I find very sad and pathetic," he said. "Certainly the price won't drop, I can assure you of that."

Under federal rules, CN owes the city about 15 per cent of the cost of the Kenaston underpass. There are also several other outstanding issues betwee nthe city and CN, so the two are workiig on an omnibus deal that could see the city forgive CN's Kenaston debt in exchange for some parcels of land, including some along the CN Redditt line near the Seine River and just east of Archibald Street.

That land would be used for the rapid transit corridor linking downtown with Transcona, St. Vital and North Kildonan.

CN spokesman Jim Feeny has said CN is still committed to a swap. But if there are delays, CN will consider selling the land.

Benham and Gerbasi, who have been leading the charge against Katz's plan to delay rapid transit, say jeopardizing the CN deal threatens the future revival of rapid transit.

"This changes everything," said Benham. "The mayor tries to say this is just a delay, year by year. No. this is going to be a lost opportunity for all time."

A similar situation occured in River Heights, where council decided not to buy a strip of abandoned rail land. That prompted CN to sell it off piecemeal.

"We are likely to face the same thing here," said Benham.