[raisethehammer]

no, you didn't hit a nerve. I just refuse to sit back while the folks in flamborough complain as if they are being hard done by.
They still have it better than most people in the entire city.

You said in your post that there were many complete inaccuracies in this discussion. I haven't read any.
You also suggested that the city of Hamilton forced the big box crap on waterdown. that's wrong. their councillor fought for it, despite objections from several inner city councillors who wondered how much more of our land can be wasted like this.

I agree completely with your description of this entire region growing and working together. In fact, that's what city council is trying to do. The province forced amalgamation on everyone. A band of political elites like Terry Cooke et al were the ones who wanted it. I can only assume that they really thought it would bring savings. Sadly, they were wrong.
That's a separate issue though.
Even if we'd stayed with the regional government system I'd want these changes in the tax system to be happening. We subsidized the growth of the suburbs while downtown hamilton rotted before our eyes.
As Bob Wade admitted during his mayoral election campaign, the old city of Hamilton funded "probably 70-75% of the costs of new development in Ancaster". No shite.