Election 2000 November 13, 2000

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Of the councillors elected, nearly all of them had strong victories. The exceptions were Gloria Luby in Ward 4, Peter Mlczyn in Ward 5 and Peter Lipreti in Ward 8. This could lead to arrogance with most elected councillors believing themselves to be unbeatable and therefore able to ignore the public.
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Election Results - Nov.13.2000

   Candidates the media labeled as fringe candidates did far better than ever before. If the media would have given them proper coverage they could have mounted a serious challenge to Mel Lastman.

   The Election Day TV coverage was the most pathetic coverage ever sent out on the airwaves. At 6 p.m. City TV showed us Mel getting a hair cut and didn't mention that anyone was running against him. Later we got to listen to Chris Stockwell and Tom Jakobek commenting.
   Mel Lastman's victory party resembled a staged commercial lacking in real substance or emotion - not much of a feature.

   The media didn't even show down at Tooker Gomberg's party, and the candidate was forced to wait for hours for the reporters to show up for his statement.

   In general the motto here should be that "Democracy in Toronto has run out of gas with Mel." He has collaborated with corporate media and together they've turned city politics into a superficial affair where only one candidate gets promoted in the mayoral race.

* The City of Toronto Vote Results page is at
http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/vote2000/select_races.htm
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MAYOR, City of Toronto
1985 of 1992 Polls Reporting

Elected MEL LASTMAN with 480,780 votes or 79.96 percent

2nd place TOOKER GOMBERG with 50,830 votes or 8.45 percent

3rd place ENZA ANDERSON with 13,527 votes or 2.24 percent

4rth place DOUGLAS CAMPBELL with 8,551 votes or 1.42 percent

5th place STEVEN LAM with 6,818 or 1.13

6th place HAZEL JACKSON with 5,281votes or 0.87 percent

7th place KEVIN CLARKE with 4,111 votes

* See the city web site for a listing of the other candidate

Total Votes Counted:
Eligible Voters:
         601,239
       1,662,116
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Council Races

Deputy Mayor Case Ootes beat Gail Nyberg

Other Lastman allies got knocked out.

Joe Mihevc knocked off Councillor Rob Davis in St. Paul's (Ward 21).

Anne Johnston killed Milton Berger in Ward 16, Eglinton-Lawrence.

Blake Kinahan was knocked off by Peter Milczyn in (Ward 5).

David Miller crushed Bill Saundercook in Ward 13 - Parkdale-High Park:
 

COUNCILLORS
Ward 1 - Etobicoke North:
Suzan Hall (leading, 43 of 46 polls)

Ward 2 - Etobicoke North:
Rob Ford (elected

Ward 3 - Etobicoke Centre:
Doug Holyday (elected).

Ward 4 - Etobicoke Centre:
Gloria Lindsay Luby (elected)

Ward 5 - Etobicoke Lakeshore:
Peter Milczyn (elected ).

Ward 6 - Etobicoke Lakeshore:
Irene Jones (elected).

Ward 7 - York West:
George Mammoliti (elected).

Ward 8 - York West:
Peter Li Preti (elected)

Ward 9 - York Centre:
Maria Augimeri (elected)

Ward 10 - York Centre:
Mike Feldman (elected)

Ward 11 - York South-Weston:
Frances Nunziata (elected)

Ward 12 - York South-Weston:
Frank Di Giorgio (elected)

Ward 13 - Parkdale-High Park:
David Miller (elected); Bill Saundercook.

Ward 14 - Parkdale-High Park:
Chris Korwin-Kuczynski (elected)

Ward 15 - Eglinton-Lawrence:
Howard Moscoe (elected)

Ward 16 - Eglinton-Lawrence:
Anne Johnston (elected)

Ward 17 - Davenport:
Betty Disero (elected).

Ward 18 - Davenport:
Mario Silva (elected).

Ward 19 - Trinity-Spadina:
Joe Pantalone (elected).

