Reactions and Advice for Mayor Elect Bratina

Update: It has come to our attention that we mis-quoted Edward Graydon. This was done in error and we have updated his post. See it below. With apologies to Edward.


Update: Jason Farr's comments included




With the advent of a new mayor, we sent an email out to all the newly elected and re-elected members of council. We also sent the same email to all of the mayoral candidates.


Two questions were posed in the email, in a "fill in the blank" style.


1. My reaction to having Mr. Bratina as our new mayor is ...
2. My advice to Mr. Bratina in taking on his new role is ...


We asked the recipients of the email, to provide us with their quotes to these two questions. The emails that are listed on this web site, were used.  


The interesting thing, is that we only received two replies. We're wondering if this is indicative of a hesitancy to say anything at this point, or simply a symptom of post election fatigue. In any event, here are the two response we received. They are in "raw form", unedited and posted verbatim. 

Our readership is welcome to fill in the blanks and post their own answers and/or comment on the answers below:

What the Heck Happened?

In a recent unscientific poll conducted on The Hamiltonian, 51% of those who responded, said that they were not willing to give this new council a fresh chance. To the extent that this poll may provide us with any degree of insight, it begs the question as to why the majority of the ward councillors who were in place in last council, were once again re-elected? With the degree of angst and upset, as expressed on blogs, and in other media, over the handling of the Pan Am Games and over the performance of council in general, one might think that many incumbents would be turfed. Instead, we see many of the same faces- some, considered to be "career politicians"


So, what is your theory as to why this happened? Is it because all the blame was put on the Mayor? Is it because the challengers to the incumbents were not convincing enough? Was it that they ran poor campaigns? Was it the cash factor- corporate/union donations anyone?  Was it that there were too many challengers, enabling some incumbents to slip through? Was it a combination of all these factors and more? Was it a loyal base? Or is it because we truly believe that many of the councillors from the last term are the best people to lead us in the next four years?


How do you interpret what happened, and what factors do you think played most heavily in shaping the outcome? 


We haven't checked in with CHML's Scott Thompson. We hope he hasn't suffered a coronary ;-)

Pic of the Moment

Click on pic to see the sign better

Could have been a bit of a ruff ride, but who says we didn't have options?


Thanks MAB for the pic. 

Hats Off to Dundas - Ward 13

The good people of Dundas, Ward 13, have really taken to The Hamiltonian. Via Channel 13, they have not only been heavily engaged prior to and through the election, but they've kept engaged and used The Hamiltonian, as a vehicle to converse about issues facing Ward 13 and the city. To witness a good example of how social media can serve as the fabric for discussion and citizen engagement, check out Channel 13. 


If you would like to start a channel for your ward, simply email adminhamiltonian@cogeco.ca, and we'll open it up. 

Target Practice?

The Mayor represents only one vote, thus being at par with the ward councillors (at least from a voting perspective) . In simple terms, the Mayor simply can't make things happen. He has to be able to persuade a number of ward councillors to vote in favour of his direction. In a system where each councillor and the mayor are equally empowered vote-wise, the tendency to horse trade, bicker or otherwise use almost any tactic to prevail, is, at times,  resorted to. 


Mayor-elect Bratina will need to find a way to win his colleagues over- at least with his ideas and policies.  As a councilor he was many times outspoken and not shy to call out errors or points of disagreement. As Mayor Elect and eventually as Mayor, the reception he receives may be quite telling of how functional or dysfunctional this new council will be.   More telling might be, how Bratina reacts to it. Will some of his peers be vying to "teach the new mayor a lesson"? Or will they be professional enough to support Mayor Elect Bratina? 


In the face of disruption, will Bob be able to control or regulate decorum? Or are the archers gearing up?


For what it's worth, The Hamiltonian is hopeful that council will find greater harmony going forward, keep the best interests of Hamilton in mind, and support themselves and our new mayor.


Your predictions?

