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Photograph of Mayor Bloomberg and Comptroller Thompson during the final debate by James Estrin/AP pool photo
Last night, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Comptroller William Thompson squared off for their second and final mayoral debate. And it was a feisty affair, with just a week till the election: The Post called it a "Yankees basebrawl", the Daily News noted how they "pulled out all the stops", and the NY Times noted how Bloomberg "pound[ed]" Thompson.
Some highlighted soundbites:
- Bloomberg on Thompson's time at the Board of Education: "He didn't get the job done. He failed our students. He failed teachers. He failed the taxpayers. He failed our future."
- Thompson's response: "This constant distortion of my record at the Board of Education and spending an excessive amount of money to continue to lie to the people of New York needs to stop."
- Bloomberg on Thompson's fiscal plans: "My opponent has proposed something like $5 billion in expenses that would have to be paid for with job-killing taxes. He said so many things I can't keep straight who he's going to tax, but he's going to tax somebody." (Thompson denied this.)
- Thompson on Bloomberg's property taxes: "You squeezed middle-class New Yorkers out of New York. You continue to kill the middle class and working New Yorkers in this city."
- Bloomberg on Thompson's $500,000 in donations from businesses that work with the city: "Give the money back. It just looks terrible, even if it’s not."
- Thompson on term limits: "Mike Bloomberg has overturned term limits for his own self-interest. He betrayed (New Yorkers') trust and he ignored their wishes."
- Thompson on the Yankee Stadium deal, which was subsidized by tax-payer bonds: "This is just another example of the mayor's giveaway to another one of his developer friends in the city. We're seeing these tax breaks, this giveaway, to the Yankees to build a stadium that people in the surrounding neighborhood and all across the city of New York can't afford to buy tickets to go see."
- Bloomberg on small business: "I started a small business. I know what it's like to be an entrepreneur, I know what it's like to create jobs. To come here it's not easy. You worry every night you go home, you worry whether you can make ends meet the next day."
- Thompson on Bloomberg's relatability: "Everybody realizes that the mayor is out of touch with the people that he represents."
- Thompson giving a grade on Bloomberg's tenure: "I think I'll be kind and give the mayor a D-minus."
- Bloomberg giving Thompson a grade: "I think Bill has been a reasonably good comptroller...He’s certainly the best comptroller that I’ve ever had to work with." (Thompson is the only controller Bloomberg has worked with.
Pundits believed that Thompson needed to truly knock out Bloomberg to make a dent— and Bloomberg didn't give him much opportunity. The Times even compared Bloomberg's "ferocity" to that of a bulldog, "While many expected Mr. Bloomberg, who leads by double digits in the polls, to play it safe and offer only vague answers, he showed an aggressiveness he seldom displays in public." Thompson did bring up how Bloomberg's accountant donated $26,000 to Newark Mayor Cory Booker—right after Booker endorsed him—but Bloomberg's and Booker's spokespeople said that the two have admired and worked with each other for a while.
The Marist Poll's Lee Mirinigoff told WABC 7 that Thompson needed a different message, "It can't just be the money, Bloomberg's spending or the term limits. People know that. You've got to tell voters something they don't know about you and that has to be what you're doing to do as mayor."
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Thompson's a big city democrat, of course he'll keep taxing people. That's what they do. It's part of their DNA. At least Bloomberg is smart enough to know that high taxes are driving away the most productive people.
Then why did Bloomie raise property taxes by 18-20% in 2003 ?
That's probably why he was a democrat at one point. He's not the ruthless tax-cutter I would like to see but relative to most politicians in this city he's fiscally a lot more responsible.
Yankee stadium??? Every day there are reports of Bloomberg's unsound fiscal policies. Just google or read the link I posted that has them all listed. It was reported today that developers with mob ties paid $5 million for east Bronx land then sold to city for $464 million. Under Bloomberg, public land has been privatized and sold to real estate developers at MASSIVE discounts. The city has bail out these developers by buying properties from them at MASSIVE Markups. This is how all our money has been funnel to RICH developers.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/columnists/gonzalez/index.html
Do you read? The article you linked provides no support for your claim that Bloomberg has privatized land by selling it to developers and bailing them out. The article references developers who bought land FROM THE STATE starting in 2001. Has Bloomberg been secretly running the state government since then? The city is now buying this land from the developers at HALF of its asking price to avoid a prolonged legal battle which would cost the CITY more money. CITY. STATE. See the distinction?
