Mayor Bob Bratina
 

Figured I make a thread for Mayor Bob Bratina......

Spec Live: Join discussion with Mayor Bob Bratina
http://www.thespec.com/news/article/...or-bob-bratina

My question is....

Why not replace Brian Timmis Stadium at the West Harbour land.

Any minute now.

Guess the rumour is true regarding retail at the West Harbour....

Comment From Hammer
What is the plan with the West Harbour now that the whole stadium and velodrome took and 180 and left this great location. Are there still talks of an amphitheater or something else there?

BB: This valuable location has been the subject for many years of our Setting Sail plan. Waterfront property should be among the highest revenue generating lands in the City's inventory. Public use of the land would be problematic because of the clean-up costs which a large commercial development could sustain, and provide the City with much-needed tax revenue.

I thought Bratina handled the dozen questions very well. There was totally an underlying bitter tone coming from WH/Fred supporters, these are the "Dissenters". They know who they are and Bob knows who they are. I believe Bratina when he goes around this city and people tell him he's doing a good job.

It's also important to note that Bratina's stance and position was the exact same whether he was on CHML or Spec. The media outlet is irrelevant, so I hope that puts an end to the dissenters complaining about going on CHML every week. I hope he continues to go on CHML every week just like I bet most everyone does. The dissenters are only complaining about Bratina using CHML because they just don't like what his message is.

I do agree that waterfront property should be taxed higher than land more inland; it's that way almost everywhere else. I can see where he's coming from when he says that it would be a waste to see the city take over this land with our tax dollars. It's a tough one... we want something great to go there, but preferably privately financed.

Some kind of large-scale arena/theater/whatever would be great, but I'm not sure our city can afford it right now.

Provincial politics
 

So Mayor Bob, gets dinged for standing at City Hall with Liberal candidates. Stand with whoever and hedge your bets, he is there to represent the city and get the best deal for Hamilton.
Smoozin never hurt.
If this was to better our lot, so be it, I don't care if he stands with Daffy Duck. Or Daffy Dalton! And anyone else that goes thru the motions of kissing Hamilton butt, just hope whoever either delivers or is in a position to deliver.
But most of this town will back NDP.:shrug::shrug:

Finally CHML gets a spot on TV. Congrats Mr. Kelly.

Your comments confuse me, Matt. Are you referring to Cable 14's monthly show with Mayor Bratina? It's hosted by John Best. Bill Kelly isn't even involved in the show.

Cable 14 has been airing CHML's Bill Kelly show for quite some time, but this new show doesn't involve the radio station.

I'm glad the Mayor will be on a regularly scheduled call-in show on TV. David Miller did this for years on CityTV back when he was mayor of Toronto, so it's nice to see it being adopted here too. This is a great supplement to the local coverage Cable 14 already offers on its "For the Record" show hosted by former mayor Larry DiIanni, which has a regular rotatation of council members as guests.

It was a joke referring to Bratina's frequent, almost exclusive appearances on CHML.

Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina endorses Liberals

http://www.thespec.com/news/election...orses-liberals

Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina took the unusual step today of endorsing a party in Thursday’s provincial election.

He is behind the McGuinty Liberal party.

“The surest way to continue the progress of the last four years and ensure the fulfillment of commitments to GO service and the uploading of social service costs is to return the McGuinty government with a majority,” he said at a Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce meeting today.

“Neither Mr. Hudak nor Miss Horwath have had any communication with my office” about their parties’ stance on uploading and GO service, he said.

“I’m convinced these initiatives will be lost if this government is not returned.”

What a surprise.

Looks like Bratina's endorsement had no effect, Hamilton Mountain, Hamilton Centre and Hamilton East-Stoney Creek are all NDP ridings now.

Ted McMeekin has been elected. He'll likely be Hamilton's single cabinet minister.

FWIW, Dreschel is skeptical of his chances.

Only A Token Voice Left For Hamilton At Queen’s Park (Andrew Dreschel, Hamilton Spectator, Oct 6, 2011)

For all his on-the-ground skills, McMeekin is not the man to crack the ranks of any new cabinet.

