Daniel is an engaged Hamiltonian who is a volunteer on many fronts. These include: Chair, Property Standards (City of Hamilton), · Chair, Clean City Liaison Committee (City of Hamilton), · Past Chair, Waste Reduction Task Force (City of Hamilton), · Chair, Transportation Committee (Hamilton Chamber of Commerce),· Chair, DARTS Board of Directors, President, Hamilton Chapter (Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario). Daniel is also a member of the Hamilton Rotary Club, Winona Men’s Club, and the
Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for the Hamilton Police Services. Suffice it to say, he has a passion for this city and his community. Daniel elected to answer each question put to him. Welcome to 10+ Tough Questions with Daniel Rodrigues. Comments welcome.
1. I’d like to ask you a question in the context of your role as Chair, property Standards. Why do we have so many derelict properties in our city? How do these properties reach a stage of demolition by neglect and why has it come to this?
In answering this question, I’ll need to clarify the role of the Property Standards Committee (PSC): The PSC is a judicial committee which hears appeals from property owners/managers who disagree with the ‘order to comply’ issued against their property. Comprised of 5 volunteer citizen representatives as chosen by Council, the only time we may delve into policy is when we arrive at a particular decision.
To address the questions, I’d have to say that our state of present status of property standards concerns rests in a combinative mix of Political will and Community will. As an illustration of each of these “wills” the Lister Block and graffiti come to mind.
Unless I am mistaken, there was a plan brought forward by Joseph Mancinelli of LIUNA to tear down the Lister Block and build a replica building. Efforts were thwarted by Council who stuck by standards set by Heritage Designation. Fast forward to the upgrades to City Hall, and an exception was made by Council to allow the use of replication versus same materials to place on the outer shell of the structure. In other words, what wasn’t acceptable for a private developer, was okay for City Hall. This inconsistency has the potential to create apathy among property owners who question the importance of policy making and execution.
Community Will also contributes to the acceptable standards we expect with our buildings and community. I was at a community meeting last year speaking on graffiti (aka vandalism) when a community member stated that there has been graffiti gracing the walls of a prominent business location for over a year. While I don’t want to remove ownership from the property owner, no one from the community had picked up the phone to call the police or the City to report the graffiti on the building. This can leave a measure of perceived acceptance by the community that graffiti is okay.
If we’re looking to resolve the state in which buildings are maintained, then we need to hold strong on our policies, and provide the community with tools needed to bring those buildings who neglect to hold our community standards into check. I can say with pure certainty that once the promotion of what to do when graffiti is witnessed was implemented in 2009, the police and the City Call Centre witnessed a dramatic increase in community engagement.
2. What makes you proud about Hamilton, and what drives you nuts about Hamilton?
I’d have to say that my first pride in Hamilton is its proximity to Toronto, Niagara Falls, and my hometown of London, Ontario. Long before Chris Ecklund commenced the (long overdue) promotion of Hamilton’s waterfalls, I had taken great pleasure in hiking around the various places of Hamilton which showcased the multitude of waterfalls. My family and friends who visit from London are always taken out for a discovery of the ‘underground’ of Hamilton’s beautiful sightlines.
On the flip side, I was with a senior person with GO Transit and the comment made to me was that Hamilton is known as being in a constant state of “malaise”. It took Hamilton about 50 years to complete the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and the Red Hill Valley Parkway. We appear to struggle with decisions, and as a result we get left behind in terms of progress. One only has to look at Hamilton’s growth and success in the last 20 years, and realize that most likely our largest growth is in the social assistance sector or poverty rates…not something to be proud of. As a whole, Hamilton needs to identify its strengths and move past obstacles of the past.
3. You are very involved in many things and have volunteered a great deal of your time. What drives you to do so and can you give us an example of the challenges and rewards you have encountered along the way.
I’m not really sure what drives me to be an active community participant…perhaps a quick check of my sanity would answer that question! :) In all seriousness, I only do what I do because I can do what I do. There are a number of rewards that are provided to someone who can make a positive difference in the community in which one lives.
