While we're on the subject...

“The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are in the business to make money, not for city building,” said Mayor Eisenberger.

This quote comes from a Stoney Creek News article about the proposed east mountain site for the Pan Am Stadium. And it got me thinking about the typical divergence that occurs where businesses and cities are concerned. Or at least, the perceived divergence when their priorities are discussed.

At first glance, I have to admit that my jaw dropped. Because you cannot build a city without successful businesses. They provide employment opportunities, tax revenue, generate increased draw for other employers, just for starters.

In fact, if you look at two local examples of downtowns, Stoney Creek's and Hamilton's, when you don't have 'businesses making money', when you don't have thriving, vibrant businesses, you have...well, not much.

However, I do understand the point Mayor Fred was trying to make, one of 'differing primary agendas'. Governing versus generating wealth. Even so, even acknowledging the distinction, I nevertheless bristle. Maybe it's the connotation that a business that's looking after its own concerns, generating wealth, cannot, by definition, be contributing to 'city building'. Or focusing on it. Or...or paying it any attention whatsoever...?

Look; these two concepts are not mutually exclusive.

In fact, from my vantage point, 'city building' is entirely enmeshed with the concept of businesses doing well. They're inextricably connected. Further, it behooves both parties to not only acknowledge the other's role, but accept -indeed venerate- the concept that in creating success in their own 'domain', they're assisting the other in theirs. Finally, when for example government is successful at 'city building', then the potential of businesses to excel, increases. And when businesses are successful at what they do, then the city's potential to grow increases. It's called flourishing synergistically.

So taken in the context of the current not-particularly-savoury unfolding of the Ti-Cats' jockeying in regards to the new stadium's location, their strategic machinations in getting a final result that has more to do with their anticipated successes than the initial emphasis of the whole enterprise, namely providing a suitable venue for those portions of the 2015 Pan Am Games for which Hamilton is responsible (as well as future non-CFL events), I find it bizarre that such a riff on 'separation of church and state' has been used as a rationalization for Mr. Young's methodology.

To me, again from my admittedly limited perspective, if a business concern is going to be working hand-in-hand with government, then if they cannot recognize that the fate of their success is woven tightly with the notion of 'city building', then Mr. Young (if he indeed subscribes to Mayor Fred's philosophy) needs some refresher courses in- Well, in several areas.

I've said this before elsewhere: if a professional sports franchise wishes to have things their way, get all the items on its 'rider', then they better be prepared to go it alone. Because in this case, the corollary to Chi va dormir con i cani, si leua con i pulici. ('He that goeth to bedde wyth Dogges, aryseth with fleas.') is 'If you want to reap the advantages of having the public as a partner, you'd better be prepared to treat it properly. Or else.'

Actually, that's really not what I was going to say. It was my intent to suggest something more in line with where I'd begun this essay, something like 'If the community does well, you'll do well, so play nice and good things will happen.' But I can't help but get the feeling that this entire process has been hijacked by the needs of a business. Which, within certain certain limits as defined by an evolved sense of propriety, isn't something that needs to be defended. But this isn't just about business, though Mr. Young has been quite adept at signalling the importance of such. (Again, nothing here to defend, this is his livelihood he's promoting.) Right or wrong, it's all about 'city building', it's about effecting another element of change in Hamilton, moving us one additional measure towards a revitalized, re-imagined city.

Next up, 'Complete The Sentence': 'Members of Council for the City of Hamilton are in the business of ________.'