Raise the Hammer
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Cameron Kroetsch (he/him) moved to Hamilton in 2014. He's a proud resident of Ward 2 and cares deeply about accountability and transparency in municipal government. He loves the sparrows at City Hall, his cats and dog, and his partner Derek.
Defund Police Protest Threatens Fragile Ruling Class - Peaceful protest that makes our leaders uncomfortable is where leadership happens and that's what being in public life is about. Published December 03, 2020 in Special Report: Anti-Racism
Sobi: Speaking Volumes about Mobility and Transportation - As we contemplate decisions around safe travel during this ongoing pandemic people will need more options to get to work safely and sustainably. Published May 22, 2020 in Special Report: Cycling
Transportation Investment Requires Equity - It's our responsibility to ensure that Hamilton remains a place that Hamiltonians can continue to live in, no matter their economic means. Published December 23, 2019 in Special Report: Light Rail
Hamilton's Secret Council and the Financial Penalties for Speaking Out - The new councillors elected for the first time in October 2018 have spent the last year fighting for change against an old guard that continues to dig its heels in just to make a point. Published November 24, 2019 in Commentary
A Tale of Two Crosswalks - If the City can't even maintain a rainbow crosswalk from defacement, there's not much hope for rebuilding the badly damaged relationships that currently exist between city leadership and communities threatened by right-wing extremism. Published September 09, 2019 in Special Report: Extremism
'We Have Reason to Believe' - While Hamilton Police continue to make an example of anti-fascist demonstrators, the crisis of escalating white supremacism is on our doorstep and things aren't getting better. Published August 15, 2019 in Special Report: Extremism
What All the Fuss is About: James Street Baptist Church, Round 2 - The minor variance process has become a political tool that developers can use to go around the community, and even the City's bylaws, in order to work out their own arrangements behind the scenes. Published March 05, 2019 in Special Report: Heritage
What's at Stake in the City Manager Hiring Process - The current course that Council is headed on feels just as patriarchal as it does paternalistic. Published January 21, 2019 in Special Report: City Manager
Running in Hamilton: About the Media and Moving Forward - Let's continue to find reasons to build solidarity with one another and to stay informed. Published November 22, 2018 in Municipal Election 2018
Running in Hamilton: About the City of Hamilton and Election Day - We can aspire to the very minimum that the law requires and we can feel that we're meeting our legal obligations, but that's not the Hamilton I know and love. Published November 19, 2018 in Municipal Election 2018
Running in Hamilton: About the Money - If you're elected, you'll be responsible for co-managing billions of public dollars. Use your campaign as an opportunity to build a solid understanding and learn what it means to work with a budget. Published November 16, 2018 in Municipal Election 2018
Running in Hamilton: About Our Campaign in Ward 2 - I want to see thoughtful, progressive, qualified candidates, especially those from communities who don't see themselves represented today, to use this as a blueprint to start making big plans. Published November 14, 2018 in Municipal Election 2018
A Fragile Democracy: Procedural Bylaw Change Muzzles Citizens - Proposed changes to how residents engage with Hamilton Councillors threaten our fundamental democratic values. Published June 29, 2018 in Municipal Election 2018
Community Engagement Should be an Ongoing Conversation - We cannot continue to keep treating engagement as an exercise that happens once or only around one issue and then stops abruptly. Published June 12, 2018 in Municipal Election 2018
Subject to a 'Minor Variance': Another wasted opportunity - Receiving a notice about a minor variance quickly turned from curiosity to mobilization, and it's a lesson in civic engagement that we won't soon forget. Published March 09, 2018 in Commentary
Behind Closed Doors: Hamilton Continues to Hold Questionable Secret Votes - It is hard to understand how - and even whether - representative democracy is served when Council casts votes in secret meetings that are not recorded. Published December 15, 2017 in Commentary
Subject to a 'Minor Variance': Your Delegation Has Been Received - If residents don't know enough about the City's planning process, it's because Council isn't interested in changing these processes to make them more accessible to everyone. Published November 27, 2017 in Commentary
Subject to a 'Minor Variance': Hamilton's Broken Site Plan Approval Process - We're going to be asking the Planning Committee to look seriously at the processes used for approving projects of this scale and we're going to be asking them to recommend that Council make some meaningful changes and put them in writing. Published October 06, 2017 in Commentary
It's Not Just About How Much the Rings Cost - For far too long we've allowed toxic masculinity to persist at the expense of women and members of the queer community. The symbol of power that these rings hold and the pervasiveness of that power continues to go unchecked. Published June 06, 2017 in Commentary
Restoring the Rules of Order in a Time of Procedural Chaos - At the literal end of the day, we cannot expect beleaguered and exhausted councillors who have been put through marathon meetings, week after week, to have the ability to work together and to make good, clear, and effective decisions. Published April 25, 2017 in Commentary
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