Mark-Alan Whittle

Lie-detector tests for meter workers?

2015-03-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

Hamilton Spectator

After reading the story about the need for city hall to hire an expensive manager to supervise the theft of parking meter revenue, I thought of a better, less costly way to control this behaviour.

Require meter collection staff to take a lie-detector test. Although not admissible in court, it would narrow down the field of thieves considerably. No doubt thefts would stop. Problem solved.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

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LETTER: Archaic process hinders transparency at city hall

2014-12-23T13:06:00.000-05:00

I have been following the Hamilton bike share follies since this time last year, when city council earmarked $1.6 million of Metrolinx “Quick Wins” funding to pay for the capitals cost of bikes and racks.
(The non-profit running the bike share is to pay its operating expenses through bike rental and sponsorship income.)
I have written many letters and made extensive inquiries with the non-profit formed to run and administer this 750 bike, 105 station bike-share.
They have not been very forthcoming with the information I have requested.
I decided to make a Freedom of Information request to find out more. The process required me to download and fill out a paper form, write a cheque to the city for $5, put a stamp on an envelope and mail it all to city hall.
Much time and effort could be saved if this Freedom of Information transaction could have taken place online, like the other electronic services available to residents, like dog tags.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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Fond memories of ’70s sex ed

2014-12-02T08:41:00.000-05:00

Hamilton Spectator

After reading Deidre Pike's Saturday column respecting sex education, I fondly recall what I learned in the classroom back in the seventies. They had huge pictures that were anatomically correct and further explained the results of these two types of plumbing (boys and girls) coming together.

Abstinence seemed the right direction to go, as children were part of what was referred to as the "nuclear family:" a father, mother and their children, like satellites that make up the whole. Fast forward to today where the talk is all "gender identity" and not so much about plumbing and how everything works.

Those were the days.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

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City already knows who non-voters are

2014-11-19T08:50:00.003-05:00

Re: No easy answers (Editorial, Nov. 13)
When I voted on Oct. 27, my name and address was crossed out.
So city hall has a list of people who didn’t vote and also has their address.
Why not send them a reminder letting them know that every vote counts and that all should participate in the democracy we achieved through those that fought for the right to vote freely.
Nobody has suggested this as a way to get out the vote.
Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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Bratina didn’t fulfil two major promises

2014-09-30T16:16:00.000-04:00

Having lived in Hamilton my whole life, I’ve seen many mayors come and go. None of them have been elected to two terms, in recent memory.
Back in 2010, Bob Bratina put out a single flyer that listed what he planned to do during his time in office.
Although much of it was platitudes and blue sky dreaming, it was his promise to evaluate amalgamation that won him the mayor’s chair, with the extra votes the suburbs contributed, thinking that the egg could be unscrambled.
Bob promised to “confront the divisions created by forced amalgamation through a full review of municipal structure.”
Well, we are still waiting for this to happen.
He also promised to “demonstrate fiscal responsibility by ensuring that the city lives within its needs and makes smart and strategic financial decisions.”
According to my tax bill, which was raised every single year of his mandate, we are worse off than we were before he was elected. Roads and sidewalks are crumbling, and poverty has increased to 18.7 per cent of our population.
I guess spending $1.6 million on a fancy bike share was a smart investment, or four kilometres of bike lanes on Cannon for another $1.6 million?
Welcome to Hamilton, get used to it.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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McHattie is not that business friendly

2014-08-25T08:25:00.000-04:00

Hamilton Spectator

So mayoralty hopeful Brian McHattie wants to eliminate red-tape for small businesses who want to set up shop in Hamilton. Is this the same McHattie who fought tirelessly to stop drive-through businesses from opening up across the city, and fought tooth and nail for a "rain tax" to be charged on any business with a parking lot, based on volume of rain? Can you imagine the bills these small and large businesses would face after this summer's drenching and area flooding? Hamilton needs a mayor who can lower property taxes, instead of trying to cash in on the weather or refusing to drive on the Red Hill Valley Parkway.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

LETTER: Bike share system secretive on numbers

2014-08-20T09:11:00.000-04:00

Re: Bike share program limping along (Aug. 7)

