Raise the Hammer

Hello Tim,

I admire your tenacity! Some things however need to said.

This can only help you in redirecting or even possibly redefining the efforts of the JPC:

• The HCC (Hamilton Civic Coalition) did not have to die for JPC to have been born. This has more to do with the politics of power than the focus needed for community re-building. HCC represented a non-cost approach of community leaders who spent their own time to find solutions to our self-made problems. JPC needed public-money to pay its consultant from day one to find solutions that don't require to be found. JPC's need for public funds will continue to grow as seen over the last three years.

• The manner in which the JPC Board came to be constituted will continue to haunt its search for solutions. There are some on the JPC board that simple should not be there. They are part of the problems created in our community and they cannot be the ones searching for solutions - least of all attempting to discover a new language!!

• It is becoming increasingly apparent that this search-platform is being used as a time-lapse political process to keep people who are facing the brunt of failed economic policies - appeased. The ice-cream truck will never show up, I can assure you!

• Will Mark Chamberlain's venture company give me half a million dollars - because I claim that we have a discovery-process by which we can find the cure for cancer? I can assure you that we have over a 150 unemployed Hamiltonians with the best minds and most extraordinary credentials, who are willing to create a new Board to collaborate on innovative solutions over the next four years to find this elusive answer - in case that is all that is required to qualify for funding.

• While the long-term process unfolds, can you give the People of Hamilton the assurance that Mayor Fred Eisenberger, nor Mark Chamberlain will use the JPC as an example of success achieved in the last three years -- during the run up to the coming election?

If your answer is a resounding yes - then maybe the heat that you are experiencing lately may dissipate - and then maybe we do not have to hear about the JPC's time-lapse process - until you have actually found the JOBS that bring prosperity to this community. If not the People of Hamilton will have to assume that this is the cost of doing business with consultants and write this expense off.

Do you realize that in the last three years, while this unnecessary political play was unfolding, Hamilton missed out on attracting and nurturing businesses such as these: Clean-Tech sector.

From the 30 odd companies featured in this report, only two are local - one from Ancaster and one from Stoney Creek. From the 50 odd technologies listed here, only a dozen if aggressively pursued could have helped lay the foundation of our Next Economy. Are we to believe that you are working on asking these companies to relocate to Hamilton - or are we to believe that you are helping our unemployed talent to develop such companies locally?

So when you say the Jobs will come to Hamilton, I ask you - from WHERE?

If you wait long enough - like Burlington did, the growth ooze from Toronto will eventually slither into Hamilton - with its resulting job growth. If that is the strategy behind the time-lapse approach of the JPC, please do accept my apologies for the questions raised.