Charity starts at home

Every time Hamilton gets another "flood of the century" area politicians and citizens who aren't capable of higher inteligence look for a scapegoat to blame and pay for their own ignorance.

Sam Merulla, Councilor for Ward 4 went off half cocked a week and a half ago after he received a deluge of complaints from irate home owners standing in waste water and no insurance, denied because of previous claims. Merulla, always the opportunist sent out emails to the media laced with childish obscenities aimed at anyone who dared to challenge his self professed claim of being the crusader for the poor and ignored.

Give it a rest Merulla, insurance is meant to aide those in getting their homes and lives back together after a tragedy not to compensate idiots who use the system as a honey pot for free home improvements.

I have not had more than a small amount of water come into my basement when there have been heavy rains. I live in the Sherman and Barton area, which has had many flooded basements over the past few years.

I did not need to experience a flood first- hand to know that it would be unwise to have a finished basement. My basement is used for what it was intended to be, a storage area and laundry area. The storage is on shelves and the bottom areas have everything in sealed waterproof containers. There is nothing that is irreplaceable or precious in my basement. I have basic insurance coverage and my insurance rates are very low.

I would not blame the city if I was not capable of learning after repeated flooding in my basement nor would I expect my insurance to continue to cover my losses. I am upset that these people who fail to learn from past experiences continue to have the insurance companies pay to renovate the basements of their homes. My insurance rates went up thirty bucks a month for no reason and I've never had to put in a claim.

I am supposed to feel bad that a surround sound stereo and a white couch was damaged by the flood. Why would anyone put something that valuable in a basement that has had many floods? That's like leaving it on the front lawn and then complaining it was stolen.

People claim "the city has known about this problem for many years and continued to do nothing about it," yet they continue to live in the seventies when "wreck rooms" where the norm. The problem is not going away until we get a city council who sees merit in investing in infrastructure instead of higher profile items like the Red Hill Expressway.

An Expressway that every member of City Hall including Mr. Merulla touted as something that would improve the quality of life for all citizens of Hamilton. All the expressway has done is leave Hamilton with a woeful Red Hill Creek storm barrier not capable of handling even modest amounts of rain.

The people who are the most vocal on the TV, radio or in the Spec are the most ignorant. These people deserve to have no insurance, maybe they can invite Mr. Merulla over for a beer and sit in the basement and wait for the next flood. At least each would be eye to eye with the problem and hopefully the "plagues" that besiege Hamilton will be washed away.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein. In laymen terms quit pissing in the wind people.

HSR procedures are totally apathetic

Ridership is down 2 per cent for the first four months of the year -- a $600,000 hit to the budget if the trend continues all year. It's the first sustained revenue drop the system has seen since 1995.-July 22, Spectator Article

"There's no doubt in my mind that it's connected to the economy,"-transit director Don Hull.

This well may be part and parcel but after a recent problem I had on a bus and the disappointing way it was handled I believe many of the HSR's problems are internal. There was a recent case to back up my assumption involving assault to which drivers have done nothing out of fear of violating HSR policy.

Spectator Article Feb. 28-The Hamilton police services board is calling for a review of the relationship between police and the HSR after a woman was pulled off a bus and beaten...When the driver stopped, the girls dragged the woman off the bus and continued to beat her. Neither the passengers nor the driver intervened.

According to current HSR procedures, drivers are to report any on-board incidents to a superior and are not specifically required to intervene.

I have personally witnessed a similar incident and blogged about which fortunately ended different because of a driver who cared to challenge "HSR procedure"

Excerpt from my post from 5/21/07- I grabbed a bus for home, and the reality of the inner city came crashing down when I witnessed an attempted mugging of a young girl by two teen female "gang bangers" at the stop at Barton and John. Thank god it was broken up by the male bus driver before anyone was hurt.

This leads me to the most recent incident of HSR apathy and disregard for commuter safety. Here is a detailed account of the incident taken from the emails sent to the HSR and several city officials.

Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:57 AM
To: HSR Customer Service
Subject: complaint about a driver

Date:Tuesday 12:44AM
Bus Route Info:Barton 2 West Bound
Location:Bell Manor Loop

Incident: At 12:30 I got on the Barton bus, shortly after 4 males, obviously intoxicated, entered the bus greeted the driver in a way that I felt they knew each other in some way. One male carried a 24 of beer,entered first and proceeded to crack the cap and begin to consume it. The driver entered and I assume did his regular check before departing, never said anything to this passenger. This male then proceeded to pass this beer around and then crack a second and due the same. The foursome continued to drink, unattested by the driver until they departed at the centre mall. Several passengers noticed their behaviour a couple, including my self gave strong indication of the circumstance. I mentioned to the last of the foursome before he got off that his actions just got the driver in some problems, to this the driver responded with a "so what". If this driver is not reprimanded or/and removed from this route a copy of this email will be sent to the mayors office and need be it the Hamilton Police pending your reaction. Can I remind the HSR who pays their bills? The people who pay fares to ride your buses and who expect a safe commute.

From: HSR Customer Service
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 8:15 AM
Subject: RE: complaint about a driver

Hello,

Your complaint has been forwarded to our Operations team for investigation. Their process dictates that they respond within 10 business days at which time we will let you know when the investigation is complete.

Details of the action taken can not be disclosed as per the Federal Privacy Act which states that all communication between an employer and employee is strictly confidential.

To: Sam Merulla(Ward 4 Councillor), forwarded to Diane Piedimonte(Administrative Assistant to Councillor Sam Merulla, Ward 4) Don Hull(HSR Transit director)
Sent: Fri Jul 10 16:39:43 2009
Subject: Fw: complaint about a driver

Mr. Merulla,

I am forwarding a copy of the following email that has been sent to Mayor Fred, considering this HSR trip took place in your riding, the one that I currently reside in.

Automated Response:I will follow up asap.

To: Mayor Fred Eisenberger
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 4:31 PM
Subject: Fw: complaint about a driver

Mr. Eisenberger,

I ask you for a second of your busy schedule too hear me out. The following is a copy of the two emails that I have sent to the HSR concerning a driver I had the unfortunate pleasure of being served by back on June 23. As you read you will realize the HSR: which receives a lions share of mine, and the other thousands of commuters dollars annually to provide a sound transport system; failed me miserably, and now refuses to offer a basic rebuttal their own mandate says I am entitled too.

I have yet to hear from any of the above parties at this time about the outcome. The only ones who have shown any support where other drivers who apparently know in detail of the complaint.

Later,
Kenaz

Bratina,Merulla sling mud in your eye

Councilors Bob Bratina (Ward 2) and Sam Merulla (Ward 4) have been slinging fices via email for the past few weeks over various topics including spending priorities for the city and the closing of US Steel The councilors sent their childish barbs to each other, plus the rest of council and all the local news media.

It started on February 12, with Councilor Merulla forwarding a news item from Citizens at City Hall (CATCH) about Mississauga's decision to drop out of the Pan Am Games bid for an aquatic facility.

In it, Merulla dismisses the games as an obscure 'third-rate event with fourth-rate athletes. To which Bratina asked Perhaps Councilor Merulla would consider apologizing to the young athletes in the Hamilton area who might aspire to participate in some of the events. Moments later, with the vigor of a fifth grader with a persecution complex, Merulla shot back asking Councillor Bratina to apologize to your residents who have been subjected to human feces floating in their basement as a result of the infrastructure deficit and yet you want to build an unsustainable stadium.

I would like to see a new multi-purpose stadium built with a track, football field, outdoor concert area, etc. Something like Toronto's BMO field, there is a bubble which allows for facility use 365 days of the year. There needs to be private investment to offset the cost to taxpayers, perhaps selling the naming rights for the new stadium. "Tim Horton's Field" sounds pretty good. Selling Name/Commemoration plates for seats (like at Hamilton Place) and common areas (Councilor Merulla Men's Room? Councilor Bratina Hot Dog's?)

I have never had respect for Councilor Merulla and his over the top, boisterous comments and yesterday's salvo of dumb dumbs didn't help. In response to the Hamilton Spectator's breaking news report that US Steel (formerly Stelco) is shutting down its Canadian operations (including its Hamilton and Lake Erie operations), Merulla sent an email to local media that reads simply: "Let's build a stadium!!!!!!! [sic]"

Councilor Bratina immediately responded, "This is not a matter for smug jokes." Glenn Johnson of CanWest News Service replied to all, writing, "Would you two call each other instead of wasting everyone else's time."

