BALDASARO STEPS INTO CITY'S POLITICAL SPOTLIGHT ONE MORE TIME

Perennial political candidate, Michael Baldasaro, has entered the Ward 2
byelection race.

But the 54-year-old marijuana activist says after 20 years of campaigning
without winning, he may stop taking part in Hamilton politics.

"I can't compete with the other candidates," he says.

Over the last few elections, the Reverend Brother of the Church of the
Universe, which advocates the use of marijuana in its sacraments, has not
fared well.

In the 2003 municipal election, for instance, Mr. Baldasaro finished sixth
out of seventh with 2,569 votes, ahead of Matt Jelly, who brought up the
rear with 510 votes. Larry Di Ianni dominated the election with a
convincing 70,539 votes.

And in the June 28 federal election, Mr. Baldasaro was fourth out of five
candidates in the Hamilton Center riding, garnering 342 votes, ahead of the
Marxist-Leninist party candidate who received 91 votes. Popular NDP
candidate David Christopherson dumped former Liberal cabinet minister Stan
Keyes with 19,996 votes.

Mr. Baldasaro also ended up on the short end of the election stick in the
2000 municipal race for the first mayor of the amalgamated city of
Hamilton, and as a candidate for the Marijuana Party he lost badly against
Liberal incumbent Sheila Copps in the Hamilton East riding in the 2000
federal election contest.

The outspoken marijuana activist says he is growing tired of politics. He
refuses to bend to "mainstream" views in an effort to win. People have even
asked him to cut his distinctive salt and pepper beard for the sake of
winning, which he just laughs at.

Since 1984, Mr. Baldasaro has been fighting the Canadian government to
legalize marijuana. He has been battling the legal system for it to
recognize his religion use of marijuana for religious purposes. His latest
legal troubles stem from charges laid against him in February 2004 when he
was charged with drug trafficking, and possession of marijuana for the
purposes of trafficking.

He looks at the corporate money candidates such as former mayor Bob Wade
and Mr. Di Ianni receive and shakes his head, saying it isn't right.

"I don't campaign. I have some literature and that's it," says the
soft-spoken minister.