Ward 20 - Trinity-Spadina:
Olivia Chow (elected).

Ward 21 - St. Paul's:
Joe Mihevc (elected).

Ward 22 - St. Paul's:
Michael Walker (elected).

Ward 23 - Willowdale:
John Filion (elected)

Ward 24 - Willowdale:
David Shiner (elected).

Ward 25 - Don Valley West:
Joanne Flint (elected).

Ward 26 - Don Valley West:
Jane Pitfield (elected)

Ward 27 - Toronto Centre-Rosedale:
Kyle Rae (acclaimed).

Ward 28 - Toronto Centre-Rosedale:
Pam McConnell (elected).

Ward 29 - Broadview-Greenwood:
Case Ootes (elected); Nick Radia.

Ward 30 - Broadview-Greenwood:
Jack Layton (elected)

Ward 31 - Beaches-East York:
Michael Prue (elected)

Ward 32 - Beaches-East York:
Sandra Bussin (elected)

Ward 33 - Don Valley East:
Paul Sutherland (elected).

Ward 34 - Don Valley East:
Denzil Minnan-Wong (elected)

Ward 35 - Scarborough Southwest:
Gerry Altobello (elected).

Ward 36 - Scarborough Southwest:
Brian Ashton (elected)

Ward 37 - Scarborough Centre:
Lorenzo Berardinetti (elected)

Ward 38 - Scarborough Centre:
Brad Duguid (elected).

Ward 39 - Scarborough-Agincourt:
Sherene Shaw (elected)

Ward 40 - Scarborough-Agincourt:
Norm Kelly (elected)

Ward 41 - Scarborough-Rouge River:
Bas Balkissoon (elected)

Ward 42 - Scarborough-Rouge River:
Raymond Cho (elected).

Ward 43 - Scarborough East:
David Soknacki (acclaimed).

Ward 44 - Scarborough East:
Ron Moeser (elected)

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Election Day Report - Noon Nov.13.2000
By Gary Morton

   Tooker Gomberg and some friends are still sitting in at the old Princess Margaret hospital. Tooker believes that support for the homeless is the job of the mayor. The mayor must act first so he is doing that with the sit-in and invite to 2,000 homeless people to come and spend the night.

   I was with other supporters who have been leafleting the city over the last two days. This morning we formed subway swat teams, lining the subway platforms and walking through the moving cars to hand out flyers. At each stop we jumped out and did it again on the next train. The effort went on for about 3 hours and now I'm briefly at home. I plan to vote and then get out to hand out flyers up until the polls close.

   I doubt there is any grassroots person doing a report for Mel's team. His campaign office wasn't even open this morning when we were down by Carlton. And if Mel has any supporters, they don't own up to it. A few of us from the Tooker flyer team did go to the trouble of comparing the public reaction, and we noted that there wasn't a single person that even mentioned Mel Lastman or support for him.

   My personal highlight was on one subway train where an elderly man jumped up to thank me profusely. Seeing grassroots support and a candidate that really wants to address the issues meant something to him.

   It is unfortunate that grassroots support means nothing to Mel. Too many people want power in this society without practicing respect for the public that is the source of that political power.

* Tooker's Election night party begins at 8 p.m. at the NOW Lounge, 189 Church, just south of Dundas. More info: 416-968-7626
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Mayoral Race - Tooker Denounces Corporate Media at Victory Party
By Gary Morton

   Tooker Gomberg's fun and issues campaign for mayor neared the finish line last night with a cabaret on College St. Addressing the crowd near the end of the performances, Tooker denounced Toronto's corporate media for lack of coverage.

   Nearly all of Tooker's coverage came from smaller media - radio stations like CKLN, one pirate station, community newspapers, alternative politics and entertainment papers, his own web site, and this site http://megacityelection.com.