Over the last number of months I have been contacting other Social Bicycles bike-share programs that are up and running, as opposed to being in the planning stages.
They are all small systems at airports and expansive campuses. None are operating in a city as large as Hamilton.
To date, SoBi Hamilton has refused to reveal how many memberships have been sold, but we know from city staff estimates that 4,500 yearly memberships need to be sold and 15,000 casual members paying $5 per hour to rent these bicycles will also be needed to float a non-profit 750-bike system. This might explain their secrecy and anemic bike station installation pace.
Just under two weeks until September, their revised proposed launch date for the system. One would have to believe in miracles and the tooth fairy to think this will actually happen.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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LETTER: City should have spent bike cash on the HSR

2014-08-06T09:01:00.000-04:00

In March I wrote about my concerns about Social Bicycle and their 750 bike, 105 bike-rack system proposed for downtown Hamilton.
Fast forward to today and you will see that not a single SoBi bicycle has been deployed — and won’t be until at least September.
City hall originally proclaimed the system would be rolled out in spring of this year.
Over the last few weeks I have been posing questions to the limited number of SoBi bike-share rental systems in the United Stated in order to gauge the viability of this “new” bike-share system and technology.
Most of the systems that are actually up and running, and not in the planning stages, are small pilot projects, some having only 25 bikes.
SoBi Hamilton apparently has a costed-out business plan, but it has never been made public.
City staff have done some estimations and found that a 750 bike system would need at least 4,500 annual members and about 15,000 casual users to make the system viable.
When I asked SoBi Hamilton how many memberships they have sold in Hamilton to date, they refused to say. One can only assume their membership sales have not met the target set in their secret business plan.
Who would run a bike rental business this way?
The $1.6 million invested could have been used to improve our HSR, instead of giving them competition. A bus ride is cheaper than renting a bike.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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Trail school road show highlights board’s waste

2014-05-23T09:05:00.000-04:00

Re: On the move (May 6th)

It was interesting to read about the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board spending a million dollars to move the rickety Mohawk Trail school to their new head office on the Mountain.
It’s surprising the board has no logistics plan to move this relic, before they spent money on getting it ready to move. The fastest, most direct route is along Mohawk Road, which will require all overhead wires to be removed. The board, in its infinite wisdom will try to use back streets, to avoid moving wires. Since taxpayers own Horizon Utilities, how much is the board paying our utility to move the wires along the route? Is there anyone in the board who can think outside the box to find a way to move this old one-room school with the least amount of disruption?
In the end, what will be gained for this million-dollar expenditure? This money could be used for school maintenance, which the board doesn’t do regularly, as evidenced by the sad state of repairs of our schools.
It has become patently obvious that our school system is broken and many elementary schools are closing to the detriment of their neighborhoods.
Once this big move is done, it will be interesting to see what the final bill is, as I suspect it will be more than the $1 million they budgeted.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

LETTER: Lobbyist registry ensures accountability, transparency

2014-04-16T20:09:00.002-04:00

re: Is registration the right answer? (Editorial, April 10)

After reading your editorial, I reflected back 10 years ago when the present voluntary lobbyist registry got started in the clerk’s office at my urging.
Being a lobbyist at that time, I had work to do for a client and wanted to ensure transparency and accountability. I had meetings with staff that were productive, but in the end my client was not successful.
Over the years, this registry has been revised and updated. The capture question is clear and the forms easy to fill out.
If the registry is made mandatory and funded, the clerks should be allowed to continue administering the lobbyist registry and if any problems arise, they could be forwarded to the city’s integrity commissioner for adjudication.
After 10 long years, I’m still on top of the list of registered lobbyists, which can be found at the city website.
It is interesting to note that two anti-fluoride lobbyists registered before they began lobbying for the removal of this chemical from our pristine water supply.
Despite what people might think, lobbyists are not evil and many are very skilled. Just browse through the provincial lobbyist registry and type in some local names — bingo, you hit pay dirt.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

Registry better late than never

2014-04-14T11:49:00.000-04:00

Public comments sought before decision on lobbyist registry (thespec.com, April 9)

Back in 2004, a client came to me asking that I set up meetings with city staff in order to put forth an idea for property the client owned near Flamboro Downs.

After consulting with staff of the federal and provincial lobbyists registrars, they suggested I approach the city clerk's office and suggest they start a voluntary lobbyists registry. The clerk's office staff made it happen and the registry became active in 2004.

I was the first lobbyist on the list, and 10 years later, I'm still listed at the top. Over the years, the clerk's department has refined and improved the present voluntary lobbyist registry, and I hope they will continue to do so once this registry becomes mandatory.