Music to the Ears

Busker Ken Steffler has once again triumphed in court, as a charge of loitering, did not succeed. He was facing a $50 fine and $15 surcharge on the provincial offence. The defense lawyer in the case cited the Justice of the Peace saying that he “made comments about how busking is part of a vibrant cityscape and adds to the community as long as you’re not creating hazards or obstructing people, and that great cities have buskers in them”.

Full story in The Spec. See it here

Going to Farr?

Looks like birds will soon no longer be going to Farr Island to hang out. In a battle that pitted animal rights activists against environmentalists, an attempt to petition the courts to block a plan to sink the island , has failed. The island  is to be submerged to allow for a habitat for fish. According to a Spec report, (see it here) The Hamilton Port Authority wants to turn Farr into an enlarged artificial shoal to create spawning beds for lake herring and whitefish, which have disappeared from the western end of Lake Ontario.

Drowning in Debt

According to a recent CATCH article, finance staff are forecasting a $7.2 million deficit. A noteworthy part of this debt is attributable to a $14.3 million drop in expected water/sewer revenues. Seven million was in the residential sector where water consumption dropped 10 percent. Climatic , conservation efforts and economic conditions have a direct impact on water conditions, says a staff report.


Do you find it somewhat counter intuitive that water conservation contributes to more debt, through a decrease in water revenues? 

The Di-Eisenberger Thing

While the primary motivation of Fred Eisenberger and Larry Di Ianni was to lead this great city again, it would be reasonable to assume that winning the race over one another would have been a secondary sweet spot. Having unseated Di Ianni by a hair in the previous election- a margin that likely haunted Di Ianni for some time- the race between the two had to have been a vested one.  


The results, while not as slim as last time, were close. Former mayor Larry Di Ianni came in second place with 28.5 per cent, while incumbent mayor Fred Eisenberger came in third with 27.17 per cent. The irony is that the result has no impact, as Bratina  pulled in 37.44 per cent of the vote.

There's a New Girl in Town

Defeating a long standing incumbent is difficult; but not impossible as Brenda Johnson proved with her Ward 11 victory. 


Known as an environmentalist and a no- nonsense person who has a knack for getting things done, Ms. Johnson brings new ideas and energy to our city and ward 11.


Mr. Mitchell, who had been mired in controversy over his terms in office, including being censured multiple times by his peers, is the only incumbent taken out by a challenger. At one point, Mitchell came under fire by referring to his constituents as "looney tunes". In some form of poetic justice, the message at the polls seemed to be " Th Th Th Thats all folks!"


Welcome Ms. Johnson to ward 11 and to city council. 

Bratina Prevails

Outside the Ventura restaurant, Bob Bratina seemed pensive, standing with a handful of friends, including long time radio show co host, Shiona Thompson. The polls had not yet come in and Bob was taking in some fresh air before entering the Ventura, where friends, family and supporters awaited him.


After greeting people inside, Bob took his place at the back of the room, almost out of sight, looking on as the poll results began rolling in.  He had somewhat of a humbled composure, for a man who knew he had a good chance of becoming Hamilton's next mayor. As the room exploded with cheers each time the data became refreshed, Bob remained quiet, still standing at the back of the room- at times, completely removed from sight.

Welcome Mayor Bob, Thank-you Mayor Fred

Bratina, taking a call at city hall

By Popular Demand

In another special moment at the Orchard Park Mayoral, Ward 10 and 11 debates, Michael Baldasaro leads the group in the singing of Oh Canada. Bob Bratina opens on this video, with a few words about the authenticity of Baldasaro and Walter Tucker. Click here to see it

Audio from Mayoral, Ward 10, Ward 11 Debates

Bratina addresses Vanessa

Butani addresses Vanessa

While standing on a chair, the question came from an 11 year old girl who introduced herself as Vanessa. It was a question that is likely on a lot of people's minds. 


She asked - "When I grow up and finish school, I would like to work in Hamilton. If you are elected Mayor, what would you do to to make sure that young people who are ready to work, can work in Hamilton at a good job?"

