CONCERNED CITIZENS’ GREGORY HARTNELL VOTES AGAINST BORROWING $42,000,000 TO DEMOLISH JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE

CCC PRESIDENT HARTNELL VOTES FOR

JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE REFERENDUM,

SENDS SIGNED ‘COUNTER-PETITION’ FORM TO

JOHNSONSTREETBRIDGE.ORG

 

Gregory Paul Michael Hartnell, President of the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition (CCC), picked up 10 Johnson Street Bridge Replacement Project ‘Alternative Approval Process’ counter petition forms from Victoria City Hall today (Wednesday, November 25, 2009), signed one of them, and sent it along to the JohnsonStreetBridge.org post office box at a Postal Station on Fort Street.

Thus, the 57 year old founder of the CCC made his dissenting vote public through this CCC BLOG, in the public interest of full public disclosure.

The JohnsonStreetBridge.org website is hoping to have opponents of the City’s plan to borrow $42,000,000 (to demolish and replace the present Johnson Street Bridge) send the completed counter petition forms to them first, to ensure they are properly filled out, and counted.

CCC President Gregory Hartnell enthusiastically encourages all members of the CCC (or other Victorians who have voted for CCC candidates in the past) to vote for democracy in Victoria, support the call for a referendum on the future of the heritage Joseph Strauss-designed Johnson Street Bridge, sign the petition available in pdf form from the City of Victoria website, and please then send it to:

 

johnsonstreetbridge.org

PO Box 5324 – 1625 Fort Street, Station B

Victoria, V8R 6S4

 

- ‘Goyo de la Rosa’

Editor, LA ROSA

 

[For a link to the City of Victoria pdf of the Johnson Street Bridge Replacement Project 'Alternative Approval Process' petition form, please refer to the 'Comments' section below.]

 

CCC

JOHNSONSTREETBRIDGE.ORG PETITION COUNTDOWN: 40 days, 20 hours, 25 minutes, six seconds…

HAVE YOU SIGNED THE PETITION YET?

JohnsonStreetBridge.org has a digital clock up at the website now, showing days, hours, minutes and seconds until January 4th, 2010, liveline for petition forms to be submitted to Victoria City Hall for the ‘Johnson Street Bridge Replacement Project’’s so-called Alternative Approval Process or AAP.

As the seconds count down to January 4, the JSB website is trying to count the petitions as they are signed.

They ask for people who have signed the petition in favour of a referendum on the Johnson Street Bridge to send them the signed petitions, or at least, a confirmation of having signed it.

It seems to me that the City of Victoria should be sending these petition forms out to all eligible voters in Victoria in the mail.

 

For a link to the JohnsonStreetBridge.org website, please refer to the Comments section below.

 

- Gregory Paul Michael Hartnell, President

Concerned Citizens’ Coalition

CCC

PATRICK MURPHY ON ‘OUR HIGHLY PAID VICTORIA COUNCILLORS: Lynn Hunter and Chris Coleman, who could not be bothered to show up to represent Victorians’

TWO COUNCILLORS DID NOT EVEN VOTE ON ‘FORTIN’S FOLLY’

 

I would have thought a $63-million project for a new Blue Bridge — the biggest city project ever — would be an important issue for our highly paid Victoria councillors.

Apparently not for Councillors Lynn Hunter and Chris Coleman, who could not be bothered to show up to represent Victorians on Fortin’s Folly.

By a simple majority, the borrowing bylaw passed and in keeping with simple, council members apparently think they can bamboozle the citizens with that farce about only costing pennies.

This bunch, who gave themselves obscene pay raises once they took office and then proceeded to hire a half dozen flunkies to do their job, are now going to tax people out of their homes for a project which has not been proven.

Ladies and gentlemen, first the counter petition and, two years hence, the ballot box to oust the lot.

