From the Jaws of Victory...

...defeat is snatched! 

If there is anything that tells you that we live in Hamilton, it's knowing that we almost had an opportunity to have a great stadium for the world to see.  And there are plenty of mistakes that Fred Eisenberger et al will have to pay for:

• Minimizing the role of the Tiger-Cats and classifying them a minor stakeholder
• Planning a stadium site without due diligence
• Planning a stadium without a design
• Failing to consider all possible locations to the point that the location of choice is one that has been in the works since 2003
• Allowing Chad Collins to get away with removing the Confederation Park option.  I hope your voters are in a cranky mood in October, Chad.

Now while we hope the city council will be paying for their mistakes at the ballot box, we know that they will be re-elected anyway.  Now we will pay for the decision we made in electing the clowns that sit in council.  We lost what could have been a terrific stadium.  And we lost because we allowed the city council and them alone to determine the site of the stadium.  We never had a good discussion because it was a foredrawn conclusion and we knew it.  Nobody talked about the price we'd pay for building it and the price we will now pay for losing it.

So thank you city council and thank you Hamilton Tiger-Cats for allowing us to lose what could have been a magnificent stadium.  They can redeem themselves here and now if they take those designs that the Whitestar Group have been kind to bring to us and build that on the East Mountain.  The Whitestar design is still the best possible outcome for our new stadium.

For now, I don't want to see any lame design of some stupid park.  I don't want to hear anyone talking about the East Mountain.  I don't want to hear anyone talking about the West Harbour.  I don't want to hear anyone talking about community building or urban sprawl.  I don't want to hear any noise at all.  I don't want to hear any legacy BS or some sustainability BS or parking spaces or anything else about the stadium.  The worst part about this three day weekend, is the fact that I won't be working during that time so I will have this on my mind all weekend long.  This whole thing was a debacle from the beginning and so as a debacle it ends.

Now excuse me while I go get drunk.  This is too damn depressing.

Di I(ce)-Man Cometh...

...and more candidates emerge!

First of all as of last week, there were two more mayoral candidates from when I last did some commentary on the mayor's race.  Glenn Hamilton, a downtown resident, threw his hat a few weeks ago and just recently a gentleman by the name of Edward Graydon has also emerged as a candidate.  The city has yet to post his information.  I will be cautious on this one, learning from a mistake I made with Ward 10 candidate Bernard Josipovic.  Hopefully we'll get some more detail on Mr. Graydon and his platform.

At this point, the only challenging candidate that's making noise on the 'net these days is Mahesh Butani.  The man has made some of his views known and they weren't without some controversy, but that's what this guy does best.  He at least gets you talking and that's the one thing none of the challengers have done up to now.  I just hope that can bring it to the mainstream media, otherwise his chances will diminish.  He is the only challenger with a known website and he's not afraid to use it!  One question that remains is who other than Mr. Butani will step up and at least try to stand out in this crowd, especially one that is growing to 7 candidates.

Especially when that seventh entry is none other than previous mayor Larry DiIanni.  While he has his excess baggage lingering from the funding for his successful mayoral campaign in 2003, Fred's baggage is not from his campaign, but from his job record, which has not been very good.  I previously said to Cal DiFalco that DiIanni was damaged goods and that he'd make a better kingmaker than a king.  In 2006, justice was done.  Larry DiIanni paid for his indiscretions through an electoral defeat.  The reason why I said what I said was because for a previous mayor to come back and run for the job again is not exactly heard of.  I can't recall a civic election in which a predecessor ran against an incumbent so this could make some interesting news in the months to come.  And I will make an entry discussing how DiIanni got himself in trouble in the first place sometime in the next month.

But could this be the scenario that Mahesh Butani was looking for?  We don't know.  I did muse about a scenario in which two of the strongest candidates are so busy duking it out that a third guy comes in and takes it from under their noses.  But for that to happen, Mahesh needs to step up and shift gears in his campaign while keeping a firm hand on that little idea valve of his.  He has so many ideas that to roll them all out would overwhelm the voters.  So I think he needs to fine tune his campaign to get his message out on a larger volume.  And I hate to say this again, but he needs the media to help him.  He needs to get on the radio or get on CHCH or Cable 14.
Eventually people will narrow this race down to two or three people.  Eisenberger is already there and now DiIanni is there as well.  Butani has an opportunity to get himself in that pack and unless he can position himself among the two or at least above Baldassaro, he has no chance of winning this.

