Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday October 13, 2016

We’ve been saying it for over a year now, and it seems that the rest of the world has finally caught on: Open Sources Guelph is the city’s finest political and current affairs discussion show. So what shall we talk about this week? Well Donald Trump has caught on tape this week saying something grossly and demonstrably inappropriate, but this time it seems to have actually harmed him politically. Then, we’ll talk about a controversial issue closer to home, and sticking with that downtown theme, we’ll wrap up this week with special guest that makes all things downtown his specialty.

This Thursday, October 13, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:

Scumbag Billionaire. Surprise, surprise. Donald Trump is a lecherous pervert. Forget the serial monogamy, the fat shaming of a Miss Universe, or the creepy sexualization of his own daughters, what sealed the deal (so to speak) was an old Access Hollywood tape of Trump telling co-host Billy Bush that, as a star, he could do anything he wants with a woman, even sexually assault her. Not-ideally timed for the second Presidential debate, Trump shirked calls for him to step aside, was dumped from a campaign event in Wisconsin with Speaker Paul Ryan, and saw mass defections from Republicans who had previous endorsed him. So how did he respond? He shared the stage with four of Bill Clinton’s accusers in a pre-debate event? So what’s next?

“Condom Not Condemn.” Those words were vandalized on the under-construction Garden of Grace at the Basilica of Our Lady this past weekend, and they sum up the polarizing opposition to what’s been described as a memorial for women that have had miscarriages or chosen to have abortions. Funded by Guelph and Area Right to Life, the garden and monument are on private property and funded by private donors. So what’s the problem? How about the fact that the Basilica is both literally and figuratively the city’s largest tourist attraction? In much the same way as the Right to Life bus ads, there are arguments to be made on both sides, so we’ll talk about the politics of this situation. Should the Basilica have allowed the construction of the garden, and what can Guelph’s strong pro-choice community really do about it?

Is Life Great When Your Down-Town? Guelph has a pretty significant degree of pride in its downtown core, and one of the people that ensures its continued resilience is Marty Williams, executive director of the Guelph Downtown Business Association. We’ll talk to Williams about various issues downtown right now including redevelopment, parking, the local economy, and population intensification in the core. Like the song says, there’s a lot going on when you’re downtown: the Wilson Street parkade, the renovation of the Petrie Building, numerous events and street festivals, and the always contentious issue (for some reason) of building a new main library. We’ll talk to Williams about all of that, plus we will have your questions as we discuss everything you want about downtown!