Patrick Murphy

Victoria

 

CCC BLOG reprint:

Victoria Times Colonist: timescolonist.com

Two councillors did not even vote

Page A15, Saturday November 21, 2009

CCC 

ROB REID thanks Victoria City Councillors Madoff + Young ‘for attempting to slow down council’s present course… over JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE’

FORMER VICTORIA LIBERAL MAYORAL CANDIDATE SAYS

 ’TO BLINDLY RUSH AHEAD WITH

THE LARGEST EXPENDITURE  IN THE CITY’S HISTORY

…WITHOUT A REFERENDUM NOW IS IRRESPONSIBLE.’

 

Thanks to Victoria councillors Pam Madoff and Geoff Young for attempting to slow down council’s present course with regard to the process followed over the Johnson Street Bridge Project.

Taking a stand and admitting that decision-making got started on the wrong foot in April is an important admission.

To blindly rush ahead with the largest expenditure in the city’s history without a referendum now is irresponsible.

We jumped a step by asking citizens to vote on a new design, without first asking them if restoration was an option they would want input on.

Elected representatives can make decisions for us — that is what they are elected to do.

However, in this case they did not gather significant information about restoration versus replacement.

The current process has not been a healthy approach to reaching an equitable decision for our city’s citizens.

 

Rob Reid

Victoria

 

CCC BLOG reprint:

Victoria Times Colonist: timescolonist.com

Bridge restoration needs fair study

November 21, 2009, page A15

CCC

 

Editor’s Note:

Mr. Rob Reid is not now,

nor has he ever been,

a member of the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition.

- Gregory Paul Michael Hartnell, Editor

CCC BLOG

CCC

 

FORMER LIBERAL MP DAVID ANDERSON, VICTORIA MAYORAL CANDIDATE ROB REID + COUNCILLOR CANDIDATE BARRY HOBBIS: Liberals join JohnsonStreetBridge.org call for JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE referendum

Former Liberal Member of Parliament for Victoria, Honourable David Anderson, joined two Liberal candidates in the recent 2008 Victoria election, Rob Reid and Barry Hobbis, and more than 263 other signatories of an online petition in calling on the City of Victoria to undertake a referendum on the future of the Johnson Street Bridge.

The online petition, organized by the JohnsonStreetBridge.org website, was sent to Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin and Victoria City Council on November 17, two days before the Council voted (by 5 in favour, 2 against and 2 abstensions) to borrow $42,000,000 to demolish and replace the current Johnson Street Bridge, and to put the onus to stop the borrowing on 10% of Victoria’s eligible voters to gather 6342 ‘counter-petition’ signatures to stop them from doing so by Jan. 4, 2010 .

Other prominent names from the Victoria arts, business, history, tourism and conservation communities to sign the JSB.ORG petition include Yule Heibel, Ross Crockford, Mat Wright, Anne Russo, Leslie Campbell, Jim Munro, Franc D’Ambrosio and Nick Russell.  

I am grateful to these ladies and gentlemen, and all others who have had the courage, despite many undue pressures, to come out in defence of democracy in Victoria, in favour of a referendum on the future of the heritage Joseph Strauss-designed Johnson Street Bridge.

- Gregory Hartnell, President

Concerned Citizens’ Coalition

 

[For a link to an article about some of the more famous of the signators of the JSB.org online petition for a Johnson Street Bridge referendum, and a link to a letter sent to the editor of the Victoria Times Colonist by Rob Reid calling for more study on the repair option, please refer to the comments section below.]

CCC

JohnsonStreetBridge.org will count signed petitions for a referendum to SAVE JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE

JOHNSONSTREETBRIDGE.ORG

WEBSITE LEADS OPPOSITION

TO SOCIALIST MAYOR’S $42,000,000 ‘REPLACEMENT PROJECT’

JohnsonStreetBridge.org, a website opposed to the process undertaken by the City of Victoria to ‘replace’ the Joseph Strauss-designed Johnson Street Bridge, is counting signed signatures of Victoria’s eligible voters in favour of having a referendum on the future of the threatened heritage bascule bridge.

