tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17369837799560053332024-03-13T11:23:48.836-04:00My Stoney CreekConsider it a localized travelogue, a veritable barbershop/hair salon musefest, a Speaker's Corner indulgence for a good rant...or a seemingly endless -though segmented- Op-Ed piece. You can also find me at the Town Halls Hamilton and the Hamilton Neighbourhood Associations sites.mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.comBlogger660125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-22171261963623566052015-05-29T21:13:00.001-04:002015-05-29T21:13:29.669-04:00Updated Ward Boundary Proposal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rTbfi85lvdM/VWkOqghOqLI/AAAAAAAAGrQ/pBtn4BhuQBU/s1600/Newf-AllWards_Statistics.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rTbfi85lvdM/VWkOqghOqLI/AAAAAAAAGrQ/pBtn4BhuQBU/s400/Newf-AllWards_Statistics.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-5533448535243655942015-04-06T19:02:00.004-04:002015-04-06T19:08:13.180-04:00As the ward boundary issue seems to be ramping up...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V9kc2DcbYJo/VSMONljZ15I/AAAAAAAAGqk/2fvf_NIFIRI/s1600/Ward%2BBoundary%2BRe-draw%2B2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V9kc2DcbYJo/VSMONljZ15I/AAAAAAAAGqk/2fvf_NIFIRI/s1600/Ward%2BBoundary%2BRe-draw%2B2015.png" height="297" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Three years ago on this site, at very much this point on the calendar, I began yammering on about ward boundary review. (To see these posts, just search for 'ward boundary'. A good dozen should come up.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After a petition for review was generated (yes, I didn't mince my words about this well-intentioned but ill-conceived effort), Council decided to kick the issue down the road. To the next administration. Which is now having to deal with it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please find above a proposal for boundary re-drawing. It takes into consideration the population discrepancies that exist. As well as projections. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We end up with the same number of wards. It's just that the boundaries have been moved a little. Or, in a couple of instances, a lot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Is it a perfect solution? Nope. I don't think that such a thing exists. However, it's a pragmatic approach to a prickly situation. It's a <i>start</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Which is more than what Council seems to be willing to make. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">(A reminder: The OMB guidelines demand that a review be done in our case, because of the aforementioned existing population discrepancies. I've dealt with it all within those articles that you can retrieve by way of that search I'd suggested.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">P.S. I apologize for the 'artwork'. I am clearly no Jelly Brother in the mapmaking sense. I am but a humble wordsmith. </span></div>
mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-89195297351586608372012-10-21T17:53:00.001-04:002012-10-21T17:53:56.145-04:00Making Sense of Mental Health; It’s Not ‘Black or White’ <br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wherever you are right now, take a good look at the people around you. Or, if you’re by yourself, imagine being in a supermarket, a cinema, on a bus, walking through a shopping mall, or even at work. Do a visual tour of those in your immediate vicinity. Got it? Good. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Now consider this: virtually nobody that you’ve just seen is in absolutely perfect mental health. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>People tend to think in polarities. Black...and white. On...or off. Rich...or not. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>This tends to be the case with mental health, too. Someone has ‘mental illness’...and then there’s someone else, ‘normal’, with ‘not-mental illness’. In other words, there’s ‘Them’...and then there’s ‘Us’. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>But the truth is actually quite different. And quite sobering. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I bring this up mostly because of the current ‘t-shirt’ campaign in support of the eight patients/clients of Charlton House who are being denied the opportunity to move to 121 Augusta by City Council. The campaign is called ‘S O S Stomp Out The Stigma’. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Even in the phrasing, and the discussions that have surrounded the effort, there is an ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ paradigm going on. “Help (Us) stomp out the stigma attached to mental illness (Them).” It’s a paradigm potentially more injurious than ‘Us vs Them’, the bane of local governance, because it's based on a real dearth of understanding. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Going back to my initial thought, there is an acknowledged mental health continuum. On which <i>all</i> of us sit. At various points long that continuum, with our location changing all the time. I present it here:</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePs_x_jxeUo/UIRs6UElbvI/AAAAAAAAGe0/mifYNI06Kfw/s1600/Continuum+Jpeg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ePs_x_jxeUo/UIRs6UElbvI/AAAAAAAAGe0/mifYNI06Kfw/s400/Continuum+Jpeg.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>At the one end, ‘Healthy’, with all its familiar attributes. At the other end, including the potential indicators listed under ‘Illness’, are the committed, the institutionalized, those in care. (Even here, there’s a continuum.)</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Precisely speaking, everyone possesses varying degrees of mental health. In the same way that everyone possesses varying degrees of <i>physical</i> health. And again, as organic, adaptive creatures, aspects of health are always in flux, always changing. One of the many wonders of being <i>human.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In fact, I’d venture to bet that the number of people who are in no way ‘afflicted’ with the equivalents of ‘sprains’ or ‘bruises’ or temporary ‘headaches’ mental health-wise is infinitesimally small; you may well only have met a handful in your entire life. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Indeed, most people ‘out there in the world’ would sit to the right of ‘Healthy’. Meaning that almost everyone you come in contact with at any given moment is in fact, dealing with an aspect of ‘mental illness’, no matter how small. So chances are that the average person would be surprised to learn how many of their co-workers, fellow transit users, supermarket shoppers, neighbours are coping with ‘mental illness travails’. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Taking it one step further, probably the one aspect of this conversation that receives the shortest of short shrifts is not the issue of how to best –and humanely– accommodate those in need of care in our communities, but the fact that so many amongst us actually require attention in this sense, but either aren’t aware of the need, or simply cannot or will not pursue help.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>With this in mind, I can’t help but see a certain irony in the t-shirt attempt to embrace ‘Them’, who have supposedly been ostracized or marginalized in this particular </span>Lynwood-Charlton case.</div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Because in truth, given what I’ve just presented, nearly the entirety of ‘Us’ is in fact, ‘Them’. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Kinda puts a different spin on things, doncha think...?</span></div>
</span>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-37052832581190211132012-07-23T18:29:00.000-04:002012-07-23T18:29:06.159-04:00Dedicated to Greg Lenko and the Waterfall Cleanup Gang<div style="text-align: center;">
<embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F117454554035870546847%2Falbumid%2F5768485854864940577%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCMz0uLPe6uOcXQ%26hl%3Den_US" height="192" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="288"></embed></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-87928625464509129982012-07-18T12:58:00.001-04:002012-07-18T12:58:44.413-04:00Latest 2012 DFC Award Nominee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lMl354tyPQM/UAbnBJIvsgI/AAAAAAAAGcM/3gWeGF1TDwE/s1600/TheSpec.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lMl354tyPQM/UAbnBJIvsgI/AAAAAAAAGcM/3gWeGF1TDwE/s400/TheSpec.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"<span id="ctl00$ctl00$Content$CPH_Main$ctl02$TrueTemplate0$UserRatingComments2_ContentArea"><span id="ctl00$ctl00$Content$CPH_Main$ctl02$TrueTemplate0$UserRatingComments2$UserCommentsLayer_ContentArea"><span class="td_usercomments_title"><span id="ctl00_ctl00_Content_CPH_Main_ctl02_TrueTemplate0_UserRatingComments2_UserCommentsLayer_UserCommentsGrid_ctl02_CommentTitle">Good try Skippy.....</span> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="td_usercomments_title"></span><span class="td_usercomments_abstract"><span id="ctl00_ctl00_Content_CPH_Main_ctl02_TrueTemplate0_UserRatingComments2_UserCommentsLayer_UserCommentsGrid_ctl02_CommentText">Lived
in Hamilton before the 1956 one way conversion.....YoungH..All
residents of the city matter, that's the point. Motorists, cyclists,
pedestrians and scooter drivers from anywhere in the city have equal
access to the core and have a voice in how the city operates. The
people who want two way streets are mostly residents or business owners
from the area. <b><i>This would be OK if it was a small community or small
area of the city that a majority of the population didn't travel to or
through but to try to dictate traffic flow in a major downtown for self
entitled reasons that don't benefit but the small group pushing the
city</i>.</b> The conversion of James and John South cost taxpayers millions
and I would welcome anyone with proof on how this benefited the city.</span> </span><span style="background-color: white;">"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Commenter 'DifferentWorld' on my Spec op-ed '<a href="http://www.thespec.com/opinion/columns/article/762471--one-way-two-way-little-known-facts">One-way, two-way: little known facts</a>'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">You know, I wrote that piece as a reaction to the intractable, dogma-entrenched view of Those Who Want To See This Grievous Wrong Righted'. To go back once again to Daniel Patrick Moynihan, "You're entitled to your own opinion, but you're not entitled to your own facts.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">We are so entrenched in this absence of vision in Hamilton, so <i>clenched</i>, so constipated...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">...so <i>fearful</i> of change, even if we're not even sure what the change will bring, no matter what our greatest dreads are...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">...that we can't even see straight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is why I believe in town halls. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Period. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Full-stop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-81725110616274720822012-07-12T15:46:00.001-04:002012-07-12T15:46:35.961-04:00What time did you say it was...?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-umTEbTkjCeU/T_8pc0VoD0I/AAAAAAAAGbM/yoqlbiIZnA4/s1600/DSCN0264c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-umTEbTkjCeU/T_8pc0VoD0I/AAAAAAAAGbM/yoqlbiIZnA4/s400/DSCN0264c.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-46815182037098230162012-07-11T13:16:00.001-04:002012-07-11T13:16:29.811-04:00Gobsmacked = Me.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-87JE4ET7kv0/T_2lWtRbIHI/AAAAAAAAGZM/y7c9kovp8eY/s1600/DSCN0158c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-87JE4ET7kv0/T_2lWtRbIHI/AAAAAAAAGZM/y7c9kovp8eY/s400/DSCN0158c.jpg" width="242" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The accompanying graphic is the back cover of this month's issue of urbanicity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And when I was at Jet this morning for breakfast and finally got to it...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">...I sat there and stared.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Queer juxtaposition' came to mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Hilariously ironic' came to mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, as the title of this post says, 'gobsmacked' came to mind...and I became it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's not a biggee, I'm not criticizing Martinus for having Jackson Square (Yale) as an advertiser, nothing like that. It's just...