Any violations could be forwarded to the integrity commissioner for adjudication. The history of the registry has been long and tortured once the accountability and transparency subcommittee took ownership of the policy. I tried numerous times to help this committee move things along, but I was ignored. I was never invited to speak, or to suggest ways to capture lobbyists to keep the system open and transparent. I'm happy to hear the public will be consulted, and a decision made by July of this year. Better late than never.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

HWDSB foundation shouldn’t be dipping into its reserves

2014-03-26T08:43:00.000-04:00

re: School trustees question lack of say on charity changes (March 13)

After reading about the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board’s registered charity being revamped, I can certainly understand why: they spent more than they took in.
When I read that most of the money is spent on bursaries and scholarships, I did a little digging around the board’s website.
According to them, the money is spent on many other things, such as “breakfast and nutrition programs, computer labs, athletic equipment, playground equipment, library enhancements and poverty reduction initiatives for high needs students.”
Now that the HWDSB has hired a professional fundraiser to enhance this program, the board should come back to trustees with a new, more-focused mandate for approval, instead of funding everything under the sun.
Going forward, this foundation and its new board of directors, should concentrate on delivering programs and support in a cost-effective way, as spending $82,000 more than you raised — then dipping into reserves to cover it — is not sustainable.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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LETTER: City’s bike share plan seems to be on shaky path

2014-03-07T09:08:00.001-05:00

Late last December, Hamilton council approved a non-profit bike share to be run by Social Bicycles and a non-profit board of directors.
To date, Social Bicycles’ business plan has not been made public, but it should.
Social Bicycles is a relatively new startup and this is their first foray into Canada, with 750 bikes and 80 stations destined for Hamilton.
The presentation to council confirmed that $1.6 million in Metrolinx Quick Wins funding was used to buy all the equipment and Social Bicycle would be taking care of everything else — all liability, insurance, operating cash, wages, etc., they say will come from membership sales, user fees, sponsorships and advertising revenue.
After exchanging emails with an executive of the company, I get the feeling they are flying by the seat of their pants based on demographic information that does not fit the profile of those citizens downtown who would be able to afford a membership and pay the fees of five or six dollars per hour after the first free hour.
More telling is the area defined for the bike-share — all downtown and a little of Dundas.
Nothing above the escarpment, despite Mohawk College and hospitals galore.
My fear is that Hamilton will have another non-profit that will be coming to council for a handout when their venture fails to meet membership and revenue generation projections.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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Get help if you need it

2014-02-02T09:09:00.000-05:00

Re “It’s okay not to be okay” (Jan. 26): After reading Lorrie Goldstein’s column detailing his struggle with clinical depression, I was left with a profound sense of kinship. Seven years ago I tried to revive my disabled son after his heart stopped. I was not successful — nor were the first responders who rushed Logan to the hospital. He didn’t make it. The grief and pain I felt was devastating, but I thought, like Lorrie, I could tough it out. The final straw came when I couldn’t remember how to fill my car with gas. I went to the hospital and a team of professionals took over. Shell-shock, manic depression, coupled with post-traumatic stress disorder were a unique set of challenges. It took months for me to get my life back, to know I did everything humanly possible to save my son. I have a team of psychiatrists and doctors who helped me recover my mental health and get my life back. I also take a small maintenance dose of medication to ensure my recovery. Like Lorrie, I urge everyone who needs help to get help. There is no shame in this.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton
(No shame at all)

Poverty epidemic? I’m not buying it

2013-10-24T07:44:00.000-04:00

It's not about charity, it's about justice; As long as some suffer, we all are diminished (Opinion, Oct. 19)

I'm always amused reading columns by Deirdre Pike, an executive within the poverty industry, who claims "60,000" people in Hamilton are collecting social assistance. According to city hall statistics, 22,327 people were collecting Ontario Works benefits (OW) and another 26,221 people collecting ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Payments). By my mathematical calculation, that's 48,548 people receiving social assistance payments, not 60,000 as claimed by the writer.

