Comment 40284

By jason (registered) | Posted April 29, 2010 at 19:20:22

Being "correct" on issues of fact is one thing, as social consensus drives factuality, but determining the "correct" route in the realm of public policy is not simply a factual issue, but a collective action one.

This is a very valid point and one that holds true quite often in life. However, I do think there is more room for 'factual, evidence-based' decision making among our leaders.

For example, if everyone agrees that the principal purpose of downtown streets is to be a gathering place of people, commerce, culture, food, fun and transportation and that freeways have a main purpose strictly related to moving people and goods in an efficient manner, then we should be able to hold up the following two photos and see very factually and very clearly that one downtown street is functioning as it is intended to and the other one isn't:

http://www.picturespan.com/wp-content/pl...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ahuvxRitU74/Si...

I realize not all issues are so clear cut, but ones like this are no brainers and no citizen worth their salt should continue to vote in representatives who are not only satisfied, but actually fighting to maintain the status quo, even if it means boarded up stores, unsafe streets, low property values and low livability thereby lowering the quality of life and image of the entire city.

Of course, this then leads to perhaps the bigger problem in the equation - who is educating the public?
You can bet your life savings that the mainstream media in Hamilton will never show those two photos on the front page and ask "which city looks more prosperous, fun, vibrant, economically sound etc....?"

And that is the real problem. And we continue....spinning our wheels, despite the massive fact-based evidence all around us.

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