OUR LOCAL POLITICAL SCENE MAKES CARTOONS LOOK SERIOUS

When it comes to the local political scene, I sometimes think we
should call this city Hamiltoon instead of Hamilton. There's just no
escaping the cartoonish thread running through some of our our
smoke-filled rooms and peanut galleries.

Consider some of these zany happenings.

Not only is Michael Baldasaro, the dope-smoking minister of the Church
of the Universe, which uses marijuana as a sacrament, making his fifth
run at the mayor's chair. But he gets treated more seriously with each
outing.

At a recent mayoral debate, the bushy-bearded reverend was given the
same deference and microphone time as any of the jacket-and-tie
mainstream candidates, despite his laughable tendency to loop every
issue back to his thoughts on federal drug laws.

Mind you, I'm guilty of the same comic courtesy. Hopefully, it's not
because of Baldasaro's brotherly offer of a reefer if I ever find
myself in need of religion, but because he's become such a freaky
fixture on the Hamiltoon mayoral front it's hard to imagine a campaign
without him.

It's doubtful he'll top the high water mark of his political career in
1988 when he accumulated 7,528 votes in a two-man race against
incumbent Mayor Bob Morrow.

Though Morrow clobbered him with 74,969 votes, Baldasaro's showing was
obviously an early protest vote against Mayor Bob, even though it took
another four elections to sweep him from office.

At that same aforementioned mayoral debate, observers noted that while
Baldasaro anchored one end of the candidates' table, Dick Wildeman was
seated at the other, suggesting a balancing of fringe elements.

That's not quite fair to the staid Wildeman, who's hopes to be elected
mayor by running on a divisive de-amalgamation ticket, a point he
neglected to mention in his introductory remarks.

And how do you figure Liberal MPPs who, while strongly supporting the
Red Hill Creek Expressway, back a New Democrat for mayor who's
dead-set against the road?

I'm talking about Dominic Agostino and Marie Bountrogianni, both
potential cabinet ministers in Dalton McGuinty's government, getting
behind Dave Christopherson's mayoral bid.

Bountrogianni says her support for Christopherson is based on an
understanding he wouldn't take sides in the provincial election and if
elected wouldn't try to derail the expressway project.

Christopherson, who stepped down from his Hamilton West riding to run
for mayor, didn't take sides in the provincial campaign, which saw his
former riding pass into Liberal Judy Marsales' hands.

Right from the beginning, Christopherson has said if he's mayor he'll
speak as passionately and convincingly as possible against the project
because he doesn't think it's in the best long-term interests of the
city. You have to admire Christopherson's integrity, if not his
strategy. But when friend Agostino is knocking on doors on
Christopherson's behalf, how is Dom going to dipsy-doodle his way
around their stark differences on what is shaping up to be a key
municipal election issue?

Maybe he'll just laugh it off like a comic strip.

That's what I'm trying to do when I think of lightweight Burlington
Tory MPP Cam Jackson surviving the Liberal landslide, while
hardworking Stoney Creek Tory MPP Brad Clark was smothered by the
avalanche and charm of star Liberal candidate Jennifer Mossop.

If only the Liberals had parachuted J. Mo into Burlington, they could
have done us all a big favour.