Tom Jackson

Saturday January 20, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday January 20, 2018

Councillors back 5 minute speech limit

The days of long-winded repetitive council speeches may be numbered.

After a vigorous 30-minute debate, Hamilton councillors have voted to restrict their statements and questions during meetings to a five-minute time limit.

Donna Skelly, who proposed the speaking cap, said the idea is to impose some discipline on talkative councillors and to be more respectful of time constraints and tying up valuable staff hours.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger called the proposal “music to my ears.”

Eisenberger has previously groused that some councillors waste too much time by running off at the mouth with scant regard for time management.

“I think it’s a good thing to institute some discipline in this process,” said Eisenberger. “We tend on too many occasions to hear the same thing over and over and over again.”

Matthew Green agreed. “If you can’t say something in 500 words (it) probably doesn’t need to be said.”

But the proposal, approved 8-7 at this week’s general issues committee, ran into strong headwinds.

Here’s how the committee vote went. For: Aidan Johnson, Farr, Green, Skelly, Brenda Johnson, Eisenberger, Arlene VanderBeek, Lloyd Ferguson. Against: Merulla, Chad Collins, Jackson, Terry Whitehead, Judi Partridge, Maria Pearson, Conley.

Although Robert Pasuta was absent, the vote is unlikely to be overturned when it goes to council for approval next Wednesday. Pasuta, himself a man of few words, says he’ll support the cap. After all, it reflects his own philosophy: “Think about what you’re going to say and don’t blabber on because who listens?” (Source: Andrew Dreschel, Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Saturday July 29, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday July 29, 2017

Waterfront Trust owes City of Hamilton $325,000 in taxes

The Hamilton Waterfront Trust owes the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes.

The arms-length agency — whose mandate is helping Hamiltonians connect with their waterfront — has unpaid arrears of $325,000 from 2016 and 2017, city tax director Maria Di Santo confirmed Tuesday.

The money owed stems from two properties — $280,000 for 57 Discovery Dr., the home of waterfront restaurant Sarcoa; and $45,000 for 17-47 Discovery Dr., which includes Williams Fresh Café.

According to the city’s property inquiry tool, 2017 taxes for 57 Discovery Dr. are $176,790; and $20,670 for 17-147 Discovery Dr.

In May 2017, the trust owed an additional $164,665 in taxes and interest on 57 Discovery Dr. from 2015. That was paid by July, according to a tax certificate.

HWT executive director Werner Plessl declined comment and referred all questions to board member and Ward 2 Coun. Jason Farr.

Farr said the board directed a tax payment be made of about $175,000 about six weeks ago.

“This wouldn’t even be an issue if certain people paid their rent,” he said Tuesday.

He said the board is trying to manage its priorities, which include legal fees, maintaining their services and paying taxes.

“We are not ignoring any of them,” he said. “As a responsible councillor and board member, I feel we are living up to our fiduciary responsibility.”

The trust has racked up “many, many thousands of dollars” in “unaccounted for” legal fees, Farr said.

HWT has been locked in a $15-million legal battle that waterfront eatery Sarcoa launched against the trust and the city in late 2015 for preventing it from throwing patio parties with amplified music.

The trust began its life with a $6.3-million endowment to settle a lawsuit by the City of Hamilton that contended it hadn’t been properly compensated by the former Hamilton Harbour Commission for its share of port profits dating back decades.

But the seed money has run out and the trust’s revenues now come from capital project funding from other levels of government and sales from the various businesses that the trust operates around the western end of the harbour front.

In the past, the trust has struggled to stay out of the red. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

Thursday June 1, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday June 1, 2017

Hamilton councillors offer civic rings to former colleagues

Should former Hamilton councillors Brad Clark and Scott Duvall be recognized for their political service to the community?

Mountain councillor Tom Jackson said he “felt bad” those former politicians didn’t receive some acknowledgment for their years of sacrifice from the city and council.

It was one of the reasons why Jackson supported a city staff recommendation to update a policy to give departing, retiring or deceased councillors a civic ring.

March 10, 2011

Rose Caterina, city clerk, said the policy wasn’t updated for council’s 2010-to-2014 term, which meant Clark, who didn’t run for re-election in Ward 9 in 2014 but instead ran for mayor and lost to Mayor Fred Eisenberger, didn’t receive a ring.

Duvall, who was re-elected in Ward 7 but resigned after becoming the Hamilton Mountain NDP MP, also didn’t receive a ring.

Jackson defended the city providing civic rings to former councillors, saying it is some form of recognition of their hard work on behalf of the community.

“This is nothing ostentatious at all,” said Jackson, who spoke on behalf of issuing civic rings during the May 30 governance review subcommittee. “This is just a small way of saying thanks for the many years of service.”