Phoney Tactics

The Hamiltonian has received many posts (not published due to the nature of their expression), that allege that certain campaign camps are using aggressive and,  what some have described as "bullying" /intimidation tactics on the phone, to persuade people to vote for their candidate. We encourage all people to excersize their democratic right to vote for someone of their own choosing. 

The Hamiltonian's "Election Greatest Clicks"

Over the last several months, The Hamiltonian has been gathering and posting information and interviews, to help Hamiltonians receive additional information to inform their vote. We thought we'd post some quick links to some of our more popular features. This is not a complete list. We'll be adding to it as we can. Feel free to comment - most, if not all of these links, are still accepting new comments. 

CATCH Release- Candidate financials
Hamiltonians Job Interview with Mayoral Candidates

Choices and Outcomes- By Mahesh Butani

Choices and Outcomes

 Donors are good for campaigns. Especially when you have two pages worth of them.

Donors signify the strength of belief behind a candidate. In our world of Hamiltonism, they also have come to represent the dead weight that yanks at the mayoral chains, which takes our city onto recurring journeys that our younger generation fear the most.

The 60+ demographics has defined our city for two generations. Their weight in elections, much similar to the "first donor list" of this season, has resulted in substantial legacies - which the 20's to 50's demographics are simply not interested in inheriting.

Submitted by Tom Cooper

Monday is the big day.

Municipal elections (now held every four years) offer up that unique opportunity for all citizens to participate in their local government.  Despite lower voter turnout, City government has a huge impact on our daily lives.  Today, Hamilton’s municipal government is a $1.3 billion corporation responsible for much more than simply ‘filling potholes and collecting garbage’ – those we elect to municipal government can profoundly impact policy and legislation and oversee a myriad of services around social and human planning, transportation and housing. 

MSU Mayoral Debate

“If I was in jail, I wouldn’t bend over in the showers” ByChris Erl MSU Mayoralty Debate On Campus, Thursday, October 21st 2010 http://thesil.ca/blog/news/candidates-on-campus/

Dirty Political Tactic or Legitimate Court Action against Di Ianni?

Update: Victor Veri advised this morning that he has not yet laid charges and is in the process of exploring the law. Veri also advised that he has not retained a lawyer. 


See comment from Retired Police Chief Ken Robertson, in the comments section below. 


The Hamiltonian has learned that Mayoral candidate Victor Veri is in the process of filing information in a court that alleges that Larry Di Ianni violated the rules by using the image of a retired police chief in his election ads. Mr. Veri is further supported by mayoral candidate, Edward Graydon. Further details will be posted as known. We expect a press release and a response. 

Pic of the Moment

Kelly O'Neill does not drive. That didn't deter her from showing her support for the mayoral candidate of her choosing. She was seen carrying her sign through a shopping mall. 


The Hamiltonian encourages all to follow Kelly's example and help the candidate of their choosing. Also, please vote on Oct 25th.

The Hamiltonian does not endorse or counter any candidate running in the municipal election. We are neutral. We operate in a democratic context where free speech is valued. Our focus is to engage Hamiltonians in dialogue with one another on matters concerning our great city. We encourage all Hamiltonians to vote.  For more information or to be a guest here, please email adminhamiltonian@cogeco.ca.

New Site that Suggests Costs of Aerotropolis

See it here

Update - Bustamante's Allegations against Pearson

In a press release issued by Ward 10 contender Jose Pablo Bustamante, (see it on ImPressed), Mr. Bustamante advises that an adjournment was granted by the presiding judge. The next court date is on November 17th. Mr. Bustamante reports that Ms. Pearson did not appear in court today, but was represented by Jeffrey R. Manishen who, according to Mr. Bustamante's press release, is a criminal lawyer. 


Bustamante's press release can be read in full on "ImPressed." 

Ward 10 Clr. Maria Pearson's First Court Appearance

Ward 10 Councillor Maria Pearson makes her first court appearance today, with respect to allegations brought forward by Ward 10 contender Jose Pablo Bustamante. Mr. Bustamante has filed information in Provincial Court, which accuses Ms. Pearson of acting in violation of The Municipal Election Act.  Click here  (Sept. 14th  post on The Hamiltonian) for further details . 