   An actor wearing a cardboard TV over his head stood on the stage saying Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah to emphasize the poor quality of the media coverage. Pointing the finger, Tooker noted that Mel Lastman did not want to campaign or debate in this election, and the media was complicit in this deal. They were on board with Mel every step of the way as they worked to deaden the election. Instead of informing the public on the issues, the media chose to tell us that we would fail to show up at the polls - due to lack of interest.

   Tooker did everything that could be done during this campaign. At the opening of it I forwarded him a list with contact numbers for every media outlet in Ontario. Angela ran an aggressive campaign of daily events and policy statements. The media was contacted regularly. Yet in spite of that the media refused to allow a mayoral race to happen. They wouldn't provide the coverage. And though Tooker didn't say it, there is only one honest conclusion - Corporate Media has decided to govern and to do it by deciding to kill coverage for all but their favored candidate. They have forgotten their duty to get the mayoral race out to the public through news on the issues and the candidates.

    And this is not just a municipal level deal. Yesterday Canadian Action Party leader Paul Hellyer announced that he has retained lawyer Edward Greenspan in a legal move to gain media coverage for his federal party. Behind this action is the fact that corporate media and the CBC has decided that parties like the Green Party, CAP and the Socialists will not exist in the realm of media coverage.

   Getting back to the municipal level - we head to the polls Monday, yet the public has not really been informed on the issues. Toronto faces an ugly future with Mel Lastman poised to retain office, while holding secret privatization plans, port deals and god knows what else behind his back.

   We deserve better. Hundreds of volunteers will hit the streets handing out flyers for Tooker today and tomorrow. If you care about democracy in this city you might want to get out there and join them.
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Tooker Gomberg Takes Aim at Harris - Nov.11.2000
   At 2 p.m. today, at the main door of Queen's Park, Mayoralty candidate Tooker Gomberg will release the campaign platform plank called: P416, the Province of Toronto. He will then nail a message to the front door.
   "Our campaign has raised issues of importance to Torontonians. None is more important than how the Province of Ontario has been ripping off our city. Mike Harris has no love of this city. They are pulling out billions of dollars more than they are putting back in. Enough!"
   "As Mayor I will work for a new province to be created in Canada, the Province of Toronto. We need to be masters of our own destiny. We need to be able to raise money for transit and housing. Ontario is not interested. Goodbye!"

Also -  At 3:30 p.m. Gomberg will join the picket line at York U in solidarity with striking workers. At 6:30 p.m. Gomberg will do a live interview with independent tv station UHF 15 which reaches the Beaches.

Victory Party, Tonight!
   The Gomberg for Mayor campaign celebrates tonight with a cabaret at Barcode, 549 College St. "Two months ago a few friends were bemoaning how the election was looking like a coronation. We felt that democracy deserved better. Now, on the full moon cusp of Toronto's first election of the new millennium, we will celebrate what we have accomplished. The enthusiasm and passion of citizens can change the world."
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Lastman's Secret Privatization Plans - Nov.10.2000
   Mayor Mel Lastman is holding a secret plan that promotes privatizing city services. He plans to unveil it after the municipal election on Monday.
   Under the Lastman plan privatization would hit administrative functions and hard services. Everything from managing the city's real estate and vehicle fleets to garbage collection, day care, hostels and social housing is on the table.
   The mayor's office has ignored union requests for a copy of the report.
   The 44-page report is called Strengthening the New City of Toronto: An Agenda for Action. It outlines contracting out, outsourcing, public/private partnerships, privatization and employee/management takeovers. These would affect water and sewers, parks and recreation, public health and a host of other services.
   Though Lastman will be selling the plan, he has kept it under wraps during the election, denying the citizens of Toronto of their right to be informed on the issues before they vote.
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Lastman's Port lands Mega-Studio a Shady Deal - Nov.10.2000
   Mayor Lastman's support for a proposal for a massive studio project on the city's port lands has come under fire from the heads of Toronto's biggest film and television studios.
   "One giant new facility won't help Toronto regain its status as Canada's filmmaking capital and it may, in fact, hurt the industry, said Ken Ferguson, president of Toronto Film Studios. "It's like bringing in a Home Depot to a local neighbourhood. And what happens to the smaller ones?'' Ferguson told reporters.
   Ontario Film and Television Studio Owners say they're also upset because, while the Toronto Economic Development Corp. was negotiating behind closed doors with entertainment conglomerate Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. to build a 1 million square foot facility, "members of our organization who were interested in developing studios in the port lands were told that no lands were available for long-term deals.''
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Victor Watson is a progressive candidate running for city councillor against the incumbent Chris Korwin-Kuczynski in Ward 14
 - read his newletter
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At Eye Magazine - Nov.9.2000