Without getting into specifics, my style has certainly raised some challenges along the way, and I expect as much. When one participates or leads a group of volunteers, there is an expectation that respect and trust is earned not simply given. Dealing with certain Committees populated with a member or two of Council or City Staff representation, it is important to make sure that I remain open to the politics of moving things forward.
What is important is that I can move past the challenges in order to reach the objectives set forth by the Committee.
4. You’ve been part of many committees. What is the most effective city related committee you have ever been on? What made it effective?
While I’d be almost foolish if I didn’t say that all the Committees I’ve been on were equally effective, and I’d be equally foolish if I singled one out as being more effective than the other!
What makes committees effective though, is active participation by those around the table. The best example of this would be: A couple of years ago the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee wanted to weigh in on the subject of Community Councils. Chaired by Dr. John Knechtel, participants provided their time and expertise from various industries. John’s style ensured full disclosure of progress and concerns, as well as held participants accountable for contribution…in other words; no one was allowed to just say they were on the Committee. The end result saw a well-received recommendation that I had the pleasure to present to the Standing Committee of General Governance at the Ontario Legislative Building.
5. To the extent that not all committees, working groups or roundtables are as effective as they might be, what advice might you have to make such efforts worthwhile?
Stay focused on the Mandate. It’s very easy for groups comprised of volunteers to become distracted by issues which may be important to a particular participant or group, but not necessarily a component of the mandate.
Ensure those participating on the Committee are the right folks to represent the group. Merely appointing individuals to a particular Committee as a form of recognition for past support, or accepting individuals who may be eager to just belong, procedures must be in place to protect the Committee from ‘bobbleheads’ (those that only sit and nod) and ‘MINO’s (members in name only) or ‘RB’s (resume builders).
Understand the Mandate of the Committee…Generally speaking, Committees are formed with the intent to provide advice or create policies aimed at bettering the Community in which we live, work and play. Caution members on the level of their participation, so that projects or concepts are not dependant on the Committee member to execute. I have heard all too often the phrase “we did this project, but then member ‘x’ left the committee…” No project or concept that made a difference should falter when a committee member leaves. Back to my first point, successful groups are those which create sustainable programs within their mandate. Relying on committee members to execute programs will only lead to failure further down the road.
6. Can you comment on our transportation infrastructure. What is working well, what needs to be changed and why?
Hamilton’s transportation infrastructure is poised to be one of the best in Canada. Our proximity to the marine shipping corridor, our airport lands and its designation for future growth, our rail linkage, and our road designs all carry the correct balance required to have Hamilton prosper.
Obviously, there is still work to be done on the use of roads in and around Hamilton. We are reaching peak travel concerns both towards Toronto and now Niagara, which highlights the need to provide proper transportation links for goods movement.
I’m of the belief that we should be working on the North/South Light Rail Rapid Transit corridor first, versus the East/West line as planned by the City. There are far too many restrictions for economic growth on the East/West line, and while one could argue that there will be a bounty of users on the East/West line…the question will be on how to build up around that line. The North/South line holds the availability for employment growth much stronger than the East/West corridor.
Statistics consistently illustrate that roughly 30% of Hamiltonians leave the City each day to go to work. That number is not being displaced by the same number arriving into Hamilton, so there is a clear demonstration that we require more employment opportunities within our Community.
On April 27th, 2009 the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics (MITL) released a study on the requirements needed to develop a sustainable strategy for Hamilton to be a gateway. Through the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, an initiative was commenced to adopt a strategy to see Hamilton be the ‘centre’ for regional employment growth through a properly marketed campaign, mirrored from the highly successful SmartPort program in Kansas City.
Utilizing the resources of Hamilton’s transportation network, we position ourselves to see true economic growth. Reliance on strictly manufacturing success will no longer control the prosperity of our Community, but rather the accessibility within our Region will control our successes. Through the expansion of employment lands, connected through multi-modal transportation linkages, our ability to prosper becomes clearer.
