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Comments

• [1] seth October 28, 2009 - 04:54AM

  Thompson performed well, but Bloomberg's ridiculous financial edge makes the debates totally irrelevant. Any system that gives one candidate the opportunity to outspend his opponent into complete oblivion is morally and ethically bankrupt. Bloomberg is buying his re-election victory just like the Yankees are buying a World Series title. We need PUBLIC FINANCING for political campaigns and a salary cap for baseball.

  
  
• [2] anonymous from Queens October 28, 2009 - 07:38AM

  Please discuss your opinion of the Mayor's definition of "Middle Class." Does he think that poor people don't "have apartments"? Is he assuming that wealthy people would never take the subway or send their children to public school?

  
  
• [3] Paulson from Wall Street October 28, 2009 - 09:50AM

  Since 2000 1.1 million NYC residents have left the city and the move-ins that replace them make substantially less income. (Source: Empire Center for New York State Policy). Thus the city seems to be driving out its most contributing members. What will the mayoral candidates do to reduce taxes and city government spending?

  
  
• [4] Joseph from Kensington October 28, 2009 - 10:12AM

  Did the Tischman-Speyer decision get mentioned at all? I can't believe Bloomberg even attempted to say he was trying to keep the city affordable. It hasn't been affordable since 1995, and has skyrocketed every year since.

  
  
• [5] Susan from Kingston October 28, 2009 - 10:13AM

  Bloomberg is clearly out of touch with the middle class in terms of affordability. My old neighborhood looks like Miami Beach with all of its new, mostly vacant highrises. It is clear to me and most of my old neighbors who his policies serve. I think his vision for the city is unsustainable. I also think that he is pious and arrogant.

  
  
• [6] Robert from NYC October 28, 2009 - 10:14AM

  Look, we had enough of Bloomberg. His time is up and he should move on to something else. I don't care what you and your guests analyze here I think Bloomberg's audacity (to put it nicely) to think he should have more time and to dismiss what the voters voted for TWICE, Term Limits. We all loved Koch for 3 terms and his as much as we loved him in the beginning, his last term was a disaster and as my organ professor used to say when criticizing Bach, "If it's nice, do it twice"-- as Bach had at times a tendency to do it too many times--same here, he did it twice, now GET OUT! It was nice twice, bye bye.

  
  
• [7] Robert from NYC October 28, 2009 - 10:18AM

  Did I really write that?! [6] How's that for stream or consciousness... or in my case unconsciousness. Ok I'll shut up now.

  
  
• [8] Voter from Brooklyn October 28, 2009 - 10:20AM

  It’s interesting to me Mayor Bloomberg is being blamed for free-market forces as well as things that are in the domain of New York State. Yes, the mayor could have participate in Stuy-Town/Peter Cooper Village but that was a private exchange of property in a capitalist society. The debate could have been, should the tax subsidy have transferred with the sale. New York City simply could not afford to buy the property to keep it “affordable”.

  The problem is that Thompson is coming off as a buffoon without an actual plan, only class baiting and shrill whining over the defeat of Estee Lauder sponsored term limits.

  
  
• [9] roberta from Jackson Heights October 28, 2009 - 10:20AM

  I'm not crazy about either candidate, but will vote for Thompson, primarily on the term limits issue. However, I think his "charitable D minus" was a little over the top.

  
  
• [10] Robert from NYC October 28, 2009 - 10:23AM

  That's right, I grew up there and that park is gone now. I remember McCombs park. He just bulldozed away all that for that crappy piece of s**t they call Yankee Stadium. No one there is pleased with it and no one there can afford to go to a game!!! For whom was it built? And the Mayor gets a box?

  
  
• [11] Alex October 28, 2009 - 10:25AM

  I'm voting for Rev. Billy.

  
  
• [12] john from office October 28, 2009 - 10:26AM

  Thompson came across as a shrill, old machine candidate. He brought up Bush, Bloombergs money, and Bloombergs charitable work, all for cheap shots.

