'Self-righteous indignation'? Yup.

(And maybe some 'high dudgeon' thrown in for good measure.)

Here's the letter as published at the SCN site.

Confederation Park vote demonstrates Hamilton council still dysfunctional
Letters
Jan 05, 2011

Councillors Chad Collins, Russ Powers and Maria Pearson expressed concern about the need to protect green space. However, they are not opposed to building a major hotel and numerous retail stores within the park. Mr. Collins even mused about the creation of a skating rink.

All of these proposals would ‘gobble up’ their beloved green space on what is presently scrub land.

The nine councilors who voted against a preliminary progress report prevented the electorate from ever knowing whether Confederation Park would have been a viable location.

This was a no-risk proposal. You have alienated Hostco, two levels of government, Ticats owner Bob Young, the private sector and, most importantly, the hard-working Hamiltonians who have faithfully supported the Tiger-Cats.

What is now abundantly clear is that because of your short-sightedness, this professional football team has been driven out of Hamilton.

Ivor Wynne is now a white elephant.

It is just a matter of time before demolition begins.

The city has suffered a public relations disaster. The negative element and doomsayers on council are going to be remembered as the group which said no to government funding. Premier McGuinty was correct when he lamented that it is hard to give money to Hamilton.

Finally, it appears that once again the citizens of Hamilton have a dysfunctional council. The division and old loyalties remain. Goodwill, cooperation and harmony are sadly lacking.

Dennis D’Alessandro
Grimsby

Wow.

I almost don't know where to begin. There's almost too much to have fun with. So I'll show some restraint and focus on a teeny-tiny selection of bits.

On second thought...I think I'll just deconstruct piece-by-piece.

Councillors Chad Collins, Russ Powers and Maria Pearson expressed concern about the need to protect green space. However, they are not opposed to building a major hotel and numerous retail stores within the park. Mr. Collins even mused about the creation of a skating rink.

All of these proposals would ‘gobble up’ their beloved green space on what is presently scrub land.

As I don't have any of the statements that were issued from any of the named Councillors at hand, I'll refrain from commenting on that part of the paragraph. But ya know? The term 'scrub land' kinda speaks volumes about Mr. D'Alessandro's mindset. I love how a single reference can basically outline a person's take on things, don't you?

The nine councilors who voted against a preliminary progress report prevented the electorate from ever knowing whether Confederation Park would have been a viable location.

I can accept that this is Mr. D'Alessandro's perspective. But it's woefully off-base. The notion that the electorate has been 'prevented' from possessing anything in this instance is a choice one. Councillors are elected to make decisions. Make decisions based on the information they have at their disposal, make decisions according to their abilities. Abilities as deemed present by those ward residents that elected them. As I recall, all of the incumbents running were returned save for one. Which means that the electorate had faith in who they voted in. And in how they would pursue City business.

This was a no-risk proposal. You have alienated Hostco, two levels of government, Ticats owner Bob Young, the private sector and, most importantly, the hard-working Hamiltonians who have faithfully supported the Tiger-Cats.

Bingo! Mr. D'Alessandro reveals even more about his bias, his perspective, his seeming lack of objectivity. 'alienated'? Huh? What?!? '...the hardworking Hamiltonians who have faithfully supported the Tiger-Cats.' Oh... I get it. This is all about City Council screwing up- Hang on; let me illustrate what Mr. D'Allesandro's getting at by quoting a comment on Raise The Hammer regarding HostCo funding:

"The money was to provide a legacy facility for the Tiger Cats who happen to play in Hamilton. It was always about helping the Cats AND the city obtain a new stadium with financial help from others."

No. Nope. Sorry...that's just plain wrong. This whole PanAm Games stadium site selection process has been hijacked by Bob Young and the Tiger-Cats...but it was never about them. At all, at all...atallatallatall.

What is now abundantly clear is that because of your short-sightedness, this professional football team has been driven out of Hamilton.

Whoops. I just did a spit-take. Seeing as properly addressing this point would take an entire editorial, it should suffice to say that if anyone has been engineering the football team to be 'driven out of Hamilton', it ain't City Council. (Step up to the mic, Mr. Young...)

Ivor Wynne is now a white elephant.

LMAO. Seriously; there's my posterior, on the ground beside me. Let me get this straight: IWS wasn't a 'white elephant' before, but it is now? Because...?

Mr. D'Alessandro's tack here is one of sublime conflation.

And it's why I'm so glad we don't have a 'full' democracy, where everyone gets to vote on every issue. Oi-friggin'-vey.

It is just a matter of time before demolition begins.

Actually, it's not 'just a matter of time'. It may very well happen in the near future, yes. But it won't be, as you're implying, City Council's fault. No matter how anyone may try to spin it that way.

The city has suffered a public relations disaster. The negative element and doomsayers on council are going to be remembered as the group which said no to government funding. Premier McGuinty was correct when he lamented that it is hard to give money to Hamilton.

I don't believe that Mr. D'Alessandro, had a full grasp on the situation when he submitted his Letter to The Editor. Nobody has said 'No!' to government funding. Councillors are elected to look after the best interests of their ward residents, of the City as a whole. If it turns out that there was no 'deal' worth signing on the dotted-line for and Council walks away from the table, I'll feel a little more confident about its effectiveness. As for some comment that Premier McGuinty made, I'd like to see it in the context it was originally made. I'm not apologizing for any instance Council may have found itself in in the past, one in which it may have misstepped, but this bit strikes me as uniformed griping.

Finally, it appears that once again the citizens of Hamilton have a dysfunctional council. The division and old loyalties remain. Goodwill, cooperation and harmony are sadly lacking.

Just because Council made a decision that Mr. D'Alessandro didn't agree with, it's hardly rational to see this as a sign of 'dysfunctionality'. And I'm curious as to just what it is that he's referring with 'the division and old loyalties remain'. Which 'divisions', which 'old loyalties'? And as for 'Goodwill, cooperation and harmony are sadly lacking'... Well, it seems to me that Mr. D'Alessandro's alignments are more with the emptiest rhetoric of threadbare election campaigns than with the unadorned simplicity of residents wanting plain answers to plain questions.

I love it when residents speak out. I just wish that there was a higher level of comprehension and cogency when important issues are being discussed. We demand it from our Councillors...we should be demanding it of ourselves, too.