Actually, Bloombag HAS been partly running the state, or did you NOT KNOW that Bloombag's TOP GOONS, Bill Cunningham and Marc Shaw were PUSHED into Paterson's administration?
Sheesh. Will people EVER learn that politicians and media almost always LIE?
SO WHY did the REPUBLICANS endorse Tax Hike Mike 3 out of 3 times? WHY did the "conservative" NYPost endorse the "lifelong democrat" 3 out of 3 times? WHY was Tax Hike Mike the number one funder of Republicans in albany and across america.
PEOPLE, most of the pro-bloomberg comments on here are CLEARLY posted by PAID BLOOMBAG STAFFERS, duh.
NO ONE thinks Mike didn't raise taxes more than any othermayor in NYC history.
ONLY HIS STAFF keep spreading this nazi-lite propaganda.
Duh.
Because we had a $6 billion deficit.
Under Boomberg, the lack of affordable housing has reached crisis proportion. NYers pay among the highest prices in the nation for electricity, telephone service, water, heating oil and PARKING. Middle class are leaving because the schools are inferior and the deteriorating transit. In a recent NYer magazine, the mayor singled out the MTA as an excellent government agenccy. His handlers quickly reminded him it was an election year. Now he makes headlines criticizing MTA
what the fuck are you blathering about now? thompson keep taxing people? thompson is a glorified accountant. the finance commissioner is selected by the mayor and that turd has had quite long enough to craft his tax policies.
besides that, i'm surprised to hear you would support a chavez-style politician. looking forward to seeing you and sean penn in venezuela for some socialized healthcare!
Chavez gave the people their right to vote for his term extension. It is Bloomberg that is a real dictator and uses all his wealth to buy support. Chavez is beholden to the people. They have riots. Chavez is for the indigenous. Bloomberg isn't beholden to us. He and Quinn passed legislation that requires a PERMIT for any gathering of 50 or more. Bloomberg is for the wealthy.
WRONG. Bloomberg has taxed the city to death. Personally I'd rather a few pennies a paycheck more come out then, DSNY tickets cause your trash can fell over during the night. Waking up to find a ticket on your car for an expired registration, that expired that night. the list goes on and and on. When Wall Street is down you need X amount to run the city. It can come from fees and tickets etc or it can come from taxes.
And this is where Thompson misses the mark.
I bet Thompson would be an ok mayor, but he has run a terrible campaign. I'll vote for the guy, but I still don't think he's got out his real message.
Not only did Thompson not give me a good enough reason to vote for him, he didn't even give me a good enough reason not to vote for Bloomberg.
It also doesn't help Thompson when his own divorce lawyer characterized him as not being the sharpest tool in the shed.
http://gothamist.com/2008/05/01/thompsons_divor.php
Bloomberg record is a reason not to vote for him. Do you live in NYC?
I sure do, and I'd have to get a lobotomy before voting Thompson. Viva Bloomberg! Mayor for Life!
Seconded.
Evil supports Evil. NO surprise.
Yeah, I do. In fact I was born here and lived practically my whole life here and remember the tenures of several mayors. Bloomberg is by far the best I have even seen. Going back to the sorts of idiots we used to elect would be a huge and unforgivable mistake.
And if Bloomberg's fiscal polices are so unsound, how is it New York City is surviving this 'greatest recession' without looking like 1975? Who cares if the man wanted a stadium? The garbage is getting picked up on time and people aren't being randomly stabbed in the street (outside of the freak occasion).
NYers can't survive in this city which is why over 1 million left and more will continue with Bloomberg. NYC has the highest unemployment rate in the Nation and had the highest number of homelessness in history even before the recession.
I sure hope Felix is the next to leave.
Wrong again. Unemployment rates:
http://www.bls.gov/web/laummtrk.htm
Wrong evil one. Did you at least look at what you link? NYC has the highest unemployment rate in the nation.
Unemployment Rates* (seasonally adjusted)
September 2009* August 2009 September 2008
New York State 8.9 8.9 5.8
United States 9.8 9.7 6.2
New York City 10.3 10.2 6.0
NYS, excluding NYC 8.0 8.0 5.6
http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workforceindustrydata/PressReleases/pruistat.htm
September 2009*
New York State 8.9
United States 9.8
New York City 10.3
NYS, excluding NYC 8.0
Please don't procreate, because that kind of stupid should not be inflicted on the next generation.
