Wednesday July 27, 2016

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Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday July 27, 2016

LRT report not about ‘us-and-them’ says Whitehead

A Mountain councillor says a report his office authored to challenge Hamilton’s plan for a $1-billion light rail line in the lower city is meant to offer “sober second thought” as the project moves forward.

May 27, 2016

“What is the best net benefit to the community at large?” Coun. Terry Whitehead told The Spectator’s editorial board Monday.

But just hours after Whitehead released his report, Christopher Higgins, one of its key sources, released via Twitter scathing feedback of the Ward 8 councillor’s 58-page effort.

Higgins publicized an annotated version of Whitehead’s report early Monday, discrediting it for using study material “cherry-picked for maximum effect rather than to present a balanced analysis.”

That, Whitehead said, was “unprofessional.”

“Who does a peer review on Twitter for all to see?”

The LRT waiting game gallery

Whitehead said he and assistant Howard Rabb, who co-authored the report, had asked for Higgins’ feedback before publication, but that the researcher said he was pressed for time and heading to China.

Higgins, a post-doctoral researcher at McMaster University’s Institute for Transportation and Logistics, said a “role for MITL as peer reviewer was mentioned, but never acted upon.”

Whitehead rejected the report lacks context, saying links to PDFs of full studies it cites are just a click away on its host microsite.

The work isn’t meant to be scientific, but an attempt to find answers, he added: “I’m not doing a scientific study, let’s be clear.”

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Hamilton, city, council, gong, show, Fred Eisenberger, Terry Whitehead, Jason Farr, speech, politics Mayor Fred wants council to cork it (By Andrew Dreschel) "If you can't say it in five minutes, then you really can't say it." That's Fred Eisenberger's guiding philosophy for speaking during city meetings and, for the sake of productivity, he'd like the rest of council to follow suit. The mayor thinks too much time is being wasted with long-winded repetitive comments that don't advance the discussion or the agenda. "Let's do what we're advocating our staff to do Ñ be efficient and get the job done in a cost effective, crisp way. "Be precise, be clear, get to the point, and let's move on." Eisenberger first raised his paean to pithiness during the tail end of a wordy two-hour discussion over a road issue that council won't even vote on until late 2016 or early 2017. Judging by the reaction of some of his colleagues, it may be his most popular idea to date. "I agree with Fred. There a point where you just don't keep talking," said Robert Pasuta. Pasuta tends to be the strong and silent type, but when he does speak it's short and to the point. "I think it's more important to make your point than just go on and on because the context of what you want to say gets lost in all the BS." Doug Conley, another who tends to save his breath, also agrees there should be more lip-zipping. "It would cut down our meetings by half an hour to an hour." Conley doesn't want a speaker to be shut down right at five minutes, but he or she should be urged by the chair to wrap it up at that mark. The problem, Conley says, is four or five councillors often end up saying the same thing rather than acknowledging their points have been covered by others. According to the procedural bylaw, councillors can ask unlimited questions about a presentation or motion. But they can't comment on a subject for longer than five

December 8, 2015

During the editorial board meeting, Whitehead said the report isn’t about ward politics, either.

“This is not an us-and-them thing, as much as people want to pigeonhole me on that.”

Rather, the report — which questions projections for ridership, land values, development spinoff and system efficiency — is meant to foster a more “fulsome” take on the project.

Whitehead argues staff has presented “glowing accounts” of LRT success stories but not lacklustre performances in other major centres.

Those information gaps are not the product of “skulduggery,” Whitehead said, but he is concerned the LRT plan is becoming a “legacy issue” for some. “Decisions are often made in political time frames.” (Source: Hamilton Spectator)