Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Media Release from Mayor Eisenberger
STATEMENT FROM MAYOR EISENBERGER
May 10, 2017, Hamilton, ON – Bob Bratina does Hamilton a great disservice with his column of May 10 published in the Hamilton Spectator.
Rather than de-railing Hamilton’s renaissance, as Mr. Bratina alleges, our LRT project is propelling it forward. Never before has a project united all of Hamilton’s anchor institutions with such passionate support - three local chambers of commerce, and the local unions - the way that LRT has. Construction cranes are dotting the downtown skyline, many being driven by the certainty that LRT will bring to the city. Expansion of the city’s tax base will further translate to a rebalancing and lower taxes in suburban areas.
Mr. Bratina used to understand this. When ran for Mayor in 2010, he ran on a pro-LRT platform. His commitment to LRT was in his campaign document under the heading “Economic Development”. On this, I could not agree more. Economic development is exactly the point!
While Mr. Bratina seems to have grown tired of federal issues during his short tenure in Ottawa, perhaps he could re-awaken his interest by assisting the city with federal investments in our infrastructure and by helping our Stelco workers and retirees secure their pensions and benefits. Where Mr. Bratina could make a difference, he is uncharacteristically silent.
As Mayor, I have experienced a great deal of co-operation and assistance from MPs and MPPs from all three political parties. Our representatives at Queens Park and in Ottawa see the value in a Team Hamilton approach and have never disappointed, with one notable exception. It is not too late for Mr. Bratina to join the team.
Note: To read the column that the Mayor is referring to, click here or purchase today's Spec.
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Glad to see Mayor Fred standing up to what equates to an unsolicited and unnecessary opinion piece from someone far too removed from our City nowadays.
ReplyDelete~Mountain Man
never before has a project divided Hamiltonian's so effectively with leadership oblivious and/or unconcerned as to the reasoning. Never.
ReplyDeleteAdvocates see no value in dissenting opinion, it is unwanted and totally unnecessary. Fred has expressed he would like to be able to silence debate entirely with veto and censure.
Fortunately Fred has decided to run again, and the message will be delivered loud and clear.
Thanks for nothing Fred.
And thank-you Bob for continuing to advocate for and communicate with the community you were elected to serve.
Exactly! Freddy doesn't believe in community consultation. I saw that firsthand with the stadium debacle in the West Harbour (expropriation for what?) and now the LRT. I'm so fed up hearing that I must 'put up' for the greater good and I'm super fed up being treated as if I'm a moron and can't make up my own mind. The ego on this man is amazing. I don't do well with dictators.
DeletePlease note that we ask that politicians and others be referred to by their proper names. Please abide by this request.
DeleteThank-you for your understanding.
The Hamiltonian Admin
Wrong. Red Hill Creek parkway had City far more divided. End stop
DeleteCharles McGill
hard to get more divided than 48-40.
DeleteRHVP didn't have a single "anchor tenant" in opposition.
The comparison is silly.
2010
Delete"It's not working. Everyone agrees with that," he said yesterday of the merger of Hamilton with its suburbs 10 years ago. "(De-amalgamation) is a possibility, and I'm going to confront it."
He says he wants to fix the problems in downtown and shift his focus to the division between the new and old city.
"It's not that hard. It's a couple of blocks. And then let's get that off the table and move on with our lives," he said. "So, that's why I'm here. To get us past this downtown nonsense and on with building the new city."
Bratina said he'll meet with the province and explore the city's options to de-amalgamate.
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/2176564-bratina-all-for-de-amalgamation/
2014
Mayor Bob Bratina says he's resurrecting a three-year-old election vow to review Hamilton's contentious 2001 merger to "heal the rifts that divide us" — but he won't rule out the prospect of deamalgamation.…
Bratina repeatedly refused to rule out deamalgamation but added it would be unlikely anytime soon.
"There may also be some way of relieving the costs that were brought on the amalgamation process by further, in-depth review by the province," he suggested.
When asked to comment on the provincial review request, [Ward 14 Councillor Robert] Pasuta shook his head and said "It's election year."
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4304356-bratina-brings-amalgamation-debate-back/
Brockman
March 6 2014:
DeleteAttention light-rail fans: Mayor Bob Bratina says he's always been keen on LRT.
Just not along the $800-million east-west route council is asking the province to fund.
The mayor infuriated some LRT advocates Tuesday with a new blog post that outlined his 2010 election campaign pitch for a Mountain-climbing LRT route along a converted rail line that is now a popular escarpment walking and cycling trail.