Pitting people who work hard, and manage to gain wealth, against those that don't is an argument long used to try to leverage money from those they envy for their wealth. Every doctor and professional makes hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. This is called free enterprise, unleashed from the chains of poverty, self-made individuals of great value to society. "Poverty" is a relative term that has been distorted by all manner of groups who make up the industry that enabled poverty to become an epidemic, or so they say. I, for one, am not buying it.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

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LETTER: Trustees must respond to their constituents

2013-10-16T09:17:00.000-04:00

I live in a nice, quiet neighborhood in Bruleville, or “Birdland” as many streets are named after birds. We have numerous thriving schools bursting at the seams, like Cardinal Heights, and there are more children moving in, which tells me the neighborhood is thriving.
I also know there are many families without children, like older residents and empty nesters. One thing we all have in commons is the fact we all pay for public education on our property taxes.
Unfortunately, the system we use to govern our 21st century school system is about as open and transparent as a brick wall.
I have expressed concerns to both my councillor, Scott Duvall, and my trustee, Lillian Orban, by 21st century e-mail. I also sent my concerns to the chairman. To date I have not received a reply from the latter two. My councillor always replies, even when we don’t agree.
I have come to the conclusion that public school board governance is broken and a closed shop to at least 50 per cent of the population they were elected to serve.
Hopefully this letter will serve as a wake-up call to trustees, who collect over $9,000 each for a part-time job, to get with it and be more open and accountable.
They could start by answer e-mail inquiries from constituents in a timely fashion, it’s the way the 21st century rolls.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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Put Clark on police panel

2013-09-24T08:47:00.001-04:00

After reading about Councillor Brad Clark's request for Police Service Board (PSB) policy on the use of Conducted Energy Weapons for front-line police officers, it has become abundantly clear that Clark would make an excellent member of the PSB. He is willing to ask the hard questions, unlike Mayor Bob Bratina, who has quit the PSB for political reasons, leaving a leadership gap that would be amply filled by Clark. I hope the rest of Hamilton city council feels the same, and appoints Clark to the Police Services Board.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

Maddie’s got it

2013-09-08T09:39:00.001-04:00

Re “So, what do you stand for, Justin?” (Sept. 1): Maddie Di Muccio is one of my favorite columnists, as she reflects my values and has a wonderful way with words. Newmarket’s municipal council is lucky to have such a gifted politician and a mother sitting at the table. This column reminds us all why young Trudeau won’t be prime minister any time soon. He’s as shallow as a dug-out canoe. I’m sticking with Stephen Harper, he gets results.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton

(Maddie thanks you for your support)

LETTER: Trustee selection should be completely transparent

2013-08-07T17:45:00.000-04:00

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board looking to replace a trustee by appointment, instead of a by-election.
I’m left wondering how open and transparent the selection process will be, given that many trustees are card-carrying members of the NDP and often brag about it, or help NDP candidates during elections.
What if a conservative-minded person applies, will this person get a fair shake? They could be just as qualified as any other person, and might have skills necessary for the job, like spending within your means and the ability to actually put students first, instead of unionized teachers.
Perhaps each applicant should be vetted to ensure they are not members of any political party as trustees are supposed to be politically neutral. Better yet, as trusteeship is a part-time job at best, why not leave the position vacant and have the other trustees take on any work that needs to be done until the municipal elections in 2014 take place? That way the voters will get a say and pass judgement on the present complement of trustees who won their respective elections the last time.
To do it any other way is a travesty, and not in the best interest of democracy, something our fathers, sons and daughters fought and died for in the field of battle.
Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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LETTER: City needs infrastructure upgrades, not ‘power rings’

2013-07-10T09:39:00.000-04:00

re: ‘Power ring’ advertising system for Copps Coliseum

After reading about downtown Coun. Sam Merulla’s motion to give Copps Coliseum a “power ring,” the first thing that entered my mind was that old comic book hero who had one, turned him into a super hero, like Superman.

Upon further investigation it turns out that the power ring is comprised of LED advertising panels, like big-screen TVs. This will allow Live Nation, the private company council picked to run Copps Coliseum, to rake in huge advertising revenue from sponsors involved with hockey, the Bulldogs or any other Live Nation client.

Sam seems to think this expensive frill, that only benefits Live Nation, will magically reap benefits for Hamilton taxpayers, whose money he plans to use to pay for this equipment.

This is not capital infrastructure like sewers and water pipes, something people actually need.
Furthermore, who put the bug in Merulla’s ear over getting taxpayers to foot the bill for this equipment, unlike Carmen’s, who have invested a similar amount to spruce up the convention centre, so they can run it without taxpayers subsidy?

Council went further and will cover any losses, verified by the audit department. This is the department at city hall that missed the alleged theft of millions of dollars by an employee over nine years.

Taxpayers can be thankful, as council has deferred this motion to find out how much revenue the taxpayers will get for this investment. Amen to that.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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How many teachers actually voted?

