Bob Mann, Candidate for Hamilton Centre in Ontario Provincial Election 2014 - Raise the Hammer Elections

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Candidate Details (top)

Name	Bob Mann
Election	Ontario Provincial Election 2014
Area	Hamilton Centre
Party	Communist Party of Canada (Ontario)
Votes	0
Email	bob@communistpartyontario.ca
Website	http://communistpartyontario.ca/?page_id=210
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Bio	Bob Mann is a lifelong resident and labour activist in Hamilton. He has served on the Hamilton District Labour Council for many years as well as being an activist in the USWA 1005, a tenants’ organizer, and involved in the local Health Care Coalition. “Ontario has lost 500,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000, with thousands of those jobs disappearing here in Hamilton. We need a government that stands up to corporate job destroyers. If US Steel doesn’t want to run the plant, then the people of Ontario should run it”, said Mann. Bob is a retired steelworker and a committed campaigner for social justice.

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Responses to Questions (top)

Question	Brief Response	Full Response
Do you support the proposal to build a new mid-Peninsula highway?	No	No. We need more and improved passenger service to alleviate gridlock and environmental damage. The peninsula contains some of the best farmland in Canada and it should be protected not further eroded.
Do you support maintaining or expanding the protection of farmland and rural natural land from urban boundary expansions?	Yes
Do you support regional GO transit expansion, including all-day two-way GO train service to Hamilton?	Yes	Yes. This is primarily linked to the previous answer. This what we need, not more highways.
Do you support allowing Ontario residents to appeal to the Ontario Ombudsman with respect to municipalities, universities, school boards, hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities, police and children's aid societies (the MUSH sector)?	Yes	Yes. However the Ombudsman must have the authority to enforce the rulings made on appeals.
Do you accept the evidence of human-caused global warming? If so, what policy measures do you support to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? If not, why not?	Yes	Yes, the scientific evidence is undeniable. This is a global problem and requires centralized social planning, socialism. Short of that there should be very rigid and enforced environmental controls, not programs that allow the wealthy corporations to purchase “footprints” or other nonsense.
The Ontario School Funding Formula currently incentivizes local school boards to neglect and close neighbourhood schools. Do you support keeping neighbourhood schools open? If so, how?	Yes	Schools should be maintained and expanded as social and cultural neighbourhood centres. Children should not have to travel further and further from their homes to go to school. The funding must come from the province from a pool of money raised from progressive tax reform based on the ability to pay, by doubling the corporate income tax rate to 23% (where it used to be) and restoring the capital tax on corporate wealth. This should be the base for actually expanding social programs and projects.
Do you support Hamilton's plan to build an east-west light rail transit line with full provincial capital funding? If so, how will you ensure the project is funded?	Yes	Yes, but it is very important that the entire funding comes from the province so there is no financial burden or accumulated debt for the residents of Hamilton. It is also important that the system be operated by the HSR under public ownership and control and that the employees be represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union.
Should the province play a role in encouraging safer streets that promote more active transportation like walking and cycling?	Yes	Yes. We need Municipal/Provincial studies and programs to create pedestrian and cycling friendly residential areas. This could be accomplished in many ways but would have to suit the demographics of each particular town or city.