He’s been there and, frankly, was dumped in early 2010 in favour of Aggelonitis, a rookie elected in 2007.

McMeekin, who was first elected in 2000, took his demotion with good grace.

The thinking was McGuinty wanted to replace a 60-ish old warhorse with a young, fresh and energetic 41 year old, someone who could give the tired Liberals a new look.

But Aggelonitis is gone and Hamilton is no longer fertile ground for the party.

There’s simply no percentage in McGuinty bringing McMeekin back or rewarding a city that has all but turned its back on his party.

um Dreschel seems to be forgetting the importance of city council, not to mention the minority government. Bratina's endorsement, plus other liberals in council like Collins and Powers should keep our voice heard at QP. And I'm not all that aware of what Aggelonitis ever did for the city.

More to the point it obviously won't be lost on the liberals where their support is. Look at the electoral map: every urban centre vying between red and orange, every suburban centre vying red and blue, rural areas blue and the north orange. Even if Toronto gets the focus, Hamilton won't be neglected by any means.

Not to forget there's every indication that McGuinty has a soft spot for Hamilton. Having attended McMaster, he is well familiar with the city like few other pols who aren't local.

It would be hard to miss the fact that Hamilton is at the crux of the finally emerging Golden Horseshoe. The Premier has acknowledged Hamilton's status as an underperforming city within the region.

Consider that his major policies serve to reinforce the form of the Golden Horseshoe by corralling new development into major nodes connected by higher order transit, and forcing sprawl development into a band between the nascent Greenbelt and the Lake. ( I think the Greenbelt may turn out to have been the biggest victor in this election. Who knows what would have happened to it under the Tories.)

Also, as an NDP preserve, Hamilton must surely be on their radar as a place where they could gain some ground in the future, more easily so than the Conservatives. The past four years of the Ted and Sophia show shows strong evidence of this sensibility. Why would this change now just because they lost one seat?

Finally, has anyone considered that we may be on the brink of a period of regionalism that may see amalgamation on a scale that would make the previous reorganisations look like preamble? How big a stretch would it be to see the formation of a Golden Horseshoe Region, or two or three smaller regions that it their totality form the GH. It was only Hazel McCallion that kept Mississauga out of the GTA amamgamation, and her tenure is just about up. How could her exit not lead to some form of reorganisation?

Councillor Terry White introduces motion limiting Mayor Bratina's power to speak to upper levels of government. Calls for a government relations team that would handle lobbying instead of just the Mayor. Council will vote on its prioroties before taking anything to the upper levels of government.

Motion passes, Bratina, Powers and Pearson opposed.

Wow, I've never heard of anything like that.

Great leadership by consensus
 

Maybe Big Bad Bob should confer with city staff who do the day to day operation. He has kinda overstepped their comfort zone, but that is leadership to lead. All major decisions are already decided by a vote.
Making a decision in this city don't come easy,
The lunatic fringe will delay it for decades. Like the Red hill it was 50 yrs yes half a century.
Please if he has to confer on everything with the alder people don't expect anything to be done during this term.
I see the best way to limit a leader is decrease his power or authority of office. Why do we need a mayor we could have a council like survivor, watch out next is vote peole off the island.

why have a mayor then?

The Mayor is just one member of a 16 member council. No veto power or any other special powers, same powers as a councillor.

If he wants purple grass in Hamilton he'll have to get council's permission, he can't go directly to the Premier's Office or the PMO and request purple grass.

but he has a great deal of popular power, including a direct line to the province and media. Terry Whitehead can't just stand up and cancel LRT, but Bob apparently can. It makes sense for the mayor to have more powers in my opinion, perhaps greater appointing power or authority over an executive committee as in Toronto. He was voted in by the whole electorate after all so he should have some ability to reflect the wishes of the city as a whole.

Bob did not stand up and cancel LRT, nor could he if he wanted to do so.

