Because things didn't play out as planned (!!!), because we ran out of time, because I'd already felt I'd compromised the evening's effectiveness, I didn't force my closing comments on everyone last night. Here then, is what I'd intended on saying:
“You don’t play sports to get in shape. You get in shape to play sports.
That piece of sage advice was provided by a family doctor and family friend ages ago. And its wisdom is just as solid now as it was then, four decades in the past.
I believe the same can be said for effecting change within your neighbourhood, your community, your city: you don’t dive into substantive, contentious issues in the hope that you can generate civic engagement. You generate civic engagement so that you’re better equipped to address substantive, contentious issues when they begin to unfold.
About 15 months ago, I was having an email correspondence with Ryan McGreal, the editor of ‘Raise The Hammer’.
We had been discussing the upcoming municipal election and I’d asked the question ‘What do you think voters should be looking for in new candidates this autumn?’
Ryan’s answer was thorough, but what struck me was a particular portion:
“...it's so important for citizens to: a) elect councillors who will allow themselves to be engaged, and b) keep up their end of that engagement between elections.”
It’s a sentiment I certainly hadn’t seen pushed in media, and it resonated with me.
To the extent that all this time later, we’ve gathered here in this room for a town hall meeting.
Soon after this exchange with Ryan, a notion coalesced that has pretty much remained intact. It’s the core of what Town Halls Hamilton is attempting to achieve:
“To increase the relationship of engagement between residents and their Councillors.”
It’s important that the direction of this sentiment is appreciated: the focus is on the relationship between residents and their Councillors. Not the other way around. This may seem to be quibbling, but as they say, ‘God is in the details.’
I’d hoped that what might result from tonight’s town hall meeting is a burbling sense of possibility. So that’s my wish for you all post-event: possibility.
I believe that 2012 is going to be an exciting year in Hamilton. For the residents of Hamilton, for the citizens of this city. And Town Halls Hamilton will be attempting to play its part; we’re planning to produce a full slate of events, a mix of both ward-specific town halls as well as issue-specific ones. Here’s a short sampling of potential topics for that latter category:
-Local Governance: What Do We Owe Each Other?
-Walkability/Rideability Hamilton
-Poverty
-Aerotropolis
-Dream a Little Dream; What Downtown Could Be
-Speakers’ Corner, Squared
-Is Hamilton Really Open for Business?
A quick thanks to Mahesh Butani for providing consistent encouragement along the way, sustained thanks to Mike Borelli for his impassioned input throughout the run-up to tonight, grateful thanks to our energetic and effervescent moderator, Stephanie Seagram...and respectful thanks to our special guest, Ward 2 Councillor Farr who had faith in our abilities to craft the kind of interlude that respects all those involved, as well as honouring the process of local governance.
Most of all, thanks to you for joining us for this inaugural Town Halls Hamilton event.
Good night, everyone.
Rather than chastising yourself for running out of time, I would much rather focus on a councillor who knows he has a window of 2 hours and babbles away about nothing thus wasting time and making sure that he's giving his constituents as little time as possible to answer questions that he hadn't been notified of beforehand.
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