7. As a member of the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee for the Hamilton Police Services, were you surprised at Glenn De Caire being appointed as our new Chief? In an unscientific poll run in The Hamiltonian, 72% of those who responded, believed that the new Chief will make a difference. Do you believe so? Why or why not?
Yes, I was pleasantly surprised to hear of De Caire’s appointment. Given the political influence of the Police Services Board, the choice to appoint someone from outside of Hamilton’s Police Services was a welcoming appointment.
De Caire is relatively young, and has a great future ahead of him. I would expect that his goals are to continue to excel in his career path, and that his Hamilton appointment is merely one more step along the way. I fully expect that De Caire will find himself back in Toronto or in a leadership role at the Provincial or Federal level. And, in order to accomplish that, he’ll need to enact change within Hamilton’s Police Services.
Personally, I’m looking forward to working with De Caire through the Clean City Liaison Committee and the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee, as my expectations are that we will continue to move the needle forward in mitigating crime and vandalism opportunities in Hamilton.
And, to reference my answer to Question 5, I hope that the changes brought forward for the betterment of Hamilton continue past De Caire’s tenure.
8. What do you think of term limits for municipal politicians? Do you support the notion? Why or why not?
Give me a good reason to support term limits, and I may change my mind. But, using term limits as a means of simply removing ‘deadwood’ from the Council floor is weak and reactionary in nature.
I’d challenge that one of the reasons incumbents have been so successful is that opponents who run against the incumbent fail to provide a sound platform that separates them from the incumbent. Let’s face it, if nothing was to change, who would you vote for? The devil you know, or the devil you don’t know?
Ideally, candidates wishing to run for a Municipal Seat should be active within the Community in which they are choosing to represent. Simply putting names on a ballot only exasperates the situation, as those looking to de-throne the incumbent will find themselves splitting the vote, leaving the incumbent with the greatest number of votes.
The voter sets the term limit. If you’re looking for change, then challenge the incumbent to provide examples of how they’ve moved Hamilton forward. Be specific in your challenge, and ensure that you have an option available for the voter, in case the answer is not to your liking.
9. How would you rate this city council’s performance to date?
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t rate it very high or well. This particular term of Council has seen some oddities that one would not expect to see from such a seasoned core of Representatives.
There is over 150 years of combined representative Councilor experience currently occupying the Municipal seats at City Hall, yet sometimes decorum mimics that of a rookie season. There remains a dire need to draw distractions like amalgamation, rural versus urban, and ‘fiefdom-ism’ out of the process.
We are entering our 10th year post-amalgamation, and we’re still battling issues which should have been dealt with years ago (such as area rating). I'm not sure if I would be proud to say it’s taken me 10 years to reach a consensus on how to make Hamilton a better place to live, work, and play as a complete Community versus still harbouring its identity through former Township names.
I don’t want to remove local community identity, but rather draw individuals’ sense of where they live, work or play to beyond their man-made boundaries. Recently, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce (again through the tireless work of Dr. Knechtel) created a policy of principle titled “Hamilton – The City of Many Communities, One Economy”. The basis of this principle is to recognize that Hamilton’s success is incumbent on the success of its communities. Ancaster cannot succeed as a community unless Stoney Creek succeeds. Glanbrook cannot succeed unless Dundas succeeds. Flamborough cannot succeed unless Hamilton succeeds. No one community is above the rest. Council has accepted this principle, and now the test will be to see if they can adopt the principle into their practices and policies.
10. How can we encourage Hamiltonians to increase voter turn out in this upcoming municipal election?
Further education and engagement is desperately needed at the voter level. Municipal politicians are very good at compartmentalizing voters concerns, which creates a development of disconnect between the voter’s influence and the outcome.
Not to isolate Councilor Bratina, but his reaction to leave a meeting in which discussions and decisions were being made regarding a building within his Ward does send a wrong message. If the individual representing your Ward doesn’t stay to fight for the cause (whether a losing battle or not), then why should a voter bother showing up on Election Day?