There has been a lot of silly talk from the hysterical class about Bob secretly meeting with the Premier and changing the city's agenda against the will of council (vis-a-vis GO/LRT in particular), but that is all really just bunk.

I agree the role of mayor gives a great deal of access to the Premier's office. Just as all previous mayors have done in the past, Bratina does (and should) have the ear of the Premier. And it is quite true that he has a mandate from all citizens, while councillors only enjoy the mandate of their ward constituents.

I am in favour of the return to the Board of Control of yesteryear. Since its removal, we have seen a fifedom of local ward reps more driven by what's good for their specific ward rather than what's good for the whole city. A lack of an executive level in council has been the major contributor to the disfunction that has plagued council of late.

Would someone be kind enough to explain the "Board of Control of yesteryear" to a young'un?

Mayor-muzzling motion under review

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...n-under-review

City staffers are reviewing the legality of a controversial council motion designed to limit the lobbying powers of Mayor Bob Bratina.

The surprise motion, passed at Wednesday’s general issues committee meeting, would ban the mayor from formally meeting or negotiating with senior government officials and making financial commitments unless accompanied by the city manager or other councillors.

That motion “is now being scrutinized for its legitimacy,” Bratina told the Bill Kelly radio show Wednesday, adding he considered the last-minute motion “kind of an ambush.”

Bratina also suggested city staff may stop the motion from going forward for ratification at Wednesday’s council meeting.

the goal of the board of control was to separate legislative and executive functions, like a cabinet. Controllers were elected at large. It wasn't much loved because controllers had all the power, and no need to accede to council decisions, just like advisory committees of today.

It might be preferable to allow political parties at the municipal level, and let party discipline create more unity around key issues. Also barriers to what councillors can do in their wards. There should be no way to requisition money for local improvements or to call roads to fix a pothole.

City Clerk will pass the motion for a vote tonight.

Motion passed, there's now a lobbying team.

The motion passed last night bore little resemblance to the nonsense Whitehead was trying to push the night before. Our mayor should not, nor does he need, a chaperone - especially if Whitehead imagined that role to be his.

Honestly, this is the same greasy slimebag councillor whose under investigation for improper secret meetings with NHL reps, and who is spending city money appealing a civil case that found him guilty of slander. Not exactly a moral compass is Whitehead, but he does make for a fine example of a hypocrite.

Council muzzles Mayor Bob Bratina

Hamilton’s mayor has a new lobbying team, but not a shorter leash.

Council ultimately backed away from a surprise motion pitched Tuesday that would have limited Mayor Bob Bratina’s ability to lobby senior government officials without the city manager or other councillors in tow.

Bratina characterized the motion as an “ambush” in a Wednesday radio interview and speculated it might be illegal under the Municipal Act or the city’s procedural bylaw.

Despite widespread support for the motion at Tuesday’s general issues committee, councillors “collaborated” on an amended motion presented at council Wednesday that eliminated any wording that required the mayor to lobby in tandem with the city manager or other councillors.

“This is not about undermining the role of the mayor,” said Councillor Terry Whitehead, who pitched both the original motion and the amended version. “This is about having a transparent, accountable, inclusive process for advocating to the upper levels of government.”

Councillor Brad Clark said the new motion, which calls for the creation of a government relations team to “assist the mayor,” is meant to address a “new reality” in provincial politics: namely, a minority government.

“When we go forward to advocate (to senior government officials) there should be other people at that table,” he said, pointing out council now needs to reach out to the NDP and Conservative caucuses. “We’re not just dealing with the (Liberal) government anymore.”

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...th-gentle-lead

This was long overdue, in my opinion.

Bob Bratina - "have changed my mind" on de-amalgamation.

Well if you were from Flamborough and actually thought voting for Bratina would lead to de-amalgamtion, you're a moron. No provincial government is going to unscramble the egg to lower the property taxes for a small number of people.

Bratina gets mixed reviews in mayoral poll

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...n-mayoral-poll

A new poll shows Hamiltonians have mixed feelings about Mayor Bob Bratina’s first year in office.

The Forum Research poll shows 57 per cent of respondents approve of the job Mayor Bob Bratina is doing in office.