Updates will be provided, as information becomes available. 

Pic of the Moment

Mayoral candidate Michael Baldasaro quietly goes about setting up audience chairs for the mayoral debate.

Can't Knock this Guy Out of the Race

Edward Graydon likely didn't imagine that the hardest blow of the evening would come before the Mayoral debate.  Escorted in a police car to the debate, after having been assaulted on the street on the heels of trying to stop an electric vehicle driver  for  driving recklessly, Graydon was hurt but undaunted.  He told The Hamiltonian that it was his information that the man who attempted to choke him and then head butted him in the face, was ill. Graydon told us he was not sore about it- other than physically so.

Humour and catchy headline aside, we are glad that Edward is okay. Kudos to Edward for participating in the debate, despite the incident.

Pic of the Moment

Following tonight's Mayoral debate, Mayor Fred decided he was going to showcase his basketball skills by throwing a few hoops.  He was doing quite well, when in a playful moment, Di Ianni unexpectedly grabbed the ball and sank one of his own. The pic is a little blurry. 

Meeting of the Minds

Victor Veri speaks to the other mayoral candidates who are not considered part of the "big three" or "presumed frontrunners".  The intent of this meeting, which was organized by Graydon  was to explore whether there was any will for the non- "big three" candidates to fall behind one candidate and endorse that person.


The idea, which seemed to have been Veri's, would have been to agree amongst themselves as to who, amongst them, had the best chance, and then rally support behind that person, by endorsing them.


If that person were to become mayor, the rest would act as advisors to the Mayor. The idea did not succeed as many of the candidates stood firm on continuing to run their own campaign. Others suggested that they think further about it.


Do you see the value of the idea? It was mentioned that it would have resulted in a bid to have a candidate elected who was not a "politician".

The Before School Channel

With all of the dynamics around this municipal election, it is easy to forget that we will also be electing Public and Catholic School Board Trustees. Where there is discretion allotted for decision making at a local level, our School Board Trustees, either from the Catholic or Public Board, serve a critical role in helping to shape our schools. We thus extended an invite to all candidates running for Trustee, regardless of what board they are running for or what ward they are running in. 


We've opened up the "Before School Channel", which will house the questions and their answers. The questions we asked are:

1. What ward and board are you running in/for?

2. What will be your top three priorities if elected?

3) What do you hope to accomplish by the end of your term?

4) Why do you think you are the best candidate for the job?

Their answers will be posted as they arrive, and as we have time to do so. Please check in to the Before School Channel and learn about the candidates. 

The Hamiltonian does not endorse or counter any candidate running in the  election. We are neutral. We operate in a democratic context where free speech is valued. Our focus is to engage Hamiltonians in dialogue with one another on matters concerning our great city. We encourage all Hamiltonians to vote. For more information or to be a guest here, please email adminhamiltonian@cogeco.ca.

CATCH Release

CATCH News – October 18, 2010

Councillor positions on contentious issues

Before you vote, you may want to review what your councillor (and mayor) have been doing over the last four years. Here’s their voting record on some of the most controversial issues.

Aerotropolis – October 2010 (13-2)
To expand the urban boundary by 4500 acres for an airport employment growth district, airport expansion and related uses.

For: Eisenberger, Clark, Collins, Duvall, Ferguson, Jackson, Merulla, Mitchell, Morelli, Pasuta, Pearson, Powers, Whitehead

Against: Bratina, McHattie

Absent: McCarthy 

Values and Priorities Survey

The Hamilton Civic League releases the results from it Values and Priorities Survey. To learn more about the survey, visit here.


To see the results click here for community's response. 


Click here for the candidates' response. 


Please note: HCL advises: 


"Please see above the data set encompassing the results of the Hamilton Civic League's 2010 Values & Priorities survey. This data set is the product of many hours of work by dozens of volunteers who generously gave of their time to solicit responses from residents across the City.