DISCLAIMER
While I do make opinions about the election campaigns and their strengths, I am not endorsing any candidates at this time.  It is too soon to determine the best candidates for the job.  This blog's intention is to be a catalyst for needed change in our city, be it from an incumbent or a challenger.  One thing is for sure.  This city cannot operate under the current conditions.

An Intriguing Notion, But...

Count me behind this plan, with caution of course.  The Spec's Emma Reilly reports on a most intriging plan for the West Harbour, which even Bob Young could get behind.  The full plan created by Marino Rakovac is presented on his blog.  It features in full detail, his vision for a West Harbour stadium, so comprehensive that you are going to have to see this one for yourself.

Of course there are challenges to this vision, the foremost being whether or not CN would allow this to happen.  CN doesn't want any homes within 300 metres of their tracks, eventhough the city would probably be very enthusiastic about this plan which will use the sale of condos to help pay for this venture and could create an interesting scenario for those who want to buy into this. 

After all, how would you love a stadium on your condo?  And what would you want for it?  How about a view of the game?  Office buildings, relocation of the Football Hall of Fame (a long time coming!), a recreation center and a RETRACTABLE ROOF to do things all year round!  Woo hoo!  It's an ultrasonic technicolour climax baby! (PWEI said so.)  Anybody want to say no?

Okay, how about "not so fast"?  Well that's the case here.  Matt Jelly, a regular contributor to Raise the Hammer, has inadvertently done that without even knowing.  You see, we need an adult conversation about the real cost of building on the West Harbour and the biggest one will be that clean up!  And let's face it folks.  It's a mess!  Knowing what's there right now, can you blame Bob Young now?  The clean-up will be expensive, there's no doubt, but at the same time, there won't be anyone living there as long as it's on ground level. 

Now the Bayfront Park, was a triumph in itself, considering it was built on industrial land too and I think they can do something substantial and I have to say that this is the most vision I have seen throughout the whole debate.  There would have to be a geological survey to map out the solid underlying layers underground to determine the viability and the cost associated with such an undertaking.

The vision shown by Mr. Rakovac is something significant and something potentially exciting to sports and entertainment fans in the GHA, especially those who would like to see a quality Monster Jam show somewhere other than the Rogers Centre.  We could even host some major sporting events.  This vision shows the way.  This has legacy potential written all over it.  This is the best vision of a stadium I have seen in a long time.  This is one that can outdo Toronto's Rogers Centre.

To say the least this is an intriguing notion, but will the businesses and the potential condo buyers pony up or will this be another Hamiltonian case of "if you build it, they will come" gone wrong?  There is only one thing that can make this happen: the right people in the right places at the right time.  Once that happens, how can Bob Young say no then?

Bernard Steps Up!

As some of you have been following on this site lately, I've been watching the Ward 10 race, mainly because of the splash made by Juan Pablo Bustamante.  However, at the same time, I've been razzing a fellow challenging candidate, mostly for lack of visibility.  I suppose it got rather too much for Bernard Josipovic who rightfully let me know of his displeasure in my neglect.  I explained myself and asked him some questions to get to know him.  I probably know more about Bernard than I know about Pablo.  The one thing you learn when covering election campaigns is how easy it is to jump on a bandwagon and it's just as easy as getting off.  While there is no bandwagon for me to jump on in Ward 10, there seems to be some quality choices to be made and that says a lot about the candidates and hopefully the people who live there.

I would like to congratulate Bernard, with whom I've been rather harsh and neglectful, and I wish him all the best in the fall elections.  His press release follows:


Fresh Ideas, Fresh Face, Fresh Start

HAMILTON, ONTARIO, 9 July 2010—It is with great pleasure that we welcome and formally introduce Mr. Bernard Josipovic, the newest candidate running for Ward 10 Councillor in Hamilton. With his “Fresh face, fresh ideas, fresh start” campaign under way, Bernard is ready to listen, understand, and give a voice to his residents in order to address the issues that matter most.

