When former colleagues of yours are called names you take notice.
Burlington Councillors and Mayor Cam Jackson were recently called "disingenuous" and "duplicitous" by Hamilton Councillor Margaret McCarthy according to the today's Hamilton Spectator.
Let's see "duplicitous": Comes from the word "duplicity". It means tricky, suggests you're deceitful. It implies double dealing.
And "disingenuous" - lacking simplicity, frankness or sincerity; not straightforward; crafty.
Flamborough representative McCarthy uttered these harsh words after Burlington Council came up with what was described as a "compromise" position on the possible expansion of Waterdown Road.
When the name calling comes from a Hamilton politician, in a city where a major achievement is to get a quorum for a council meeting and civility and respect for the public are not often present - well, as my father use to say "consider the source."
The only thing achieved by such mud flinging is to raise the name calling politician's profile in the local press. Mission accomplished.
McCarthy is also quoted as saying the city's new position is "not defensible." This "d" word comment merits consideration.
One can argue that there is no Burlington position now. Not yet. Staff have been asked to take another look at the file.
One suspects, however, that when they come back with the same professional opinion that they put forward a year ago and when the various other experts (Conservation Authority, Escarpment Commission and Regional Planners) hold firm we'll find that Burlington may be on the hook for most of the costs of the inevitable road widening.
That will be disappointing. And taxpayers will be disgruntled.
3 comments:
So why is it inevitable that Waterdown Road will be widened to four lanes?
History tells us it is inevitable.
Take Guelph Line, please. Not that long ago it was a nice two lane road with an orinigal farm family farming on the corner of what is now Fairview (note the ironic street name).
Been there lately?
You'll need a transit pass to get across that intersection.
Since then we've built two malls within a mile and half of each other (put the odd sidewalk in so pedestrains could watch the traffic) and killed the downtown for a generation.
The same fate faces Waterdown Road. We need to pave it so we can get to the stores.
Pardon my cynicism,
Bob
Bob and Walter:
I agree with Walter that a 4 lane Waterdown Road need not be inevitable.
Guelph, Walkers and Appleby Lines are very developed south of Highway 5 - but even so, City staff are considering a 3 lane reconfiguration of Appleby and Walkers south of New Street.
What about Lakeshore Road. You both recall the Save the Lakeshore movement that prevented Lakeshore from becoming 4 lanes. As a resident living near Lakeshore, I am very happy that citizen opposition kept Lakeshore (east of Martha) a pleasant narrower road.
I believe that the 3 lane section of Lakeshore handles traffic volumes comparable to the projected traffic levels of Waterdown Road.
Doug
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