After the jump is the speech I gave to Waterloo City Council on Monday. The meeting itself [was written up in the Chronicle](http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news/article/199579), but I don’t think the quote from me totally sums up what I was trying to say (you know, newspaper quotes…).
I’ve mostly been complaining about the media and the residents’ associaton here and on WWBA. It took me a bit to figure out what to say to council.
Do you read [Seth Godin’s blog](http://sethgodin.typepad.com/)? You should read [today’s post](http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/amplifying-complaints.html), particularly if you’ve been following the [HUG thing](http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news/article/199579).
Which statement do you think is more likely to generate the desired response?
> I’ve been living here for 50 years! I pay my taxes! This neighbourhood is a disaster and the city needs to do something!
or
> I love this neighbourhood and I really like living here. I think it would be really great if more of the people like me who want to live here were able to.
Even if nothing else comes out of this, I hope some people at least learn something from it.
I’ve been moved to write a post about [HUG Waterloo on WWBA](http://waterloowellingtonblogs.org/2010/01/hug-waterloo.shtml). It’s a follow-up to a post I did a year ago on the supposed “[student ghetto](http://waterloowellingtonblogs.org/2009/01/in-the-ghetto.shtml)” in the Northdale neighbourhood where Ellen lives.
Ellen and I talked to Jan D’Ailly last night, offering some of the pieces of the puzzle that I’d been missing. We’re a little dubious about coming forward because this could get messy. But Ellen thinks it’s important. I do too, for that matter.
Waterloo council is planning to table a motion related to HUG Waterloo’s proposal, and we’re planning on speaking there, if Ellen’s up for it. Wish me luck.