The statistic you shared shows that NYC has an unemployment rate in excess of the national average. That is correct. National AVERAGE. That means that there are cities in this country that have higher unemployment than NYC, and lower. When the entire country is AVERAGED, you get the statistic you showed. I provided you the list of the cities that make up the statistic. The number next to NYC's name is NOT the highest. Chicago is higher. Las Vegas is higher. There's a nice list that will show you which is higher. Therefore, NYC does not have "the highest unemployment rate in the nation."
You left out a killer no-brainer: both Bush and Obama's "bailouts" went to retain jobs artificially in... NYC!
NYC's unemployment rate would be much much higher than it is if not for Washington DC throwing our money at Wall Street to keep jobs here.
And then our criminal mayor Bloombag pretends HE 'retained' jobs.
NEVER TRUST any paid Bloombag trolls.
Actually, 10 million do. Many of them have jobs and are fiscally responsible. If you're not, that's YOUR fault. So get the fuck out.
You are a paid Bloomberg troll.
No one disputes that the city is filthy. That the roads are pothole-strewn and third world.
That we are a third-world city in many categories (from vermin, bedbugs, roaches, rats, etc, to living in cramped, decaying apartments, to record crime---8 cops THIS YEAR ALONE have been arrested just for RAPING people!!!----and even the NYPost did a cover story last year about RECORD ARRESTS of the NYPD for serious crimes!)
I can go on and on with concrete facts that NYC has never been in worse shape.
Even Bloombag admits NYC has the largest debt today of any city in all human history!
Even Bloombag admits he's so unpopular he can't beat Thompson in a fair fight.
Even Bloombag admits he's had to BRIBE everyone to support him.
WORST MAYOR EVER.
BloombergSCANDALS.blogspot.com
Thompson's obviously the poor sap a party nominates in a race they have no chance of winning (see: John Kerry, Bob Dole). Anyone half-qualified stayed away from the mayoral race this time around.
unfortunately for the electorate of NYC you are correct.
Michael Bloomberg v the people of New York City
http://fwix.com/share/2_cd0dc0b2e7
Bloomberg doesn't take a salary from us because he doesn't work of the people of NYC but he works for himself. the real poor saps are the people who are voting against their own self preservation by voting for this out of touch billionaire.
I like to think my right to vote is similar to my freedom of religion in that I can also choose freedom FROM religion. Normally I would just vote for the Democrat to get Bloomberg out of office, but Thompson has given me no reasons to believe he would do a better job . Both of them have a few qualities that would be good for the office, but both also have many overwhelmingly negative points too. So, what choice do I have but to abstain?
What are Thompson's negative points??? Bloomberg's hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of Ads has distorted Thompson's record. I just link a 55 page on Bloomberg's dismal record. There has been NO scandal in Thompson's comptroller office. He has run a smooth ship. In Bloomberg's office, you have Slush fund scandals. paid endorsements. lack of transparencies, lack of response, nepotism etc. Go to the comptroller's website.and view all the audits that Thompson's office has conducted and failure of the city agencies audited. It is obvious is how some are criticizing Thompson without any knowledge of the role of comptroller. Bloomberg stages all his press conferences and has the media in his pockets.
Bloomberg worked some fear mongering into that debate with references to landlords leaving their buildings as they did in the 70s. Oh we don't want to happen again. What is Bloomberg going to do when the buildings are empty because taxes, water bills, and everything else is so god damn high they leave anyway??? Look at the half finished buildings that now decorate the landscape–disgusting. His logic of investing tax payer money into those god awful stadiums was laughable. How has either of those 2 abominations stimulated the economy or improved the surrounding areas? Enough with this asshole–the bike lanes, bans on anything fun, and increases all over the place are evidence enough to vote this guy out.
"No can do this!
No can do that!
What da hell can you do, my friend?
In this place that you call your town"
is bernard goetz running again?
D-? really??
D- was a stretch of kindness, b/c, according to most criteria, Bloombag is the WORST MAYOR OF ALL TIME, from his increasing NYC's overhead by 50% (fr $40 billion in 2001 to $60 billion today, in just 8 years! This ALONE would get him fired from every job in the private sector)---and someone who is good with money would've CUT our overhead by 50%, not increased it---to his getting caught lying about almost everything he's said (STILL believe his 2001 Campaign Promise that he'd never outspend an opponent again)??