Bernard joins the candidacy with a professional, academic and personal background in the communications field, both in journalism and public relations. Having lived in Stoney Creek for over 22 years, Bernard knows firsthand the issues that residents face, and is ready to take on the challenge of addressing and solving these problems.

The main agenda of the “Fresh face, fresh ideas, fresh start” campaign is to bring much needed change to Ward 10 through regular open dialogue and a representative that is prepared to listen to the residents and their ideas and concerns. Bernard is ready to take on that challenge with a political platform agenda including—but not limited to—solving traffic issues (Highway 8 and Fruitland Road), making sure every resident enjoys the City of Hamilton's services, cleaning up local parks, noise complaints, loitering, to name a few.

Achieving a Diploma in Journalism and Broadcasting from Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology, and a Post-graduate Certificate in Public Relations, Bernard brings to the table a passion to listen, communicate and tackle problems head on. Fluent in Croatian, Bernard has also travelled extensively and studied abroad in Munich, Germany to strengthen his understanding of other cultures, while also learning a new language.
Having previously worked for Stelco (U.S. Steel), Dofasco and Y108—where many in Ward 10 have and/or continue to work—has enabled Bernard to work with a wide array of hardworking men and women who want their concerns to be heard and their tax money spent responsibly. “I see myself as an 'everyday' guy who has worked in the arts and manufacturing industry, and I really want to bring that 'everyday' voice to City Hall so we, in Ward 10, can be heard,” stated Bernard Josipovic when asked why he chose to run for office. “Bi-weekly meetings are crucial, whether there are issues or not. I believe that being in contact with residents consistently enables a councillor to get a clear idea of what is going on in the hearts and minds of our residents. It is our money, our tax dollars, and we all deserve a voice.”

Bernard believes in giving back to his community, and has volunteered for several organizations, such as Canadian Blood Services and Artists at the Center. As an active volunteer with Settlement and Integration Services Organization (SISO), Bernard leads cultural orientation group circles, to ease newcomers to our city in both language and customs. As an immigrant himself, Bernard knows the importance of acceptance and integration at this crucial stage of resettlement, and has devoted his time to helping newcomers ease into their new country.

An active member of recreational sports in his city, Bernard is involved in both the baseball and soccer. Bernard believes that sports bring our community and families together and motivate us, and our children to be active and healthy. “Quality parks and sports centers are crucial for any community and encourage our children to be more active, and have fun in a safe environment” stated Bernard.

Bernard is in the running against Mrs. Maria Pearson and Mr. Pablo Bustamante.

For more information regarding Bernard Josipovic's campaign goals and political platform please contact: josipovicforward10@gmail.com and visit:

http://josipovicforward10.blogspot.com/

Calling all candidates! Calling all residents!

I want to hear from all of you.  I want to know where you stand.  I want to know about you and pass that information onto my readers and followers here.  If you have any special ideas which you want me to critique or what you're hearing out there, I want to know.

I want to hear your stories and try to paraphrase your positions the best way I can.

And candidates, if you want to be heard, let me know!  My line of communication is open.  Go to my profile and e-mail me!

Let's Get to Know What I Do Here!

While a lot of you will not admit it, you like coming to see me and I appreciate that!  But I do need to clarify some things about what I do here.  Here I am part reporter, part critic, but all in all, I am a commentator.

In a Hockey Night in Canada metaphor, I am not Bob Cole here. I am Harry Neale. Yes I report what's happened, but I try to give the best possible explanation to why things are the way they are. While I seem prophetic here, I am no prophet.

A lot of what I observe, I wish wasn't true, because I for one do not like the idea of voting for someone that one likes as opposed to someone who can actually do the job or is fresh with new ideas and creativity.

This city needs new ideas and creative energy, because the old ideas don't work. They never did and they never will.


Above all, I want to help candidates succeed and if any of those I have criticized here have won their election as the result of something I said, then I did my job here.

