8 Opinion

EDITORIAL Lost in translation •THURSDAY , OCTOBER 1, 2015 • 1, OCTOBER , •THURSDAY There is an expected level of trust between a EWS

N candidate and voters whenever someone offers HE themselves up for public of ce. • T • For the most part the candidate provides his or her beliefs, ideas and plans to the voter which can be accepted or rejected. The can- didate also lays bare who they are, sometimes warts and all, and allows the voter to judge. It can be a stark and humbling experience.

WWW.HAMILTONNEWS.COM Recently, a number of candidates have ex- perienced the humiliation and embarrassment over things they’d done in the past thanks largely to social media. There was Conserva- tive candidate Jerry Bance, who was caught on camera peeing into a homeowner’s coffee cup; Tim Dutaud, another Tory candidate who was unveiled making prank YouTube videos pre- tending to orgasm. There was Ala Buzreba, a Liberal candidate in Calgary who had made cutting comments on Twitter as a teen; and Morgan Wheeldon, an NDP candidate in Nova Scotia, who made comments on social media about Israel. All these candidates eventually resigned. Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas NDP can- didate and public school trustee Alex John- Column stone didn’t resign in spite of the publication of a penis joke she made seven years ago on Face- book about an electric fence poll at Auschwitz. Candidates’ actions aren’t on their party If nothing else, social media has also revealed tion, while simultaneously giving no quarter er for the average voter to see through the that a quick joke or satirical comment can get to any candidate who isn’t. smoke on the battle eld and see what’s truly lost in translation in many different ways by I disdain the seeming glee with which important to them. Like an actual war, most the public. Gordon they announce in smug and gloating Face- people want no part of it. But the more troubling aspect to Johnstone’s book posts that candidate X’s actions prove However, pulling ourselves back from the imbroglio is how she and her campaign have Cameron what they’ve been saying all along that party brink requires every politically engaged per- GROUP MANAGING EDITOR handled the fallout. Johnstone blundered by Y shouldn’t be allowed to run the country. son to take a good, hard look at their own saying she has no knowledge of one of the If you’ve been following the federal elec- Then, when the shoe is on the other foot, I actions and ask if they’ve been contributing most infamous concentration camps during tion campaign at all you’ve no doubt noticed admit that I will enjoy a smirk at the specta- to the problem or the solution? the Second World War. That admission to a has that unlike any election before, the social me- cle of watching them tie themselves in knots Being part of the solution doesn’t mean prompted a national discussion about educa- dia history of candidates is coming back to to justify defending their guy or gal. having to like the other parties any better, tion, and what it takes to represent voters. bite them. Sure, they’ll have their reasons as to why only accepting that politicians and candi- Subsequent to her admission, the John- It would be easy to write a column either their candidate’s case is different, and there dates of all stripes are human and, like the stone campaign has engaged in the worst pub- chiding would-be politicians for saying stu- will be a sort of logic to it, but it doesn’t take rest of us, have said and done stupid things lic relations response a politician or any high pid things in the pubic sphere, or to say that much rhetorical skill to wipe away the shiny in our past. pro le person should take: the proverbial no what had been said/done in the past isn’t veneer and see the turd underneath. Yes, as individuals they need to answer for comment. Instead, she has issued statements necessarily an indication of anyone’s current It’s hypocrisy at it’s worst, but I don’t be- their past words and deeds, but, with few ex- through Facebook, aligning herself with B’nai thoughts, beliefs or actions. However, I’m lieve it’s conscious for most of them. Politics ceptions (party leaders), those past actions Brith, and committing to ght against racism sure that would be as boring for you to read has become less and less about ideas, vision have no more bearing on their party’s compe- and anti-Semitism. All well and good, but to ig- as it would be for me to write. and the future and more about us-versus- tency than some of the boneheaded things I nore, run and de ect questions from the media But what interests me is how people have them and there are few more innate human did when I was younger have on the quality raises doubts about a candidate’s competence been reacting to those incidents. I’d say it was impulses than to protect the righteous “us” of this newspaper. under pressure, ability to withstand stress and funny if it weren’t for the fact that it disturbs against the dastardly “them.” Fortunately for me, we didn’t have social acceptance of making a mistake and taking re- me so deeply. Friends, acquaintances, people But by tribalizing our politics to the point media back then. sponsibility. I overhear on the streets — rational, intelli- where any gaffe, from minor to major, must If a candidate can’t present themselves as hu- gent people — seem to be willing to forgive be fought over with the vigour of a do-or-die — Gordon Cameron is Group Managing man to voters, with the ability to be both posi- their preferred candidate any past indiscre- military engagement, we make it a lot hard- Editor for Hamilton Community News. tive and negative, why should they be trusted enough to be elected? Should Alex Johnstone resign as a candidate in the federal election? Vote online at www.hamiltonnews.com In last week’s editorial the number of carding Have your say Last week we asked: incidents since 2010 was reported incorrectly. The Should carding be banned? number is 9,005. 64% said Yes and 36% said No 8 Opinion

