Unscrambling the amalgamation egg

Mayoral candidate Bob Bratina says he is in favour of "de-amalgamating" Hamilton to its previous form. What do you think? Is this practical? Does going back to several different local governments and infrastructures make sense?

Comments

[john slomka]

hot heads like brattina throwing pens in council is uncalled for,,,but for di ianni to say he should be charged with assault...well...larry is way out of wack on that! hes treating everyone like highschool kids ,,,,these guys should grow up...people are hungry,unenmployed and overtaxed,,,and all they offer is highschool antics...im not voting for anyone famiLIAR, down with he windbags and hotheads...glenn hamilton gets my vote.

[Gary]

To all those folks who want to see de-amalgamating the current city, all I can say is leave and go somewhere else because de-amalgamation wont be happening anytime soon since it is a Provincial Matter and should not be on the table to debate in a municipal election. Bratina is another LOSER looking for your vote but really is sadly the only alternative to what we have for mayor because Freddy needs to go with a kick to the butt!!!

[Gary]

Eisenberger? That last mayor Duh-anni? I dont think so. Hamilton is getting slaughtered due to the current city council and needs a MAJOR overhaul in every Ward! Please get out and vote this election and show these MORONS they need to be replaced. If not this city is going to be like Detroit, going nowhere very fast. It is sad to be a Hamiltonian these days with what we got running this city into the hole all thanks to Fred.

[Peter Swire, CMA]

The thought of devolving the City back to its constituent parts is novel and warrants a well thought out debate.

When the old city and the suburbs amalgamated, all of the existing ward and municipal boundaries were kept. This was a major flaw.

The boundaries, at least for the suburbs, were created by the Province some 37 years ago. These boundaries in the current context made no sense. For example, Glanbrook was the amalgamtion of Glanford and Binbrook townships. While there may be some nostaglic connection between the two, ask a person in either former towneship where they shop, or bank, of visit a dentist or have friends. More often than not, the relationship is north-south and not east-west. The same holds true in Flamborough.

What should have been done at the time of amalgamation is reconsider all boundaries. For example, the former Glanford township should have had its northern boundary moved to the LINC thus balancing population as well as provide a better socio-economic match.

One of the great misconceptions in organizational theory is that bigger is better. No, it is always more costly as larger social bodies require increasing levels of middle management just to flow the paper.

Hindsight always being perfect should have asked the question "how can we get the costs of running the old City of Hamilton to the same level as the suburbs with sacrificing services". Instead, the lower cost suburbs were brought up to the City's cost level without any appreciable service improvement.

If devolution is to be considered, we need to ask the question how can the city lower its costs and make the wards more representive. My fear is that our elected leaders will choose to raise taxes rather than trying to be accountable for the taxes levied.

[Tired of Political Stupidity]

Yep, its election time. Larry's got his top hat and cane and a pocket full of miracles. Maybe we should take a ride down to the red hill expressway during a severe thunderstorm to see exactly why we shouldn't be voting for this man.

and when peoples homes flood. instead of sand bags, we can use garbage bags because he wants to reverse the 1 bag rule.

[RoyBob]

could he also please bring back the Sailing School, Chedoke Ski Hill and put the two-way steets downtown back to one-way ?

[TheNit]

While I don't believe Bratina would go as far as recommending de-amalgamation, he at least acknowledges that most amalgamated people aren't happy with the way that it's working and that who's he targeting and it's working. It appears that most of the bloggers here are original Hamilton people. Sure, the suburbs complain that we are paying more taxes and getting less services (parking meters?) and the city's response, get rid of area rating (higher taxes for services that we don't receive) and rep by population (less representation so we have less of a voice). There doesn't seem to be any sense of "city building" in these projects. These things scare the hell out of us because the "old boys" clique at city hall are bound and determined to do it. Once they do, just wait for the de-amalgamation signs to pop up.

[Donald J. Lester]

"Bob Bratina says he is in favour of "de-amalgamating"
This reminds me of a spinning wheel- around and around we go...and when it stops we all end up in the same place,"Confused Hamilton" with the majority ready to puke. Much like the proposed re-visiting the one bag garbage issue, it's no wonder when I comes to issues like deciding where to build a stadium is such an ardent task. One has to ponder whether councilors are all trapped in some continues vortex, cycling in a constipated cycle of unconsciousness-

[Peter Michael]

Must be election time. Empty promises being spewn left and right but all candidates...

[Rawrs]

de-amalgamation, like what Montreal went though would be great for many reasons. Chiefly though, it makes no sense having Flamborough as a ward of Hamilton. Why should they pay taxes to fund the HSR, which doesn't even operate out there? Municipal governments should be small, and local. This one is neither.

[ed]

Gotta love politicians beaking off at election time. Don't they know we're all use to their lies. Blah Blah Blah, I'm going to do this I'm going to do that..How? who knows!!

[Kathy Hagan]

Kiely. Lauged out loud at your blog { so true}

[Jay]

Being from the "suburbs" - even though we are part of the city, I can't help but feel like a second class citizen. Yes, we can pay the bulk of the property taxes, but all this stadium crap just sold me on de-amalgamation. Let me out, and leave Eisenberger to be Mayor of Ward 2.

[Kathy Hagan]

Bob Bratina will say anything to get elected. He reminds me of an onion keep peeling back the layers and the skin gets thinner.

[Kiely]

So what else does a vote for Bob Bratina get us???

A free Bob Bratina standing on a soap box bobble head doll!!!

It can nod yes and no at the same time!

Or the latest, a Bob Bratina colour changer doll!!!

Just dip him in cold water and he miraculously changes colours!

[C.A.]

Talk about a waste of tax payer dollars - amalgamation has been good for the most part. Why would Bratina want to change it and waste tax payers dollars even more? Just another reason not to vote for the man.

[ernest]

Oh look I'm banned from the Have your say blog also for pointing out the stupid waste of my tax dollars by politicians.I guess my last post really cut a strip out of lord Bratina so it doesn't get posted.My vote will cut a similar and hopefully strip.

[LOL]

Oh you gotta love Bob Bratina, The City can't even solve something small like the stadium issue, but somehow he believes he can take on something major like de-amalgamation.

Give me a break.

[JOHN CHUCKMAN]

Bratina's statement is simply the best measure of what a mediocre candidate he is.

It shows no thought, no honesty, and plays to uninformed prejudices.

There truly is no going back on amalgamation.

[Glenn Hamilton / Mayoral Candidate]

I think you fix whats wrong with Amalgamation and keep whats right. I do think that better governance will help a lot when it comes to bettering Amalgamation. That is why I'm running for mayor.

Glenn Hamilton
hamiltonforhamilton.com

[Mike Blackborow]

It's fine and good that Bob Bratina is in favour of de-amalgamation but how far will he get if we elect him mayor?

While I like the idea of de-amalgamation It's highly unlikely to happen. So what else does a vote for Bob Bratina get us???

[Ed2]

In my view, as a city expands well past previous borders and in citizen numbers there must be changes made to accommodate such changes.

In Toronto where I grew up it used to be that Scarborough and Etobicoke and Long Branch were separate entities and had open green space between the boundaries. Warden and Eglinton had fields of grain and cattle, and Warden and Steeles had an experimental farm for Massey-Ferguson. Such systems would be unthinkable now and Hamilton is expanding and within 50 years I see Copetown as one more Ward in the mix at City Hall.

I believe it is how the changes were accomplished as opposed to why they were implemented.

I could be wrong though, it wouldn't be the first time!!

Accept that amalgamation is here to stay because the alternative would cause chaos, especially now.