By Jim Mauro
THUNDER BAY – POLITICS – Election season is upon us and the city is preparing to elect a new Mayor and at least several new members of Council.
One of the criticisms that I have often made is the lack of real knowledge of candidates and how often, name recognition appears more important than a policy position regarding whatever issues/challenges that this community may face.
Now, I do not present myself as a journalist. I am simply a columnist with opinions, but James Murray has allowed me to share those opinions with others. Some are well received, others not as much which is similar to the results when I share the articles on my Facebook page. My goal has always been to give people pause on a particular topic and perhaps look at an issue more deeply or to consider a different viewpoint.
I had an idea that I thought would be beneficial to the voters in Thunder Bay as the election season nears. Using my articles and with the blessing of James Murray, I would host a regular column dedicated solely to the candidates for Mayor where they could initially post an introduction of themselves to the voter and in future articles, put their position forward on different topics. It was my hope that the voter would have one place to go to read about the candidates and make an educated choice on who they thought would be the best Mayor for our city.
With that in mind, I sent out an email to all Mayoralty candidates and offered to compile these bios and answers for them and for the voter. My initial offer was to provide each of them 275 words to introduce themselves and share with the reader why they are running or what they deem is challenges facing the city.
I advised all of them that their submissions would not be shared with any of the other candidates until posted collectively. That all submissions would not be edited by me in any fashion, nor would I comment on any of the answers provided. It was not my goal to provide editorial comment, simply to provide a venue for those seeking your vote.
Unfortunately, the idea was not received as well as I had hoped. That could be for several reasons, including the idea that I may be running for office (I am not), that I am not a reporter (which I am not) or even some candidates may not wish to be tied down to a specific policy position. The only editorial comment I will make is that if you compare the numbers that these articles may reach on Netnewsledger, it would take weeks to knock on that many doors to reach the voters they are seeking. It is my hope to make this same offer to those candidates running for at large positions and hopefully within the wards.
This will be a time-consuming venture for sure, but for the candidates, unlike Television, radio and newspaper, their answers will be unedited. They won’t be clipped where the substance of the answer is missed or clipped in such a fashion to make it appear that the candidate was either not answering or missed the question. Unfortunately, that does happen sometimes, and I know firsthand watching my brothers’ political career how often his position was misrepresented.
It is my sincere hope that others join this dialogue. I believe it is beneficial to both themselves as candidates, to the voter at large and even to the city to have one place that people can go to see full in-depth answers to questions on difficult topics. Running a 600 plus million-dollar city is not for the faint of heart and with the new powers of the Mayor, who occupies that Chair will have a large influence on the future of our city.
So below is the submission I received from a candidate for Mayor. I hope you find the exercise worthwhile and the content informative.
Moe Comuzzi – Candidate for Mayor
BIOGRAPHY
Moe Comuzzi has spent her career helping people make some of the most important decisions of their lives. A licensed Real Estate Broker with Royal LePage Lannon Realty with over a decade in real estate, she has built her reputation on trust, listening, and finding solutions that fit each person’s needs.
Her career also spans more than 30 years in food services and automotive, where she has led teams, built businesses, and learned what ittakes to bring people together to get things done. Above all, Moe believes in service, in community, and in the simple idea that we accomplish more when we work together. She is ready to bring that same energy to building a stronger Thunder Bay.
CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES
Grow Our Economy
Thunder Bay’s future depends on a growing economy. Moe will work to attract new investment, support the local businesses that anchor our neighbourhoods, and create the good jobs that give young people a reason to stay and build their lives here. In line with the city’s Smart Growth Action Plan and its goal of expanding the population and tax base, she sees growth as a shared effort, built through partnership with Indigenous communities, the province, and the private sector, not something any one leader can deliver alone.
Keep Taxes Affordable
Rising costs are squeezing families and seniors on fixed incomes. Moe’s approach is simple: grow the tax base, not the tax bill. By expanding the economy and welcoming new residents and investment, the city can fund the services people rely on without leaning so heavily on property tax increases.
Disciplined, responsible growth is how Thunder Bay stays affordable for the long term. Build Stronger Neighbourhoods for Seniors and Opportunities for Young People. A great city takes care of the people who built it and makes room for those who will shape it next.
Moe is committed to safe, welcoming neighbourhoods, reliable services, and housing that works for every stage of life, from young people starting out to seniors who want to age in place with dignity. When our neighbourhoods are strong, our whole community thrives.
