Raise the Hammer

That the lobbyists here, much like Fred for years, frequently used selective academic or professional references to prop up the economically untenable and mind-dumbing public discourse on city building -(which needlessly swayed uninitiated readers to mob frenzy), is a testimony to their lack of in-dept understanding of urbanism and city building; and their utter failure to understand as to what constitutes a healthy public discourse in our complex times.

Unlike yourself, who is an expert on both city building and healthy public discourse? As far as city building, what people here have done over the years is examine what works in other cities, identified the fact that Hamilton has done the opposite and lobbied to change it. As far as healthy public discourse, anyone is welcome to post an article here. In fact, your replies are often verbose enough to in fact be a brand new posting.

Lashing out at personalities; desecrating the highest office of this city; making juvenile comparisons between the present and past administration to rally fan support and mislabeling it community support; feigning hurt; maligning a sitting mayor and chief of staff by selectively presenting excerpts from their emails and interviews, and then allowing un-moderated slander -- are actions even paid lobbyist in third-world countries would not stoop to, even if their livelihood depended on it.

This demonstrates complete cluelessness as to the nature of politcs in the world. Watch Fox News for an hour and you'll see examples of this about a sitting president, never mind a mayor. Add to that the fact that the mayor in question is remarkably unclear about his positions and only really gives significant media time to Bill Kelly and it becomes obvious that we got what we deserved when we elected someone on the "shmatform" platform.

So what drives this merry band of Fred's ultimate legacy in Hamilton to such dizzying depths? Two simple word: Ignorance and Arrogance.

Oh, the irony.

Ignorance - from utter lack of professional knowledge of what they support and speak, and their reluctance to engage with those with differing opinions, who would know better. The result is that those very people who pilloried Clr. Lloyd Ferguson just a year ago with the most grotesque posters and vile comments, are now most willing to have his baby upon merely hearing that he supports their untenable views on LRT in our economic times. Such is the depth of character of this legacy.

You've missed the point. If even Lloyd Ferguson, whose ward interests are not directly served at all, can see the light on LRT then anything is possible. As far as LRT being untenable, why is this the case? Because the PCs won't support it? That's a reason that makes sense, but rather than obfuscate the issue it should be made clear that that's the reason. The current process smacks of dictatorial control. Because of where the tracks are laid? No one is truly happy with the current choices, but they were made due to a car-centric decision making process claiming that "traffic must flow".

Never mind all that, a broad swath of groups have supported LRT while those who oppose it are using the exact same language that those in other cities who went ahead with it used and were proven wrong. Perhaps you're enough of an expert to know that they are in fact right in this case? After all, it'll never work in Hamilton, right?

Arrogance - from the false appearance of power, (created by online politicking from a comfortably safe distance of the real community) which fed for years the frenzy of suburban bashing; political baiting; character assassination; misinformation; and the continuing abject denial of many struggling communities outside of the safe bubble of their imaginary urban centre.

Once again, the irony...