I also believe we need a dynamic leader. Mayor Eisenberger may have certain leadership qualities, but being charismatic is not one of them. The only animation you’ll see of Eisenberger is in a comic book. While I’m not advocating that true leadership is encompassed by a theatric individual, however if you’re looking for voter interest, you need to bring a vibrant individual to the forefront. From Obama to Trudeau…like ‘em or love ‘em, voters love leaders who possess some entertainment value that shows their ‘human’ side.
(As a side note, I also coach U18 Girls soccer for Hamilton in the CANUSA games in August each year, and two years ago when Hamilton was in Flint, I attended a social gathering for the Coaches and Dignitaries on the Saturday evening. I had the pleasure of watching Mayor Fred and his wife Diane get jiggy with it, dancing to Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back”, and Flo Rida’s “Low”…impressive!)
11. Do you think the Integrity Commissioner position will actually make a meaningful difference, or do you think it is just a political gesture?
I guess to answer this question, I’d have to understand what ‘meaningful difference’ we are hoping to achieve through an Integrity Commissioner. Like setting term limits, are we just responding to a concern that the public is constantly being duped by our elected officials?
The voting public did a wonderful job of managing the integrity of their elected officials when they ousted Mayor Di Ianni, who at the time was facing some tough questions on his financial management of his campaign. If we had had an Integrity Commissioner (IC) at that time, would Di Ianni been re-elected based on the mere fact that the manner in question would be in the hands of the IC and therefore, punishment would be managed differently?
The IC will be looking at the Terry Whitehead allegation as his first piece of business…assume for a second that Councilor Whitehead is found at fault, and his penance is handed down. Will Whitehead stand a better chance of being re-elected versus if there were no IC involvement in the issue?
As you can see…there are more questions than answers on this one. I will say this; I find it rather interesting that some of those who moved and/or participated for the inception of an IC have found themselves under the scrutiny of ethical concern (Whitehead, Clark & Eisenberger).
Thank-you Daniel for your contribution to The Hamiltonian and for your volunteer work in our city.
Hi Daniel: I think it is great that you volunteer.
ReplyDeleteYes the poverty levels are high and I noticed that you affliated with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. In reference to poverty and health, I wonder as I gave this suggestion to someone elso who is affliated with the same organzation that you would do focus groups on the foodbank users, to see how this system is failing and contributing to peoples health. the lack of fresh food, the lack of choice. Most of the food is processed food, high in sugar, salt and fat.
Also as you sit on the Board of Directors for DARTS, I wonder if you can look into the policies that cover temp workers at the location. I was a temp there, and well, my experience was not so great, had to deal with a bully and besides that when I was terminated for what reason I do not know but that particular temp company refused to give me my Record of Employment even though I had requested it severals, which caused great hardship to me.
Workplace bullying is rampant and it is a horrible experince to go through. Temp workers have the least amount of protection in the workplace and it seems highly unfair, that as a temp worker you have to tolerate bullies and when you do complain, nothing is done about it.
Why should a temp worker have to tolerate someone who yells, throws paperwork and stomps away. All I ever heard was that this particular person was that they were a star, well maybe to those who were above them but not to those beneath them.
It seems to me this guy has a bit of an OCD that he needs to be on so many committees. When does he have time to have a real life
ReplyDeleteMr. Rodrigues is a stand up guy that I would compare to Mr. Merulla in his godlike expediency. Early last spring I notified Mr. Rodrigues that I wished to organize a few of my neighbors into a blitz to clean-up our back alley. Mr. Rodrigues didn't give me a chance to organize when like a whirlwind, he and his com padres gave our alley a clean-sweep before I could say, "Hold on a second, I am trying to form a neighborhood watch group!!!"
ReplyDeleteMr. Rodrigues wasn't aware of my community intention and I won't hold that against him. However, I was disappointed when I expressed my concern about hate speech graffiti on the rooftop of a derelict building which received no attention for many months.