The announcement of the new signature counting service at JohnsonStreetBridge.org effectively sends a message to the City of Victoria that this website will be the main web-based opposition place for those  who distrust the City’s agenda on the project. 

Not all those involved in the website are opposed to replacement.  Mat Wright is a web designer who has volunteered many hours to the site, and who has consisitently placed himself on the side of replacement, while simultaneously favouring more transparency in the process.

Mr. Wright’s co-directors at the site, however, historians Yule Heibel and Ross Crockford, are both opposed to the City Council’s plan to borrow $42,000,000 to demolish and replace the old bridge, and favour a referendum on the issue at an unspecified date.

Together, the three co-directors of JohnsonStreetBridge.org agree that the City of Victoria’s process on the so-called ‘replacement project’ has been less than democratic, and that the City should have gone directly to referendum as a matter of course.

Counting the signatures of those favouring a Johnson Street Bridge referendum as they come in is a great idea, displaying them publicly at the website as they come in, thus encouraging people to come to the site daily to check the numbers, thus getting more than enough signatures to have a referendum to save it… all this I hope will engender more interest in our ultimate goal of  saving the Johnson Street Bridge through that referendum. 

I believe that public personalities like the Liberal businessmen and  former or aspiring politicians such David Anderson, Rob Reid and Barry Hobbis also help the Johnson Street Bridge pro-democracy cause considerably by identifying their support publicly, and am grateful to them for it. 

Gregory Paul Michael Hartnell, President

Concerned Citizens’ Coalition

[For links to the JohnsonStreetBridge.org website, please go to the CCC BLOGROLL to the right, or to the comments section below.]

 

CCC

REDNER JONES ON THE JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE: ‘defining the historical aspects of the Inner Harbour’

Re: Heritage Bridge advocates call for city referendum (Victoria News, November 6, 2009)

The Blue Bridge, while truly defining the historical aspects of the Inner Harbour, has been somewhat lowkey.

Just sitting quietly, doing its business in the background.

Nothing wrong with that, but why not turn it into a star performer?

One idea could be to add ornamental lights of floodlights to the trusses or the counterweights.

This would catch the eye in a big way, especially during inclement weather.

Tourists — one of our key economic resources, remember — would find that might interesting.

And so would we.

We’ve got some bright engineers — structural and lighting — in Victoria.

This home talent ought to be given an opportunity to strut their stuff.

Add a modicum of drama and excitement to to our much-loved but somewhat benighn treasure.

The Blue Bridge is Victoria.

Let’s show it off at nighttime, too, as a statement of pride in the provincial capital.

 

Victoria News

November 18, 2009

Page A9

ELECTOR RESPONSE FORM FOR CITY OF VICTORIA’S ‘JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT’ Alternative Approval Process pdf

FORTIN’S SEMI- FINAL

10% SOLUTION

An Elector Response Form

for the City of Victoria’s

‘Johnson Street Bridge Replacement Project’s

alternate approval process,’  (AAP)

 or ‘counter petition process’

in pdf format only is found

in the Comments section below.

 

- Gregory Paul Michael Hartnell, President

Concerned Citizens’ Coalition

CCC

 

CCC

PLEASE VOTE ‘YES’ FOR A REFERENDUM

TO SAVE OUR JOSEPH STRAUSS HERITAGE

JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE

CCC 

 

 

STEPHEN ANDREW SLAMS FORTIN’S ‘NEGATIVE BILLING OPTION’: “Shouldn’t we have gone to referendum right away?”

CFAX Radio News’ ’stand in’ reporter Stephen Andrew interviewed Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin this morning about the so-called ‘AAP’ (‘alternative approval process’) or ‘counter petition‘ that was endorsed by a slim majority of Victoria City Councillors on Thursday.

Mr. Andrew chastised the socialist mayor, wondering, ’shouldn’t we have gone to referendum right away on this, instead of using your negative billing option?’

‘I’m not calling it a “negative billing option”, you are,’ said the flustered Mayor.