The US Steel closure of its Hamilton and Lake Erie operations could affect 2,100 workers, adding to the 700 of its 1,700 wage employees laid off in Hamilton.

I don't understand what Merulla is saying with that comment. Does he mean that building a stadium is a waste of money because we could use the $60ish million to do what for the tax payers of Hamilton. Use it to keep US Steel afloat while they sit idle until the global economy says it's time to start making steel again? Sam, shut up or say something constructive. Try saying something useful for once.

Sometimes for major changes to take place, a system must fail. The times ahead are going to be hard for some, harder for others. This is Hamilton's chance to show what it is made of and change a flawed system.

Later,
Kenaz

A few choice words for those holding Hamilton's growth hostage

The words are the same seven words the brilliant mind of the recently lost George Carlin made us laugh nervously at so many years ago and will never be uttered on this blog. That is where the comparison between the mother f*!@er a!#$oles at the Mayors office, City Hall and Liuna Station ends.

Lister Block is dead

This week has been a cornucopia of lies, ineptitude and border line corruption down at Hamilton City Hall. Lets start in reverse order, on Friday it was revealed that on this Monday Hamilton will return a $7-million cheque to the province after failing to reach a deal to save the Lister Block and restore dignity to a joke of a downtown.

LIUNA and partner Hi-Rise have decided to cry like babies and take their ball home after the city rightfully accused them of dropping the ball way to many times. LIUNA served official notice to the city yesterday that their compromise in the $25-million negotiations is off the table. LIUNA also advised the city that its other planned developments on King William, including replacing the fallen Balfour building, are on hold. Plus, they said they will fight an attempt to put a heritage designation on the Thomas Building beside the Lister on James Street North.

Why is LIUNA saying they've had enough making compromises?, even though the city has had to walk on egg shells trying to get a working deal together. The Lister deal fell apart this week after both sides couldn't agree on the terms of a $1-million guarantee on the second phase of the project.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger appealed to the province yesterday morning for another extension of the hefty grant, which was intended to make the deal more affordable for the city. He was flatly refused. Rightfully, the province had already extended the deadline twice.

The stymied deal,

Councillors want the additional development to offset the cost of buying the Lister. It will cost taxpayers an extra $1.3 million a year for city offices compared to existing leases.

The developers proposed they would get their guarantee back if they built a commercial building or seniors home of at least 65,000 square feet, or 130,000 square feet of residential space. Either development would generate $550,000 a year in taxes for the city -- just $50,000 less than originally requested by council.

But LIUNA also wanted a sliding scale if they built a smaller development. The union would only lose the entire $1 million if they built less than 40,000 square feet. If they were between 40,000 and 60,000, they would only give back a part of the guarantee.

Think about how that looks to Hamilton taxpayers, to developers with an interest in downtown redevelopment, and to Queen's Park. It looks like our local government is so dysfunctional, so parochial, so short-sighted and outright ineffective, it couldn't find adequate common ground, even for a $7-million grant.

This is unfair to the hardworking people of Hamilton. There is adequate blame to go around all parties in the Lister negotiations. The developers have been inconsistent about project components and their willingness to commit to guarantees. And the childish rhetoric emanating from LIUNA on the subject in recent weeks hasn't been helpful.

In a reasonable world outside the vacuume of council chambers, the parties involved would realize what's at stake and work right through to the Monday deadline to find compromise and salvage the grant money. Sadly, that's probably not going to happen, which raises the unfortunate question: Now what? Try your spin on that one Mayor Fred.

Eisenberger leaked tape scandal(see video at the bottom of the post)

If this story wasn't so pathetic it would be funny. Stoney Creek Councillor Brad Clark admits to circulating the stolen tape that landed Mayor Fred Eisenberger in hot water for leaking confidential information, but stops short of admitting to stealing the tape himself.

Clark says he gave a digital file and transcript of the tape to a Hamilton Community News reporter and his best buddies councillors Sam Merulla and Scott Duvall out of what he says is "compelling public interest."