   Feathers flew, legs were bared and tempers flared tonight at OISE in downtown Toronto as mayoral candidates played to the crowd. Here is a bit of inside info on each candidate.

1. Mel Lastman - Mel Lastman was the star of this show as the invisible man - his powerful presence emanating from a lone antler resting on a chair. As all attention was riveted to that chair, feathers started to fly and who should enter - none other than Chicken Man to the rescue. Grabbing the lone antler, he leaped to the podium and thrilled us all with a wild flapping of wings.
Platform - Last week Mel announced a million dollar Be Nice platform. Too bad the public didn't get to hear about it tonight.
Rating - Fringe candidate. Wants to avoid the issues and talk about being nice.

2. Tooker Gomberg - Tooker believes debate is fundamental to democracy. He says history is not prediction. The future is up for grabs and the people of this city can vote - they don't have to stay at home.
   It irks Tooker that the media is killing this election by telling people to stay at home, and he says that Lastman is afraid of the voters.
   Tooker has platforms on nearly all of the issues. Tonight he focussed on the 1400 people dying from smog each year. He feels the smog problem should be addressed aggressively and that the mayoral choice is between a candidate who gets around in a black Cadillac (Mel) and one that uses the TTC and a bicycle (Tooker).
Platform - Solid platforms on issues. Best of all the candidates.
Rating - Would make a better mayor than Mel.

3. Enza Andersen - Enza is a supermodel drag queen. She is proud that her name is at the top of the ballot. She says a supermodel is always first and never follows.
   Enza thinks that homelessness and target policing are the important issues. We shouldn't be talking about garbage - unless we are mentioning Tooker Gomberg, who is flooding the city with election flyer garbage. And it isn't being recycled.
   "People think I'm a joke," Enza says. "Politics in this city is a joke, and the mayor is making it a real joke."
Platform - Heels and Legs.
Rating - Italian Stallion and All Star Football Player, flaunting his muscles in a dress.

4. George Dowar - George is the direct democracy candidate. He wants us all to have direct access to computers for voter referendums. One of his key ideas is to automate the subway and put the laid off workers in as bus drivers. He said that tonight's gathering was the secret society of mayoral candidates.
Rating - Sort of serious and sort of Fringe. Does anybody really trust computers and automated subways?

5. Douglas Campbell - Doug ranted on about the Italian/Jewish Mafia that is putting Lastman in year after year. This conspiracy is a big one - we are being poisoned and destroyed by evil forces. At the mention of the word "homeless" Doug's entire body shook, his head rocked from side to side and his eyeballs rolled in total denial. Doug was sitting beside Enza Supermodel Andersen. It is rumoured that they were seen heading towards Bar Italia after the discussion.
Platform - None. Rating - No Balls

6. Victor Fraser - Victor is a sidewalk artist and poetic gadfly. He's pissed because his rent is going up. His motto is - Don't Suck, Vote!
Rating - Can't write, maybe his art is better.

