We asked Mayor Bratina the following question about HECFI.
Upon reflection as to the process used to find the most suitable proponents to run the HECFI facilities, do you believe this process will have a transformative effect on the profitability and sustainability of HECFI facilities?
The Mayor responded as follows:
In my "State of the City" address in Flamborough last year I stated that "HECFI had problems that are not dissimilar to other agencies like the Waterfront Trust and the Conservation Authority. As a Council we have to confront that." The problems include in various degrees depending on the organization, openness and transparency, human and financial resources, and fiscal competence. City Council had received discomforting news on different occasions from both HECFI and the Waterfront Trust of sudden, unexpected and large operating deficits, with no simple clear answers as to their causes. During my time as a HECFI board member I openly expressed my disagreement with many Board policies such as their expressed willingness to "take on more risk" related to concert bookings, and my question in response was "risking who's money? Yours or the public's?" This reached its nadir with the "lingerie football" episode that saw us provide $90,000 dollars up front, with a subsequent total loss of over $100,000. It is thanks to Bulldogs owner Michael Andlauer that tax-payers have been relieved of the costs of another bad HECFI decision which was to cover all the expenses of the hockey team, about $2 million dollars, in exchange for the right to sell the tickets and advertising. After years of losses it was Mr. Andlauer who suggested that the team revert to its original agreement with HECFI thus eliminating hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses to the taxpayer. For these and many other reasons we had to initiate the process that hopefully will lead to a much better outcome for taxpayers in the operation of the HECFI facilities.
Bob Bratina,
MAYOR
City of Hamilton
Compare Bratina's reference to the Hamilton Waterfront Trust, To DiIanni's, to Eisenberger's and the council members who sit on GIC. Mayor Bratina's is by far the most honest and responsible.
ReplyDelete" The problems include in various degrees depending on the organization, openness and transparency, human and financial resources, and fiscal competence. City Council had received discomforting news on different occasions from both HECFI and the Waterfront Trust of sudden, unexpected and large operating deficits, with no simple clear answers as to their causes"
Bravo Mayor Bratina!!!!!
So, why then don't we have a forensic audit?
DeleteSorce
This is the response of a leader!
ReplyDeleteWe now see the conspiracy of certain councilors against him.
To those people; your time is coming and soon!
Will love to see those people squirm when the truth comes out.
My theory...and it is only a theory.
DeleteBob called out the HWT. Council as led by certain councilors, conspired to censure Bob to teach him a lesson. The newbies who are weak minded (Partridge, Johnson and Farr), went along with it, making them as bad or worse than the lifers. Bob is ne=uetered except for the fact that there are some places that still will tell the truth! Good on you Bob. Good on you Teresa. {Put Hamilton first and let the cowards eat cake!
Mayor Bratina. Thanks for acknowledging what a "cabal" of councillors are refusing to. The charade and make believe play that they embarked on, while using Mr. Santucci as a taxpayer pinata is on record for all to see. Maybe one day, the local paper may start telling the real story. Until then, remain the Mayor and don't let your "peers" get to you. We need term limits because Hamilton cannot afford to have the likes of the other 15, undermining you and our city. Their time is up. Once MSM starts doing their job, maybe Hamilton can get the new leadership it deserves.
DeleteTerm Limits Now
I find this whole matter intriguing and interesting, because it is not just about HWT. It exposes how things work and don't work in Hamilton. It also is a commentary on how things do and don't get reported in the media. Everybody should pay attention because this will show why Hamilton is consistently held back and why Hamilton councilors are failing and , as others have stated, need a clean sweep.
ReplyDeleteSorce.
I agree, a forensic audit is the only way to put this matter to bed. There are some obvious serious issues regarding the operations and management of the WFT. 5 years to submit the books! Come on people, RED FLAGS are up everywhere. If the truth doesn't happen via an a forensic audit, it will happen in another way. I personally believe it's a timing issue. People know the truth out there and for some reason are holding on to evidence until the right time and place. Only time will tell I guess.
ReplyDeleteMark
The truth is coming out very soon.
DeleteStay tuned.
To the councilors who read this, and they do, the public will soon know everything!
I think the jig is up!
Delete