"The mayor is the gentleman who admonished city council for breaching codes of conduct for talking about personnel matters ... and then I get this package (showing) that he had clearly done what he had admonished people for doing."

Eisenberger, who has asked for a police investigation of the missing tape and a city review of his apparent code of conduct violation. Meanwhile, Duvall kept his big mouth shut, on the other hand Merulla known famously for his run off at the mouth if you ever catch a city council meeting in person or on the local public access station, pathetically tries to cover his ass arguing, if that was the goal to distribute the tape as a way to "whistleblow", he(Clark) wouldn't have distributed the file and transcripts so selectively.

Merulla believes Clark wanted to politically embarrass the mayor for his own purposes and tried to use him to do it. Right!(sarcasm) Wanna buy some real estate right for development, needs a little fixing up.

Here's where it sounds like another episode of the Sopranos, Clark tells Merulla the story of the mayor's presumed code violation should be told as soon as possible and suggests Merulla should pass the files on to reporters. Clark refuses to say who provided him with the files. But it's clear from his e-mail that he had been in contact with someone who allegedly had access to the mayor(Who's Deepthroat?).

A friend of both councillor's regularly recorded the mayor's interviews Clark said in the e-mail to Merulla but does not want his name mentioned because he is suing the city for wrongful dismissal. The newspaper crack team of investigative reporters(if you want to know where the best place to eat is) learned that Ian Dovey, Eisenberger's former communications adviser who taped some of the mayor's media calls, is suing the city for breach of contract. Eisenberger let Dovey go last summer after five months on the job.(the man in the shadows is revealed! Is this just a ruse!)

Meanwhile, council has directed city staff to hire an outside investigator to review whether Eisenberger broke council's code of conduct by revealing in-camera information in an off-the-record interview with reporter Andrew Dreschel. Any off-the-record conversation is strictly confidential. God! haven't we learned yet from these dumb celebs who get caught doing something they shouldn't have on tape. Get rid of the evidence!

It gets better, Clark brushes off any suggestion he himself may have violated the code of conduct by circulating the Eisenberger interview. The code forbids councillors from disclosing any confidential information to the public. Clark believes he's clean because he merely distributed a transcript of an interview.

Media in this city is becoming more like a gossip column every day. It's no secret they are hurting for revenues so they rely on this type of crap. "Leaked" or down right stolen information that finds it's way into the media hands is rarely divulged for compelling public interest. More than enough it's released to serve a personnel agenda. Both Eisenberger and Clark, who have been banging the integrity drum louder than any other members of council and now both their hands are dirty.

Politics is the dirtiest legal profession their is. Clark was not playing the part of whistleblower he nothing more than a political opportunist, his actions are bound to revive the distrust and suspicion that descended on council in the wake of Councillor Dave Mitchell's code of conduct troubles.

To be squeaky clean and above suspicion, Clark would have served his own and the public interest better if he had openly put the tape before council or the city's legal department rather than indulging in this backroom crap.

Video of Eisenberger's response,

Hamilton needs a new city hall

Oops! They did it again. Like Britney, it seems like Hamilton City Council on a regular basis finds themselves exposing their vulnerabilities for everyone to see. They bickered for more than thirty years over Red Hill Creek; poured millions into changing directions of streets only to make downtown a traffic nightmare; squandered the Maple Leaf Foods deal that cost thousands of jobs; chased every millionaire who even whispered the hint of moving an NHL team without offering a shred of evidence Hamilton can even support a team and lost the bid to host the Commonwealth Games, twice.

Now, the "old guard", old in the sense of out of touch, have voted to put Band-Aids on our deteriorating, outdated and inefficient eyesore that is our City Hall. Hamilton is the only major city in Canada not to have a modern centre in which to conduct business. City Hall should be the jewell of Main Street, with an inviting entrance that beckons the average joe and multi-corporation alike to enter its hallow halls to conduct business and bring much needed revenue to the city coffers.

Instead an ugly box surrounded by a concrete deck devoid of any green is what we offer visitors. Pretty stomach turning if you ask me. So I totally don't understand the decision of councillors like Sam Merulla to not want to build a new city hall but instead renovate a dilapidated building. A decision that will not only be a more costly one in the long haul, but will permanently cast a myopia over Mayor Fred Eisenberger's "new vision" for Hamilton.

