But why has he gone full bore into this? It's tough to say why, but I have a good idea of why. In June, Cal DiFalco featured me in a segment called "10 Tough Questions". And one of those questions was "How would you size up Mayor Eisenberger's performance?" And this was my answer:
Compared with Larry Di Ianni’s term, it has been a quiet one. However, I think Eisenberger has been too quiet. He leaves the impression that he has done little to attract new businesses to the city. He leaves an impression that he is content to leave things as they are. Simply put, he has done nothing. So now he is offering Hamiltonians another 4 years of nothing. And unless we have a good candidate to challenge him, that’s what we will get.
The city needs someone with great creative energy ready to take the city into the future. Our city needs a visible leader who can challenge the next generation to initiate a brand new process of growth. Our city needs a face who can sell the city, not just run it. Above all our city needs someone who can commit the next 10 years to realizing a great vision for the future of our city. Fred doesn’t do radical. He’s hardly inspiring. He just doesn’t excite anyone at all. If he is re-elected, I am concerned that this city could be more rudderless than ever.That was what I said. Co-incidence? Yeah, I know better, but sometimes things happen for a reason. But I digress...
So as the Tiger-Cats continue to stay off the train, the light at the end of the tunnel fades and seems more distant than ever. And the WH proponents continue to savage Bob Young's character, the man who invested millions of dollars in upgrades at IWS and its facilities, almost as if the man hasn't paid his "debt to society".
Perhaps he could spend his money in better places. In light of this lunacy, I'm going to suggest that Mr. Young make a substantial donation to the St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation and they could then change the Mental Health Centre on West 5th to the "Bob Young Mental Health Centre". Dedicated to a man who may have lost his mind in trying to do the one thing no other previous owner of the Tiger-Cats could do - get the city to build a new stadium for the team.
That being said, the ship has hit an iceberg, but not because they didn't see it coming. They didn't think that the ship could sink. Sound familiar? Now they have to do something to ensure that cooler heads can prevail and a stubborn mayor can't understand that if he builds it, nobody's coming.
And all the urbanists and city building/planning fetishists will probably be up in arms about it, while continously making Bob Young eat his own words taken out of context. You can't even put in a lucid factual argument to the contrary over at Raise the Hammer without someone trying to suppress it. I don't know if that was really how you envisioned it, Ryan, but don't expect me to make any more contributions if that's the kind of reception I'm going to get.
The city needs to stop imposing their decisions on their tenant, especially one made to its detriment, and start doing what they should have done in the first place. They should have allowed the Tiger-Cats to do their due diligence on the site and when they found out what they knew, they should have said, "okay, let's figure out the best location that will address both our concerns and maybe you can help us with the Rheem site." Was that so tough? When you bring a partner in on a deal you do what works for both partners otherwise it's not a partnership at all.
In Hamilton we are told by many that our city is dirty and has the image of being tough,dirty ,and mob run,but I was born in this city and I kind of like it.I truly believe Hamilton, my birth place is thinking small.
ReplyDeleteI have so many times smelt fumes and waste from the steel companies that for sure is toxic,and I felt sick,I know I am not the only one,and because I am not the only one! I say that we "sell the steal companies to the Chinese"I was told today buy the Chinese community that Fred had basically brushed them off today at a meeting with China representatives.I believe that the future of our city is not going to be based solely on Foot ball, but in the elimination and the sale of all the steel plants to the Chinese.Big deals are when you make massive invest to a whole city. and Canadian society.I am under the impression that the Chinese would like a mayor that supports the sale in principal of the steel plants to the Chinese.The shareholders of the stock can decide whether or not, they would like to tender there shares to the Chinese,but as mayor I would be more than happy to help them achieve their goal, of developing not only one small patch,but the whole North end of the water front. Today I had conversations with the representatives from China:s Government,and given that I am being told that the meeting came across has a brush off by the mayor,I question the current mayors thinking.I support the billions of dollars that will be spent in infrastructure,I support the multi millions that will be made by our city in taxes,and I support the environment.
I support "real change"not just cosmetic and most of all I support massive imployment in Hamilton,and will achieve this by supporting the sale of our steel plants to the Chinese.
I would ratherwe turn the North end into a retail mega project ,then toxic producing,money losing eye sore.
Yours truly
Edward HC Graydon