Comment 56125

By H+H (registered) - website | Posted January 13, 2011 at 08:53:00

You know the world is about to come to an end when Jason Farr quotes Nietzsche!

Only in Hamilton would two ex-employees of the Tiger Cats be in a position to put forward the motion to spend $115 million++ to fix up IWS for our highway access, 6000 space parking, highway visibility, entertainment development, driveway-to-driveway Tiger Cat owner. What a disgrace.

I was at the meeting too and the above posts are right on the money.

Bratina looked ashen all night long with Collins serving as Chair.

Clark did impress, as did Pasuta and Johnson. Clark, in particular, asked tough and thoughtful questions. Also he said something significant last night. He said, "If you ever thought we were in the driver's seat on this, you're wrong." He's right. The provincial government can say all they want about this being a made-in-Hamilton decision, but their actions continue to suggest otherwise.

Sam Merulla seems to actually believe he thought of this idea a year and a half ago. His mantra is no growth in the tax levy. If he's so concerned about our financial health, perhaps he could focus on reducing the budget and not treating the FF as free money - which he does. No tax increase on an already over-burdoned citizenry is not exactly what I would call a compelling goal. Just an expedient one.

Farr is a disgrace. And he's my Councillor. He needs to watch the tape and reflect on just how embarrassing he really was. You're not a DJ any more Jason. You're an elected official dealing with a $1.1 billion budget. Do your homework and prepare your remarks. This isn't a kids hockey team. Your mindless boosterism is shockingly out of place. That's what Tom Jackson is for.

Maria Pearson always has prepared remarks. She doesn't read them, but she refers to them to ensure she does not waste our time and so she makes the points she wants to make. Very professional.

Perhaps the biggest thing to come out of the circus of last night for me is that we are absolutely nowhere with the planning on the Velodrome. I mean nowhere. Chris Murray has no answers about location, cost, contingencies, etc. The velodrome shares the same deadline as the stadium. Staff is going to be working flat out to get the IWS assessment done in the next 15 minutes. What about the velodrome file?

We risk doing to the velodrome what we're likely to do with the stadium, namely accept a half-assed (or should I say half a stadium) solution to what should be a golden moment in Hamilton's history.

Some days it's tough to stay optimistic. This is one of them.

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