The old councillors weren't listening. They were more concerned with how they looked. City councillors are elected to show bold leadership and sometimes make unpopular decisions because they are the right decisions, not worry about their image and Mr. Merulla has the most bloated ego. The councillor needs to start seeing the trees for the forest even if it interferes in anyway with his individual political aspirations.

Later,
Kenaz

Backroom meeting raises the stench of corruption yet again

The only thing missing was the eerie violin music, the stogies and the dimly lit backroom, but all the characters of a scene straight out of the 'Godfather' where present. Sam 'The Bully' Merulla played the lead thug, trying to persuade Bob 'Red Light' Bratina and Brian 'Flip-Flop' McHattie into back tracking on their decision to agree with a transit fare hike. All under the cover of an off camera, extremely fishy out of chambers meeting.

Here's how the scene played out. Twenty four hours after Merulla had a tantrum worthy of cheap award show nod for best villain, calling McHattie a 'hypocrite' and heckling any other who dared oppose him, the three where huddled in Bratina's private office, off limits to the public and cameras discussing an alternative for the rate increase.

Merulla says Bratina was taking such flak from the public for voting for the increase, he offered to help the Ward 2 councillor "find a way out". Bratina said he only voted for the hike because he didn't want to seem "bullied or intimidated" He later recanted. Before the meeting was over, Bratina changed his position. He said the fare increase is "satisfactory and workable" because of attempts to mitigate the socio-economic impacts, but he still philosophically opposes all HSR increases.

"That's not to say that I voted for something that I don't agree with," he said. What does that mean? You either are for something or your not, there's no fence here or did the "bull" offer to shove the whole post up McHattie's, well, a very dark, smelly place, not unlike the whole gathering.

Here's where the grey area could have been crossed, turning this already sceptical meeting between two councillors into a potentially illegal gathering. Besides himself, Bratina named five councillors who were involved in the discussion -- Merulla, McHattie, Terry Whitehead, Chad Collins, and Robert Pasuta, who "wandered by." The magic number to keep in mind is nine. Nine members of city council congregating together to discuss city business without proper notification and clerical record-keeping would have constituted a quorum and almost certainly an illegal meeting.

Bratina identified six participants but McHattie says there was a "core" of four, with others sticking their heads in but not actively participating. Merulla says there were five or six. Whitehead said six, and others walked by who "would just stop, either join the conversation or walk through."

The meeting became so bizarre a fearful McHattie raised concerns about forming a quorum were. In typical sleazy fashion, Merulla laughed his concerns off as a joke. But they agreed to take a head count anyway.

Jokes aside, transit fares are an important issue worthy of debate in an adult way and should be held in public, not diluted in private backroom agreements. This was not a casual hallway discussion over a coffee, this a well cooked up and covered up attempt to deceive the public.

Everyone who took part at this meeting should feel ashamed and shouldn't wonder if anything they say from now on isn't believed by the people they say they represent. Openness and transparency at the grand hall downtown was nothing more than a cheap campaign slogan, the reality is city hall is rife with the stench of corruption and will only get worse until we get an independent integrity council that can't be corrupted, and willing to put an end to the shenanigans.

Later,
Kenaz

Sam Merulla, big man or big mouth

Hamilton Councillor Merulla hails himself as the self imposed deity of the elderly and poor of Hamilton. The truth is Mr. Merulla is a self absorbed "hypocrite" who rarely visits the neighbourhoods he claims to fight for in city council.

Yesterday, Mr. Merulla further added to his reputation of council bully when he verbally attacked the much smaller Councillor Brian McHattie. The verbal barrage started after Mr. McHattie took the chamber floor to address his approval of a 15 cent public transit fee hike.

Like myself any many working poor and economically disadvantaged Hamiltonian's, we may not like the idea of a substantial hit to our wallets, but we also don't like people like Merulla who misrepresent themselves to us as crusaders, when in reality they are mere self indulgent ego strokers.