7. John Steele - A communist league candidate, John supports everyone on strike and believes in workers' power for everything. He wants jail terms for the cops involved in the Otto Vass beating death. John gets talking about a lot of national and international issues - like he's running for Prime Minister or President. Later he had to fend off charges of anti-Semitism.
Platform - He's does a have a social justice platform.
Rating - Pretty good for a fringe candidate, but trying to run for mayor as the communist candidate is like trying to swim across Lake Ontario wearing lead shoes.

8. Abel Van Wyk - Abel is an old guy with a contraption to give Toronto ten milllion dollars a day plus save 300 lives a year. This is really a scheme to create a causeway highway across Toronto.
Platform - Single Issue Miracle Plan Candidate
Rating - Mad Scientist

9. Ben Kerr - Ben is an aging country singer singing his way to city hall. He wants to make us all sexier with his cayenne pepper cocktails.
Rating - Depends on how you feel about country music and sex.

10. Sonic Dave duMaulin - Dave says he's being criminalized by TTC cops and 14 Division cops that beat him. He's concerned about toxic waste and claims to have a test that shows 500 chemicals and radioactive stuff in our tap water. Dave has bought into a huge conspiracy theory and thinks police helicopters are following him and spraying him with poison vapours.
Rating - Paranoid Schizophrenic.

11. Hazel Jackson - She's fed up with corruption. Supports the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee and wants tenants to get a break on rent. Hazel wants to lower the voting age to 16 because 16-year-olds have a lot more on the ball than our city councillors.
Rating - Serious enough to be outside the fringe and part of the mainstream.

12. Duri Nazami - Doesn't like politicians who opposed the megacity then ran for it. So now he's running for it. He wants to subsidize health clubs because health should come before being in a hospital.
Rating - Comes across as a fairly serious candidate and raise good issues for discussion.
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Gomberg Considers  Assault Charges - Nov.5.2000
   Yesterday, at the Sheriden Mall, Mayoral Candidate Tooker Gomberg held a rubber chicken up to Mel Lastman to illustrate his lack of courage by refusing to attend the Mayoral debate scheduled for Monday night, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Oise (252 Bloor W.) Security guards violently grabbed Mr. Gomberg, wrestled him out of the way, and bruised him in the process.
   "There is no excuse for such behaviour," Gomberg says. "If they wanted me to leave, they could have asked me to leave. Such violent behaviour is no way to treat citizens, and it certainly is not 'being nice' as Mr. Lastman wants all Torontonians to be. Who could be afraid of a rubber chicken? Only Mr. Lastman, and his guards."
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Nice Story by PJ the Cat
   Mayor Mel Lastman appeared to be mellowing this week when he announced his Be Nice Election Platform … problem is that some people think it is more like senility than mellowing? Mel says we should be nice to each other and in the end nice to him at the ballot box. Call it the new Politics of Nice - a transformation from the old dull issues to friendly neighbourhood chats that are devoid of tension and controversy.
   Whatever it is we should get in the mood for it with this Nice Story from PJ the Cat.

