Comment 101224

By ItJustIs (registered) | Posted May 10, 2014 at 09:01:30 in reply to Comment 101194

As a followup to my comment, a great example of there not being proof of wide support, and therefor the cause being easily dismissed is the attempt two years ago to get ward boundary reform looked at.

Despite the earnest efforts of those trying to push the effort forward, the number of Hamiltonians signing the petition was, in relative terms, infinitesimal. It was not shown that across the city, a sizable number of residents wanted ward boundaries looked at, and therefore Council was able to say "You haven't demonstrated the kind of support for the issue that we need to see. We appreciate that those residents who put the project forward are passionate, but there's no clear indicator of support." Therefore, Council was able to play it safe: they kicked the idea down the road until after the 2014 election.

Had the petitioners taken a more fulsome approach, had they managed to get Hamiltonians in every ward, from Winona to Flamborough, from Binbrook to the North End to sign the petition en masse, if there had been indisputable support in the number of signatures...and here, I'm talking well in excess of 5,000...I believe we may well have seen an entirely different outcome.

My bottom-line point is this: 'indisputable support' across the city has to be paramount in any cause put forward by a group of Hamiltonians. When this hasn't been mustered by those who fervently believe in an issue, then it's easy (especially for Councillors) to regard those pushing for the issue as not clearly representing the group whom they never want to not piss off: their constituents. Like the man said, 'Sometimes being right isn't enough.'

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