Mr. Andrew pointed out that ‘counter petitions’ rarely work for  oppositional citizens’ groups, that it is usually daunting to reach the required 10% figure to trigger a referendum, and that counter petitions are only used by governments to intimidate these groups.

‘We’ve heard all these assertions before, but the ‘alternative approval process’ is an excellent way to further our extensive consultation already undertaken to move this project forward before interest rates go up…’

‘But, did you not notice that interest rates just went down today?’

Touche, Mr. Andrew.

‘What happens if, near the next election, your costs are over $63,000,000?’

‘We are taking every prudent step to ensure that this project is on time and on budget.’

Mr. Andrew also made sure that the web addresses of both the City of Victoria:

www.johnsonstreetbridge.com

and the main opposition group:

www.johnsonstreetbridge.org

were mentioned.

 

CCC

 

CCC  encourages Victorians to votes YES

to have a referendum to 

SAVE JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE

 

CCC

VICTORIA CITY COUNCILLORS PAMELA MADOFF + GEOFF YOUNG OPPOSE MAYOR DEAN FORTIN’S 45 day Johnson Street Bridge ‘alternative approval process’ (AAP)

JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE BY THE NUMBERS:

1 MAYOR, ELECTED BY 12% OF VICTORIA ELECTORS,

WITH FOUR  VICTORIA CITY COUNCILLORS,

VOTED IN SECRET IN VICTORIA COUNCIL CHAMBERS

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2009

TO BORROW $42,000,000 TO PAY FOR THE DEMOLITION

AND REPLACEMENT OF AN UNUSUAL HERITAGE BRIDGE 

DESIGNED BY A SINGULAR ENGINEERING GENIUS

JOSEPH STRAUSS, DESIGNER OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE.

According to a news story at the CFAX website, Councillors Geoff Young and Pam Madoff voted against the borrowing, Young to preserve the existing JOHNSON STREET BRIDGE, and Madoff over a concern that the matter be settled by referendum.

If the CFAX report is accurate, that means that Councillors Luton, Lucas, Chandler and Thornton-Joe all voted to have the Johnson Street Bridge demolished, for the City of Victoria to borrow $42,000,000 to do it, and that they are opposed to having the matter go to referendum.

Councillors Lynn Hunter and  Chris Coleman were strangely absent for this crucial vote and one wonders why?

ONLY 10% OF VICTORIA’S 63,426 ELIGIBLE VOTERS ARE NEEDED

TO PASS OR REJECT THIS. THAT IS 6,342 VOTERS

THESE 10% CAN DICTATE TO THE OTHER 90%:

THIS $42,000,000 BORROWING IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

…or not before we get a referendum on it…. 

 

The Mayor, Socialist Dean Fortin and four of eight members of

his Socialist-Green-Liberal-dominated Victoria City Council,

voted to approve a so-called ‘Alternate Approval Process’ (AAP)

for the Johnson Street Bridge Borrowing.

They approved Loan Authorization (Johnson Street Bridge)

Bylaw No. 09-057

today, Thursday November 19, 2009

in a Special Council Meeting convened for this purpose.

 

It should be noted that nowhere in the official notice of this bylaw

does one find the words ‘counter petition.’

The taxpaying public was not able to address Mayor Fortin

or the Victoria Council at this secret meeting.

 

The required elector response form will be available Friday, November 20 at Victoria City Hall.

It will also be available online:   www.victoria.ca             and       www.johnsonstreetbridge.com

 

45 day time period for the AAP:

Saturday, November 21, 2009 through to:

Monday, January 4th, 2010, 4:30 p.m.

 

The elector response forms will be

‘provided to those electors who wish to petition Council

to not adopt the bylaw without a referendum.’

 

‘Council may adopt the bylaw if the City

does not receive response forms against the bylaw

signed by at least 10% of the 63,426 Victoria electors.’

 

For more info:

Howard Markson

Communications Director

Johnson Street Bridge Replacement Project

Tel 250 361 02 64

Cell 250 216 98 22