Bratina, who hasn't registered to run in the fall election, denied the blog was a salvo in what is widely expected to be a transit-heavy campaign debate. He also said in a Wednesday interview he has "no interest" in "resurrecting" his old rail-trail proposal as an alternative to the council-approved line running 14 kilometres between McMaster University and Eastgate Square.
He said the blog, which includes a map of the rail trail proposal, was simply meant to refute the oft-repeated argument he opposes LRT.
http://www.metronews.ca/news/hamilton/2014/03/06/hamilton-mayors-lrt-blog-spurs-confusion-as-he-tries-to-reiterate-his-support.html
Brockman
"hard to get more divided than 48-40.
DeleteRHVP didn't have a single "anchor tenant" in opposition.
The comparison is silly"
40 support LRT 48 opposed and 12 undecided. So very far from bitterly divided. So silly.
How many anti LRT rallys in Hamilton?
Zero.
How many anti RHVP rallys in Hamilton?
Dozens.
How many anti LRT org in Hamilton?
One
How many anti RHVP orgs were in Hamilton?
Half dozen.
How many anti LRT pols in Hamilton and Senior levels of government?
6
How many anti RHVP pols in Hamilton and Senior levels of government?
Dozens
How many people mobilized against RHVP?
Tens of thousands.
How many people mobilized against LRT?
198
The promise of RHVP?
Less traffic. The opposite has happened.
Who paid 100% for the RHVP and is still paying for it?
Hamilton
Charles McGill
in order to demonstrate similarity you reveal the differences?
DeleteQuestionable debating technique, but thanks for your input.
Jim Taylor.
I don't think this bodes well for our Mayor. He may not agree with Bratina, but the Mayor's release sounds not becoming of a mayor. My advice to him is to get a grip.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Bratina's basic message that LRT will suck up a lot of energy and is not good for Hamilton.
Sorce
"I don't think this bodes well for our Mayor. He may not agree with Bratina, but the Mayor's release sounds not becoming of a mayor. My advice to him is to get a grip."
DeleteFunny, I thought the same on MP Bratina's comments. Especially of someone who was historically in favour of LRT.
"
I also agree with Bratina's basic message that LRT will suck up a lot of energy and is not good for Hamilton."
Ah, now it's a power issue. Too bad they can't power it on politician hot air!
HammerTime
Energy as in the time it takes to deal with this debacle.
DeleteI don't know Bob Bratina, but I have a sense for him. Bob's sense of nostaglia can easily be dismissed as old fashioned and the man of yesterday. That would be a mistake. Bratina, like I, grew up in the days when Hamilton was truly great. People weren't painting on the sidewalks then and calling it renaissance. The downtown was safe and vibrant. Merchants and people mingled and times were very good. Bratina knows that feeling as I know that feeling. And once you have experienced that feeling, you know what may lead to it again. You also know what will take it off the rails. I'm not surprised that both is us see through LRT.
Sorce
Yes, 2011-2014 was a regular golden age.
Deletehttps://pepsouwt.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/precarity-penalty-report_final-hires_trimmed.pdf
Domovino
Our Mayor needs a little bit of a self-awareness check, considering his campaign platform was predicated on a citizen's panel where he would accept a recommendation for transit that he would abide by, and 5 mins after being elected he did everything in his power to get his beloved LRT on the books. There's a totally different Mayor that appears when people get in the way of his once and future only possible legacy project.
ReplyDeleteWhen the math appears, and LRT is not viable as a solution without millions in subsidies every year, now and forever, the Mayor will be Graeme Mackay's MAYOR OF ALL BOMBS.
2 years ago the Mayor could have solidified support for this project by having the integrity to honour his campaign commitments, and everything that has happened since will be his legacy.
Gabriel
Interesting article in today's edition of the Spec. by Andrew Dreschel on the subject.
ReplyDeleteDreschel does not like Bratina, fair enough. He defends his position effectively with reasonable argument.
However, I believe that once personal opinion was established, any semblance of objectivity vanished. A hatchet job was undertaken, and steady, repeated, whacks were required...and continue unabated, although now less frequent.
Turns out Bob is no big fan of Andrews either, and has made his feelings known in a more subtle, nuanced fashion.
I admire this trait of Mr. Bratina. He is no phony. Real. One of us.
I believe Mr. Bratina to be a true Hamiltonian.
ReplyDeleteSteeltown