A VOICE FOR EVERYONE

The race for mayor of Hamilton won't begin in earnest for a couple of months
but several of the declared candidates have campaign

Michael Baldasaro is taking his fifth run at becoming mayor of Hamilton.

The 54-year-old pro-marijuana minister in the Church of the Universe runs
his campaign on a hemp-string budget, advocating a domed downtown and
legalized pot use.

Baldasaro, who was born on Manitoulin Island and arrived in Hamilton as a
baby, grew up in the construction industry. His father, Wallace Baldasaro,
ran Baldasaro & MacGregor General Contractors Limited. He's never made
secret his pot use, proclaiming it a holy sacrament in his church.

SPECTATOR: Describe the moment when you decided to run for mayor.

BALDASARO: I thought that I should sign up because I'm not getting any
representation for me, the little guy.

Mainly it's because of the crime on the streets, the drugs, that's why I'm
doing this. Not just for the drugs but because it is being mismanaged.

If you can't feel safe in your homes, you can't feel safe in your streets.
We've been fighting this drug war since I was born. I remember I was 15 when
I was offered my first drugs at the Delta. I went through all the marijuana
stuff and found that's not harmful.

What's corrupt is the law or any law against any substance that can't be
justified. No lawyer wants to justify it, no politician, because they are
all afraid they are going to lose their job.

I have nothing to lose. That's why I'm running. I have all the problems of
the little guy and no representation.

I've got water mains blowing up in the winter because city councillors don't
know anything about putting in roads and sewers. I built roads and sewers.
My father built the Kenilworth Access. I've worked in construction. I've
worked at Stelco and Dofasco. I've been in prisons. I'm more suited to run
this city, to be the mayor.

I've even worked with Ron Foxcroft. His first job was as bookkeeper for my
father. But I don't hang out with him, we're not friends.

SPECTATOR: What would you do as mayor?

BALDASARO: I'd hold a meeting with the police and the doctors and straighten
out the damn drug laws.

How come we talk about having red light districts when we don't have an
election? Let's put one in. I can count five prostitutes driving down the
street between Sherman and Victoria.

I would start sticking my nose into everything. I would get rid of these big
salaries these guys get. Why are we paying them so much, and how come when
we get rid of them it costs us more money than I'll ever see in my old age?

I want to change everything, but you've got to have the real little guy, not
the guy put in by big business.

People must get more interested in politics. I would hold public meetings, I
would hold them in Hamilton Place or Copps Coliseum.

We need a new City Hall, we need some decent, safe underground parking,
restaurants, domes.

We should be able to go from the bus stations to City Hall underground.

SPECTATOR: How much time have you spent in jail?

BALDASARO: Almost three years of my life. I did about a year-and-a-half of
dead time waiting for trial, and about a year-and-a-half of real time. Now
they find there is no law against marijuana. How come the little guy has to
challenge the law in court?

SPECTATOR: What do you say to voters about your criminal record?

BALDASARO: I'm experienced. I've spent time in school, in the Holy Roman
church, in summer camps. I've had my ass kicked by my dad. I have a great
old man, he's 89, and I've got family values.

I've hung out with all the gangs. I never joined them because it was too
sickening, but I've seen police officers do sickening things.

I've been around. A mayor is supposed to represent everybody. I know
everybody from the little guy to the big guy.

SPECTATOR: What are your chances of winning?

BALDASARO: Pretty good. People are yelling at me to go for it like I've
never seen before.

I'm only spending about $700.

This election I want to keep it under $500 because I want to save the city
money.

How can a mayor make the city money when his election bid is maybe $100,000?

SPECTATOR: What about business?

BALDASARO: My father ran a major construction company. He built the west
campus of McMaster, Main Street, the Kenilworth Access, and numerous other
projects. I grew up in the business field. I'm not anti-business. I want to
make money and I don't want to owe big business for me sitting as mayor. I
don't want to owe anything.

SPECTATOR: What about the Red Hill Valley expressway?

BALDASARO: Put it in. The valley's beautiful, I want to drive down there and
look at it. The only way I'm going to see it is from the window of my car.
They stole it from me when they put a golf course in there. I used that Red
Hill as a kid. Now I've got to stay off the greens? Give me a break. Put the
highway in, I'm driving down it.

Highway 20 is a dangerous road, all because a handful of people want to save
a polluted creek.

You've got to hook Stoney Creek with Ancaster. I've been running for mayor
since 1985. I've never seen the alternative route. They keep talking about
it. Where is it? So yes. Put it in right away.

SPECTATOR: Hamilton is facing significant capital project deficits. What
wins out -- infrastructure and business tax cuts or social programs?

BALDASARO: We need them all. There is nothing we can cut out. We need to
stop paying big money to people for doing nothing when the little guy is on
middle wage. The big guy obviously put us in these arrears, so he ain't so
smart. Stelco could pay more, so could Dofasco. But as mayor I could get
some of these answers and find out what's going on.

SPECTATOR: What's your vision for Hamilton's harbour?

BALDASARO: Yeah, I'd like to put that ship, the Haida, in dry dock. How long
is that ship going to float -- 50 years? And then what, spend more money on
it? Dry dock the Haida. You're going to have tourists on it and it might
sink.

SPECTATOR: What kind of campaign do you expect?

BALDASARO: Word of mouth.

I go to all the meetings. I get a little excited. I just hope I have one
vote more than the next person, that's all. Because I think I'm the person
for the job.