However, only 35 per cent of the 408 respondents in Hamilton said they would vote for him again.

Of the mayors in Canada’s largest cities, only Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and Montreal Mayor Gerard Tremblay ranked lower. Thirty per cent of Toronto respondents said they would vote to re-elect Ford and 21 per cent of respondents would vote for Tremblay in the next municipal election.

The poll asked residents to gauge their feelings about their mayors. It included Canada’s 15 largest cities – Brampton, Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, Laval, London, Mississauga, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Surrey, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto.

Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion had the highest approval rating and was second-most likely to be re-elected. Quebec City mayor Regis Labeaume was the most likely to be re-elected, with just under seven out of 10 people saying they would cast their ballots for him again.

It was conducted by phone from October 21 - 23 and is considered accurate within a 1.5 per cent margin of error, 19 times out of 20.

The results come on the one-year anniversary of Bratina’s election win. The mayor will be making his first state of the city address in Carlisle Tuesday afternoon.

From the State Of The City address:

http://twitter.com/#!/EmmaatTheSpec/...83757041205249

Anyone else think that's a pretty low blow?

Well, Bratina won the election with 37% of the vote, so his vote base really hasn't changed a year into his term of office, and 57% is a decent approval rating.

Despite how the Spec is trying to portray the poll results, public support for the mayor really hasn't changed since the election.

We need progress
 

Hamilton Mayor Bratina faces rough waters over Waterfront Trust

Mayor Bob hires military consultant

http://www.thespec.com/news/local/ar...ary-consultant

Mayor Bob Bratina is adding a military issues consultant and a municipal affairs analyst to his team.

In an email sent to councillors at 2 p.m. today, the mayor said Col. Geordie Elms – an unsuccessful PC candidate in October’s provincial election – will be taking on the military consultant role.

Former city clerk Kevin Christensen will take on the analyst role.

The decision to hire a military analyst is already raising eyebrows at City Hall.

“I’m speechless, which is a rarity for Sam Merulla,” Merulla said. “And I’m going to leave it at that until I have more information.”

Here is the full email from Bratina’s chief of staff, Peggy Chapman:

Dear Council and Staff,

The Mayor’s Office is pleased to announce the addition of two new faces to our team. Beginning in December we will welcome Colonel Geordie Elms as our Military Issues consultant and Kevin Christenson (retired City Clerk) as our Municipal Affairs Analyst. Both gentlemen will be consultants working offsite but depending on their files, will be in contact with your from time to time on behalf of the Mayor's Office projects.

I will send you their biographies and contact information in early December.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or in welcoming them to (or back to) City Hall!

Uh why do we need a military consultant?

Hamilton is preparing to make a move on Toronto. The first step will be to take back Burlington from the GTA.

Yes, finally!

The invasion of Burlington is on!

First Aldershot, then we'll go from there.

I told you not to reveal too much too soon! :D

Anyway, now that the cat's out of the bag, it's not so much a war on cars per se, but rather a war on just Fords.

Can't believe Sam Merulla called himself as a third person, UGH!

Perhaps Bratina is hiring a part-time military consultant to assist the Mayor's office to properly prepare for the various War of 1812 bicentennial commemorative events. I think you just posted something about them earlier today, didn't you?

As Mayor he will be officiating some pretty high profile events over the next couple of years, and he will be requiring advice on proper military protocol and historical context on the various events. Seems to me that Elms is well qualified for that advisory role.

Woo-hoo! Way to waste money on consultants with little to nothing to do with the role that municipal governments play! When are you guys hiring the CSA Extraterrestrial Contact Adviser?

I'm sure the Hamilton Historical Board could provide free knowledge and tips.

Or he could go down to the Legion and ask the guys there.

The thing about free advice is it's usually priced at its exact value.

Honestly, the Mayor obviously feels he has a requirement for his expertise and he is well within his office budget to hire him. The 1812 bicentennial events are going to be seen internationally so he wants to make sure he does things right. Nothing more than petty squelching going on here.