The Civic League aspired to make this survey as representative as possible. We adhered to the following collection methods:

Each of the 15 city wards were divided into 14 territories and volunteers received maps of their assigned areas with a target number of households to reach. We requested that volunteers do their best to collect responses from a representative mix of respondents in their area - that is, spread proportionally throughout the geographic area, among different types of dwellings (eg. detached houses, multi-unit residential & apartment buildings) and other identifiable clusters (eg. social or cultural groupings). Every survey was administered in person at the respondent's door while the volunteer waited, or dropped off and collected a short time later. The vast majority of surveys were completed by the respondent themselves and then handed over, though in some cases questions were verbally posed and recorded by the volunteer as circumstances required. Volunteers were forbidden from suggesting answers or providing any direction to the respondent which could influence their answers. They were permitted to provide clarification on terms and language if necessary.

While we strove to collect an equal number of responses from each ward and sub-territory across the city, time and personnel constraints determined that we were not able to administer the survey in every area of the city. Though proud of the scope of work that has been completed, we recognize that for some people this may limit the relevance of the data. We assert, however, that within the context of statistical limitations this data does provide an honest and accurate reflection of Hamiltonians' views on the issues posed. We hope that it is used widely and productively to provoke, inform and shape discussions of the important issues affecting our city"  

Comments on Comments

As we get closer to the election, moderating comments that are submitted to The Hamiltonian, is challenging. We continue to be committed to bringing the voices of Hamiltonians to the fore-front, while being fair.


It is  frustrating when we get a comment submitted that is thoughtful or otherwise illuminating, only to have it end with some thing like "and so and so is a liar" or "so and so is a crook" (or worse).  It puts us in a difficult position and usually ends with the comment being edited or rejected. Due to the volume of submissions and other concerns, we will no longer be editing comments. Either the comment will be accepted or it will be rejected.


Here are some guidelines to bear in mind:


Consider signing your real name to your comment (optional, but it helps to lend credibility to your comments)
Stick to the issues and the candidates' position on the issues. 
Refrain from name calling, or alleging things that are unsupported by facts, evidence, or your real name.
Keep it professional.
Personal details about people often feel uncomfortable at this end, and are unlikely to be published. 
Thanks-you for understanding. Now..let's talk Hamilton!

Sign of the Times?

Ward 10 candidate Bernard Josipovic released a video this week that further underscores the problem of sign vandalization in Ward 10 and beyond. To see it, click here.

The Spec's Commissioned Poll

In a poll commissioned by the Hamilton Spectator, the results suggest a clustering at the top between Bratina, Eisenberger and DiIanni. The poll was conducted between Oct 8-13th and claims to have a 3.1 per cent margin of error 19 times out of 20. Only residents who said they were likely to vote were polled. The sample size consisted of 1000 Hamiltonians who said that they would vote.  However, most voters polled are undecided, at 27.4 per cent. For full story, click here

Your reaction? 

CHML's Scott Thompson's Call to Hamiltonians

He's animated, outspoken, entertaining, the host of a radio show on CHML and a columist from time to time for The Spec. He's also on a rant. Here's an excerpt from Scott Thompson's blog.

I’m starting the non-incumbent councilor campaign. Simple…Do your research and vote for ANYONE but the incumbent. A clean sweep of city hall is the only way to see real change. Some say the others are not qualified. Neither were the incumbents before being elected. And has their experience helped Hamilton? Vote for change on October 25th. Elect, don’t re-elect.

Scott's blog entry for this can be found here . In fairness to Scott and his blog, we would encourage you to visit his blog and comment, rather than comment about this topic on The Hamiltonian. Thus, this post is not open for comments. 

CATCH Release Excerpt re: Corporate and Union Donations

CATCH News – October 14, 2010

Candidate financial statements

The CATCH website now includes the financial statements and lists of election donors from the last city election in 2006. Some city governments, but not including Hamilton, already make these digitally available. 

