Raise the Hammer

When the cloud of stadium indecision hung low over the city, council stepped into the chamber and made a decision that nobody saw.

They voted 13-2 FOR building the Aerotropolis

We watch in awe while the bickering continues about tens of millions of dollars in stadium funding gaps, meanwhile we are all blind to the fact that 13 of our "leaders" just stood up and approved spending $353 million. THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE MILLION DOLLARS. And that's not counting trunk sewer upgrades among other things. This price will easily top half a billion dollars before the dust settles.

And all this on what? On servicing a "business park" that we don't need now, and will never need in the future. On land that is owned by tract home building companies. Land that partially lies in the Grand River watershed meaning that sewage must be pumped uphill before it flows down to the Woodward plant (A plant by the way that is already undersized to the point that it overflows into east end basements on a regular basis) - Did I mention the sewer costs were not incorporated into the 353 million cost estimate?

Who voted against? Two lone voices of reason: McHattie and Bratina

Up until now, I was really torn over the mayoral vote. I do not believe DiIanni should legally be allowed to run. As a proven cheater who has too many hands in his pockets (or his hands in too many others' pockets), I do not believe for a second that he has the city's best interest at heart.

Fred had my support last time, but knowing that he voted for funding the aerotropolis just makes me SICK. Where does he expect this money to come from? There is only one funding source for the aerotropolis: taxpayers of Hamilton. WHo cares about the stadium? The stadium is all just a symbol of overpriced fun and games. At least the stadium is going to be partially funded by the upper levels of government.

Meanwhile this aerotropolis vote represents our incumbent council's bets on our infrastructure spending future. That they would throw our money up into the cornfields when we can't even manage our current roads and sewers is an absolute nightmare. WHo are they working for?

Bob has swayed me hard over to his side by being the only mayoral candidate who can see past the backroom handshaking that the aerotropolis represents and who also has a chance of winning. We can no longer afford to pour our residential taxes into a city that funnels it into private deals.

How fred got swayed to the "yes" side, I'll never understand. He is either too out of it to understand how this is a total waste of money, or he is too "in" to say no to his landowner buddies... either way, his position represents future disaster in my mind.

Comment edited by seancb on 2010-10-18 09:45:53