Nice Story
   You always did want to be nice to Mel's plastic mooses, and in the back of your mind you knew that if you weren't nice, the surveillance cameras protecting the mooses would get you on film.
   A tiny voice said Be Nice as you walked up, jumped on the back of that plastic hoofer and ripped those antlers off. And you were nice as pie to the people you pushed aside as you fled across the square with your prize.
   You even stopped to be nice to that mangy dog you stomped over and you were nice to his owner, who doesn't poop and scoop. Ah the nice smile you had as you scraped that crap off your shoe.
   A nice yell was your greeting as a red light runner knocked you from the curb, and you did grin and wave nicely as he sped away in the smog.
   As you staggered back to the sidewalk you stared nicely at your girlfriend, who happened to be passing on a date with another guy.
   Crossing to the park, you were more than nice to the mugger who demanded you hand over your prize antlers. You even said Nice, Nice, Nice and as you used them to beat the crap out of him.
   A minute later you were shouting Nice words to the cops chasing you and you kept a last nice word at ready, waiting each moment to use it as target police beat you nearly to death.
   At the hospital you were groggy but nice to the paramedics that left your broken body stuck in an out-of-the-way h
   And you were nice to the syringe bearing goons in the institution where you awoke.
   Now that you are out you are nice to homeless people, because you will probably be homeless soon.  And as you walk away into the teaming hordes of not so nice people, you look up at the smog-beautified sky and talk about how nice everyone would be if they were on the same medication that you and Mel Lastman are on.
   But in the end it passes and you feel the nice way you used to feel. You see that moose. Your eyes gleam with nice lights and you make a crazy run at it again.
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Tooker Gomberg for Mayor Arts Platform - A Vision for the Arts
   A thriving arts scene is fundamental to a high quality of urban life and is one of its most important community builders. As well, the arts have a significant positive impact on the economy: a vibrant arts community helps the economy grow.
-  read the full platform statement.
* Policing and Transportation platforms listed just below the arts statement.
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TORONTO MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES SPLIT ON MAJOR ISSUES - Results of a questionnaire by Citizens For Local Democracy (C4LD).
   The Citizens for Local Democracy group has asked election candidates fourteen questions on the issues. A significant split was revealed in the views of candidates in some hotly contested Toronto wards for the November municipal election.
- read the entire results and questionaire here. Exact url http://www.eol.ca/~command/c4ld2000.htm
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At Eye Magazine - Nov.2000

WARD 3 -  Etobicoke Centre -  GTTA hosted an all-candidates meeting last night in Central Etobicoke.  Doug Holyday angered the crowd of 100 tenants by putting down rent controls and the Rent Freeze. At least he was honest. Nicholas Florio spoke only of alternative energy sources. He didn't seem to be aware he was at a tenant meeting.

WARD 4 -  Etobicoke Centre -  John Sumka was at our meeting. He seemed to be stuck in a time warp, since most of his speech was about what he was doing in the 1950's. He was short on  policy and long on personal anecdote. The contest is between the other two. Gloria Luby claimed to have voted for the Tenant Defence Fund, though this is  untrue. Mario Giansante said his 'eyes had been opened' to tenant issues in recent months. All three said they would call Chris Stockwell to urge him to change  the tenant laws. They are both courting the tenant vote through organizing and politicking. Who knows whether it will last after the election. GTTA at  this time can not make a recommendation in favour of either. And Sumka does not provide a real alternative.

WARD 21- St. Paul's -  Rob Davis has been courting the tenant vote for half a year now though organizing and special motions at City Hall against rent increases. I have heard numerous statements that this is disingenuous - that his interest is short-lived. The voting record strongly favours Joe Mihevc, who is about equal in the organizing department.

WARD 22 - St. Paul's - Voters may be misled here as there are two 'Walkers' on the ballot. Jim
Walker is backed by landlords and Tories - this we know as fact. Tenant voters should turn out in droves to support MICHEAL Walker.

WARD 23 - Willowdale - John Filion hurt tenants in Ontario greatly by ramming through the Greatwise deal, which set a bad precedent for demolition of rental housing. He is very weak on organizing and response to  constituent concerns. Ron Summers, his opponent, is a tenant and is friendly to tenant issues.

WARD 26 - Don Valley West - Jane Pitfield has been one of the strongest tenant supporters on Council this year. She has the strong support of Thorncliffe tenants. Don't know anything  about the other two.

In WARD 28 - Toronto Centre-Rosedale - Pam McConnell is pro-tenant. So is Wendy Forrest, and so is Mike Armstrong, also running.

WARD 34 - Don Valley East - Kim Scott is a classic middle-of-the-road Liberal - not strong on tenants, but she can learn. Obviously, Denzil Minnan-Wong is anti-tenant, though he has done a lot of organizing to win their votes.

