Raise the Hammer

If this isn't the cattle prod that some of the Bob Young neophytes on city council need to jolt them back to reality, i don't know what is. I was not too sure about Ian Troop before this. For a while I thought he was in bed with Mr Young and Mr Mitchell.

It is perfectly clear now he could care less about what the Tiger Cats want.

"Its about the Pan Am Games".

Please everyone write their city councillor and implore them to do the right thing. I have written Bernie Morelli and will cut and paste the emails I shared with him here.

Subject: RE: Pan Am deadline/stadium issue Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2011 17:54:29 -0500 Thread-Topic: Pan Am deadline/stadium issue Thread-Index: AcusiGMK6vgGhgXwSUaXGJvphY1l2QBbA2Fw From: "Morelli, Bernie" To: "Greg Galante"

Hi Greg,

Thanks again for your e-mail.

Do not worry, Confederation Park will always be off the table for me. Your thoughts are very much in line with mine.

I would have liked to find a solution and I believe we also need to focus on GO Transit service in the North corridor. I truly believe, if we build it, they will come, as some are already doing that. It will also help downtown.

Once again, thanks for the feedback.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year.

Regards,

Bernie Morelli, Councillor, Ward 3.

-----Original Message----- From: Greg Galante [mailto:ggalante@talonridge.ca] Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2011 10:27 PM To: Morelli, Bernie Subject: Pan Am deadline/stadium issue

Hi Bernie

Greg Galante here.

Bernie I'm writing this evening as a result of comments made by the mayor today on CHML with respect to the stadium issue and the deadline. Bernie I will state my feelings once again.

There is absolutely no reason that the Tiger Cats cannot be successful at the West Harbour. The fact that to this date they have not produced a business plan that would support their objections to this site only reinforces that probability. They have hijacked what should be soley a municipal issue.

Aldershot is a no go by all accounts. Burlington has no appetite for any more debt.

I implore you to not waste ANY more time on Confederation Park.

It is absolute folly to cave in to the whims of Mr Young and spend $60 million dollars of our money anywhere else than where city council voted 7 times to spend it. West Harbour.

We need development and the economic activity a project like this can bring DOWN TOWN. Not in the suburbs, not at Confederation Park.

The city holds the hammer here Bernie. We need to use it. If a brand new shiny stadium at WH is not good enough for Mr Young, then so be it. Let's do it without him, build a scalable stadium there with room for expansion and let him play out his lease at Ivor Wynne.

It is absolutely ridiculous that this city would cave in to a privately owned MONEY LOSING business and piss away $60 million dollars with the inevitable outcome being that in 5 or 10 years time he will be back before council with his hand out again. Bernie any sports business professional will tell you that if a team cannot make money where they are playing, then it doesn't matter where they play, they won't make money. Their business plan is flawed.

Bernie it is my ardent belief that this city's future, it's vibrancy and its long term health and viability lie in restoring and growing our downtown. That will not happen if we continue to divest our city's assets to the suburbs and play lackey to private interests.

Thanks for reading and have the happiest of years in 2011

Greg Galante.