Hamilton tax payers are set to be legally "fleeced" or in this case "clowned" to the tune of $1.8 million. That's right folks, the corporate mafia rolled over city council recently leaving them covered in tar and powdered sugar. Large welts left by floppy shoes where also visible. Their lawyers had no comment. If you see any of the culprits, immediately halt all contact with them.
Funny aside, the already dry city coffers are about to get even drier. All because some of the cities largest corporations haven't picked up a paper in forty years and realized a portion of the Red Hill Expressway was set to be built in their neck of the woods.
Council has voted to pay out nearly $1.8 million to a number of businesses who claim they suffered damages from road closures associated with the construction of the Lincoln Alexander Parkway. The cost of the legal settlement with the McDonald’s hamburger chain and other businesses apparently isn’t covered by expressway reserves.
According to the resolution approved at Tuesday's council meeting, $1,795,000 will be paid out to “Arrowline Gas Ltd, MCGW Properties Corporation and Q Lube Ontario Inc, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited, Vinnefield Trading Inc, Avondale Stores Limited, Donut Diners Inc and 1136075 Ontario Limited” to resolve claims “arising from the closure of Limeridge Road East at Upper Wentworth”.
The money will come out of the expressway accounts. But under questioning from downtown councillor Bob Bratina, the head of public works, Scott Stewart, said the account “doesn’t have that sort of money in it now.”
Council decided to payout instead of fighting it because, according to councillor Lloyd Ferguson,
“Our legal counsel and outside counsel advised us that if we lose, it will cost us in the order for $4.5 or $5 million, and if they win it will cost us a $1 million. The million dollars is professional fees to walk us through the litigation process because we’re up against a corporate giant like McDonald’s who will take it through to the Supreme Court, and courts have demonstrated in the past that when it involves a government agency like the City of Hamilton, they will not assign our costs if we win.”
I agree with Chad Collins who challenged the claims of the businesses, said he was “sickened” by the payment and asked if the city’s policy of not doing business with people who sue it could be applied to them.
“For us to be compensating someone who knowingly knew what the municipalities plans were as it related to the expressway, I think is wrong,” he declared, asking that staff report to a future meeting what steps might be taken to exclude the businesses from city contracts."
I watched the debate on Cable 14 last Tuesday night and it sickened me to watch how much these corporate vultures can get away with. Thanks to hamiltoncatch.org for the minutes of the meeting.
Later,
Kenaz
