Raise the Hammer

Well written Graham. Here's the letter I sent to all councillors this morning even though I expect Hamilton Fan may be right. The province has undoubtedly pulled as many strings with Toronto 2015 as they have with Hamilton Council.

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Good morning Mr Farr, Mayor Bratina, and all other respected councillors.

Jason, thank you for prompt, and well thought out responses to questions from Raise the Hammer. They are appreciated and noticed by many.

I'm sure you're as keen as everyone in the city to have this stadium issue laid to rest. But the desire to have that happen shouldn't cloud what's at stake. As a tax paying homeowner in Ward 2 I'm against any option that doesn't see a significant contribution from the Ti-Cats themselves. They seem to be suspiciously vague on the numbers coming from their corporate sponsors and think its safe to assume that it isn't much at all. The tactics that saw an announcement of a "solution" through an 11th hour press conference is consistent with their method of negotiations throughout the process. The fact that the mayor attended the press conference doesn't really add to its legitimacy since if there's no time for debate or due diligence then it really amounts to yet another slap to council and by extension the tax payers face. I for one have had enough.

I'm in favour of a small-scale west harbour solution. Especially since it already meets the PanAm Committee's requirements for a viable site. A FF remediated waterfront surrounding a modest stadium and velodrome is a major step in the right direction and don't understand how it doesn't fit in with the Setting Sail plan.

While, the Ivor Wynn solution always seemed like the best of the other options... it certainly is not in its current form. The deal breaker for me is funding. The use of the entire Pan-Am funding as well as Future Fund is unwise and shortsighted to say the least. The taxpayer should not be on the hook for this and if this deal does go through there MUST be something attached to begin immediate WH remediation at the very least. A permanent velodrome was to be the one truly unique aspect to the games legacy for the city and in my view holds the most underestimated potential of all the Pan Am assets. But now even that appears off the table so as to bow to the Ti-Cats needs.

Its time we act like adults put aside nostalgia and look at the reality of the situation. If they aren't a viable business now at IW how does replacing it with a shinier and more costly version of itself change the equation? If the city and ward 2 didn't have so many other problems I could see a case for the luxury of subsidizing a failing but much loved institution. There's no need to remind you of the problems facing us in Ward 2 and the city in general... the poverty, the neglected properties, the toxic sites, the litter, the pot/sink holes, crumbling infrastructure, etc. There is so much city building to do and respect for tax payers starts with making decisions that benefit the whole, not the few.

These are defining decisions and I wish you all the best and wisdom as you cast your vote.

Thanks for your time,