2013-06-25T08:45:00.000-04:00

After reading that the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario voted (online) 97 per cent in favour of accepting a 2 per cent wage increase that their members missed out on due to union intransigence, I'm a little confused. The casual reader will assume that 97 per cent of the 76,000 members of the union voted to accept the raise. This is a false assumption as the union will not reveal how many members actually voted from a pool of 76,000 members. Did 7,600 members vote online, with 97 per cent of those members voting to accept the raise offered by the provincial government? For this claim to be truthful, at least 70,000 union members must have voted (online). If this is true, why not say so? Unfortunately smoke and mirrors works better for them than the truth.

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

Democracy not served by secret committee votes

2013-06-04T14:13:00.001-04:00

re: New school closure committee to hold secret-ballot votes (May 30)

Since my son Logan passed away, I haven’t paid much attention to the shenanigans of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board or its Trustees, despite having to pay for public schools costs, through my property taxes, of almost $1,000 per year.

At least I get to hear the local children laughing and playing during recess, as I live near four schools and near where the HWDSB is building its new ivory tower head office and massive parking lot.

All I ask in return is openness and accountability, where decisions are made in public, not behind a secret ballot.

This is not the same as secret ballot voting during federal, provincial and municipal elections.

I’m surprised some trustees can’t see the difference.

Allowing ARCs to vote in secret will allow members to say one thing in public, then do something else by secret ballot.

The decisions that have to be made are mathematical in nature, we have too few students with too many building to accommodate them with full programming.

I don’t have much faith in the ARC process as I get the feeling the decisions have already been made and the ARC meetings are window dressing.

Allowing secret balloting will only make the process less transparent and accountable to the public.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain

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A TERRIBLE LOSS

2013-05-05T08:06:00.001-04:00

Re “A medical/legal horror story — 15 years and counting” (Alan Shanoff, April 28):

This reminded me of the living hell my wife Laurie and I went through when our son Logan was born with brain damage (cerebral palsy). I knew something was wrong when the delivery doctor couldn’t look me in the eye, as Logan was presented to us all awash in tubes and wires. After not having a heartbeat for 20 minutes — he had been revived. I refused to pull the plug, at the doctor’s urging, and he was eventually sent home to our loving care. I hired a lawyer and sued the hospital and doctors for the harm they caused my son. It took 10 years of battle and about $500,000 in legal fees, then mere days before the trial started, they wanted to settle, out of court. Two weeks later Logan passed away from complications of cerebral palsy. At least Laurie and I don’t have to worry about money anymore, but living life with Logan was the biggest reward of all. He knew what love was that’s for sure.

MARK-ALAN WHITTLE
HAMILTON
(Sorry for your loss, families should not have to endure the stress of caring for a sick child while battling the health care system)

Fewer students but more teachers, spending

2013-02-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

School board eyes levy on developers (Feb. 11)

Enrolment is shrinking, yet the teachers’ compliment is increasing, and the administration is building a new Ivory Tower on the Mountain. Developers are always easier to extract money from, instead of the board rightsizing to get themselves ahead of the game. All those schools closing, where do all those teachers go? Do they become education consultants for $400 a day while collecting full, indexed pensions?

Mark-Alan Whittle, Hamilton

Lobby registry will show special interest influence

2013-01-30T09:26:00.000-05:00

re: City lobbyist registry

Way back in 2004, I was hired by a client to lobby Hamilton councillors respecting a business proposition. My client wanted to open a driving range for golfers on his property not far from Flamboro Downs. Before I got started I wanted to ensure transparency, so I consulted the provincial and federal lobbyist registry to inquire whether I should sign up as a lobbyist with their registries as Hamilton did not have one at the time. I was advised that I should approach city hall and try to get a lobbyist registry started.
Soon after, a voluntary registry was born, and I was the first recorded lobbyist. Fast forward to today, there are three of us on the list.
The registry should be mandatory. The city’s integrity commissioner could easily take over the management of the registry, if council wanted him to.
Once it is mandatory for lobbyists to register with the city, there will be a few red faces on council, as there are many lobbyists currently working under the radar. One can only hope that Lloyd Ferguson, the chair of the sub-committee in charge of rolling out the mandatory registry, gets his act together, starting with the definition of a lobbyist. A lobbyist is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest or a member of a lobby. I’m just hoping to live long enough to see the registry I helped create become mandatory, instead of the voluntary one that is not very effective at capturing lobbyists.

Mark-Alan Whittle
Hamilton Mountain