EDITORIAL The next •THURSDAY , FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • 25, FEBRUARY , •THURSDAY EWS

N big thing HE Hamilton’s business and political elite • T • have always latched onto the “one big proj- ect” idea that will resurrect the economy and boost the city’s reputation. In the 1980s it was to build Copps Coli- seum to attract an NHL team. The arena was constructed, but the NHL team never

WWW.HAMILTONNEWS.COM materialized, leaving Hamilton with a near worthless and aging white elephant on Bay Street and York Boulevard. Next was a new football stadium. Hamil- ton did get Tim Hortons Field and the glory of the Pan Am Games, but the economic im- pact was eeting. Now the economic thinkers are saying the $1-billion light rail transit system is the big project for rejuvenation. City politicians have been up front about the project, say- ing it is for “up lifting” the downtown core’s stagnant economy. Maybe Hamilton can still transform itself despite the LRT project. The city has con- sistently been identi ed by the Conference Column Board of Canada as the country’s most eco- nomically diverse city. Agricultural, health and education sectors are slowly replacing When to jump in and when to stay silent the steel and manufacturing engines, and But I sure didn’t feel good about it. But this sort of social media posting can the west harbour could be a transformative Having been on social media since the ear- often give us more information about our project. Actually, the most important busi- ly days, I’ve seen it evolve in directions that, friends and acquaintances than we really ness to locate in the downtown is Nations Gordon looking back, seem almost antithetical to the want to know. I would have been quite happy Fresh Foods, becoming the  rst grocery medium’s initial purpose. never knowing that my friend blamed the store to service what has been a limited mar- Cameron When I  rst joined Facebook almost all media for covering up the “truth” about this GROUP MANAGING EDITOR ket. of the postings were about what my friends particular issue. In fact, I would have pre- But can Hamilton continue to transform Last week, while I was scrolling through were doing and what was going on in their ferred it. itself? McMaster University business profes- my social media, I came across a post that lives. It was a way to stay connected no mat- I know, it’s sel sh. I also know there have sor Marvin Ryder says there are underlining left me saddened and somewhat dismayed. A ter how much physical distance there was likely been times when friends may have economic problems in Hamilton. Yes, the friend of mine had posted a link to a story between us. been disappointed by some of the things city has a below average unemployment rate espousing a conspiracy theory that science Looking through my feed now, it’s inun- that I’ve posted, causes that I haven’t liked at 5.4 per cent, but that’s a misleading num- debunked many times over. dated with re-posts of articles, humourous or groups that I’ve not joined. I don’t know if ber (because the labour participation rate is However, rather than launching into a pas- photos and videos, and political propaganda. I’ve lost any friends over it, but I’m sure some lumped in with Grimsby and Burlington). sionate defence of the facts, I just sat there Sure, the truly personal stuff is still there, but people no longer think of me the same way Yes, the city has had $1-billion in building and sighed at the screen. you have to wade through a lot of junk before they once did. permits four out of the last  ve years, but Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to back you  nd it. It’s human nature to believe that what we that hasn’t translated into needed tax reve- down from a good social media debate, nor Before you start sighing into your newspa- believe is what’s right and true, and that the nue. Yes, the city has seen economic activity, am I generally shy in correcting people’s ig- per, let me assure you that I am not saying people we like and respect believe it too. but private investment remains woefully in- norance, but in this case it seemed somehow that we should crack down on any form of le- When we discover it’s not true, it can cause adequate. Ryder says seven out of the top 10 inappropriate — due in large part to the fact gal expression on social media. If you want to us distress, if only for a moment. employers are from the public sector. And that our relationship was never built on such share cat videos or why this politician is evil It also forces us to realize that not all friends yes, the city’s tax increases have been low discussions. and this one is the second coming,  ll your are created equal. In this case, I guess I’m hap- over the years, but Hamilton’s residential I decided that I valued this person’s friend- boots. How hypocritical would it be of me to py enough to enjoy what we have rather than tax ratio remains a burden to homeowners ship more than I was concerned about the blather on every week in print about what- trying to forge something deeper. who are footing about 70 per cent of the bill damaging potential of the falsehoods that ever strikes me as interesting while denying — Gordon Cameron is Group Managing compared to the industrial, commercial and were being spread. others the same opportunity online? Editor for Hamilton Community News. institutional sectors that pay 30 per cent. It’s appropriate to applaud some of Hamil- Are you optimistic about Hamilton’s economic future? ton’s economic strategy successes, but to say Vote online at www.hamiltonnews.com it is in recovery is missing the point. It is still Have your say Last week we asked: too soon to gauge the success, and the reli- Should new ward boundaries ignore the borders of pre-amalgamation communities? ance on the one big project to boost the city’s image clouds its economic vision. 62% said Yes and 38% said No 8 Opinion