The list of twenty-two posted statements and links to them is provided below. We have tried to include all incumbents plus any challengers who ran last time and collected donations.

In the 2006 election, CATCH urged all candidates to voluntarily refuse donations from corporations or unions, and rely entirely on monies from individual voters. Five of the winners, including Mayor Eisenberger, followed that policy; the other eleven current councillors didn’t.

A questionnaire underway by Raise the Hammer suggests there’s been little change in attitude among the incumbents. Five have acknowledged they are continuing to accept corporate and/or union monies – Terry Whitehead, Dave Mitchell, Sam Merulla, Scott Duvall and Brad Clark – while a sixth, Bernie Morelli, has answered “maybe”. The other four who relied on corporate/union donations – Maria Pearson, Tom Jackson, Lloyd Ferguson and Chad Collins – have not responded, although the survey has received answers from nearly three quarters of all candidates. The eleventh is Rob Pasuta who has been acclaimed this time around.

Hamiltonians Conduct Job Interview with Mayoral Hopefuls

Note: Victor Veri's answers have recently been included. 


In an exercise entitled "1 for All" The Hamiltonian asked its readers for questions that they would want to pose to the mayoral candidates. We gathered these questions and emailed them, verbatim, to each of the mayoral candidates. We made our best efforts to find all the email addresses and were successful for the most part. If there are instances where the email did not reach the intended recipient, it is because that person's email was incorrectly listed on the city's election candidate's web site, or there was no email listed. This is not something we can control.


The following are the questions and the answers we have received thus far.  Late entries are invited to submit their answers via the comments section of this post. 

Poll Vaulting

As we get closer to the election, as can be expected, some polls are being commissioned, some are being leaked and others, likely, are in the works. Take our polls on the right hand banner, about polls.

Meet Ward 6 Contender Ed Pecyna

  1. What is your sense for the constituents in your ward’s, satisfaction with their current councillor? What do you bring to the table that dfferentiates you as a candidate? What will you do differently?


There are basically two opinions regarding Ward 6 constituents’ satisfaction with the current councillor: many are displeased and want outright change; others, while generally satisfied, feel that a councillor sitting in the same seat for twenty-two years is too long. The general theme emerging from both satisfied and dissatisfied voters – it is time for a change.


What I bring to the table that differentiates me as a candidate is threefold:

Lost Email = Lost Millions for SISO?

Can a lost email really account for a loss of millions of dollars in funding?  If so, what does that say about putting reliance on email? Have a read through this and let us know what you think.

Interesting Link

CAA South Central Ontario has contacted select mayoral candidates across Ontario to obtain information about their priorities and opinions on transportation issues in their respective municipalities. Click here

Aerotropolis To Proceed (Airport Lands)

Despite delegations and protests which presented polarized perspectives on whether or not Aerotropolis should go ahead, and whether or not this current council should make this decision, so close to the an election, Hamilton council voted 13-2 to approve the plan.


Your thoughts? Are we making a big mistake, or are we proceeding responsibly?

11 for 3

Welcome to 11 for 3, where 11 questions from Hamiltonians have been put to all of the ward 3 candidates. To date,  two candidates have elected to participate. The remaining candidates and incumbent continue to be  welcome to participate. Comments are welcome. Please keep the dialogue professional and respectful. 



1. Do you live in Ward 3?


Tetley: Yes.  My wife Deborah and I own our home and live on Fairholt Road South, in the heart of Ward 3.

Gibson: Yes.

11 for 6

Welcome to 11 for 6, where 11 questions from Hamiltonians have been put to all of the ward 6 candidates. To date,  most candidates have elected to participate. The remaining candidate is welcome to participate. Comments are welcome. Please keep the dialogue professional and respectful. 


1.Do you live in Ward 6?


Feber: Yes, I live in Ward 6


Xian Yi Yan: Yes, I do. I have lived in at the same address ward 6 since 2003.