EVEN MIKE HIMSELF IN THIS DEBATE ADMITTED HE DESTROYED NYC MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE.
- he said tax hikes would destroy nyc
- he said he raised taxes more than anyone
- he said NYC's economy is destroyed
- ergo, he destroyed NYC's economy
ARE YOU TAX HIKE MIKE FANS calling Mike a LIAR?
I AGREE WITH MIKE: He's a "disgrace" who destroyed NYC.
DON'T believe the paid Bloombag trolls.
by extending term limits and spending so much money on his campaign, bloomberg has pretty much hijacked this election scaring stronger and more worthy candidates away. this is such a disgrace. he has nothing but contempt for public. he uses the apathy of the masses and the flaws of the system for his gain. i thought, as an american i was supposed to benefit by living in a democracy and that my vote meant something. if you vote for bloomberg you are bartering away our democratic integrity.
good points and well said.
he's all that and people just hear he's a businessman, we need a businessman in the office.
he showed it all in the debate.
again, the contempt for the public by saying if you don't like me, don't vote for me. if you like it the way back then, don't vote for me.
yet, the media does nothing to expose this troll.
Thompson really tried to get under his skin, even so much as to use Bloomberg's lines verbatim, he attacked him back by saying "you can't have it both ways".
Thompson made a bunch of ad hominem attacks with very little actual discourse-- & whenever Bloomberg mentioned an issue he skirted it by trying to shift attention to an attack on Bloomberg's campaign, instead of any relevant issue. I'm so bored of that guy.
Everyone criticizes Thompson, claiming that he hasn't "convinced" people why he should be mayor instead of Bloomberg. One reason is that he doesn't really get a chance to make his case -- how can he when Bloomberg is spending $85 million to get reelected? Who has a chance against that kind of money? One of the Bloomberg advisors was interviewed by NYMag last week -- he's a young man who worked at Goldman Sachs and then went to Yale Law School -- totally arrogant and out of touch. His interview defined the Bloomberg campaign.
New York has become this completely boring city under Bloomberg without the quality of life improving -- except, MAYBE, crime, which Bloomberg has nothing to do with (the reasons crime have declined in NYC are complicated and cannot be attributed just to Giuliani, Bloomberg, etc.) But even crime is debatable -- try dealing with ANY police precinct in this city for a crime that isn't a homicide, and they completely blow you off and don't pursue the issue.
Are we so boring and lame and helpless now that we don't care when a billionaire mayor throws his wealth in our face and acts like he can do whatever he wants? I'm amazed at the people defending the mayor. You all are happy being slaves and living these awful mediocre lives in NYC because everything is so expensive now. Enjoy.
Well said, i'm in full agreement.
Bloomberg the campaign bully, needs to go.
I don't think bloomberg even listened to one question, he answered something from left field.
and, he states he doesn't know how much money he made in wealth.
and, he lies like a rug. he kept on saying he rides the subways. yeah he does with that sour puss of a face.
his body language said it all, bitter bitter petty petty heartless little man.
Even the New York Times noticed it in its coverage of the debate today: "Taken together, [Bloomberg's] style hints at an insecurity not visible to the reportorial eye..."
Comment below is fron Jenkins and it deserves repeating...
"Are we so boring and lame and helpless now that we don't care when a billionaire mayor throws his wealth in our face and acts like he can do whatever he wants?"
Awesome.
This confirms it: I'm throwing my vote away. Now I just have to decide between Reverend Billy and the Rent is Too Damn High Party.
HA! bloomberg got a lot of boos at the yankee TS rally.
shortest rally in history, all of 10 minutes.
I challenge anyone who thinks Bloomberg is just swell to sift through the PDF below: Michael Bloomberg vs. The People of NYC: The Spin Vs. The Facts.
Unless you one of the select few in the super-wealthy class that directly benefits from Bloomberg's policy, it will certainly give you pause:
http://bloombergwatch.com/wpcontent/uploads/2009/10/michael_bloomberg_v_the_people_of_new_york_city.pdf
yeah I'm voting for the Rent Is Too Damn High candidate!
I'm selling my vote to the highest bidder. (call me, Michael)