Take Back Our City! Rally Tonight in Hamilton

[hamilton]

For those who are interested:

Rally to Revitalize Democracy in Hamilton: The current budget crisis affects us all - as tax payers, transit riders, small business owners, service consumers and citizens. City Hall has spent Hamilton into near-bankruptcy by pushing an outdated, discredited model of economic development. This model tells us that prosperity comes from more roads, more sprawl, big business, privatization and minimal services... From countless examples world-wide, we know this model doesn't work!

Join us in presenting a new direction for Hamilton's development. Let's unite to pursue a vision that includes:

- adequate support, services and housing for the poor and homeless in our communities;

- a Vision 2020 community with sustainable development, clean air and water, strong public transit and green space and wildlife conservation;

- a revitalized city core that is small business-friendly and committed to enhanced quality of life;

- an end to financial mismanagement and unaffordable, capital-intensive projects like the Red Hill Expressway;

- good relations between the diverse cultural groups that make up our city, including respect for First Nations rights.

Wednesday April 14th, 5:00PM in front of City Hall

(Taken literally from the flyer I was handed. Any typos are mine. See you there...)

[paisley]

sounds like a great cause

stuck up the hill but if I was free at all I'd definately be going, Hamilton needs more of this sort of thing

[kc]

How was the turnout, hamilton?

[shainhouse]

I was stuck at work. would have loved to go...

[\/\/illy]

I would definitely have been there had I not been trapped in Newmarket for the night. It's absolutely disgusting what's going on in that city. Up close and personal to me is that they are going to cut down all the 150-year old trees in the 'park' (functionally but not literally) that my backyard borders onto and develop the land. What's worse is that it's going to be a Good Sheppard centre and rumour has it that it will house a needle exchange. Anyone want to buy a nice house in Hamilton?

[secondtube]

was this the thing where a bunch of 'nimbwits*' flooded the building, pretty much looking very unorganized, and causing no advancement in their fight, causing the whole shebang to stop for day?

Ya, a group meeting in front may have been effective, but what they did last evening was far from effective...pretty stupid if you ask me. looked like a bunch of Emery's running around.

Steve

* edit for use of better word.

[paisley]

[edit] ah, me and my idealism

front page of the spectator has a huge pic of "Retards take over City Hall"

actually, its called "Theater of the Absurd" which isn't that bad

least they got the front page I guess... started with 250 people out front then 100 hard cores stormed the buidling (no talk of flooding, just drumming and speaking in front of city council after they were asked to leave)

their points were good:

building for people, not profit

- more affordable housing

- revitalising downtown for small business

- stop wasting cash on the expressway

[hamilton]

Huh. I only stayed for the first 90 minutes, and there hadn't been any storming of anything up until that point. Just drums and free food and some speakers and some poetry. And Steve Sinnicks, and whatsisname... ah, you know... singer-songwriter, long hair, been around the Village forever, kinda sulky, dresses in black, vaguely reminds me of Tom Waits... awwww.... I'm losing my mind! What's his name again?

Anyway, it's disappointing to hear that the tone changed after I left... see what happens when I leave people alone for a few minutes?

[MarcO]

Martin "Laughing Boy" Verrall?

[secondtube]

ya, the media certainly didn't portray the event in a positive light, thats for sure...

its too bad. the red hill valley was one of the things on the discussion list, and they couldn't get to it due to the pea brain protesters; especially the ones that had to be carried out by the cops.

at least most left peacefully, after their message was apparently conveyed.

its all your fault brian!

[paisley]

Anyway, it's disappointing to hear that the tone changed after I left... see what happens when I leave people alone for a few minutes?

they got some bad press in the headlines (Di Lanni was the one who called it the theater of the absurd) but if you read the rest of the article there were some really good points made by the speakers while in chambers

on a side note, they happened to interrupt city council as they were discussing how they'll need to make the expressway a toll-road to help pay for it (proving the validity of the protest)

on the bad end apperently some punk brought some big rocks into chambers and now there's a big stink about the protester's "weapons" (amazing how much harm one bad apple can do) ::

glad to hear you made it down hamilton, kudos

another positive note might be that Martin Verrall is actually strangely happy and easy going these days... go figure

[hamilton]

Martin "Laughing Boy" Verrall?

Ahhhh.... yes. Thanks - I thought my brain was going to explode...