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The first official Democratic candidate mayoral debate took place last night with all four candidates, including Congressman Anthony Weiner who had been passed a kidney stone earlier in the day. After that, we can only imagine the debate was a walk in the park! The NY Times has a transcript of the debate, but there's nothing like seeing City Council Speaker Gifford Miller get all pissy when asked if he would send his kids to public school (they attend private pre-K now). Former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer tried to redirect criticism from himself to the Mayor, Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields was the only candidate to eagerly say she wanted the Reverend Al Sharpton's endorsement, and Weiner came away with the best one-liners. All in the all, the debate was kind of boring, like the candidates themselves; the Observer's Ben Smith and Lizzy Ratner explain the problems with all the candiates, including Mayor B, in an article today called the "Aristo-Democrats," with the most frightening cartoon EVER.
More on the city politick: New York magazine reports that Ferrer's campaign may already planning a victory party (in the immortal words pre-September 11 of a friend who worked on Mark Green's campaign, "Barring a catastrophe, we're definitely going to win."); Fields' campaign did not miss a step in making another mistake - a campaign aide accidentally emailed NYC's political reporters an internal note about how Fields would address hate crimes; and GOP hopeful Thomas Ognibene is suing to get on the primary ballot with less signatures, arguing that as a Republican in a blue-city, it's hard to get that many registered Republicans to sign.
Photograph via NY Post pool photo
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Their biggest complaint about Bloomberg is that he's boring? Management may be a boring business to most, but I think he has proven just how critical good management is to NYC and the benefits we can all gain from it.
Obviously "MT" didn't even bother to watch the debate. The dems mentioned:
1. Bloomberg oversaw a 15% reduction (that's right, reduction) of the NYPD force since 9/11.
2. The dems pointed out that the FDNY has the proper hazardous material suits, training and equipment to deal with a terror attack, however Bloomberg gave first response to the NYPD which has very little training in that respect (which has caused public in-fighting between the FDNY and NYPD).
3. The dems pointed out that Bloomberg has done VERY little to counter the extrememly high rents for the middle class (not the super-poor, but everyday middle class).
4. They mentioned that Bloomberg has failed to counter Albany whenever Pataki and Co failed to give NYC is fair share.
5. They mentioned that Bloomberg has supported and raised money for the very Republicans who shortchange NYC for security funding.
Try watching a debate before you comment on it.
blike
MT wasn't commenting on the debates, but the 'Aristo-Democrats' article by the Observer
oh god, that cartoon really is disturbing.
I sincerely apologize to "MT"; I misread your comment. (Thanks, "b")
blike: you're a dick
"hr," explain why I'm a 'dick'--is it because I've been consistently pointing out hard facts about why Bloomberg is not a good mayor? If that's why, then so be it--I'm a dick. Or am I a dick simply because you like Bloomberg and blatantly choose to ignore the hard facts which can be easily looked up in nearly any New York news source?
during the primaries, you're supposed to distinguish yourself among the others as why you'd be the best candidate representing your party. That did not happen last night. If the best qualities these candidates have is critcizing the mayor, than we might as well have blike run on behalf of the democratic party
Some interesting notes
--Gifford Miller was all warm-n-fuzzy about making NYC public schools much better. But then he would NOT send his own kids to these very same schools (because they aren't good enough for him). Crazy! Ferrer's kid DID go to public school all the way through graduation. Weiner and Fields said they also would send their kids to public school if they had kids.
--Miller and Weiner were AGAINST mandatory low- and middle-cost housing when developers receive tax subsidies (ie: big companies leech money off taxpayers and don't give back to those very taxpayers). Ferrer and Fields were FOR mandatory affordable housing if developers receive tax breaks.
--One of the questioners mentioned that Miller RECEIVES HUGE CONTRIBUTIONS from real estate interests.
--The last question "Are we here in New York City, New Yorkers, are we better off today compared to four years ago?"
FERRER: In most ways, no
MILLER: Yes
WEINER: Yes
FIELDS: No
i like how weiner lives up to his name in terms of his manner.
i've never figured out, however, how a mayor is supposed to affect the housing market in a direct, 1:1 fashion.
Here's how government affects the housing market in a direct 1:1 fashion:
Why Is Manhattan So Expensive?
Frightening was putting it lightly. Holy cow, warn a person before you subject them to Ferrer's cartoon ass.
lp, interesting article on the relationship between zoning and regulation and housing prices. Interesting and completely flawed. It doesn't compare "building up" prices in Manhattan to other cities with a similar average building size, building age, and population density. The idea that the cost of adding apartments to existing buildings in Manhattan could be the same as adding them in Chicago, if not for government regulation, is absurd. The idea that this would even be possible without government regulation is pretty funny too if you've ever worked in construction management. It's supply and demand.