In a side conversation that interrupted the meeting, Merulla called McHattie, a vocal transit advocate, a "hypocrite" for supporting the fare hike and warned "I'm coming after you."

The Ward 4 politician tried to cover his ass by saying he was referring to the debate, and further embarrassed himself by saying "We're big boys. We're in politics. If you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen." Mr. Merulla, next time you try to bring the heat, don't bring a bick that doesn't flick.

While Mr. Merulla continued to act like a naughty five year old, insisting on yelling taunts at his fellow council members who supported the hike, and even the Mayor, the rest of the "kids" tried to bring some servility back to the voting public who try to make sense out of council meetings.

In the end, it was agreed, abet, with hesitation, that the cost of riding the bus will increase 15 cents this year to $2.25 for cash fares, a 10-cent increase in ticket fares, $6 on monthly passes, $40 for the annual seniors bus pass and 10 cents for DARTS tickets.

The increase will still mean a substantial sting to the wallets of the persons who can least afford it, but Hamilton will still have one of the cheapest transit systems in the Golden Horseshoe. And in a good turn, a proposal to continue increasing fares over the next several years was turned down.

The estimated $1 million in extra revenue will make up some of the Provincial shortchanging and hopefully lead to buying more new buses and pay for better driver training.

The debate lagged on with other councillors joining Merulla in his playpen to the point when Mayor Eisenberger had enough of the bar room heckling and asked for the councillor to leave the chambers. In response, Merulla asked to be thrown out on behalf of the city's "poor, disabled and seniors."

Mr. Merulla, you don't represent me, don't offend me by saying you do. I may be a working stiff, but I'm not a patsy for an egotistical, self-absorbed person like you.

Later,
Kenaz

One ringy dingy, is anybody there at Hamilton City Hall?

Interruptions, childish out bursts, insults short of "your mother!". A local playground? No, a meeting of Hamilton council. The playpen squabble? Extending local calls to the suburbs. The answer so obvious; to borrow a phrase from a popular info-commercial "so easy, even a child could do it!"

And to further my allegory to info-mercials, "for just a penny a day" on your phone bill you can have the "privilege" of phoning to the burbs for free. Since 2001, Hamilton has been "one" city officially, long before that we have all lived with the conundrum that is the "905" area code.

Here's the argument that my councillor and other inner city councillors offer, "it's not fair for the whole city to pay the cost of reducing phone rates for the suburbs when they enjoy the benefits of area rating, in which they don't pay the full costs for services such as transit and recreational facilities."

This is so ridicules it's not even funny even if it was a joke. Benefits? You can't take a bus to Binbrook or most of the sub-burbs from Hamilton and there are few recreational facilities in these areas to begin with. What the hell benefits are these councillors talking about?

To prove my point, Sam Merulla, inner city councillor, delivered an eloquent and impassioned speech that's so far over the top, I wonder if he was smelling burnt toast at the time.

Merulla says the 30 cents a month would impact the most marginalized residents to subsidize the wealthiest in the suburbs. If council does this, then they have to revisit area rating to ensure everyone pays equally for all services, regardless of where they live. He says the proposal is a "catalyst" that underlines the hypocrisy of past support for reducing business taxes.

Merulla is surprised by some of the councillors who support the motion. They are, "voting in favour of the hypocrisy and inconsistency, the unpredictability which basically are the characteristics of a dysfunctional environment."

What thesaurus did Merulla swallow? If he's so concerned about the impoverished in his riding, he'd realize most of his constituents either can't understand him or see through his paper thin mirage of deceit. Two can play his game.

Councillor Jackson tries to talk about removing irritants, Merulla becomes one himself, repeatedly interrupting with audible mumbling, something along the lines of "I could'va been a contender" or something like that.

Mayor Eisenberger called Merulla on it, urging a respectful debate, a few more minutes of childish taunts before the good Mayor hands out the "soothies" in the way of an altimatum for the debate to stop getting silly and demands a vote.

In the end council agreed to add an amendment, asking the CRTC to reconsider the 30 cents a month price structure. Then they all voted to support going forward with the request to make all calls within Hamilton local calls. Well, two meetings down in 2007 and the pampers are already full. I hope a new shipment is on its way or its going to be a long four years.

Later,
Kenaz