The subcommittee approved the recommendation to provide civic rings to outgoing, retiring and deceased councillors. About $5,000 per term would be allocated to purchase the rings. Councillors Maria Pearson and Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson both supported the idea. (Source: Hamilton News)

 

Friday, January 23, 2015

Friday, January 23, 2015Don’t drive doomed bus-only lane yet: city

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday, January 23, 2015

The city is asking motorists to stay out of the doomed bus-only lane on King Street until the signs come down – even if Hamilton police have already stopped handing out tickets.

City council voted 9-7 to axe the contentious two-kilometre experiment Wednesday night to the disappointment of a raucous crowd of largely pro-bus lane advocates.

Wednesday May 29, 2013But the city sent out a public warning Thursday morning that bus priority remains in force until all of the overhead signs are removed from Mary to Dundurn streets. Staff will meet this week “to develop a strategy” to reconvert the lane, including scrubbing lane markings and amending the actual bylaw.

Hamilton police, however, tweeted at virtually the same time that they “would no longer conduct enforcement” on the dedicated transit lane.

It is expected to cost about $100,000 to axe the bus-only lane and return street parking spots to pre-experiment locations. Much of that money won’t be spent until spring, when it’s warm enough to repaint the street.

Council’s decision appears to be just the start of an increasingly passionate battle over rapid transit in the city.

More than 100 people — many wearing yellow T-shirts and armbands to show bus lane solidarity — packed City Hall Wednesday in a rowdy, last-ditch show of support for the two-kilometre priority transit experiment.

The “disappointing” decision won’t stop newly awakened bus advocates from pushing for more transit improvements along the corridor, said Lindsay Godard, who helped organize a fledging transit user coalition that drummed up support for the meeting.

“We’re going to make sure the voice of the transit user is here the next time something like this comes up,” said Godard, noting council is about to consider a 10-year transit plan and the 2015 HSR budget pitch.

“We’ve learned there are obviously a lot of (residents) who are very passionate about transit.”

Godard said the group has signed up more than 200 members, including some angry residents who yelled “shame!” and “dinosaurs!” at councillors as they left council chambers after the vote.

The city is also still waiting to see if the province and rapid transit planning agency Metrolinx will approve Hamilton’s request for an $811-million light rail transit line.

The bus-only lane was meant to test-drive the city’s ability to deal with rapid transit in the B-line corridor. The city’s decision shows council has “imploded” on rapid transit planning, said Coun. Sam Merulla, who warned that Hamilton has effectively given its LRT cash to some other city.

Coun. Lloyd Ferguson — who was taunted by frustrated bus lane fans for a perceived conflict over his ownership of taxi plates — argued the bus-only lane served its purpose. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Saturday, April 12, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, April 12, 2014

Larry Di Ianni not running for Hamilton mayor

For SaleFormer Hamilton mayor Larry Di Ianni says staying out of the race for the city’s top job has been, “in some respects, the hardest decision that I’ve made.”

It will be the first time since 1982 that the former school teacher and principal has not been on a political ballot. He says after his loss to Mayor Bob Bratina in 2010, he figured he was done in local politics.

Monday, March 24, 2014“But politics is a bit of a drug. Whenever there’s an election, the urge comes back.”

Di Ianni made the announcement Friday morning on Twitter. He also posted a statement on his Facebook page that outlined what he considers his political achievements, including the Red Hill Parkway, airport employment lands, the city’s poverty round table and Randle Reef cleanup.

Speculation had swirled about whether Di Ianni, who has remained outspoken on civic issues, would join fellow former mayor Fred Eisenberger in the eight-candidate race.

Di Ianni says he was “leaned on very heavily by responsible people who think I have something to contribute.”

He expects to throw his support behind a candidate but hasn’t decided who that will be.

Di Ianni started his political life as a Stoney Creek councillor and served one term on Hamilton council after amalgamation before becoming mayor by defeating political heavyweight David Christopherson.

He then took an unsuccessful run as a Liberal candidate in the 2008 federal election, losing to the NDP’s Wayne Marston in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.

“It will be a different experience not being on the ballot, but I expect to be involved,” said Di Ianni. “Most of the nominated candidates have reached out to me. There are good candidates stepping forward and I expect more will come.”

Both he and his wife were surprised by her support for another run for mayor, says Di Ianni, who has spent his time away from politics volunteering and operating a government relations consulting business.

“She was advocating most strongly that I go for it. … She sees how I light up around political issues. But she’s happy with my decision.”

Di Ianni was mayor from 2003 to 2006. He lost to Eisenberger in an election campaign clouded by Di Ianni’s violations of election expenses laws.

The Stoney Creek father of three says he had already made his decision when he heard of the sudden death of just-retired federal finance minister Jim Flaherty on Thursday.

“It drove home the point that there is a start to one’s life and an end to one’s life. If you continue the hurly-burly activities and push the limits, it doesn’t extend your life. The end point is always there,” said Di Ianni.

“Everyone in that 60 age range thinks about it.” – Larry D (Source: Hamilton Spectator)