This blog gives me some opportunity to tune up my analytical skills and keep the gears well oiled.  But understand that a lot of my observations come from experience and a general understanding of the psychlogical make-up of the human being and his or her surroundings.  So enjoy reading and understand that I don't know everything.  I am learning something new every day.  That's the commitment I make to myself.

I thank you all for reading!

The Incumbents Come to the Table...

It's not like it was expected.  Three incumbents have recently submitted their candidacies for re-election.  And they have storylines to boot!

Tom Jackson has submitted his candidacy for re-election as Ward 6 councillor, setting the stage for a rematch with 2006 rival Dr. Natalie Xian Yi Yan.  Because I just moved to Ward 6, I don't know what else the good doctor has done to promote herself.  Now becoming the longshot candidate, I see this as her last chance to win this, because if she doesn't do it this time around, I just don't see how she will win in the future.  This observation is not a reflection of her abilities or any lack thereof, but one of public sentiment.  You can be the best person for the job and still not get it at all.  It just seems that those who win these seem to deserve it the least.

And speaking of those who deserve it the least, Maria Pearson has a long way to go to show why she should be re-elected and with a strong challenge from Pablo Bustamante, she will have her work cut out for her.  At this point, her only advantage is demographics.  When you consider the fact that people in that ward have a quasi-rural attitude, you would have to say that Maria has a slight advantage.  Now I'm not saying that Pablo's nationality is an issue, it's the general attitude of the suburban communities.  Once again, this is an observation.  I think Pablo can pull it off because he has general support in the Fruitland community and he just needs to overcome Maria's advantage, which he has been chipping away at for the last couple of months.  At this point, he is doing a great job of it.

Finally, Dave Mitchell recently submitted his papers to fight for his re-election.  Ken Chartrand has some support in such a way that he could really give Mitchell a run for his money.  But once again, we have a demographic issue here.  Ken Chartrand has some partisan support with him, but it's not clear if the rural residents in the Glanbrook area are looking for some sort of change in representation.  Perhaps someone from that area can give us some perspective.  At this point, things have been eerily quiet in the southeast.

So the incumbents have begun submitting their candidacies for re-election and so the real fight begins for the challengers.  Right now, only one of these incumbents has a significant advantage.

Change and New Beginnings

As the Gauthier household reflects on the time we've spent at our home in the east Gage Park community, up to our move to the Templemead community, we come to an opportunity to reflect on something that discussed many times, but not really thought on:  change and its necessity.

It was Sir Isaac Newton who outlined the term "inertia" which says that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in motion and anything that changes the nature of these states involve some level of force.  So in the case of politics, there are several types of forces that come into play, but either way the result is the same.  Something needs to get your attention to the point where you are forced to decide on the necessity of remaining in that state you are in right now.

So what is your force?   What is it that makes you want change?  Is it the job you lost?  Is it a broken promise?  Is it some form of a tragedy?  Is it a concern that has disrupted your harmonious state?  And knowing that force, what will it take to make you desire change?  And what is really getting your attention these days with city hall?

These are questions being asked by the challenging candidates, because just like me, they are concerned with the recent direction this city has taken and to those like me who care, city hall has been a major source of frustration.

And to our misfortune, the people of this city are used to disappointment.  It's been a way of life since the late 80's, when the decline of the downtown core began.  In places where office buildings once stood, parking lots are there.  Parking lots even sit on places where department stores once sat.  We've settled for second best for decades to the point where we've come to accept that no matter what happens, it will always end in disappointment. 

At what point do we stop settling for second best and start taking our place as one of the more populous cities in this country?  At what point do we stop playing to not lose and start playing to win?  We have to stop acting like losers and start playing like winners.  We need to change!

The Gauthier family moved from their home in the Gage Park community to a newer, more vibrant neighbourhood, because we don't want to settle for second best anymore.  We want to move forward.  But to achieve that desire, we have to desire some level of change.

You see in the end, change happens and there is nothing wrong with it.  All you need is the desire.  So what will it take for you to desire change?  And what will it take for you to give these people your vote?

Just like the Gauthier family, our city needs a new beginning, because as it stands, this council has lost its shelf life and the majority of those sitting in council deserve to be replaced.