Sunday, January 5, 2020

It's time for more respectful discussion

For the past six years, hospital planners have been telling Windsor Essex residents to "let the process play out."  For just as long, local elected and unelected officials have assured us "it's a done deal" - even in the years prior to the August 2018 approval of the Sandwich South development. Supportive opinions were welcomed and amplified, while public expressions of concern were disparaged. Throughout the planning process, medical professionals associated with Windsor Regional Hospital have been unable to publicly express their concerns for fear of reprisal.

Don’t believe those who now loudly argue that CAMPP's legal appeal is a delaying tactic or a burden to taxpayers. Our goal is to ensure all the proper steps have been taken, before finalizing a decision with health, economic and environmental consequences that will affect the region’s well-being for generations to come. We are advocating for transparency: disclosing all the costs that will be imposed on our community if the 1,000 acre (400 ha.) Sandwich South development, anchored by the new hospital, goes ahead as proposed.

In December 2019, the heated debate about the location of our community's new acute care hospital reached a new low. It was fueled by several highly inflammatory postings on social media pages controlled by persons in significant public leadership positions.

CAMPP is an entirely volunteer group. And we put considerable effort into maintaining decorum with all public postings and comments. Our supporters have diverse backgrounds and a broad range of political views: and yet, by setting a respectful tone, we listen to, and learn from each other.

We're aware how easy it is to inadvertently write something that can be misinterpreted. Several diligent volunteers monitor CAMPP-owned and operated social media platforms. Our moderators take their role seriously to maintain a restrained and respectful public discourse.

We welcome discussion and different points of view: we therefore seldom restrict membership to our public social media accounts. However, we do ask that members act politely. Several years ago we changed the group's privacy settings in response to a number of offensive posts. Since then, we've vetted the comments to avoid alienating those wanting to discuss the facts. Because of our policy, it's easier to write without fear of inflammatory reactions and trolling behaviour by a small group of instigators.

There is no place for personal insults or attacks, nor bullying, defamatory, threatening or factually incorrect statements. 

We encourage elected and unelected officials, including hospital decision makers, especially those on the public payroll, to start upholding a more professional standard in their own social media postings. They need to closely monitor the comments by others on pages under their control.

We hope 2020 will finally mark a turning point in the tone of public discourse. We encourage officials involved in this process to promote a more respectful and factually-based public discussion. It's time to extinguish the aggressive and defamatory comments.
In their own words: Members of our community
continue to comment on the issues
"Real leadership listens to opposition and improves a project by integrating resolutions addressing the weaknesses of the original proposal."
"Despicable is a pretty aggressive word to use in describing a group of people who, whether you agree with them or not, are working tirelessly to try and help make Windsor the best city possible for residents. It's also quite petty and childish language for a mayor to use against citizens so passionate about our city."
"We need a mayor to fight for Windsor."
"City Council and the Mayor are not making this decision because it's in the best interest of Windsor (especially West end) residents. Their recent sniping and unprofessional behaviour convinces me that they do not have my health in mind."
"Mayor Drew Dilkens you call it delay. Camp [sic] calls it getting it right - to not ignore but rather to serve the very people who built Windsor."
"Budget 2020 needs a sum for mediation on the hospital plan.

The public engagement process is not working."
 
"I would like to see Budget 2020 include bringing in a mediator to help the various parties listen to each other as the public dialogue has become toxic and litigious.

Further I would like to see bi-monthly  communication from The Hospital Planning Committee and City Hall as we successfully complete each of the 5 Stages of the Provincial Hospital Planning Process. In November the Province was still waiting for documents from the Windsor planning committee to complete the requirements for Stage 1."
"Please take this to the Courts! We need justice! A small group of people are running this City and it’s their own interests and ability to capitalize on the sick and poor that motivates their decision making. Thank you for being a voice for all, including the most oppressed and marginalized groups in our City, and not just the wealthy and healthy."
"I donated because CAMPP is defending the public interest."
"I'm honestly embarrassed that our Mayor has resorted to online publicly shaming a group of people who are simply passionate about this decision."
"This disagreement between CAMPP and the city/hospital is incomprehensible to me in so much as CAMPP's arguments make total sense, and the city's none at all. How does the bureaucracy get away with it? I wonder if there is a department at the UofW that can do some research and tell us how it is that this bizarre phenomenon has any legs?"
"No matter what side of the debate you are on, there are mechanisms in place to have your voice heard, and to ensure important decisions like this are made with regard to all involved parties. CAMPP is legitimately fighting for what they believe is right. Hardly despicable in my opinion.

As I see it, an elected official publicly chastising a group because they disagree with him/her is *much* closer to the definition of despicable."
"I fully support CAMPP fighting for the elderly, disabled, low income, getting to this proposed site for them will be difficult and costly... Keep up the good fight for the most challeged."
"Thank you CAMPP. I don't know how this will be decided but I support the discussion and your right to pursue all legal avenues to be heard."
"Land Use Planning and Zoning are important tools to increase density and make cities more compact."
 
"I do wish people would realize that CAMMP [sic] is not against a new hospital, just the location. Also, a surprising number of people do not realize that the two existing hospitals will be torn down. The public has been and continues to be very ill informed about this whole process that was basically done in backrooms.

There is a person in our neighbourhood that has a sign on their lawn that says I am in favour of the Mega Hospital, well big deal so am I but just not the location in question. This person has ties to the Met so they are obviously a little prejudiced.

Also if there is a climate emergency why are they going to pave over farmland?"
"It would just be nice for Windsor to embrace a development paradigm that involves a denser urban core and less suburban sprawl... it's hard to get greenfield space back once it's gone, but many vacant parking lots remain parking lots forever"
"Why, as we are supposedly trying to fight climate change, do we invite urban sprawl.

Yes, the vulnerable in the city. Also, even the aging citizens for whom driving is less than a clear option, especially when it involves highways at 110 kilometres and hour or more. We really should have hospitals close to the urban transit hub."
"The proposed location... will cost the Corporation of the City of Windsor tens or hundreds millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades that we have to directly fund while the the same Corporation howls about an infrastructure deficit."
"The WFCU and CR42 are attempts to cornerstone suburban/ farmland development/ developers with 70's style satellite planning reminiscent of Detroit's Pontiac Silverdome & Palace of Auburn Hills, both now closed. Detroit reversed course and brought the institutions downtown... and look at the difference! Obviously the right choice."
"Happy Holidays and don’t give up the fight for 2020!
You have more support than you know!"

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