March 10, 2009
"PS - Was wondering why hate speech has been allowed to persist atop the old Westinghouse on Barton near Wellington. Isn't this the type of thing that's supposed to be removed quickly? Is that 'keenur' tagger on the loose again?"
I never got a reply, and after many more weeks passed, I reported the hate speech to [HateCrimes.ca]. The foul language directed at the Hamilton Police was then removed within a couple weeks.
Nearly a year later, our alley is full of garbage and graffiti again. Yesterday I found some gray paint and covered over some 300' of tags. Would you believe, one of those tags was [KEENUR]?
People are often effective at treating symptoms for which their committees were formed, but are generally ineffective at culling the root of the problem. Perhaps this can be attributed to the vast majority of RB's, MINO's and bobbleheads orchestrated into playing the public affairs game of musical chairs.
Thanks for sharing Dan.
I think Mr. Rodrigues has an accurate point of view when it comes to the City. We are in a malaise that has crippled us for decades. Not only is any decision a long and drawn out ordeal - the decisions end up being returned to long after. Like the Red Hill Creek - people are still going on about it. But just go down to Queenston Road and watch the cars, it is just what this city needed, a route to move tons of traffic up and down, especially in an area that had such poor north/south connections.
ReplyDeleteTalking North/South, I agree that any LRT (or such system) really needs to move people north to south, because the Mountain has long been a hurdle. Right now, we have pretty good public transit east to west - but up and down the mountain is pretty bad, especially when one gets any distance away from Upper James. For instance, in the area around Nebo where I used to work, where if I didn't have a car, I'd be looking at two hours of taking three buses to get there; whereas I can zoom from Dundas all the way down to Mohawk College at Saltfleet in an hour or less.
I think it is curious why we have the need to run so many buses up and down the Jolley Cut - it seems like a pretty big waste of fuel to me. Perhaps we should have a single link from downtown up to a station on the mountain, that runs every five minutes or so; and then have all of the mountain buses meet it there? Kind of like the old Incline, but run right into downtown, and up to say, the old police station on Upper Wellington.
But I wander from the topic... One thing that I see is that someone like Mr. Rodrigues sits on so many committees and boards - somehow he has managed to dial into those things - while the current process leaves many out in the cold because it is so difficult to get an "in", and because the process cares not that one is a citizen or has interests or skills, but only about "experience", which means being dialed in by some crony, rather than on a transparent selection process that is free of discrimination.
Many thanks again to Cal for the opportunity to participate in the "Ten Tough Questions", and I would like to follow-up with some of the comments thus far:
ReplyDeleteTo Michelle: Thanks for the feedback on HSF and DARTS. I will follow-up with you accordingly to hopefully provide some further information on your comments.
To Tom: I have to say that's the first I've been told I may have OCD. Yikes...I hope that's not the case, but appreciate the concern all the same.
To WRCU2: My apologies for stifling an attempt to rally the neighbourhood around keeping the area clean and free of graffiti. I'm confident that you will see some positive changes with respects to your concerns on the lack of response on the 'hate-crime' graffiti. If you are still interested in forming a community group, please contact me & I'll do what I can from my end to get this going.
To Anonymous: The selection process for volunteer committees is often cumbersome and could be construed as 'crony-ism'in nature. If there is a particular committee that you are wanting to be a part of...keep factual and open to other views/ideas, and where possible look for concessions in reaching goals/objectives. (I hope you don't think I'm a crony...If anything, I think I'm more of an enigma!! lol!!)
I'd like to thank those that have commented thus far...your feedback is appreciated.
Thanks for the reply Mr. Rodrigues, you have a generous helping of courage to go along with your expediency, truly the virtues of a champion.
ReplyDeleteI spoke too soon about my personal fight against graffiti in my neighborhood. Within 24 hours the taggers returned with a vengeance and there is now more than before. Can this type of behavior be associated with anything in particular? Do video games like Grand Theft Auto or Saints Row played on giant screens have something to do with our children vandalizing their own neighborhoods?
