Raise the Hammer

Yesterday (above) i published the letter I wrote to the mayor and my councillor. Of course Whitehead didn't back to me yet (big surprise) but the mayor's office sure did, a few times. You tell me, to me his initial response was unbelieveable! Then i went and offended the poor man... His email starts by pasting my questions and giving his (office's) answers. It's a tad long, I apologize in advance

what about the money already spent in the West Harbour?
I asked staff what would happen if another site were chosen after we purchased the WH lands. The answer was we would sell it and apply the revenue to the other site! (How much do you think we could sell those properties for right now?)

How can we afford to sit on this land indefinitely?
We can sit on land for some time, especially land like this which is really a wonderful piece of property, especially when the railway yard is relocated. We had an ideal relocation site along the CN mainline between Kenora Avenue and Lake Avenue. Council in its wisdom approved a motion to rezone the lands to allow for a Walmart. The lands can be cleared and planted with vegetation that can help remediate. It's a technique called phytoregeneration. It would remove the eyesore and allow for development when the time comes.

I need you to justify abandoning the investment already made in one area over the course of previous years and moving ALL of the slated funding to another area?
Personally I can't justify the original decision.....I did try to find a way to solve the problem as a member of the former Mayor's Facilitation group, but would not have sited a stadium there.

I think it a tad important to know the reasoning behind such an enormous decision other than ‘saving an historic football team’. We were facing a $90 million dollar rebuild of Ivor Wynne, which we are now able to accomplish for $45 million. Respectfully,

Bob Bratina.

To: Bratina, Bob Subject: RE: The Deal

Hmmmmm,

We were facing a $90 million dollar rebuild of Ivor Wynne, which we are now able to accomplish for $45 million. Sounds pretty confidant to me, already have a deal in place with the province do you perhaps? Where’s the transparency?

WH lands. The answer was we would sell it and apply the revenue to the other site! (How much do you think we could sell those properties for right now?) I would say close to nothing because nothing else is there

It's a technique called phytoregeneration so , you’re plan is to plant flowers at the West Harbour?? So I’ll expect to see development down there in about 70 years, as you have said in the recent past “what do we need a 6000 seat stadium for?” I will ask “what do we need another RBG for?”

This is your plan?? This makes it all worthwhile to give everything to one location to a private entity who said all along they could not make money at said location?

NUTS!

Respectfully,

From: Bratina, Bob [mailto:Bob.Bratina@hamilton.ca] Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 9:56 AM To: Subject: Re: The Deal

This communication ended after your first paragraph.

From: To: Bratina, Bob [mailto:Bob.Bratina@hamilton.ca]

Touched a nerve did I?