Pecyna: Yes. I was born and raised on the East Mountain, moved to BC for four years in my mid-twenties, returned east to Oakville for about ten years, then back home to East Mountain, a couple of blocks away from my old house.


Jackson: Yes, I do live in Ward 6.


Behrens: Yes I do live in Ward 6. I grew up in Hamilton’s East End, and moved up to the East Mountain around twelve years ago.

Signing Off

Signs littered in public park

The signs you see in this picture, were found scattered by a garbage can in a public park.  Apparently, these signs were ripped off of properties and thrown in a public park. 


As you can see in the pictures, signs for Ward 10's Bernard Josipovic, Ward 10's Jose Pablo Bustamante and Ward 11's Ken Chartrand, were amongst the signs that were illegally removed. There were also two Di Ianni signs. 


Ward 11 candidate Ken Chartrand said " I have knocked on over 7000 doors and have been speaking to the people of ward 11. The signs that they have posted for me, are a testament to the respectful conversations we have had and their support for me. It is disturbing to see these signs, and what they represent, being vandalized and ripped from properties, and thrown in a public park. This is a further indication that it is time for a change. I have reported this incident to the police. I will continue a respectful campaign and to earn the support of Hamiltonians and ward 11 constituents."


Ward 10 candidate Bernard Josipovic said  "As a candidate for ward 10, I put my name in the race because I believe we need major changes in ward 10. My campaign is funded by me, with small donations from family and friends. I have worked very hard the last couple months in getting out in the ward 6-7 hours a day and getting the respect of the residents along with permission for my signs on their lawns. It saddens me that "dirty tactics" like this are being used. Last week my signs were stolen and today they were located at Sherwood park. The money I spent and raised has been wasted, and why? For being an option at this years election?  This latest ploy is just another reason why we need change in ward 10. This just shows a complete lack of respect for the democratic process. I wish all the candidates luck in the coming election and hopefully the bullying of candidates will stop."


Ward 10 candidate Jose Pablo Bustamante said: It is very sad to see these behaviours. Only someone who is losing, in a desperate run, will act in this way. On October 25, we need to stand together in a single voice. A voice against corruption and a voice against unethical behaviours.

Signs thrown onto parkland trees

Picture to the left shows Jose Pablo Bustamante (Ward 10 candidate) and Ken Chartrand (Ward 11 candidate's) campaign signs thrown onto a park tree. Double click on pic for closer view.




Your reaction?

Liban Abdi Withdraws from Ward 2 Race

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Withdrawing from Ward 2 Race Tuesday October 12, 2010 Hamilton, Ontario 


 Thank you to my loyal supporters for all your hard work on my campaign election for Ward 2 Councillor for the City of Hamilton.
  
It is with deep regret and mixed emotions that I must withdraw from this electoral campaign.

Interview with Mayoral Candidate Mahesh P. Butani on the Scott Thompson Show - October 07, 2010

To hear mayoral candidate Mahesh Butani's interview on the Scott Thompson show on CHML, click  on the following two links

Segment 1

Segment 2

Comments are welcome.

Are you a candidate for any office in this municipal election and want your audio or video posted? Send us the details at adminhamiltonian@cogeco.ca

The Hamiltonian does not endorse or counter any candidate running in the municipal election. We are neutral. We operate in a democratic context where free speech is valued. Our focus is to engage Hamiltonians in dialogue with one another on matters concerning our great city. We encourage all Hamiltonians to vote.  For more information or to be a guest here, please email adminhamiltonian@cogeco.ca.

Technical Glitch

If you sent a comment in since this morning, and it has not appeared, please re-send. Our mailbox was full and we had to empty it. Thus, some messages would have been rejected, in error.Sorry for the inconvenience. 

Poll Results

In an unscientific poll conducted on the Hamiltonian, 61% of people who responded to the poll, believe that this comment " But on Oct. 25, we all know that the winner is going to be one of the big three. And that’s how it should be. They’ve paid their dues. The others haven’t." , made by Andrew Dreschel in this article , is unfair. 

