Letter to the Editor, Eye Magazine, Sept. 14, 2000.
Gomberg No One-Trick Pony
For one brief moment I thought as usual John Sewell was up on the latest bombshell to hit Toronto — the advent of the alternative to Mel that hundreds of supporters already know about — Tooker Gomberg. But there was no mention of this white hot candidate in his Citystate column, September 7th. The only explanation I can think of for the surprising lapse is that Sewell has been away on a junket or at the cottage, for there can be no doubt that Tooker Gomberg is the worthy successor to the most progressive and clear sighted of all our previous mayors, John Sewell himself.
Tooker Gomberg is without the shadow of a doubt the answer to our prayers. He is that rare combination of wide ranging intellect and down to earth problem solver. He is speaks with style and clarity devoid of any mel like boosterism and/or blatant, self serving political button pushing. Tooker Gomberg is like one of his predecessors — tiny and perfect in a way we who have been through the previous tiny perfect one’s “who does what” amalgamation exercises can thoroughly appreciate.
I am just looking at one of his campaign flyers, and I am once more energized and made hopeful by what I see: “The Tooker Gomberg for Mayor Campaign aims to electrify this municipal election with chutzpah, creativity, passion, and intelligent, cogent insights on what Toronto could be. “We’ll be talking about problems and solutions. About smog and about homelessness. About the Olympics and about the police. Green taxes and garbage. The TTC, and the sorry state of Lake Ontario. “It will be a campaign about trees and about cyclists; about sustainable jobs and about small business; about the arts and about tenants rights. “Let’s discuss the income gap and urban agriculture. Pesticides and solar energy. Public utilities and unions. Youth. Gay rights. Rascism. Car traffic. And much more. “In other words: justice, ecology and democracy will be the currency of this campaign.” Marilyn Churley is already on side. NDP’ers should get the whole caucus to join with the Green Party as initial supporters.
Ruth Cohen, Toronto