Just a quick post
Can't wait to see the reaction on Port Hope Council's faces when the first application for tenancy in the new Industrial Park turns out to be a well heeled big box who willl want to change the zoning, just like Strathy Road and WallyMart!
Sticking with Port Hope one of the first comments from a PHoper turned out to a no-hoper whining about Cobourg's bully-boy tactics and leaving PH once more a victim - boohoo. Surely at this stage where PH has peed away $25,000 of scarce taxpayers dollars there should have been more of a rational reaction, like telling the King Peter and Queen Linda to stop playing games and "jaw-jaw" rather than "war-war".
Sticking with Port Hope one of the first comments from a PHoper turned out to a no-hoper whining about Cobourg's bully-boy tactics and leaving PH once more a victim - boohoo. Surely at this stage where PH has peed away $25,000 of scarce taxpayers dollars there should have been more of a rational reaction, like telling the King Peter and Queen Linda to stop playing games and "jaw-jaw" rather than "war-war".
5 comments:
Before we assume Port Hope is playing the victim, let's consider Cobourg's typical bullying tactics.
As any Cobourger who has questioned the need for the Frink or the Community Centre knows, our Council simply steam rolls over all objections to get their way. They are not known for their willingness to listen and compromise.
If Port Hope is standing firm on their own needs, who can blame them?
Clearly both police stations are inadequate, they have only been upgraded when ordered by the Ministry (Cobourg) or shamed into it by a tragedy (Port Hope).
How about a new one half way between the towns, that would be fair on the face of it. Why does it have to be in Cobourg? Obviously Port Hope won't go for that, they've lost so many agencies and offices already.
That would be an excellent use of stimulus funds, much better than Cobourg's proposed monument to Delanty & Co. If the two towns had been on the ball, they might have been ready to apply for that cash to build it.
But no, perpetuating the hundred and fifty year old feud between the towns is paramount.
Outcome: both towns lose. Stupid.
Petulant Hope and Cowbourg could do with a Swift one in the unmentionables.
Deb wrote "They are not known for their willingness to listen and compromise."
Sorry Deb, no free ride for you either. I'm still waiting for some sort of meaningful response to my question "how will you know they're "listening" when it is quite obvious that you can tell when they're not? And what will be different when they listen to you (or "us") as opposed to the Staff and the well-compensated battery of consultants that we pay to advise them?
I'm curious about what's coming down through the 'county level' this coming year since our dear mayor so badly 'wanted' to be the warden this time around. His well-practiced bully tactics will have even more impact from that stage, going into the fall elections. Wonder what promises he made in order to be unopposed in his quest for much broader clout at this time. If he continues to behave in his usual ways, you should have plenty to complain about in 2010. I know I'm getting all psyched up for it.
Speaking of the never ending feud between the two towns, does anyone know how it started?
Having inherited the battered, typewritten manuscript of Percy Climo's book on the development of the Cobourg harbour, I took the opportunity to read it and found some information there.
Apparently in the 1830s a group of Cobourg business men invested in enhancing the harbour, starting with a proper pier. Port Hope started a bit later, but not too late to be in competition for government designation as the offically sanctioned harbour with cash to continue building it.
Guess who won that fight?
Was that the start of it all, or did it have its roots even earlier?
Is there a historian in the house?
In an earlier comment here, the suggestion was to use stimulus funds to build a new police station between Cobourg and Port Hope. It seems a might premature to build a station for two outfits that can't agree on much of anything, and do it within the timeframe specified for qualifying projects, namely to be COMPLETED by March 2011. Heck, they can't even agree on a sleeping arrangement by then. To me, it seems like a good choice, considering the long term benefits. I just don't agree with the overwhelming concentration of interest on the sports aspect.
"Community centre" involves far more than sports and that has not been reflected in this enormous project, much to the detriment of the other community interests.
When the original proposal for a Seniors Centre was unveiled, I campaigned against the proposal as it stood, but strongly endorsed the concept of a much broader inclusivity, extolling the benefits of an all-encompassing facility that would address the current and future needs of the entire population. That's the kind of facility that brings new employers to our area, not just a new ice surface and a standard highschool gym. It is obvious that we could never afford any publicly-funded project of this size without extensive financial contributions from other levels so this was an absolute no-brainer, despite the number of unknowns and potential surprises it still holds. Those will have to be worked out by very capable and careful people as time passes. Let's appreciate our good fortune that came to be as a byproduct of the '09 recession, as opposed to anything that our local politicians may have had to do with it. Of course, they'll claim full credit, but only before the 'final bill' comes in - then watch em scatter. Much to their delight, it'll be the new council that has to stick-handle that hot potato.
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