Planting it Down

As reported by CATCH, about 50 people protested Thanksgiving Sunday,  by planting garlic on farmland that is scheduled to be included in aerotropolis. Garlic was chosen as the crop to plant because nearly all supermarket supplies now come from China, even though garlic is easy to grow in southern Ontario.Another protest is to occur at this week's city council meeting, over a notion of converting 2500 acres airport area foodland into an industrial park.


The Hamilton 350 Committee – a coalition of environmental, community, labour and faith groups – organized a bus to the protest planting  in a field on Airport Road, opposite the airport and the Warplane Heritage Museum. Marking out a large 3-5-0 in the fallow farm field, the multiple-aged group planted 350 garlic cloves to symbolically express their concerns. See full CATCH article here.

Gage Park Chainsaw Massacre?

Dubbed the "Gage Park Chainsaw Massacre" in a press release by ward 3 candidate Paul Tetley (see it here on "Impressed"), 

A Mayoral Lesson?

Edward Graydon's resolve to become Hamilton's next mayor was shaken this past Thursday as an exchange occurred during a mayoral debate at a local high school.

During the debate. Graydon  suggested it was inappropriate for the subject of "weed" to be discussed  during the debate at a high school. Graydon was received by boos from an audience of grade 10 and 11 students when making the remark.  Andrew Haines, another candidate, suggested to Graydon that he "smoke a joint".

“I know people were not pleased that the candidates talked about marijuana,” said Graydon, who met with the principal of the school the next day. “The school has a zero tolerance for drugs. It was an inappropriate remark.“I think Baldasaro and Haines made a big booboo. They should just pull out. They should know better,” he said. 

As reported in the Stoney Creek News, the 47-year-old businessman had announced soon after the exchange with fellow candidates Michael Baldasaro and Andrew Haines during a debate Thrusday at Sir. John A. Macdonald High School that he would announce at the next all-candidates debate he will quit from the race. Subsequently, Mr. Graydon has confirmed for The Hamiltonian, that he has not withdrawn from the race and has no plans to.

What do you think? Do you agree with Graydon's stand on this? Is it appropriate for the topic of marijuana to be discussed during a High School mayoral debate?

The Hamiltonian does not endorse or counter any candidate running in the municipal election. We are neutral. We operate in a democratic context where free speech is valued. Our focus is to engage Hamiltonians in dialogue with one another on matters concerning our great city. We encourage all Hamiltonians to vote.  For more information or to be a guest here, please email adminhamiltonian@cogeco.ca.

Missed Exam Night? Mayoral and Ward 2 Debates? No Problem.

If you missed the Mayoral and Ward 2 Debates entitled "Exam Night" at Stinson School, you don't need a note from your parents. The Hamiltonian is making the audio available to you.


While it would be cumbersome to make the entire two debates available online via audio, the following excerpts are available as a mp3 file


Harry's Intro - click here


Statements, questions from the floor and cross debate between mayoral candidates- click here


Full debate for ward 2 candidates- click here

Please note, the excerpts are raw and completely unedited, so as to give you the complete authentic  experience. The answers that the mayoral candidates gave to each of the pre-distributed "open book questions" have not been included in these excerpts, due to  feasibility issues. But we thought the Q/A period from Hamiltonians and the cross dialogues between the mayoral candidates would be of interest. You may be surprised by an exchange or two. The Ward 2 debate is included in full. 

Comments welcome. And a special Thank-you to Harry Stinson and the candidates!

Poll Results

In an unscientific poll conducted on The Hamiltonian, Hamiltonians were asked who would they would "hire" for the job of mayor, based on the responses of the mayoral candidates who elected to respond to these series of questions, posed by Hamiltonians. 


41% of the vote went to Fred Eisenberger
22% of the vote went to Mahesh Butani
19% of the vote went to Larry Di Ianni
11% of the vote went to Michael Baldasaro
3% of the vote went to Tone Marrone
2% of the vote went to Gino Speziale
0% of the vote went to Andrew Haines