Why is a serial vandal like KEENUR still roaming the streets? Why hasn't this punk's parents or guardians been put to shame publicly as an example to other parents/guardians? What is the school system's role in this regard?
I know that I feel good about my community when it is in tip-top shape. I'll go out, socialize and spend some money. But when it looks like spit, I just wanna stay home and mind my own business. Thank God I've never caught one of these [taggers in the act]. The problem is that when they are caught, they are usually [too young to prosecute]. One day I caught a group of teens attempting to break into the YWCA. I shot them with my camera. Would you believe these hoodlums called the police on me for taking their picture!?!?!?
I want to see parents/guardians punished for the behavior of their underage children. My children have never done anything like these acts of vandalism so their mother and I must've done something right! Where is the intervention?
What has the Clean City Liaison Committee been doing to stop pollution and vandalism from occurring in the first place? Please tell IT to me straight Daniel because I want to be a part of that process!
Daniel: Thank you so much for at least listening to my concerns. As a volunteer, you may not have a lot of pull but at least if you can get discussions going, that would be great.
ReplyDeleteWRCU2: This topic about graffiti was brought up on raise the hammer a while back. Someone posted some really great pictures of street art. One picture that stills remains in my mndset was the parking lot, that was transformed into a garden. Each line was transformed into a flower, I thought it looked really great, it adds color to a drab grey concrete world. There were lots of other interesting pieces of art, so these things do not necessarily upset me.
Now the other, like Keenur, well that is just not the right place to be doing that, I mean it is not even artistic, so what do we do about that, is the question.
I wonder though, if we built something or have a designated area, that these young people could go and express themselves. Maybe some of them need to directed toward art.
Stealing or breaking into a place is not right and well that is a different obstacle that we as a society must contend with.
I do not know about something about the gang mentality comes to mind, young people experience peer pressure, to belong, I am not saying it is right but sometimes young people just make dumb choices and sometimes those choices will follow them the rest of their lives. Something tells me that our society as a whole is to blame.
Dan:
ReplyDeleteI had not intended to attach yourself to the "cronyism" - but rather, to make a general statement that, as you stated youself, that the system of selection is opaque. It just seems to me to be some kind of lottery, where once one finds that magic combination to "get in", the sky is the limit; while the vast majority of those who are interested are railroaded the moment they apply simply because they are not in the "in crowd".
I think people need to take initiative, but we also need a more coherent, and more regularized system, at least with those committees that are attached to the governance of the City at large, like the Library Board, and such. It just seems to me that they put in a number of requirements by which most people can not qualify, like needing experience in committees before they will consider a candidate, which simply means that the vast bulk are those who kind of inhabit the positions, rather than having any new blood injected, except for those who put forth some superhuman effort, or have an insiders track.
This is not only an issue with committees, but I think it is the root and stem of the demand that politicians of all ilks be regulated by term limits. Now, we might have someone like Lincoln Alexander or Dave Christopherson, who have performed a top drawer job and really worked for the community, who really make a case for not having term limits. But on the other hand, we have entire slates of people who are the proof that we need term limits.
I think out City Council has become stagant simply because there is no dynamic. Not that any one councillor does a bad job; but the mix doesn't suit the community, and without any new blood, the old gridlock can not be removed. Without opportunity, we simply can not generate interest or bring people into the process, since the old guard continues on. Now, if our Council was high quality, with people that could easily put aside their own personal self interests, and actually start looking at things in a technocratic manner, that would be one thing. But we have a Council that persists in the old arguments - really, they keep beating issues of two and three decades ago into the ground. They are simply unable to address new issues, at least without some further beating of those things that have long since passed.
We simply have too many people engaged in sketchy behaviours, and who are never actually punished. It's one thing to do things to attract attention to something, and though people like Merulla and Collins rattle the cage and rile people, at least they do it with some degree of honour. Then there are people like Clark who do it to score things for their own reeelction; or the slate of "suburban" councillors who engage in their daily fight, railing against Amalgamation, and engaging in furtive behaviours that score cheap votes at the cost of doing anything of worth for the City at large.
