Bill Kelly: Hamilton council’s short-sighted approach

I don’t know, at this point, if pursuing  a bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games is a good idea for Hamilton.

But what I do know is that the “don’t let the facts get in the way of my opinion” attitude of some Hamilton councillors continues to plague our city.

Common sense dictates that when staff offer to do a report on a project like the Commonwealth Games, detailing the good and bad of such a bid, council would welcome that kind of relevant information before deciding on such an important issue.

But common sense is often in short supply at city hall.

Why can’t city council show the same ambitious spirit that has fuelled Hamilton’s renaissance in the past few years?

We have entrepreneurs who  dared to dream and have grown their companies into world-class success stories.

We have a university that has become one of the highest-rated universities in the world.

In all those cases, they had the courage to take chances and the vision for a better future.

Contrast that with city councillors who seem more focused on their re-election chances instead of Hamilton’s future.

Maybe it’s too much to ask that city council shows that courage and vision, but getting the facts before making a decision would be a good first step.

Bill Kelly is the host of Bill Kelly Show on AM 900 CHML and a commentator for Global News.