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, the tenor of 'some' of its contributors is such that Jackson Square represents the worst mistake the City of Hamilton ever made, development-wise. (Oh, the screeds I could point you to... The funny thing is that almost to a one, none are old enough to remember any of it in-person.) So to have the entire back page paid for by this 'débacle-of-débacles' seemed a bit...well, <i>rich.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">All of this got me thinking about how things would have been if one, two or all of the following had happened:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-The overall design of Jackson Square hadn't been so utterly botched. (Best explored by the paper '<a href="http://www.erudit.org/revue/uhr/2009/v37/n2/029577ar.pdf">The Facelift and The Wrecking Ball</a>'.) <span style="background-color: white;">Had it cleaved more closely to the original 'Civic Square' design, had it not become a concrete monstrosity, had the streetwall been so arbitrarily and arrogantly enacted (hand-in-hand with the south side of King not having mirrored this approach) so as create an inhospitable environment, one non-conducive to authentic 'downtown' experiences.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Even if it had been built this way, if the City had possessed the forethought and understanding regarding the implications of Stelco Tower going away and the cumulative impact this (combined with the arrival on the scene of Limeridge, Eastgate, Oakville Place and Mapleview) would have on the downtown. And <i>acted</i>. (Instead of effecting more sprawl.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Vic Copps' prophetic words regarding the utter importance of the need to focus on development from James east to Wellington once Jackson Square had been completed had been listened to and afforded the credence they deserved. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so here we are, forty years after the mall's Phase One opening...with this ad. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I believe Jackson Square/Hamilton City Centre needs to be re-imagined. Just as it was re-imagined downwards as its main customers then anchor tenants jumped ship. I believe it needs the kind of makeover that <i>all </i>other area malls have gone through. (And not in the sense of temporarily accommodating the Farmers' Market.) </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have no idea if Yale possess the kind of chutzpah necessary to do what I'm suggesting, whether or not they've developed a long-term, revitalizing strategy possessed of vision, faith and synergistic thinking incorporating the anticipated potential of the downtown-core,...or merely one that befits Hamilton's inner-city tendencies. ('too little, too late')</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I do know that considering that I made a living in that mall for two different employers and that my mom worked at both ends of the property over the course of twenty years, I have to admit that staring at the ad provided me with at least a little bemusement. Of the head-aslant sort, but still... </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So here's to hoping that Jackson Square has something to celebrate not necessarily in another forty years, but ten. Yeah; I'd settle for that. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-8901214016634462692012-07-11T07:25:00.000-04:002012-07-11T07:30:39.346-04:00Nice to hear it on other fronts, from other sources. However...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"<b><i>We must ensure that we have a broad community conversation about these
lands</i></b>. People from Dundas, Ancaster, and Stoney Creek have just as much
at stake in the redevelopment of these lands as people who live in the
immediate area. However, before we even talk about what we want on these
lands, we need to assert a sense of urgency to make sure they are in
public hands, so that uncompromised redevelopment is possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We often talk about the potential of Hamilton. At a recent Chamber of
Commerce event focused on the city’s renewal, writer Christopher Hume
remarked that there is no question that development is going to happen
in Hamilton. <b><i>The question we must ask ourselves is whether we want to be
active participants or mere bystanders.</i></b>"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The above are excerpts from the Spec article '<a href="http://www.thespec.com/opinion/columns/article/758511--don-t-dilute-west-harbour-s-potential">Don't dilute west harbour's potential</a>'. It was written by David Premi and Paul Shaker of <a href="http://rethinkrenewal.com/">RethinkRenewal</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">As its title indicates, the piece focuses on West Harbour, the rail lands and (by extension) the recent agreement that was reached with CN, the tail end of an OMB appeal involving Setting Sail. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm not an expert on relocating the rail yards. I've heard some pretty qualified opinions about the practicality and feasibility of it being done, as have I heard and read thoughts about the residents-engineered plan that kicked off this recent phase of interest, which focused on the 2018 date of potential game-changing circumstances. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">But what caught my eye was the the stance taken by Messrs. Premi and Shaker regarding the importance of residents being part of the process to ensure that ideal development is created. This notion isn't anything new to this site. In fact, it's a mantra, and connects directly with the Town Halls Hamilton effort, the Hamilton Neighbourhood Associations effort, and This is Our Hamilton. So it's heartening to hear it on other fronts, from other sources. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because the truth is that by-and-large, currently, general resident concern or enquiry is not framed this way. Yes, we email our councillor. Yes, we comment on blogs and newspaper feedback sections. But ultimately, that's not what I'm referring to and I don't believe it's what the gentlemen from RethinkRenewal are talking about, either. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">'<i>You don't ask, you don't get</i>.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">A pretty simple mantra I was presented with decades ago. And in both the development-of-our-city <i>and</i> general governance fronts, I'm not convinced we're programmed to do this. Part of this is simply a legacy mindset; the development of a city is left to the 'powers-that-be', and we as citizens take what we're given. (Understanding of course that our Council and City Staff are there to more-or-less protect the common good, the common interests of common Hamiltonians.) Instead, we react. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Garbage pickup policy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board headquarter relocation and schools closings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ward boundary review. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">AEGD. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, some of our 'aware-and-energized' residents let their feelings be known. In the creation of civic causes such as 'S.O.S.', of 'We Need 3', the efforts that Environment Hamilton spearhead. And we do get flurries of social commentary online, of delegations to Council, and well-intentioned protest efforts. But –and this is directly connected to our habits at the polls– in the main, we don't marshall sufficient numbers to attain critical mass, so a) we're not taken as seriously as we might be, and b) we're not taken as seriously as we might be. To borrow a phrase from City Hall, we never achieve <i>quorum</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">For a second, let's go back to the op-ed piece. Within the context of the excerpts, two reference points stand out: '<b><i>conversation</i></b>' and '<i><b>active participants or mere bystanders</b></i>'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The former implies a process. Comprised of corralling information, exchanging ideas, developing qualified opinions, debating differences, <span style="background-color: white;">attaining compromise...</span><span style="background-color: white;">reaching consensus. In an 'I want it <i>now</i>!' world, this takes protracted effort. (Here are two wonderful Scott London essays, ones that I've mentioned previously: '</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 30px; text-align: left;">Thinking Together: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 30px; text-align: left;">'<a href="http://www.scottlondon.com/reports/dialogue.html">The Power of Deliberative Dialogue</a>' and '<a href="http://www.scottlondon.com/articles/ondialogue.html">The Power of Dialogue</a>'.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">And when you toss in the fact that we have a culture in Hamilton greatly influenced by 'legacy malaise', seasoned by long-term frustration and cynicism, where distrust and resignation abounds, then even looking at this in theoretical terms is daunting: never mind the tradition of development being one of City officials and developers being in lockstep with residents reacting after-the-fact, we simply aren't inclined towards dealing with issues in rational ways; we tend to want to vent, to rant and to rage. Be it on Facebook pages, on posters, or in the Comments section of The Spec. So we're not feeling empowered <i>en masse</i>, and we're not well-equipped to express any empowerment anyway. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And in terms of the standard conversation that takes place, of being genuine participants, we complicate the issue by not asserting ownership of the arena. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">What I mean by this is <i>if we as residents, as primary stakeholders in our community don't 'own' the arena of conversation, then we're ceding power. Time and time again. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So the ARC sessions as put on by the HWDSB? The delegation procedure that exists at Council? Any 'meeting' produced and presented by anyone other than residents? Subtly, unconsciously but inarguably reinforcing the power dynamic. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, we need to be participants in the conversation regarding <i>anything</i> about how our city is going to be re-imagined, about what changes we're going to see. But my belief is that unless we are the ones holding the events, unless we are the ones setting the stage, inviting the other player at the table into <i>our</i> arena, we're invariably ceding power, and the chances of us being taken seriously –no matter the lip service paid, no matter the polite, patronizing bafflegab being bestowed upon us– are slim and none...and Slim just left town. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm not stating anything revolutionary here. I'm not claiming to have discovered something heretofore wholly unrealized. This is no different than being called into the Boss's office to 'discuss' something. <i>That</i> power dynamic is entrenched. It's almost impossible to change it. But ours? There is <i>nothing</i> preventing us from framing things in our favour. <i>Nobody</i> has ever said 'You can't have community meetings that aren't 'guided' or 'presented' by your councillor.' (In that instance, we have a tendency to be grateful when they step up and 'guide' proceedings, as if some act of beneficence has been bestowed upon us. I've been to councillor-generated, presented-by meetings. And the ones I've been to have been well-run, well-intentioned events. But they do nothing to ameliorate the power structure. Which is odd, considering that <i>we're</i> the employers and <i>they're</i> our employees.)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The other thing I have to point out that the event referenced by the gentlemen was not, at its core, intended for 'regular Hamiltonians'. Not at the advertised ticket price. (An event that Christopher Hume was a focal point of, the same Toronto Star writer/commentaryist who gave a free talk for we, the people, last autumn at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame auditorium.) And other events that have taken place say, over the past year, have not targeted residents. They have been constructed and executed for what I suppose you could refer to as 'professionals'. Or, if that label doesn't apply, then 'urban planning aficionados', those 'aware-and-energized' amongst us who are perhaps leaders in their fields, or who can afford (and are inclined) to attend such events. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So in order for us to have Hamiltonians who are authentic participants taking part in the vital conversations about how our city is going to be reinventing itself, we need to be especially mindful what the goal is: Is it to provide more opportunities for our forward-thinkers within our professional community to rub shoulders, reinforce commonly-held beliefs about what needs to be done and allow for more networking to be done...or is it to impact the skill-sets and awareness of those from the streets, the neighbourhoods, the communities and wards, to inform and inspire them so that they <i>choose</i> to become participants in the conversation?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Both of these factors contributed to me initiating the Town Halls Hamilton effort last year. Because I saw a need for us to <i>own</i> the conversations that should be driving the re-envisioning of our city, and that they be accessible and open to all. What's required for this initiative to blossom is for various groups...The Hamilton Civic League, the Chamber of Commerce, RethinkRenewal, neighbourhood associations across the city, The Spec, CHCH, the potential list is <i>endless</i>...to work together, to collaborate to maximize efforts, and in doing so, provide credence to the underlying effort, that of better equipping our residents to take their rightful places at the governance table. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-73868126838531027612012-07-08T13:48:00.001-04:002012-07-08T13:48:25.402-04:00Regarding 'Our Duty as Elected Officials'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M9eeuTXbAFg/T_nE5ph7ZzI/AAAAAAAAGNE/5EntCR7FDPo/s1600/mayor-bratina.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M9eeuTXbAFg/T_nE5ph7ZzI/AAAAAAAAGNE/5EntCR7FDPo/s320/mayor-bratina.jpeg" width="260" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Mayor Bratina has a post on his blog. '</span><a href="http://mayorbratina.com/2012/07/03/our-duty-as-elected-officials/" style="background-color: white;">Our Duty as Elected Officials</a><span style="background-color: white;">'.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's pretty straightforward stuff.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">In it, he says "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;"><i>People sometimes ask about the roles and responsibilities of the Mayor and Council</i>." </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.81818199157715px;">I won't deny that there are some who want the kinds of answers he's provided in quoting from the Municipal Act. But I'd bet a fair amount of moolah</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.81818199157715px;"> people aren't <i>actually</i> asking about remit and purview and limitations of power, job duties and performance expectations. My guess is that</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22px;"> they're <i>trying</i> to ask a pair of pretty uncomfortable questions. (Uncomfortable to ask as well as to answer.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22px;"><i>"Why doesn't anyone actually <b>lead</b> at City Hall?"</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22px;">and</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22px;"><i>"Why is there so little <b>vision</b>?"</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Granted, most Hamiltonians possess only small amounts of understanding and comprehension of what goes on at City Hall. (In fairness, in terms our 'civics' in our education system, it's apparently limited to a Grade 10 course. Never mind the fact that most of us can't ) Such small amounts, that when something happens that seems an 'issue', when something blows up good, the existing cynicism and general distrust gets magnified by this ignorance. (Or vice-versa) Because we don't have a deep, working understanding and appreciation of the ins-and-outs, we tend to overreact. This isn't extraordinary, or peculiar to 71 Main Street West; it tends to unfold in all aspects of Life. What's that philosopher's belief? '<i>Knowing is half the battle</i>.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So it's good for all of us to have resources at hand so we can properly contextualize things. To appreciate what's reasonable, what's not, to separate the wheat from the chaff, as it were. But I'd pay an additional pile of moolah to hear what Mayor Bratina has to say about <i>leadership</i> and <i>vision</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-83846457408799911492012-07-08T07:57:00.000-04:002012-07-08T07:57:06.195-04:00Remembering that 'leadership' isn't just a City Hall issue...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yllNBzVPRRU/T_l1G-8juQI/AAAAAAAAGME/cXXwvNIR-Bg/s1600/exclamation-pointc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yllNBzVPRRU/T_l1G-8juQI/AAAAAAAAGME/cXXwvNIR-Bg/s400/exclamation-pointc.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16px;">"With all the efforts over the last 30 years to revive the downtown we have yet to see a payoff. Even with the so called resurgence of James North which is minimal at best the downtown is still sliding backwards. <b><i>I think it's time to step back and let the downtown stew for a bit.</i></b>"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 16px;">Commenter 'sonofagun' on <a href="http://www.thespec.com/opinion/columns/article/756131--supermarket-retreat-shows-council-s-fear-of-following-its-own-stated-vision">The Spec downtown grocery store article</a></span>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-63761498136726584742012-07-08T07:02:00.001-04:002012-07-08T07:04:10.617-04:00Compelled to Muzzle?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XAqV9ZYSKAc/T_li2Jy8ALI/AAAAAAAAGLE/143aTtlTZv0/s1600/A_Muzzled_House_Sparrowc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XAqV9ZYSKAc/T_li2Jy8ALI/AAAAAAAAGLE/143aTtlTZv0/s400/A_Muzzled_House_Sparrowc.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left;"><span class="hw" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">muz·zle</span> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" height="21" style="margin: 1px;" width="13"><embed src="http://img.tfd.com/m/sound.swf" flashvars="sound_src=http://img.tfd.com/hm/mp3/M0504500.mp3" menu="false" width="13" height="21" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></object> <span class="pron" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(128, 158, 131); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: pointer;">(m<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/ubreve.gif" />z<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/prime.gif" /><img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/schwa.gif" />l)</span><br />
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<i>n.</i><br />
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<b>1. </b>The forward, projecting part of the head of certain animals, such as dogs, including the mouth, nose, and jaws; the snout.</div>
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<b>2. </b>A leather or wire restraining appliance that, when fitted over an animal's snout, prevents biting and eating.</div>
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<b>3. </b>The forward, discharging end of the barrel of a firearm.</div>
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<b>4. </b>A restraint on free movement or expression: <span class="illustration" style="color: #226699; font-style: italic;">had a muzzle put on their high spirits.</span></div>
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<i>tr.v.</i> <b>muz·zled</b>, <b>muz·zling</b>, <b>muz·zles</b><br />
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<b>1. </b>To put a muzzle on (an animal).</div>
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<b>2. </b>To restrain from expression: <span class="illustration" style="color: #226699; font-style: italic;">tried to muzzle the opposition.</span></div>
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[Middle English <tt style="font-size: 11pt;">mosel</tt>, from Old French <tt style="font-size: 11pt;">musel</tt>, from Medieval Latin <tt style="font-size: 11pt;">m<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/umacr.gif" />sellum</tt>, diminutive of <tt style="font-size: 11pt;">m<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/umacr.gif" />sus</tt>, <i>snout</i>, from Latin <tt style="font-size: 11pt;">m<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/umacr.gif" />sum</tt>.]</div>
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<b>muz<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/prime.gif" />zler</b><i> n.</i></div>
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<div class="brand_copy" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 6pt;">
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by <a href="http://www.eref-trade.hmco.com/" style="color: #645e7d;" target="_blank">Houghton Mifflin Company</a>. All rights reserved.</div>
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<span class="hw" style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;">muzzle</span> <span class="pron0x">[ˈmʌz<sup>ə</sup>l]</span><br />
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<i>n</i><br />
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<b>1.</b> (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) the projecting part of the face, usually the jaws and nose, of animals such as the dog and horse</div>
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<b>2.</b> (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) a guard or strap fitted over an animal's nose and jaws to prevent it biting or eating</div>
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<b>3.</b> (Military / Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) the front end of a gun barrel</div>
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<i>vb</i> <i>(tr)</i><br />
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<b>1.</b> to prevent from being heard or noticed <span class="illustration" style="color: #226699; font-style: italic;">to muzzle the press</span></div>
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<b>2.</b> (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) to put a muzzle on (an animal)</div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">3.</b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"> (Transport / Nautical Terms) to take in (a sail)</span><br />
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[C15 <i>mosel,</i> from Old French <i>musel,</i> diminutive of <i>muse</i> snout, from Medieval Latin <i>mūsus,</i> of unknown origin]</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Out of a city of just over half-a-million people, we have roughly 400,000 people available for 'activism'. By this I mean within the ages of 14-65. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">To my recollection, we had two 'protests' this year. One was the Hamilton Civic League's garbage rally on March 10th, the other, the S.O.S. protest at the HWDSB headquarters on June 19th. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Though both were about undeniably valid issues, n</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">either required crowd control. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And yet there is a consistent reaction to sites such as Raise the Hammer, the havens of online activism, a reaction of resentment and dismissiveness. What strikes me as a desire to <i>muzzle</i>. Witness this excerpt of a comment regarding <a href="http://mystoneycreek.blogspot.ca/2012/03/moving-forward-in-this-city.html">RTH Editor Ryan McGreal's Spec article</a> on Council's reluctance to follow its stated downtown-core vision: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have no use for the blinkered view that ignores 3/4 of the city's interests in favour of a special interest group. Thats not city building behaviour its city destroying behaviour</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now, my initial, gut reaction is 'Wow; you're ascribing a lot of power to the site and its commenters.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then: 'Why does an arguably 'fringe' element expressing itself so much bother you?'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And finally 'Is it jealousy? Is it anger that this person's view isn't being represented? Is it frustrating them to no end to have to put up with the 'activist-clatter'?'