I think many of the committees end up with the same deal, with a bunch of the stagant old guard doing their old guard things, and maintaining an opaque system by which the new blood has no chance of becoming involved in. And again, for every person like youself or Mr. DiFalco and the other people who do a great job for this City; I can only imagine the dross and swart that simply waste oxygen, inhabiting valuable spaces in which the current system excludes the new blood that, though unproven, is that which is the pool of talent that the City needs to tap.
Michelle: Before I can comment, and so readers may peruse said resource as well, what is the link to the discussion you mentioned?
ReplyDelete"This topic about graffiti was brought up on [raise the hammer] a while back."
I am at extraordinary leisure to discuss [street art.
On a similar line of fandemonium,
Who said this in the Hamiltonian?
"I'm surprised it hasn't been tagged, like almost every other stationary object around town, like mail and hydro boxes."
Another commented on the peculiar street art.
"Hmmm perhaps like in Arthur C. Clarke's vision of the future, an intelligence far beyond our own planted it in central Hamilton hoping to spur an evolutionary leap forward."
Someone else made this reference of the same piece.
"But like Tom's link suggests, Monkeys See A Tall Slab.
Judging by Cal's reaction, I don't think it in-
spires an evolutionary leap forward."
Anonymous last: You do yourself a disservice by not assigning to yourself a memorable moniker. Well mete.
Dan (& Sam?): IT hurts me a great deal when not so much for myself but for my neighbor's sake, whom I'll call Mr. McClean, had to repaint his garage door three times last year. I also know that he personally painted his immediate neighbors door as well as his own at least once.
I am of limited resources. I have a half-gallon of gray porch paint left and at the current rate of application, I won't be able to stretch IT to the end of February. Last year I asked for the complimentary Pitch-In posters I could place in my favorite shopkeeper's stores alerting neighbors to a Clean-Sweep event. The professional posters would have given my community endeavor badly needed credibility. What I got were two lime green reusable sacks that said Clean-Sweep on them and 6 thirty gallon, clearly labeled, Pitch-In.ca garbage bags; No potential block party, no garden club, not a single Saturday Euchre partner was recruited in the effort.
Hey, there's always next year, EH?
WRCU2: Here is the link that you have requested
ReplyDeletehttp://www.raisethehammer.org/blog/1280/roadsworth:_art_or_vandalism
There is a short video. It probably is not for everyones taste but my view is that what this particular street artist has created, is ok with me. This person does not do people private residences.
Right at the end of the video you will see the flowers I was talking about. Like beauty, I gues art is in the eye of the beholder.
Michelle, [the link] provided is a worthy discussion and many points of view were disclosed. However, the short film would not play on my machine. I kept getting this message in French and I believe IT says the film is not available at this time.
ReplyDeleteDésolé
Ce film n'est pas disponible
por lê momênt
My opinion of Guerrilla Gardening is that wildlife routinely plant seed through deposits of their excrement anyway, so there is nothing wrong with a human being hurling a seed package over a brownfield fence. Idle/underutilized lands are a disgrace to this city. They might as well be greened over in the spirit of the fabled Johnny Appleseed.
WRCU2: Yes I had trouble getting it play last night as well but it finally did.
ReplyDeleteThe artist, was fined and did community service but to me, his work was really great. It should be also noted that after, the artist did get commissioned to do some art work.
To further your point about the idle land around the city, it is really too bad that this land is not cleaned up and reused to grow things, such as food. There was talk about raised garden beds in an area in the downtown area but I see that there has been no movement toward this.
Since food security is a major issue for many in community, I think it would be great to revitalize that land that is sitting empty and unused so people can grow food, classes could be taught in how to perserve food. Canning, freezing or even drying food, would help so many people and they would not have to rely on the foodbanks. Vegetables and fruit are important to a healthy diet.
Private property is private while someone may appreciate artwork with flowers the property owner may not and needs to have his rights respected.
