Raise the Hammer

The untenability of LRT in your own words:

"I agree that the Mayor and Council must make a prudent, evidence-based decision. ..."I was confused and disappointed by this report, and hoped he had been perhaps misquoted. After all, Bob Bratina strongly supported LRT when he was Ward 2 Councillor, and when Council voted unanimously to endorse Hamilton's LRT bid."~ Nicholas Kevlahan

Bratina's Statement

Here is the full text of Mayor Bratina's response to me [Nicholas Kevlahan] from July 05, 2011:

"We are completing our mandated Planning, Design and Engineering study for LRT and approaching the time of critical decision. Council will base its decision on answers to a number of questions upon which the success of the project will hinge. Simply put risks will be measured against rewards, based on analysis and evaluation of information accumulated through the process.

The critical missing piece to date is financing and the local contribution that would likely be required. Since our Council is committed to a four year plan of zero tax increases in a sustainable regime of service delivery, and no commitment has yet been made by Council the Waterloo case provides a helpful funding model for our consideration. I have copied it below.

My personal enthusiasm for LRT is tempered by certain realities involving risk. The current example of Edinburgh Scotland's LRT project can be studied through many links.

Hamilton's current estimated cost is $830 million (2008) dollars. Below is the analysis provided for Waterloo Region. This is one of many pieces that will guide Council in its decision on LRT."

Respectfully,

Bob Bratina, Mayor, City of Hamilton

LRT: What will this cost me? (BB)

Construction: $818 million. This includes estimated inflation impacts until the launch of construction in 2014. Senior governments are paying up to $565 million, leaving $253 million to local taxpayers.

Operating subsidy: $13.7 million a year in 2017 declining to $9.1 million a year by 2031.

Local tax impact: Council is considering an increase of up to 10.5 per cent in regional taxes, phased in between 2012 and 2018. This pays for rail transit construction and operating costs and expands bus service by 25 per cent to support rail transit.

Over seven years an average home (assessed at $254,000) would pay a total of $700 as tax increases are phased in. By 2018 annual taxes on an average home would be $175 higher than today.

However: Council will consider an alternate financing plan to increase regional taxes by seven per cent, phased in between 2012 and 2018. This pays for rail transit construction and operating costs and expands bus service by 25 per cent. Funding for the remaining transit costs would be paid out of tax savings from other programs.

Over seven years an average home would pay a total of $450 as tax increases are phased in. By 2018 annual taxes on an average home would be $113 higher than today.

For comparison under this option, a home assessed at $400,000 would pay a total of $709 over seven years as tax increases are phased in. By 2018 annual property taxes would be $177 higher than today.

Can the tax impact on existing homes be further reduced?

Politicians could seek to increase development charges on new buildings. This would need provincial approval. They could also designate new taxes from new buildings to the project.

........

Why Bratina is on the Right Track - Even if he Can't Explain - By Ray Lawlor, August 01, 2011, Opinion

"Very interesting read. But I'm gonna go meta for a moment and notice that even though this article goes against the 'RTH consensus' on LRT the comments are respectful and even complimentary. So much for RTH being intolerant. Mostly what we don't tolerate are anonymous trolls and random haters who drop in long enough to throw around some feces." - z jones -Comment, August 02, 2011

........

So, is this really community engagement?

• Show Your Support: We need to give Mayor Bratina and the rest of Council a clamour they can't ignore! - Nicholas, comment, July 05, 2011,

• Rudderless Council Drifts Aimlessly on LRT- An article just published on the Spectator has left me stunned and flabbergasted. - Ryan McGreal, July 05, 2011, Special Report: Light Rail

• Is Council Going to Stand For This? - Ryan McGreal, July 18, 2011, Special Report: Light Rail

• "maybe we could get Bob to show up with an 'LRT' shirt on?, jason, comment, July 18, 2011

"After Murray's and Mayor Bratina's comments over the past two weeks, and the fact that all work beyond meeting our contractual obligations to the province have been suspended and all the staff reassigned, it's abundantly clear what is going on. LRT has just been de-prioritized to death." - Ryan, comment July 19, 2011

• Ferguson Adds Clarity to LRT Discussion- Graham Crawford, July 20, 2011, Light Rail

"Just to clarify: Metrolinx coordinates regional rapid transit in the GTHA, but all funding decisions and funds will come from the Province (or from the Feds via the Province).- Ryan-comment - July 20, 2011

• Mayor Bratina Visits Bill Kelly - Again - Graham Crawford, July 26, 2011, Light Rail

• Myths and Facts about Light Rail Transit, by Ryan McGreal, August 04, 2011, Special Report: Light Rail

• Mayor Responds to Kevlahan on Light Rail - "In fact the LRT team was advised in May by senior management, not Chris Murray, on the recommendation of team leader Jill Stephen, that the mandated work would be completed and the team reassigned to their seconded positions by years end, when the contracted positions' terms expired... The City may well continue its own planning efforts, we may ask metrolinx for more money, based on the information we will receive from Jill Stephen's group. Councillor Ferguson was completely out of line in his public statements, as I subsequently pointed out to him. No strategic decision was made by Chris Murray, except to ensure that the mandated work is completed in a timely fashion. ~(BB)" -- "I am grateful that he took the time to read my contributions to the public discussion over urban planning and LRT in Hamilton. Public debate is important... ~(NK) - Nicholas Kevlahan, August 05, 2011, Light Rail

• Murray: 'I Would Suggest Reading the Email Again' - Ryan McGreal, August 12, 2011, Light Rail

• More Words of Comfort from Dear Leader - Graham Crawford, September 06, 2011, Commentary

• "Time for a huge public push-back. Our City, Our Future..." - jason - comment, September 14, 2011

• Clark: Hamilton is Being Played on LRT- Ryan McGreal, September 12, 2011, Special Report: Light Rail

"Yep, sounds like a logical thing for any mayor to do. Turn down hundreds of millions in investment paid by the province" - jason--comment, September 12, 2011

• A Short History of LRT Planning in Hamilton - Are we going to sit back and let this happen? "We can't properly evaluate the state of LRT planning in Hamilton today without the context of the four-year history that brought us here." - Ryan McGreal, September 14, 2011, Special Report: Light Rail

" I have been scratching my head all summer, trying to understand why Mayor Bratina has decided he doesn't like our LRT plan any more. None of the possibilities I've come up with are particularly satisfying, and in any case all of them are mere speculation." - Ryan--comment September 14, 2011

Note: It is interesting to observe that while all editorial opinions on LRT are filed as "Report" or "Special Report" - all opposing opinions & responses on LRT are filed as: "Opinions" or "Light Rail" -- and openly allowed to be vilified by un-moderated comments.

........

"Ryan, ...Do you realize how this evangelical zeal which takes no prisoners - has in fact ended up deeply hurting the odds of the Liberals in Hamilton - not to mention the very cause of the alternative transportation strategy for the City of Hamilton? Dissent was never a zero-sum game." - Mahesh, comment, September 12, 2011

Come on even Laura Babcock, Martinus Geleynse or Mark Cripps manages to do a better job of evangelizing selective community views than what RTH is doing on LRT and WH views.

In the memorable quote from Undustrial's tag line: "We shouldn't be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas." — Noam Chomsky

Brandon, my views on the untenability of LRT will be self-published soon, as a comment -(not as an opinion, special report or a commentary), under the same thread where you managed to define Hamilton's single biggest comprehension obstacle - so very profoundly with your: "Switch to a flat view and the problem is solved!"

Comment edited by Mahesh_P_Butani on 2011-09-15 20:05:09