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Taking into consideration the fact that there is such a relatively small number of people who are willing to voice their contrary opinions, why would someone bear such...such <i>disdain</i> for a site, or a group of people, or a mindset? It's not like that in the RTH adherents having their say, the person's ability to express their own opinions is denied its fullness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Or is it...?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The other side of this coin is that- Well, I've previously referred to Raise the Hammer as a 'endless-loop, echo-chamber'. And part of the hazard of being a devotée of such a mechanism is that a) you begin believing your own press, b) you get an overinflated sense of 'informedness' and c) in a self-validating way, you assume that most others are informed to the same extent and in the same ways...or believe that they <i>should</i> be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let me clarify that last sentence: There are some wildly intelligent people who contribute to the site, who read the site and who comment on the site. But what I've witnessed for as long as I've been frequenting RTH (which has go be going on seven years now) is the tendency to vilify those who have disparate opinions as well as -seemingly- believing that the party-line is unassailable...and moreover, that what's declared as 'consensus' isn't just plain old common sense, but the majority opinion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And often, it's not. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Granted, for many issues, this disparity is a manifestation of ignorance. That the majority of Hamiltonians really don't possess a 'qualified opinion' on fundamental issues, that they're simply not sufficiently informed to craft one. Disinclination and non-investment tend to result in this state. Now, whether or not they'd serry up on the RTH parade square if they were shown the light, it's hard to say. Most of them will never read RTH, and even more will never even be aware of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So it's not like the site actually has that much 'power'. Ryan is unquestionably respected by many in the city. He has a certain amount of cachet as a respected community commentator. But as deserving as he is for acclaim, RTH is hardly the hotbed of activism that someone like the aforementioned Spec commenter seems to resent it being. Resentment that to me, points to a wish that its strategic views be muzzled. For the common good, of course. According to how this person defines that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">But this runs both ways: the 'downvoting' tool on RTH Comments sections is inarguably muzzling. 'Non-aligned' comments are immediately downvoted. In fact, a contrarian's post is rendered invisible if the reader's preferences dictate a threshold of negative votes provides this ultimate 'censuring'. So in the end, a forum that purports to be searching for answers for a beleaguered city wraps distasteful dissent in the 'troll' flag, and merely adds to the preponderance of muzzling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">And of course, there's the more covert, seemingly benign brand of muzzling. The psychological kind that's regularly imparted by some on Council. I've seen it in general comments during a session, I've seen it during citizen delegation presentations, and I've read it in The Spec. (Regarding the middle reference, here's what a commenter on The Hamiltonian had to say about what happens during them: "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: justify;"><i>A delegation. That's where you show up after having done a whole bunch of work, get only 5 minutes and be in shock as the counselors play with their blackberries, whisper to each other about other things and generally try to look as though they give a care.</i>")</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the same way that subtly demeaning your spouse, jabbing them with tiny barbs, lobbing the tiniest of emotional shite-bombs might not be considered 'abuse' but still defines behaviour in a 'destructive relationship', the patronizing, the condescension, the well-couched belittling offered by certain councillors is nonetheless a form of muzzling. As witnessed in the engagement surrounding the HWT. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I have to wonder if this goes on in a thriving community. Or is it just something you find in one that's not particularly aware-and-energized? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since I began writing this post, the referenced commenter has added to their initial offering: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">"I'm talking about consistently dishonest debate, consistent casual dismissal of all opinion that doesn't match theirs, consistent dismissal of any studies that don't back up their theories, consistent shooting of the messenger, consistent lack of dismissing all information even when its correct if it comes from certain people. In short, I don't believe they want to change the city for the better by engaging people but rather brow beating them. Thats destructive not constructive to the process. The amount of cynicism on that site is beyond healthy porportions. The may want to talk but they aren't prepared to listen. Thats not communication thats dictating. No use for them at all"</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't think that what they've said here is debatable. (Ryan and I have actually had conversations and correspondences about all of this.) So my label 'muzzling' takes on a more picante meaning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The one thing I have continually yammered-on about in almost everything I've posted on my sites or within The Spec's 'Opinion' section is the need for genuine dialogue in Hamilton. And so far, though intriguing thoughts and concepts are regularly published and commented on, I don't believe we've moved all that closer to creating that dialogue, to raising the bar for debate. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And because of this, because of our self-imposed 'miredness', I can't help but think that what's really going on is some bizarre form of 'self-muzzling'. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Clearly, we've got some difficult work ahead of us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-12163513359767590542012-07-06T20:27:00.001-04:002012-07-06T20:33:49.640-04:00Not banking on the right things, clearly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ewvc8kkyYSk/T_d-VlOOFUI/AAAAAAAAGKE/lKW4sZJE7dI/s1600/TheSpec.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ewvc8kkyYSk/T_d-VlOOFUI/AAAAAAAAGKE/lKW4sZJE7dI/s400/TheSpec.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Jeff Mahoney has an article in today's edition. '<a href="http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/755766--you-can-bank-on-a-fight">You can bank on a fight in Stoney Creek</a>' deals with the TD Bank branch closing this autumn. And some residents' reactions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you check out the Comments that follow the article, you'll get some idea of the general response to the piece. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you do a search on 'The Downtown Issue' for this site, you'll see way more than a handful of articles dealing with Stoney Creek's downtown. The common theme is the less-than-stellar use of land. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So the TD leaving should be seen as more a tremendous opportunity than as the loss of a local institution. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">That corner has amazing strategic potential. (So does McDougall's Garage, but that's another situation entirely.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Though small, the location could provide the setting for a key business. Given there's barely more than two blocks' worth of authentic contiguous downtown, making better use of this land than its current use well be a pivotal shift for this long-beleaguered core. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">But instead of pondering 'I wonder what stunning development we could see there!', the people mentioned in the article would prefer that time stand still. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">A pity, really. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Downtown Stoney Creek has long been mired in economic doldrums primarily of its own making. (And yes, I'm directly connecting the small handful of extant land and business owners with the '<span style="background-color: white;">downtown'.) So maybe it's not surprising to find its 'supporters' trapped in a time-bubble themselves. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not surprising, but sad nonetheless. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">(I'm compelled to point out that I grew up a stone's throw from the bank, and I have a memory that goes back almost fifty years. I've seen a lot in Old Towne Stoney Creek...and most of it's been the same sight, over and over and over again.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-33888387201578372922012-07-06T20:09:00.000-04:002012-07-06T20:09:04.637-04:00Seeing With Other Eyes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last night, I took a trip down to Pier 8. You know, Williams' Coffee Pub, a big-band concert on the grass, the odd roller-skater making use of the rink, etc. I went there with Mahesh P. Butani. Who is, beyond the contention he's known to create within the Comments sections of articles on sites such as Raise the Hammer, is an amazing resource when it comes to urban development. Possessor of a Masters degree of Arts and a Bachelors degree in Architecture, he's a licensed architect elsewhere.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Recently, Mahesh published <a href="http://www.thehamiltonian.net/2012/07/while-we-wait.html">an article on The Hamiltonian</a> about a Pier 8 project he was involved in a few years back. So to go on an informal tour of what's there now with him was an illuminating experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">As he was pointing out various aspects of the buildings...especially the former Discovery Centre...I think my consistent question was 'How could they have done all this?!?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">He's also offered some insight into two 'proposed' downtown projects highlighted this week in The Spec and at Raise the Hammer, on the realities of James Street North's ongoing resurgence...and of the merits of a slice of Hawaiian pizza versus pepperoni. (Kidding. Sorta, kinda.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although I fervently believe in the idea that in order to genuinely contribute to discussion and discourse about the city, you have to develop informed opinions, it's becoming clearer that to get to the point where informed opinions are being developed, there has to be better awareness of issues and there have to be opportunities where residents can <i>see</i> what these issues involve. (Which is why I began the Town Halls Hamilton initiative.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I'd be curious to hear the reactions if someone like Mahesh were to provide a guided tour for residents of a Hamilton fixture such as Pier 8 or the downtown-core.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And I'd <i>pay</i> to have councillors in attendance, especially were things unfolding under 'Liar, Liar' circumstances. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-5943718987575286542012-07-05T17:27:00.000-04:002012-07-05T17:27:29.805-04:00More babble...and more head-shaking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">This morning I had coffee with a nascent community organizer. We'd met last year, after the inaugural Town Halls Hamilton event. He's in the process of getting something started that ties in enormously with my beliefs about the importance of neighbourhood associations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">We began our conversation talking about education. Mostly because that's his calling; he's a teacher. And in wanting to find out his take on school closings in Hamilton, I broached the subject. Especially as public discussion is concerned. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Very quickly, I was compelled to reinforce the importance I place on agreeing on facts before getting creative about how to deal with those facts...and this was prompted by something I saw online yesterday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a post/comment. Not dealing with education, but rather with LRT. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"<i>Just been thinking lately alot about the LRT for Hamilton. Well,it has been about 25 yrs in proposals and YET STILL I see only posters on the buses in Hamilton about it. What gives City Council????Hunh??? Really, it should be budgeted for, way past the proposal and prototype stage and up and running . A City that has amalgamated many different cities to save money and reduce infrastructure and overlapping should DEFINITELY have this already . What gives City Council???Hey..Poor planning I think ,yes.</i>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Awaiting coffee at Tim's, I said to my friend 'It pains me to hear people going off on something that they clearly aren't grasping the basics of.' Additionally, I reiterated the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan's words: "You're entitled to your own opinion. You're <i>not</i> entitled to your own facts."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a way, I was aghast when I read the Facebook post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, I know that many of us are -ahem- 'disappointed' in what generally passes for leadership at 71 Main Street West these days. But I'm more disappointed in what passes for comprehension of the realities of some pretty basic Hamilton situations. I shudder to think that someone who feels the need to comment on an issue (most don't) and in an ostensibly 'politically dissident' group is so far out in left-field. And to me it indicates how far away we are as a city from <i>rightfully</i> being able to take our place at the governance table. (That's not to say our elected officials are supremely competent. But they're not required to be. Clearly.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I won't belabour the point about the person's rant, save to say a) We're properly engaged in the preliminary processes required to get LRT, and b) The funding is beyond both our abilities and remit; look to Queen's Park if you have any complaints about why we're still taking buses, the financials are <i>not</i> a City of Hamilton responsibility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">My friend and I discussed the education issue thoroughly. We produced no answers, save for the notion that we need to come up with better means of providing <i>those who are interested</i>, ie the 'aware -and-energized' what they have clearly been denied...even though there's no dearth of access: information. And that from there, better discourse will result, undoubtedly with a higher level of debate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The issue-at-play isn't what's important to me. (In fact, in most cases, we're either behind the 8-ball or the curve to such an extent that it's almost a masochistic exercise to try to turn things around.) What's important is having better engagement unfold. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I guess I have to thank the poster for reminding me that 'You don't play sports to get in shape, you get in shape to play sports.' Or the analogous equivalent for civic participation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington </span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-42020029055227523242012-07-01T20:45:00.002-04:002012-07-01T20:54:00.971-04:00Opinion: We need to move away from this paradigm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">1) "I can only serve the hard working people of Hamilton from Council and or Committee."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">2) "Therefore I urge you to be a public delegation and to attend a meeting or send a delegation so I can serve the thousands of residents in Ward 4 that do not have access to a computer."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">3) "Until then please feel free to ask council for permission to be a delegation to present your case so we can conscientiously serve our constituents globally." </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ward 4 Councillor Sam Merulla regarding responding to the HWT queries as directed to him by The Hamiltonian. </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The attachment to this 'access to the throne' process has to stop. (Never mind the bizarre interpretation of responsibilities, the hyperbole and the general condescension.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Especially with an issue in-play. (As opposed to a planned process, or where sensitive deliberations shouldn't be risked.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I may have been born at night, but not <i>last </i>night, and I'm no dumb-bunny. I get how there has to be structure, that things can't be dealt with (all the time) on-the-fly. Otherwise...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, I'm going to go back to my last post and reference that 'The times, they are a-changin'.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm beginning to think that we have a real paradigm problem on our hands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">One where City Hall is stuck in the past, constantly working within what used to be the norm, a paradigm going back decades. That is, that information pertaining to governance is meted out 'as required'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">A paradigm that's conflicted by electronic interconnectivity. By the wonders the Internet. By smartphones. By Twitter and Facebook and open data...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So you have all this 'modern' stuff going on against the backdrop of what amounts to parochial, paternalistic control. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hence you have what could kindly be referred to as 'Sam's Barley Rant'. (I have no idea if he'd been imbibing and I don't know the councillor well enough to make any comment as to whether the content of his -shared- emails were out-of-character. I will say that at the least, they were ill-advised. <i>Seriously</i>.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">This conflict of 'old' and 'new' is actually more of a problem than is probably –and properly– acknowledged. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">We focus on 'transparency and accountability', but really, those catchwords are aspects that are affected in wholesale ways by what I'm talking about here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our world has changed. Our expectations have changed. And as a result, governance has to change. But it won't change unless <i>we</i> guide the mechanisms, because Lord knows that Council isn't going to be the driving force behind it. They're a little too conflicted and seemingly cannot see the forest for the trees. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>
</div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-20250746480623876312012-07-01T08:19:00.001-04:002012-07-01T08:19:04.845-04:00And on Canada Day, too: Stepping back a little...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Reprinted from <i><a href="http://mystoneycreek.blogspot.com/2011/10/hamiltons-new-motto-in-light-of.html">last autumn</a></i>, right here at MSC)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Bay Observer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Hamiltonian.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Raise the Hammer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">During the month of June, beginning with the Bay Observer and ending with Ryan's publication last night, spotlights (<i>searchlights?</i>) were aimed at the Hamilton Waterfront Trust.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">In fact, I'll break that down a little:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Bay Observer began asking questions about possible fiduciary improprieties concerning the HWT. The Hamiltonian linked to this coverage, and then began asking questions of all named participants. This quickly became a series, with lots of reader comments. Finally, there was <a href="http://www.thehamiltonian.net/2012/06/clr-merulla-on-hamilton-waterfront.html#more?">an exchange with Ward 4 Councillor Sam Merulla</a> on Friday night (while he was at a Ti-Cat game), and <a href="http://www.raisethehammer.org/blog/2505/merulla_tells_the_hamiltonian:_show_me_your_press_credentials">this was blogged about by Ryan</a> late last night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Councillor Merulla's tack...one of ripe (if entertainingly cheeky) dismissiveness...was summed up in this bit:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">"Let me tell you what it is going to be! Stop breaking our balls until you have media credentials to request what you are requesting. Until then please feel free to ask council for permission to be a delegation to present your case so we can conscientiously serve our constituents globally." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oy-friggin'-vey. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">OK.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So Councillor Merulla has a tendency to get a little- Well, <i>rambunctiously reckless</i> when he's Tweeting or having a 'discussion' on Facebook. One exchange in particular comes to mind from earlier this year on Laura Babcock's wall. I believe his wrasslin' partner was former councillor Bill Kelly. At the very least, the exchange was 'cringe-worthy'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's the thing: I've observed Councillor in Council Chambers. I've been to his Community Meetings. We've had a brief email exchange, and greeted each other at City Hall. (Admittedly, only one of us knew who the other was.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have been consistent in my regard for councillors: I'll leave the muckraking to others, the visual lacerations (a James Street North variation of the sports occurrence known as 'posterizing') and the other assorted mechanisms of criticism and derision. So I'm not going to get into all 'that' here and now. (Save for two observations: One, Councillor is The Iterationmeister. If he spent some time with a communications advisor, he would up his all-round effectiveness not just by degree, but fold-factors. The second is that in combination with the former, his online 'dalliances' are proof-positive that he needs to be far more 'judicious' in how he participates electronically. 'nuff said.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">But my concerns in all this aren't primarily about Councillor Merulla being dismissive towards The Hamiltonian...although he was, again in a cheekily helpful way, when he said "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">I just asked 10 Ward 4 residents whether they knew about" The Hamiltonian". The answer 0 of 10. Therefore help me help you to be a true representative of Hamiltonians. Call me. We need to talk"...although this does tie into what most bothers me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">In addition to it being about this HWT situation, an issue that seems fated to become just as much an issue for Council as 'Peggygate' was for the mayor –and doncha think it's kindasorta ironic that Council got so riled when Mayor Bratina questioned the goings-on at the HWT, and now it's this powderkeg whose fuse is waiting to be lit?– to me it's also about how councillors see a) 'new media', b) their roles in local governance and c) communication in general. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It seems to me that over time, councillors <i>generally</i> morph towards a state of being 'turf-protective', of being patronizing, and most of all, forgetting the bottom-line truth of their service at 71 Main Street West: they're the 'employees', the residents are the 'employers'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first problem with this notion/analogy is that people generally don't want the responsibilities of being 'the boss'. Let's face it: if it were ten owners of a business doing the hiring, six of them wouldn't show up for the meeting to make the decision, and of them, most would be basing their decision on 'name recognition'. Most Hamiltonians who vote are sufficiently cynical and detached from the process as to not want to be bothered by anything attached to governance. They cast their ballots...and then want to be left alone for the ensuing four years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And councillors run with this dynamic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was fascinated </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">on many levels</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> to watch the GIC meeting from this past Monday, but for the sake of this post, I'll just note the general undertone of 'Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!' As much as this may offend some of them, I felt there were moments of condescension, of dismissiveness, of patronization...no matter how congenially the exchanges were framed. At times you'd think these people were high court judges. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Especially when you contrast this with how poorly so many navigate 'discussion' outside of Council Chambers. (Although there were enough interludes when the motion for boundary review was being 'debated' to remind me of the stark limitations of- Well, of more than a handful of our elected officials.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Which brings me to the crux(es) of the matter. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">a</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">) <i>'New media'</i>. There's a strange, almost comedic dichotomy unfolding. On the one hand, councillors such as Merulla <i>love</i> the Internet and all it provides. It's a buttress for the front-and-centeredness that so many of them need to feel. ('Attention-hounds'?) But at the same time, they do not really know what to do with or how to handle 'new media'. It's not the same as dealing with The Spec or CHML or CHCH or even the CBC. With The Hamiltonian and Raise the Hammer, because they're not 'accredited', because the usual channels aren't necessarily trotted down, it would appear that some councillors just haven't quite gotten comfortable with having to answer questions directed at them by a 'blog' ("My <i>daughter</i> has a blog!!!"). At least not to the point where they grant them the same cred. Which leads to...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">b) <i>'Roles in local governance'</i>. Councillors have long seen themselves as the protectors of their constituents. And it's long been a patriarchal, patronizing, often arrogance-fuelled role. "I hear your thoughts, but please; run along and let me do my job." Again, there's a dichotomy: there's dismissiveness on the one hand, but on the other, the realities of not wanting to upset anyone who resultantly might not vote for them come re-election time. Despite regularly envisioning a better paradigm, I don't think we're anywhere close to having authentic dialogue, commiseration and collaboration about our local governance. Too many of the traditional expectations on both sides remain. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And yet the world is changing, the access that people have to critical information is changing, how they process this information is changing... In the end, this changes the councillor's role. It's just that this hasn't really been brought to the fore yet. Here's the thing: <i>they're not going to be pushing for it. </i>(Just like with ward boundary reform or much of anything that would alter <i>their</i> world.) And we don't currently have sufficient numbers of 'aware-and-energized' to push for things to change. In the meantime, councillors will continue to trip up, to interpret situations badly, and to generally infuriate and inspire more cynicism. Finally...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">c) <i>'Communication'</i> A much higher level is required from councillors on all fronts. And this brings into play both the previous points. What I've seen with the HWT issue proves this. Some of the more uncomfortable moments can be chalked up to habitual recalcitrance that the office tends to imbue; the 'kiss the ring' syndrome. ("And you don't have medial credentials?!? Pah.") But the majority seems attributable to people not having gotten the memo about deportment and presentation and general behaviour needing to adapt to the changing times, <i>vis a vis</i> accessible information, what can be done with it and how it impacts the realities of Life. It's not the same stage as 'before'. So it's folly to expect that the same performance is going to satisfy or even pass muster. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I see growing pains ahead. Some awkward moments, some flared tempers. But I'm reminded of that old commercial on television, where the mechanic is talking about preventative maintenance, about doing oil changes and the sort: "You can pay me now... Or you can pay me later."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-7891798342186731532012-07-01T04:47:00.000-04:002012-07-01T04:47:43.843-04:00Before we get into the strictly 'political'...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy Canada Day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">My offering is to refer you to an article I saw linked to on Salon.com, '<a href="http://open.salon.com/blog/emileeeeeee_mcpheeeeee/2012/06/28/so_you_want_to_move_to_canada_eh">So you want to move to Canada, eh?</a>'. Some of the usual, some of the slightly-unusual...and a few funny comments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy the festivities!</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-86154919984920291852012-06-29T06:46:00.001-04:002012-06-29T06:46:24.097-04:00Amalgamation/De-amalgamation, eh...?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9itBqeLiUNA/T-2FE6iZpDI/AAAAAAAAGCE/DHH-rgGeCqc/s1600/Northern+Life+c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9itBqeLiUNA/T-2FE6iZpDI/AAAAAAAAGCE/DHH-rgGeCqc/s320/Northern+Life+c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Courtesy of a Tweet that Mark Cripps sent out (and I nabbed quite by accident), I was made aware of a Northern Life article from earlier this month, '<a href="http://www.northernlife.ca/news/localNews/2012/06/11-segsworth-city-services-sudbury.aspx">Sudbury in no-win situation</a>'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sudbury was one of the 'forced amalgamations' of major Ontario cities by the Mike Harris government in 2001, along with Hamilton and Ottawa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I found some of the comments to the article quite interesting, especially if you change some of the references and pretend they're talking about Hamilton. Take a look: </span></div>
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12 COMMENTS</h4>
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<span class="username" style="border: 0px; color: #666696; display: block; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.85em; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">sudsman</span><span class="time" style="border: 0px; color: #666696; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.75em; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;">6/12/2012 2:20:00 PM - <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1736983779956005333" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-size: 9px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Report Abuse</a></span></div>
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It's strange..we all seem to be on the same page!.....2 thumbs up to all comment!!......</div>
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Parry Sound is roughly 2 hr from Sudbury.Why shop there? Grocery stores hear are open till 10.</div>
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I always enjoy when an academic reminds me, as one of the proletariat, I'm mistaken about what I see because I'm not smart enough to know better. Sarcasm observed, that is basically what this chap did in his missive.<br /><br />The problem in Sudbury is partly a massive scope of operations, but fundamentally it is mismanagement people are angry about. All arms of municipal government here are populated by people who simply cannot manage the duties required of them, and while the reasons may be many, the end result is what we have -- a mess.</div>
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"If you’re someone who lives in what used to be Capreol, but is now part of Greater Sudbury, why should you settle for less services than someone who lives in the old City of Sudbury?"<br />Because it costs more to provide them.<br />If you want to live somewhere with very low density, you better be ready to choose less service or higher taxes.<br />Asking the residents in the core to subsidise urban services in the rural part of the city is what it unfair.<br />The math is simple, it will always be cheaper to service a lot of people in a small area. There are benefits to living in a secluded area, and those benefits have a cost. Time for people to start seeing the real costs for the services this city provides.</div>
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Amalgamation was supposed to eliminate the "little Kingdoms" of small municipalities an unite them. Seems only gave them a bigger voice and another excuse to hide behind.</div>
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If the effort put into whining and holding on to the 1960s were put into moving forward the place might get somewhere.<br />Instead we have socalled knowledgable people (he teaches the next generation) making excuses and trying to go further back in time.</div>
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Agreed re: too many 1960's thinkers here in 2012, eight dinosaurs on council, and build something new. You've all hit the nail on the head!!!<br /><br />It's time for changes (as mentioned by The Real Mucker) - the big picture calls for stopping the babysitting and building more houses, cutting all the red tape, and allowing businesses to set their own hours. I stopped in Parry Sound for groceries at 6 p.m. last evening on my way home from Toronto seeing as our PATHETIC and ARCHAIC store hours bylaw does not allow stores to be open later or longer! ONLY IN SUDBURY...</div>
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It's nothing to do with scandals...it's peoples small attitude..me first not the big picture. Too many 1960's thinkers in 2012.<br />But that's what happens when a city has been babysat for 100 years by Vale and Faclonbridge....cut the cord...do something on your own....<br />Tear down the rust (ie Flour Silos, Watertowers). Build something new, a multi purpose centre, more housing, more parks. GET OFF YOUR ASSESS PEOPLE AND COUNCIL.</div>
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Great. Try to give a lame duck council an excuse for their incompetence. Was it amalgamation that caused the Pioneer manner fiasco? The transit ticket fiasco? Any other of the fiasco's? JR got booted out because he said he would be so much better than Mr. C. He wasn't, in fact he was likely about 10 steps backward, and that is why he did not get re- elected. The populace gave council a break last election, blaming JR. Obviously, they were wrong so do not look for the population to be as forgiving next election. Whether or not the actual services are actually delivered efficiently is not really important the average guy in the street. The average guy reads about one stunt after another, and the council is tarred with the perception that if you cannot handle even basic accounting (bus ticket fiasco), how can you run the city?</div>
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“The evidence is absolutely clear with these amalgamations: costs go up. There aren’t any savings to be had ... We were the only municipality in northern Ontario that got hammered so badly by amalgamation.”<br />===============================================<br />This is a rather surprising comment especially from a Political science Professor.<br /><br />Would we have had the expansion of Laurentian University or the Hospital, or the medical school or College Boreal, or Cambrian College expansion or half the national chain retail stores without amalgamation. Would levack have its water treatment plant, or McCrae Hgts adequate water pressure, or any of the 4 laning on arterial roads in Sudbury.<br /><br />Segsworth just proved he doesn't know a thing outside of the classroom. This professor knows little about government funding or corporate decision making processes.<br /><br />It is a load of hooey to blame amalgamation for the the municipal rating. If anything the public have a poor understanding of the benefits we got from amalgamation.<br /><br />That crappy infrastructure was there before amalgamation. The bad planning decisions were made PRIOR to amalgamation.</div>
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I see two problems with our council. First, there are some council members that simply don't have the necessary IQ to run this city. These people are not "professionals". They're "street" people.<br /><br />Secondly, there are eight dinosaurs still om council that are perfectly happy to live in the 1950's and drag down the rest of us with them.<br /><br />Until we get a progressive intelligent council, nothing will change.</div>