WARD 40 Scarborough Agincourt - Mike Tzekas is the most pro-tenant candidate in Scarborough. He sits on the Tenant Defence committee. He votes for tenants in Council. He organizes.
Norm Kelly is public enemy number one for tenants in Scarborough. He is in bed with landlords and developers. He always votes against tenants in Council.
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Weird Campaign Literature - Oct.24.200
   Howard Moscoe is using the TTC slogan "the Better Way" as a campaign slogan, and electoral opponent Jason Daniel Baker has sent out a huge photo of himself posing with Moscoe's literature outside a Toronto Subway station to show the similarity of Moscoe's campaign logo to the TTC logo.
- Jason Daniel Baker Phone:(416)787-1830

   Over in St Paul's Rob Davis has a rather shocking Flyer. The front of the red flyer has huge lettering saying THERE IS ONE THING CRIMINALS FEAR, and on the inside it says Councillor Rob Davis. Unfortunately for Davis, a quick poll of neighbourhood muggers and thugs revealed that none of them had heard of him.
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Interesting poll results at The Globe and Mail - Oct.24
Facing the issues
Which issues do you feel should receive the greatest attention from Mayor and City Council following the upcoming municipal election?
* (Condensed list)
Garbage collection (not Kirkland Lake)    29%
Homelessness             24%
Education/schools        13%
Crime/violence/gangs     12%
Development/building issues               11%
Kirkland Lake garbage issue               10%
Olympics/summer Olympics bid (for 2008)   10%
Healthcare/hospitals/medicare             10%
Transportation            9%
Pollution/environment     8%
Taxes    8%
Economy general           6%
Housing  5%
Rating Toronto's mayor
   The garbage issue Has your opinion of Mayor Mel Lastman improved or worsened as a result of his management of the Kirkland Lake garbage issue?
Improved      25%
Worsened      44%
Don't know    31%

Would you be more likely, less likely, or neither more nor less likely to vote for a candidate who voted in favour of shipping Toronto's garbage to Kirkland Lake?
More likely    22%
Less likely    43%
Neither more nor less likely    33%
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Tent City Established at City Hall - News Release from Mayoral Candidate Tooker Gomberg Oct. 22, 2000

* A Home for All - The Gomberg for Mayor platform plank on Housing and the Homeless is now on the web at
www.gombergformayor.org/platforms/home.htm

