Raise the Hammer

Add to that, news of the Feds supporting the area's bid for the Pan Am games and a Ticats thumping of the Argos... a good week all around :)

I think you may have mischaracterized the Spec editorial. When I saw the headline re 'balance', I thought - here we go, another finger-wagging lecture about how we have to water down what's best for downtown in order to protect the delicate sensibilities of motorists, but I was surprised that their support for two-way streets was pretty unequivocal, and the only 'balance' they were talking about was balancing the cost of conversions with the cost of necessary road repairs. That's a balance I can live with.

yep, good stuff all around (especially that Cats-Argos game!). Again, kudos to Whitehead for his change of mind. Goes to show the importance of citizens being involved in the political process and sharing information with our elected officials at times. Now onto the tough part - actual implementation!

Wendy's letter - the last one in the pro-cycling letters link is great. People living on the mountain who want to enjoy the downtown without being forced to use a car. I didn't know such people existed! But according to her letter there are MANY of them. Definitely something for the Whiteheads of the world to think about.

Well, I'm cautiously optimistic. I'm not happy about the two-way conversion -- unless it has massive lane reductions, we just turned a one-way expressway to a two-way expressway running through downtown, which is really no change at all. A complete waste of money.

the Spec has gradually embraced modern city living and ideas in the past 5 years. You would have never read this sort of commentary 5-10 years ago. I'm pleased that they are starting to understand what it will take to make Hamilton's urban neighbourhoods vibrant and much more livable. The media plays a large role in educating the public and thereby enabling good or bad public policy decisions to be made. Having the Spec embrace urban ideals is one of the most important steps to seeing city hall make a habit of proper decisions.

It has been an interesting 24 hours since yesterday.

What started out sounding like another Flamborough Slot Revenue debate amongst council, turned into what many have been saying daily is a lack of leadership from within.

At my favourite coffee shop I overheard 4 gentlemen talking about the area rating debate, and they where all stunned that they where paying for Dundurn Castle but others in the City where not.

They could not understand the logic behind this thinking.

They also could not understand why council would be willing to put this off for another few years and have the next council deal with it.

They also wondered aloud where the leadership was in this City.

The last 24 hours I have talked to a lot of councilors on this issue and one in particular Councilor Duvall was especially upset with the fact that this was going to be shelved for years and the next council could deal with it.

Councilor Duvall then knew that this needed to be dealt with now rather than later, and called every councilor and explained what he thought needed to be done.

Councilor Duvall put forth an idea that every councilor agreed to.

Yes you read that right, 100% agreement from all of council!

Not only that, but once the staff report is finished and presented to council, Councilor Duvall would like to lead and form a committee to get feedback from each and every ward through town hall meetings, and openly debate and talk to residents from each ward on this issue.

The idea is to debate it now, not later, get the hard work and tough talk and solutions figured out now with a deadline of December 2010, and then implement them the following year which coincides with the next term of council.

I congratulate Councilor Duvall for his leadership on this issue.

www.chrisecklund.com

I concur Chris. Councilor Duvall deserves kudos for his leadership. It would be nice if city council could start operating with the big picture in mind on a regular basis instead of the tiny-box, ward by ward mentality that exists too often.

I'd like to make a comment re: Councilor Whitehead's comments, but there appears to be no more space on that webpage.

Mr. Whitehead quote:" Recently, a woman was severely injured at the corner of Mohawk and Upper James and is in critical condition – it is not sure yet if she will survive. A few weeks ago there was an accident at Mohawk and West 5th that led to a fatality."

I used to use both of these corners on a multi-daily basis. Both of these intersections are unsafe, esp. the smaller West 5th & Mohawk intersection. Sight lines are blocked by a host of signs, boxes etc. for both pedestrian, bike, & car traffic. It is one intersection that Needs an advance green for traffic turning left onto West 5th, & from West 5th onto Mohawk. Both also could use better/longer pedestrian lights to assist people in walking across wide intersections.

'Hamilton is the Most Overtaxed City in Canada.'

Re: 'Mealy Mouth' decisions on Area Rating. O.K., so how does charging people for things that they don't have 'Fair'? Only in Hamilton, you say?.... Somebody had better get with the program. Everyone who lives in these areas is Not a millionaire! In an aging population are you generally in favour of many the elderly & retired losing their homes, so that 'You' can get a tax break? Well, that doesn't sound 'Fair'?

One comment was made in the Spec, about 'Fire Crews from other areas of the City having to respond to fires in Ancaster'. I wonder if similar B*-atching took place over this weekend when a Toronto propane explosion brought out fire crews from many areas of the City? What about the King & Ossington fire earlier last year? How insanely parocial can people get!?! It's a Fire, fer God's Sake!

We lost a vehicle to a fire that was 'suspicious' to say the least. When the Fire Dept. was called on a Saturday morning, they wanted to do '20 questions' & decided that since no-one was at imminent peril, they would take about 15 minutes to respond. (They are located less than 1 minute away.) So having a Volunteer Fire Dept. has it's downside esp. to residents. Is that 'Fair'? Why do so many arson fires happen on weekends?

Since there are no Police in attendence at the local station from quitting time Friday, to Monday's a.m. starting shift, a lot more 'stuff' happens here on weekends. Is that 'Fair' to business',residents & victims?

A bus that runs chiefly to assist local Malls, is not a bus as I know it, esp. if it doesn't run on Sundays, or connect in any reasonable way with City transit. (you know, 'City' that thing the we are supposed to now be a part of?? Or is that just when it $trike$ the City's mood to enclude u$?)

Everytime the City is presented with a viable & cost effective way to stem the rot, it won't do it. (2 way traffic on Main & King St's.) When it get's something to assist it, it's usually mostly via another Government source. (Light Rail, The new Ferguson St Bridge etc.)

When I go Downtown, the same places that flourished before are still doing well, & the same ones that floundered are still a mess. How has about 8 years worth of cash influx from amalgamation helped the downtown core? It hasn't! How has it helped the 'Burbs'? It hasn't either. All it has done is pitted the City against the Burbs in a no-win situation.

(Which is exactly what it was supposed to do! While both sides get into media hair-pullers about Basic Services, we are distracted from the fact that this a no-win adversarial situation, that provides ample opportunity for political grandstanding, abuse of taxes & tax payers.)

Maybe it's the ulimate excercise in 'Fairness' that no one seems to be getting what they need, let alone what they want.