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Maybe if the city didnt try nanny stating us to death here in the boonies and IF THEY would just leave us to hell alone they wouldnt be going broke. They were very arrogant when they invaded us in 2001. City hall is brutal, stupid, and ignorant, when it comes to us in their little kingdom. EVERY ONE IN CITY HALL IS SCARED OF LOSING THEIR JOBS AND ARE NOT ABOVE LYING or dirty deeds to protect them. HONESTY IS NOT THEir POLICY. I've been there victim since they took over and am so weary of the bullshit, just go away , there is nothing great about the city of sudbury</div>
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</ul>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-17772274474533196232012-06-26T14:54:00.000-04:002012-06-26T14:54:06.226-04:00Sometimes I get this angry about Hamilton<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">(And if the link gets taken down, it's from the first episode of Aaron Sorkin's show 'The Newsroom'.)</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-71188699357393080012012-06-26T08:13:00.000-04:002012-06-26T13:42:19.901-04:00Though I hate to be a wet-blanket...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"In conclusion, I support Councillor Whitehead's motion. It sets in place...I believe, a commitment on the part of this Council. <b>Obviously any decision can be changed by a future Council</b>."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ward 13 Councillor Russ Powers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">GIC Meeting, June 25, 2012</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unlike the OMB-based petition process for ward boundary review, there's nothing binding in the motion that was passed yesterday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, there were some great sentiments expressed leading up to the vote. Yes, there were some noble offerings recorded for posterity. But in reality, unlike what would have unfolded had the petition effort been successful (with a pretty proscribed pathway, including the OMB acting as a guarantor of the outcome), there's absolutely nothing in place to lock in this 'commitment'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">This grieves me probably more than it should, mostly because as I stated in <a href="http://www.thespec.com/opinion/article/707458--why-hamilton-ward-boundary-reform-is-so-important">this Spec op-ed</a>, the importance of this process didn't begin and end with the actual ward boundary issue. From my vantage point it was a simple-yet-profound mechanism for us to hone our skills with towards taking a greater role in our own governance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">As it stands, residents will <i>presumably</i> be able to play a part in the review process as it's been proposed. I just wish we hadn't thrown away what to me was a golden opportunity for empowerment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why? Well, 'God is in the details', and all that. Just as there is something undeniably symbolic about say, a residents' group hosting their own symposium on local education issues in their own venue with their own moderator as opposed to an 'ARC' session as controlled by the HWDSB, the petition process had affixed to it some pretty sizeable elements of 'ownership', even if you just wanted to look at the fact that the process would have been <i>successfully initiated</i> by residents, and not been a concession on the part of a stolid Council....one that is, as I've said, non-binding. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I hope that we, the people get a thorough, fair review of ward boundaries, that residents are actively consulted on the ins-and-outs, that we end up with something that shouldn't have taken so much non-effort to arrive at, a ward boundary setup that's more equitable, one befits our Canadian democratic society. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm just not sure I'm <i>that</i> much of a practical optimist. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And <i>that</i> grieves me, too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-76546563570852100112012-06-26T07:37:00.001-04:002012-06-26T07:37:27.379-04:00Have I flip-flopped?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">re: Ward 15 Councillor Judi Partridge's comment in the CBC article '</span><b style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2012/06/25/hamilton-ward-preview.html" m="">Hamilton committee votes for ward boundary review</a>'</b><span style="background-color: white;">,</span><b style="background-color: white;"> </b><span style="background-color: white;">that </span><span style="background-color: white;">her constituents want an amalgamation review rather than a ward boundary review:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>"Duh! Of course they want this! They're probably the most outspoken opponents of amalgamation. But reversing amalgamation is another creature entirely from ward boundary review. Re-doing ward configuration is something that can be dealt with primarily within the municipality. But de-amalgamation...as with the notion of term limits...is something that would have to be done at the provincial level, requiring legislation at Queen's Partk. Besides, it would require the kind of initiative that frankly, this city, with the apathy on the street and the dearth of authentic visionary leadership at 71 Main Street West, isn't capable of. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>So my advice to Councillor Partridge...because I generally respect her abilities, I think she adds a lot of quality to the proceedings at Council meetings...is to show some true leadership and educate those malcontents within her ward who are seemingly so adamant to see de-amalgamation carted out as a discussion item. (And I'm saying this as someone from Stoney Creek) People are entitled to their own priorities. But leaders are supposed to be capable of preventing those they're leading from getting lost in the weeds."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have longstanding opinions on 'amalgamation/de-amalgamation'. They can be found <a href="http://mystoneycreek.blogspot.com/2010/09/regarding-de-amalgamation-part-one.html">here</a> and <a href="http://mystoneycreek.blogspot.com/2010/09/regarding-de-amalgamation-part-two.html">here</a> and <a href="http://mystoneycreek.blogspot.com/2010/09/regarding-de-amalgamation-part-three.html">here</a> and <a href="http://mystoneycreek.blogspot.com/2010/11/courage-on-periphery.html">here</a> and <a href="http://mystoneycreek.blogspot.com/2010/11/greater-issuethe-great-paradox.html">here</a> and <a href="http://mystoneycreek.blogspot.com/2010/11/actually-that-doesnt-matter-one-whit.html">here</a> and <a href="http://mystoneycreek.blogspot.com/2010/11/basis-of-dialogue-engagement-of.html">here</a>...for starters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a nutshell, if de-amalgamation is an issue that sufficient people want to have dealt with, then first and foremost, The Unacceptable Answer is 'It'll cost too much.' Unacceptable because nobody I've ever heard utter this response actually <i>knows</i> how much it might cost. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nobody. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So right off the bat, I take offense at the 'dialogue': I don't like being patronized or dismissed or made to feel like the question is somehow frivolous, that I'm being told 'We've got more important things to deal with. Go play."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So I guess I have to reconcile this with my reaction (at the CBC site as well as in material I published yesterday) to Councillor Partridge's tactic of bringing up <span style="background-color: white;">“What I hear from my residents is that they don’t want ward boundary review, they want an amalgamation review. They see that as their democratic right.” (For the record, her online poll shows that more than three-quarters feel the opposite way. Hmm...) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's quite simple: Just as the declaration by other councillors yesterday that "I never hear my constituents bringing up the issue of ward boundaries" and "The residents in my ward see a whole lot of other issues as being more important than ward boundary reform" were, at best <i>facile</i>, so was Councillor Partridge making her declaration about ward boundary review vs amalgamation review. Actually, not just <i>facile</i>, but all things considered, insulting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Keeping in mind my stance on the need for greater resident engagement and participation in our own governance, this may come off as heretical, but here goes: I would never depend on what residents are 'upset' about as being a means to order the issues of the day. Our councillors are in place to manage the day-to-day requirements of the city, but just as importantly, to <i>lead</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Leadership in its original sense means to take someone from Point A to Point B. Sometimes this requires pointing out the folly of urges or desires. Sometimes it requires being bold and plotting what seems to be a divergent course. (Assuming that there's been solid commiseration and it's not an arbitrary decision that's been made, or worse, the result of pandering to an outside force.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't think that Councillor Partridge (or any of the other councillors who used this tack-of-logic) showed much in the way of leadership when they rolled out their observations. And outside the scope of the GIC's intent...to pass or not pass a motion to get ward boundary review underway...it actually did a grave disservice to the issue of amalgamation/de-amalgamation. Especially in light of the motion having passed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It gives the impression that the ward boundary review process is more important than any discussion about amalgamation/de-amalgamation. Which it's not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The fact is that <i>both</i> discussions need to be had. Just as we need to be discussing all kinds of other issues, including term limits, AEGD, our infrastructure crisis...and what kind of future Hamilton its street-level residents want to see. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">The unfortunate truth is that virtually nobody on Council wants to have <i>any</i> of these discussions. Nobody really wants to dig in and get their hands dirty...and potentially risk re-election...by actually <i>engaging</i> these contentious issues. (I almost wish we had <i>one</i> councillor who made it clear once in office that they were only going to be serving for one terms, so they'd be holding nothing back, going all-out, putting what was important at the forefront and not being hindered by any hesitation due to re-election concerns. <i>Almost</i>.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Councillor Partridge needs to walk the walk after talking the talk: she heads a 'community council'. (Don't get me started on <i>that</i> paradigm.) Therefore, there's a mechanism in place for starting a dialogue about amalgamation/de-amalgamation. You know, an exploration within her ward, using the vast resources available to anyone these days. With two or three community meetings, with an online chat or two, a message board on her site, some seminars delving into the realities not just of Mike Harris's initiative but of 'Where We Are Now; The Pros and Cons of Amalgamation for Flamborough', I'm sure that the councillor could guide her people out of the weeds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who knows; maybe she'll have set the stage for the rest of Hamilton to deal with the issue. Now <i>that's</i> what I'd call 'leadership'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-85695577011572387512012-06-25T12:50:00.001-04:002012-06-25T12:50:24.202-04:00What people 'not getting it' looks like<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"Whitehead said there is no question a review must take place. He believes the review should be completed in time for changes to be made for the 2018 election.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>But Pasuta doesn’t agree a boundary review is needed.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>“I don’t and I never have. They (Duvall and Whitehead) just need another assistant to help out,”</i></b> he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And Pasuta said the possibility of another Mountain representative upsetting the current council’s working relationship is a valid concern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>“Everything seems to be fine. We don’t see it as being broken,” he said."