ReplyDeleteHighly commendable working on so many committees! Now my question for Daniel is this not too much from few people? Should there be more of a diverse group of people in order to bring more flavour. I know for a fact that the selection process to be accepted to serve on committees is done by council members and as such it is possible to build the make up of any committees to mirror the politics of council. I do not agree with Daniel in regards to unseat elected officials, all that one needs is a good platform. It is well known that elected officials have many advantages over anybody who presents themselves for election. Study after study have proven this case and that is why terms would give other people a chance to serve.
ReplyDeleteOne question from Daniel “What amount of receptivity do council give to committee input in governing this city? More simply put “How much influence on council do committees have?
Great dialog, let´s keep IT upbeat. I feel the urge to pontificate Tom but where´s that gonna get me, in the end? I´m going to explore an idea I just had as a result of this interview´s acute progression.
ReplyDeleteI know a [young lady] in her second year at Mac taking Studio [Fine Arts]. She has been asked by LIUNA to produce a mural in the core near James Street North. She has been approved for the funding and is itching to create. She will need help from other artists or perhaps from youth whose talents are not yet being realized on the proper mediums. Take taggers for instance.
Our young lady needs studio space for a few months where [she and her crew] may work in a safe warm environment, preferably with other successful artisans nearby for inspiration. The space required should be in the neighborhood of 15' x 40' or about 500 square feet. The mural will measure approximately 6' x 35'.
Any suggestions? My first thought was to ask Jeremy Freidburger of the [ICCA] if he could help with donated studio space. Why not? Our artisan loves fibre art and this would be a handsome fit. Then I thought of all you guys and gals out here, and perhaps some who may be patrons of the arts or an endearing champion that needs to stand up and be recognized. Maybe even our friends and neighbors in the media could find some merit in our strive for this city and how we try to test the limits of what IT has to offer as we navigate our way around IT's political quagmires amidst the indifferent corporate stalwarts.
Anyone want to become part of a solution that's in a culturally desirable growth industry? Are you sick and tired of seeing how ugly things are getting and are you ready to be inspired?
Do something, be an inspiration. Action squeaks louder than words. And we all know the speaky wheels get the oil.
Jeremy would be a good start, or how about Gary Santucci at the Pearl Company, he may know where or at least have some contacts to help.
ReplyDeleteMaybe ask at the Skydragon if they know of a spot. Post an article on Raise the Hammer.
I hope that helps
I am really not sure how Mr. Rodriguez can effectly contribute when he chairs so many committees. I certainly would not want someone to be involved with my interest group if he feels he needs to chair so many other committees as well. It seems very over zelous on his part. i know the time involved to effectively contribute, it seems with his roles as chair of everything that he has a control issue.
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank the comments and input thus far. The points and concerns surrounding graffiti will continue to be drawn out as we (the CCLC and the City & Police) strive to better the programs and initiatives aimed at minimizing graffiti's effects.
ReplyDeleteYves Dubeau had asked about receptivity and influence of committees on Council, and I firmly believe that answer lies within the mandate of the committee. Forwarding recommendations or input from a committee based on best efforts, generally carry the most influence. Committees who hold themselves accountable to their mandate tend to be more productive and influential.
Jan 21 Anonymous indicates that perhaps I may be overly zealous, and that I have a control issue. I would have to agree in part to the comment. While I do Chair a number of committees, it was not my 'modus operandi' for joining a particular committee...for the most part, the role was recommended by fellow committee members. When I have fulfilled my term in the 'hot seat', I am more than happy to relinquish the role accordingly. That said, I do take pride in being a Chair, and apply best efforts to raise the profile/influence of said committee accordingly. I am appreciative of the committee members who share similar outlooks, and confidence in my tenure.
Cal, once again I appreciate forums such as yours to highlight the various community members who contribute to Hamilton's successes. I truly am humbled to be profiled in the same venue.
Well Mete Mr. Rodrigues, perhaps someday if the stars align we'll bump into each other at a public meeting or a fondly held community room event.
ReplyDeleteCheers