Statement by Doris Ceccato

The government today said there is no guarantee that the 1 billion earmarked for Hamilton's LRT would still be available to Hamilton, if council votes against the LRT. I can't believe this city would be so backwards to turn their back on 1 billion dollars and the opportunity to start modernizing this city.

Living in Dundas, once can't help to feel a bit dissapointed that the LRT does not reach into Dundas, and at the East end of the city, I am sure they feel the same. But all those things can be addressed in the future, but only if we take the money now and build the LRT. The future is not in more busses.

The reality is

a) if Hamilton does not take the money for the LRT, another city will take it without hesitation

b) whether we take the money or not, all of us tax payers will still pay the taxes for it. I'd be much happier that my taxes are paying for this money if we were acutally benefiting from it because Hamilton voted YES to the LRT as opposed to if they vote NO and the money goes to another municipality's LRT for which I will be still paying taxes.

c) holding on to the hope that the government will still give Hamilton the 1 billion dollars if they reject the LRT is foolhardy. If you vote YES, you get the money for sure, even if a new provincial government is elected in 1 years time. If you vote NO and the government says that they may or will for sure give Hamilton the 1 billion anyway, is a BIG RISK if they loose the next election (which according to current polls, they probably will), because a new government does not have to keep that promise (and they probably won't as they will have their own agenda on what they want to spend money on).

You need to vote YES. I do not want my taxes to go toward some other city benefiting from this 1 billion dollars.

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