</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Earth to Councillor Pasuta: This has absolutely <i>nothing</i> to do with how well Council does or doesn't currently get along. Nor does it have to do with 'getting the job done' (additional staffing), but rather a fundamental inequity that under the OMB guidelines, its addressing is long overdue. The sad thing is that I believe he's well aware of this truth...but is basically executing low-level grandstanding for his constituents. You know, 'Fight the big, bad city-folk.' Um... Aren't we supposed to be beyond all that...?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-45336917654031851992012-06-25T12:50:00.000-04:002012-06-25T20:23:51.530-04:00The GIC Ward Boundary Review 'Debate'<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-One of Councillor Johnson's primary concerns seemed to be the accuracy of any boundary re-drawing as it might be affected by projected growth, and fears about 'getting it wrong', referencing the OMB as 'the decider'. (My term, not hers.) The fact is that the OMB doesn't 'decide' on the reforms in the sense that it makes the determination. It confirms that the end result of the review is sound. It's up to the consultant and their proceedings to get it right. In a will be plenty of opportunities to take a look at all variables. (Understanding of course that because this isn't an OMB-mandated petition initiative, less is proscribed. Another indication that we would have been better off with a petition-based initiative...one that had been executed better as befitted the issue.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-I was a little stunned at the apparent lack of comprehension of the difference between the petition process and this Council initiative. This motion –though noble in its stunted way– is technically not binding. It's a 'commitment', but does not have the same teeth as those of a petition-based initiative...never mind the fact that it pushes it all down the road to be effective for the 2018 election, rather than the possible time-frame of having been in place for the 2014 election. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Councillor Whitehead's a) Freudian faux pas and b) followup Forrest Gump declaration were a breath of fresh air as the motion/debate part of the proceedings began. The faux pas was the word 'innocents' instead of 'citizens'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yeah, I think we should just sit with that for a minute or two...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Right. And b), the declaration: "<i>I use the word 'activists', but 'activists' isn't a bad word. Activists is part and parcel of what turns the wheels of decision-making and I appreciate the role each and every one of them play in the process</i>."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Maybe it's time for another pause. To consider the notion that someone feels they have to 'defend' the concept of activism...and then, as a stumbling <i>coup de grace</i>, ladle some indulgent aphorism sauce all over it all. <i>Anyway</i>...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-The entire 'Hamiltonians for Ward Boundary Reform' effort resulted from Council deciding to defer any examination. As did its predecessor. Those of us who had long recognized that a reassessment was required took exception. And lo, uproar began. So it was interesting to hear Councillor Whitehead's explanation as to why the whole ward boundary issue was kicked down the road this past winter: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">"We had a very- A <i>forced</i> amalgamation. We created a lot of animosity in the outlying areas. In the suburbs. A lot of distrust. With Council. (...) And it's been growing pains. And the last term in Council was somewhat divisive, then. What has changed? That's when we moved that motion originally to review the ward boundaries. What has changed? I tell you what's changed: It's the makeup of this Council, and this Council's desire to work together. And it's a pleasure to come into work every day, understanding that it's no more 'Us vs Them', it's 'Us'. And we're working collectively on issues, whether it's in the suburbs or in the urban or the downtown core working to come up with great solutions in conjunction with good reports from Staff. <i>That's</i> what's changed." He carried on, ending with the rhetorical question 'Why stir the dust now?'</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">First off, the 'makeup' of the Council hasn't changed. We have everyone back from the 2006 Council save for Dave Mitchell in Ward 11, Margaret McCarthy in Ward 15 and Ward 2 Councillor Bratina...who replaced Fred Eisenberger as Mayor. Now, if you're talking about 'makeup' as in 'the ability to get stuff done without rancour or spittin' nails', then I suppose he has a point. But this leads to my second point, that old 'Us vs Them', 'Original City of Hamilton vs The Suburbs' gem: <i>these are paid professionals we're talking about</i>. Each and every one of them should be able to work together and rise above what is, at the core, a variation on 'partisan politics'. Moreover, elected officials should possess within their skill-set the ability to move their constituents out of a parochial bubble, no matter how badly these residents resent amalgamation. <i>Each and every councillor should be capable of processing their constituents' feedback while still maintaining the focus of building the best Hamilton possible. </i>This goal shouldn't be some unobtainable Holy Grail. So to present it as a reason why nobody wanted to touch an issue that would invariably lead to resurfacing grudges and resentments is- Well, it's beyond the pale. Even for <i>this </i>Council. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's disheartening that we appear to have so few people on Council with the will or sense of conviction to lead the city through contentious waters. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">You know, I'd intended on going through the remainder of the proceedings, pulling out highlights, but I think I just summed up what the rest of the session was like. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So to bring an equally contentious notion to the fore, I'm going to wonder this aloud: if none of the current councillors were eligible to run in the 2014 election, how differently might this whole discussion be looking about now? Would there be such reluctance to upset the applecart (or voting residents) by doing what they're paid to do, which is to manage the city and shepherd it towards a better tomorrow?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Somehow, I doubt it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-68395722497941097332012-06-25T12:11:00.001-04:002012-06-25T12:11:28.661-04:00As-it-unfolds Commentary on the Ward Boundary Reform Presentations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Ray Fullerton: I applaud the effort...but Geez, Louise; if you're going to get up to present such a contentious proposal, <i>please</i> be properly prepared. Not being aware of cities that were amalgamated, not being as conversant as he may have been regarding comparisons with other cities, and being –seemingly– arbitrarily fixated on a 10-member Council. Oh, and he got <i>powned</i> by Councillor Johnson...and faded a little more at the hands of Councillor Jackson because of the above. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Peter Hitton: Very sincere, very authentic, very personal...but maybe a little too vague and earnest. Lost it with the exchange with Whitehead, focusing on access to the political process re: running for office; this tack <i>dilutes</i> the whole discussion; suddenly we're talking about the electoral process. The 'councillors at large' argument also made reduced the power of his presentation. Further, m</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">aking suggestions as to 'what might be best' is a death-blow when it comes to engagement on this level, when there's so much at stake. (More than just this issue.) From Duvall, we had a hypothetical situation that Mr. Hitton fielded...and this continued the process-of-erosion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Christopher Cutler: Strong speaker. Well prepared. Maybe a little obsequious at the beginning, but he sure held his own later on. A good presentation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Laura Cattari: Solid. Great communicator. Eloquent. Thorough. Spirited...and chock full of humanity. <span style="background-color: white;">I resented Councillor Partridge's question about 'How do you feel rural people would react to the petition?' </span><span style="background-color: white;">I also resented her final comment to Laura Cattari, going back to the fears of dealing with this issue. (Scary! Conflict!) Councillor Whitehead's question about how this issue doesn't seem to be important, why was it that the majority of people weren't engaged on this issue? Councillor Partridge's question about amalgamation being tied into a ward boundary review process was ridiculous, no matter how many people in her ward are expressing to her their preference to deal with amalgamation rather than ward boundary review. It was quite disappointing. Not relevant...and she knew the answer before she asked it...and I felt she was scare-mongering and trying to play one issue against another. (For the record, de-amalgamation is not a 'referendum' issue, not a process that can be initiated the ward boundary/OMB way. It's a <i>provincial</i> issue, and must be dealt with at Queen's Park. So should probably be pushed forward by local MPPs.) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-If you're going to Council, it's paramount to have focus, to not be wishywashy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-It's very dangerous to speculate on hypotheticals during post-presentation questioning. Better to beg off the answer and not diminish your presentation's effectiveness. (Some were better at doing this than others.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-It was quite easy to see the defensiveness of councillors rise up and get expressed; this is why I wanted this entire review process be well-anchored and pushed forward cohesively. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-The conflation of discussion was worrying: issues vs staffing vs representation. I surely hope the level of gamesmanship drops as the discussion progresses. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not only that, but issues aren't automatically mutually exclusive. It's not population vs diversity vs whatever else seems de rigeur. There's no reason why Council can't competently juggle more plates. Otherwise, maybe its makeup is in question. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-I was a little pissed-off at how many councillors went back to the 'It's not just about population' argument. It's a facile strategy, and frankly, one that is akin to grandstanding for the sake of their constituents...and their possible re-election. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">-Residents of Hamilton are not currently qualified to vote on a referendum on this issue. You cannot vote on something without a full and proper grasp of the issue. And getting residents to that 'qualified' state is a long process, one that goes well beyond City notices and Spec articles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Next up: The Council Discussion</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736983779956005333.post-7808528881772524532012-06-25T09:54:00.003-04:002012-06-25T09:54:44.019-04:00Yes, it's a fear of mine.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today, just ahead of the Special GIC meeting this morning, The Spec features the article '<a href="http://www.thespec.com/news/local/article/749214--mountain-councillors-push-for-ward-boundary-review">Mountain councillors push for ward boundary review</a>'. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's a little dismaying...and a cautious preface to 'what might unfold'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Which can be summed up thusly:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Nothing</i> is going to happen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">M Adrian Brassington</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>mystoneycreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941420937999095629noreply@blogger.com0