   At 12:01 a.m. Sun. Oct. 22, a dozen Torontonians established a Tent City in Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall, to protest the lack of action on the homelessness crisis.
   "We're here in solidarity with the 60,000 homeless Torontonians. The temperature could reach freezing tonight. Do more people that sleep on the streets and in ravines have to die before the city takes this crisis seriously?" asks Gomberg.
   "There's so much the city should be doing, like creating new emergency hostel beds, building social housing, and forcing the arm of Mike Harris to restore a rent freeze and repeal the Tenant Protection Act.
   "But more specifically we're calling upon the city to open an armoury to the homeless of our city. Since the city has already declared homelessness an emergency, then the opening of the armoury is the minimum acceptable to counter the crisis.
   The Tent City group has put out a call for others to join them for an hour or a night. "Bring warm food, extra hats and long johns, cause it's mighty cold out here after sundown."
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Candidates and the Environment - The Toronto Environmental Alliance has the facts on environmental issues in the Megacity and records on how candidates voted.
See - Toward a Greener and Healthier Toronto
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At the National Post (Oct.21)- Who debates Mel? Nooooobody! by  Don Wanagas
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Lastman New Boy in the Bubble - Oct.20.2000
   Toronto police have assigned two undercover officers to protect Mayor Mel Lastman from citizens who want to ask him questions.  Two plainclothes officers followed Lastman during his campaign walk through Little Portugal on Dundas St. W. yesterday afternoon.
   On Wednesday, Mayoral Candidate Tooker Gomberg interrupted Lastman's visit to the Columbus Centre and asked for a one-on-one debate.  In an instant uniformed police pounced on Gomberg, though he made no aggressive moves and was several metres away from the mayor.
   Lastman has now joined Mike Harris as a new Boy Campaigning in a Bubble, using police to hide from the public.
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Adams Mine Deal Collapses - October 20, 2000
From the NDP
   The Adams Mine deal is all but dead and the NDP congratulated opponents for a victorious fight today.  But Leader Howard Hampton and the NDP say it's still important for people to be on guard.  Similar proposals could resurface and the NDP wants to be ready for any future fight.  The deal broke down after Rail Cycle North (RCN), the proposed dump operator, rejected one of the conditions set by Toronto Council.  "It was apparent that RCN was continuing to pursue the inclusion of provisions to deal with unavoidable costs, as a matter of uncontrollable circumstances, and involving some flow through of those costs to the City," said a letter from Toronto Works Commissioner Barry Gutteridge.  "Given Council's explicit direction on the matter and RCN's position that the matter of unavoidable
costs remains an issue to be incorporated in any final contract, it is staff's position that the condition has not been met and that we cannot proceed further to finalize a contract."
   It's still important to record your opposition to Adams Mine and similar mega-landfill proposals, say Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson and Environment Critic Marilyn Churley.  The NDP has a leaflet going out across the North and Hampton urges opponents to fill them out and return them to him.  I want to be well prepared for battle in the event that an Adams Mine deal resurfaces, he said.
   Yesterday Hampton visited and toured the Subbor company in Guelph, Ontario, a facility that sorts and recycles 100,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste annually.  "The Subbor operation proves that we no longer need to build mega-landfills," said Hampton. "Even the US Environmental Protection Agency is coming to Canada to study the Guelph model. Adams Mine is the wrong way to go."
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New Police Union Ad a Violation of Privacy, critics say - Oct.20.2000
   The Toronto police union has posted an ad listing many candidates' home numbers. The idea is that citizens phone candidates on policing issues. Yet the tactic seems silly since police opponents could also grab the list and use it,
   Several people on the phone list say it endangers families.  Mayor Mel Lastman said the union went too far by including home numbers.
   ''Their wives aren't elected. The candidates are out a lot of the time and why should wives be answering the phone with things like this?''
   Deputy Mayor Case Ootes called the police union tactic, ''an invasion of privacy.''
   Police Union guy Bromell says politicians are trying to hide from their constituents. And Bromell is right.
   The police shouldn't be involved in the election, but the ad does make a point. I have e-mailed councillors and faxed them throughout the entire term on issues. Most of them never reply and based on the few responses none of them are worth voting for.
   Other candidates also aren't interested in the public. The only candidate responding regularly to email is Tooker Gomberg. And just today I got a message from Mayoral Candidate Enza Anderson, asking me not to contact him with issue based posts.
   Even so-called progressive candidates like Jack Layton and Olivia Chow rarely ever reply to the public and never reply to me.
   So maybe we should start invading their privacy to wake them up.
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Union Lacks Backbone in Endorsements - Oct.20.2000
   CUPE, the city's largest public service union has endorsed a slate of anti-Adam's Mine candidates for council, but in backing off in supporting a mayoral candidate the union has demonstrated its lack of backbone.
   Mayoral Candidate Tooker Gomberg is clearly the best labour choice for mayor, yet our weak unions no longer have the courage to back an activist candidate. They are living in fear of Mel Lastman and the elite lobbyists running this city.
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Lastman Campaign Team Fed Dogfood - Oct.18.2000
…read this breaking story from PJ the Cat
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At Now Toronto - Oct.20.2000

If elected Mayor on Nov. 13 I commit to pushing for a food garden in every park -- Victory Gardens -- so we can celebrate our collective victory over hunger. It is time for a Food and Hunger Action Plan for our city.
" Nooo-body should be hungry in Toronto" Gomberg concludes.

Check out their info at www.web.net/hto, or call Roberto at 416-535-2094.
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