EDITORIAL

•THURSDAY , JUNE 9, 2016 • JUNE 9, , •THURSDAY Calling for 311 EWS

N Hamilton of cials are usually the rst to HE crow about being the rst municipality to do • T • something ahead of other cities. Yet 12 years ago, Hamilton refused to pro- vide what is now almost a common service to its citizens. In 2004 Ward 4 councillor Sam Merulla introduced a motion requesting staff to inves-

WWW.HAMILTONNEWS.COM tigate the possibility of creating a 311 system for the city. The system, which has become a simpli ed access to non-emergency, local gov- ernment service for residents, has become a popular feature since it was introduced in the United States in the 1980s. City staff eventually told council the system was too expensive to implement. And besides, the city had its call centre operating despite a number of glitches. Flash-forward to 2016 and city manager Chris Murray is explaining to councillors the goals of the city’s revamped 2016-2025 strate- gic plan. At the end of the presentation, he had a CBC news report of how Boston was doing wonders with new cell phone technology and data analytics by using the 311 system. The presentation revealed how far behind Column Hamilton is in providing proper communi- cations and data informational services to its residents. The Hip’s end, isn’t the end of the music There are about 300 United States cities that So many of their songs are masterpieces. 1995’s Another Roadside Attraction festival. use the service, while in Canada, most large Lyrically they are dense, full to the brim of While the show was fantastic, the day was municipalities such as Halton and Durham re- images, allusions and pathos without being somewhat bittersweet. It was that summer gions, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto Gordon overwrought or artless. Musically, they could where I was transitioning from high school to have long ago establish 311 service. Edmon- rock out with the best of them and then de- university and this turned out to be one of the ton began operating the system in 2008 and Cameron liver a tune so achingly subtle that it left you last times we were all together for many years GROUP MANAGING EDITOR elded 5,000 a day in 2009. The Canadian Ra- mesmerized. to come. dio-television and Telecommunications Com- When I heard that Kurt Cobain died, I felt And then there’s the uniqueness of Downie’s I saw the band again at a New Year’s Eve mission approved in 2004 the 311 service for nothing. I was in high school at the time, but voice. His bleating vibrato always seemed to show at Copps perhaps most notable for the municipalities to use. Nirvana’s music never spoke to me. I wasn’t a me to be a more earnest and less campy ver- fact that a drunk guy sitting behind us decided As technology has improved, municipali- disaffected young man and quite frankly never sion of the B-52s Fred Schneider. However, to vomit all over my brother (well, mostly his ties are using the 311 service for more than understood the appeal. Downie’s vocal stylings married perfectly with seat). just a one-way telephone call. In this data- Fast forward a couple of decades and the the music giving The Hip their signature It’s hard to say goodbye to something you driven era, municipalities use the informa- news that The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie sound. love, but while The Hip’s frontman may die, tion residents provide to track city employees was dying of cancer had me in shock. Unlike I’m amazed at how many of their songs con- the band’s music will not. work response, measure performances, while grunge rock The Hip’s music resonated deep nect to moments in my past, either directly or And that’s the great power of music. As long allowing staff and councillors to make strate- inside me. The songs were about things that by perfectly capturing the emotions of the as it continues to connect to the listeners, be gic decisions. seemed familiar, even if they weren’t. They moment. “Fireworks” reminds me of my rst they long-time a cionados or those getting To be sure the cost of the service — most no- were stories, Canadian stories, that stood adult relationship and “Bobcageon” reminds their rst taste, it’s as vital and potent as it was tably the software — can be expensive. Some apart from the generic American myths that me of when it ended. “Little Bones” is about when it was rst written or recorded. cities have been able to limit their spending to permeated the airwaves. Listening to The Hip blaring the album Road Apples and singing That’s why even thought I didn’t share the about $3 million, but typically for larger cities made me feel special as a Canadian and supe- along as we got lost on our way to Scout camp. grief of my classmates over Cobain’s death, I the cost can be $10 million or more. rior to the Americans who never seemed to get “Wheat Kings” is sitting around a camp re on understood it. Hamilton, though, as city staff and politi- the appeal. a summer’s night listening to a guy and guitar. Just as I’m sure that they’d understand my cians have been repeating to themselves, is an In the end that’s just ne with me. Who The Hip were my rst big concert. My best feelings over Downie’s pending passing. innovative city that seeks to nd value in the knows how their music would have changed friends and I piled into a minivan and made — Gordon Cameron is Group Managing money that is being spent on residents. had they made it big in the States. the trip to the Markham Fairgrounds for Editor for Hamilton Community News. So it would seem that implementing a 311 system would represent a cost-effective service Should Hamilton implement a 311 system? that would eventually save money for taxpay- Vote online at www.hamiltonnews.com ers, while also keeping an eye on employees. Have your say Last week we asked: And isn’t that what Hamilton residents and Should Hamilton’s schools all play in the same league? staff want while avoiding another asphalt - asco? 68% said Yes and 32% said No