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March 2005
Newsletter
We Will Not Abandon the Valley
On February 9 of last year Bob Robertson,
then City Manager, the city’s chief administrative
officer, wrote a letter to newly installed
Mayor Larry Di Ianni. Responding to
the mayor’s request for his opinions on the
impending budget process, Robertson said
Hamilton’s situation was in “many respects”
analogous to that of Buffalo, which Robertson
described as bankrupt.
Robertson also told Di Ianni:
- some $2 million a year was being
spent in Hamilton on dismissed employees,
and that this expense was
“unbudgeted”
- something had to be done about the
capital budget since “Red Hill will
continue to drive borrowing….”
And there were several other only slightly
less dire concerns raised by the City Manager.
Two days after sending this letter
Robertson was fired, without cause, and
given a payout of $225,000 (exacerbating the
problem he had just warned the Mayor
about).
A copy of this letter was recently obtained
and published by Citizens and City Hall
(CATCH), the online city hall watchdog. Di
Ianni has denied receiving the letter and, in
typical fashion, threatened CATCH’s Don
McLean. He said McLean might have to
“prove” that he, the Mayor, had received the
letter.
The Hamilton Spectator, our city’s newspaper
of record, has not acknowledged the letter,
even though it has received letters about
it.
Bob Robertson broke a taboo. He mentioned “Red Hill Project” in a context that likely
was interpreted as critical. This is just not
done, especially by a City Manager. As those
of us who have opposed this project know,
the RHP occupies a special place among civic
endeavours. It’s roped off from ordinary discourse.
It cannot be criticised, except by
“activists” and others who don’t count.
Robertson paid the price for bearing witness
to Hamilton’s rapidly disintegrating financial
situation, which is again on full, gory display
this budget season. Those of us who have
born similar witness over the years can only
sympathize.
But the taboo has been broken. The RHP is a
disaster for this city – now and in the future.
The Friends of Red Hill is not folding its tent.
We could turn away and try to forget the Va lley.
We will not. There is a need to keep
bearing witness. There is an urgent need not
to abandon the valley! That’s why at a recent
potluck supper we decided to have a Good
Friday walk.
They have desecrated the valley with their
bulldozers and power saws. But we will not
abandon this place. We will go where we
can, enjoy what we can, in the valley. And
that means, now, next year and in 2007 when
the road is supposed to accept its first traffic.
The Friends of the Valley are legion and they
will not abandon it.
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