“If I were Mayor” – Professor David Robinson

Media Release:                                          

“If I were Mayor” – Professor David Robinson Opinion on YouTube Video

“If I were Mayor” -  Dr. David Robinson, Laurentian University Economics professor, proposed on a Friendly to Seniors – Sudbury “Opinions” YouTube video, that if he were Mayor he would suggest using the money for Maley Drive as a catalyst to get the rail lines removed from the downtown.  Opportunities have been missed in the past with respect to rail removal, according to Robinson, but now conditions might be right, with provincial and federal money more likely to be available for this more worthwhile endeavor, rather than Maley Drive, and the railway willing to contribute to the process for economic and environmental reasons.

Robinson was highly critical of the Maley Drive Extension project calling it “financial suicide” with costs to be much higher than predicted for the roadway that is no longer necessary to serve what were its original needs as he explains in the video. A more realistic cost for the project would be 120 million dollars rather than the 80 million quoted by the city for the initial stage, according to Robinson, rising likely to 160 million dollars and that figure, including ongoing maintenance costs, all to be borne by the city, raising taxes to the point where citizens who could, such as seniors, would leave the city, something that he said is already taking place as the city becomes less affordable to live.

Only small population growth for Sudbury is predicted by Professor Robinson and attention must be paid to general and specific future economic development and job creation. The city should be made more attractive by focusing on educational and cultural activity.  Residential development should take place closer to the city core. Municipal government needs to be more focused and all projects need to be subject to a cost/benefit analysis. 

The views of Dr. Robinson were presented in an almost hour long “Opinions” program, part of a series by the seniors group, hosted by its chairperson John Lindsay.  The programs give the opportunity for expression of a variety of views on topics of interest to older adults, now a significant portion of the Sudbury population.   Previous guests have included Dr. Peter Zalan, President of the Medical Staff at HSN, and Thomas Price, former project manager at INCO and now private consultant who presented a report on the Maley Drive extension project. All the programs can be viewed on the website www.freindlytoseniors.ca.

Dr. Robinson “Opinions” video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-CgFGToRZU