  
  
• [13] Rich from Staten Island October 28, 2009 - 10:26AM

  The Mayor discusses that the new Yankee Stadium is not a subsidy but for infrastructure. Yes, that would be the New York Yankees infrastructure.

  
  
• [14] Robert from NYC October 28, 2009 - 10:27AM

  This not a debate guy is right. We don't really have debates anymore.

  
  
• [15] Susan from Kingston October 28, 2009 - 10:28AM

  Why are you defending the format? It was no debate!

  
  
• [16] MP from Queens October 28, 2009 - 10:28AM

  Bloomberg is a billionaire who does not and does not care to understand issues of the working families. The politics nowadays is

  reserved for wealthy and it is a huge drawback. We need to search for new leaders and new talents. if I was with Thompson campaign I would have attracted as much talent in public service as possible and work hard to resolve the issues that are affecting majority of New Yorkers: taxes, jobs, opportunities for middle class. It is possible for Thomson to win the votes of those who are not voicing their opinion and are not voting in surveys, if that happens I hope that Thompson opens up to all the good and effective people who can help make New York a better place.

  For now New York is mainly reserved for wealthy or "gray side of our society" thank to Mr Bloomberg

  
  
• [17] Joseph from Kensington October 28, 2009 - 10:29AM

  Re: #8 Bloomberg was at the inauguration ceremony for the deal, is friends with Speyer, remained quiet when the court decision went to the tenants, and rejected a deal that the tenants association were putting together to keep those apartments affordable for the middle class. The facade of a free market wears away pretty quick once the details start to unravel.

  
  
• [18] Josh from Brooklyn October 28, 2009 - 10:29AM

  Unfortunately Bill Thompson has run a horrible campaign. His camp is full of amateurs and he even sends out memos and press releases with spelling errors. He is poor in getting his message out and pointing to his strengths. Bloomberg has become very dictorial. He completely lies about the school statistics. The term limit fiasco is obvious. He panders to developers, especially with stadiums and no-bid contracts and other infrastructure projects. The city has become more expensive and driven people out. None of these things are new. Thompson really botched this. I have seen him speak, and he comes off as an angry, whiney attack dog (with a very repetitive rhetoric). He doesn't come off as a postitive future thinking politician. "it's time to go", as opposed to "it's time for me". I'm going to vote for Bill (ie tactical voting) because I can't stand Mike's kingdom. But it doesn't look like enough people look like me and King Mike is here until 2013.

  
  
• [19] John from NYC October 28, 2009 - 10:31AM

  The gentleman who just brought up the issue of the Burris case (shot himself accidentally) vs the man in the Bronx who used a shotgun to protect himself against armed robbers - apples and oranges.

  
  
• [20] Calls'em As I Sees'em from McLean, VA October 28, 2009 - 10:37AM

  Bloomberg may be a better administrator, but he betrayed the public trust on term limits and he is clearly aligned with big business to the exclusion of the middle class; to wit (Exh. A) - Bloomie wanted to sell the west side rail yards to the Jets for only $50 million when they were worth (pre-Obama depression) $1 billion. He is an uncaring oligarch and needs to be repudiated.

  Any NYC auto owner should also vote against Bloomie as his ticketing blitz has been unbelievable. I know someone in NYC who got a ticket on a day they were in the hospital. No one else had the car. The ticket agents in the neighborhood apparently noted registrations that were about to expire and would write tickets for such on the day after, based on their notes, figuring some would stick and some would get thrown out but they would make their quota. He appealed, but they didn’t revoke the ticket and it was a waste of time and money to take it up to a real court. It's a brave new world.

  Vote early and often - anyone but Bloomie!!!

  
  
• [21] Jodi from Sunnyside October 28, 2009 - 10:51AM

  I’m going to write myself in for mayor on Election Day. I haven't heard Thompson say one thing to convince me to vote for him and while I think Bloomberg has done some good things for the city, I think he’s taking the city in the wrong direction. He’s much more interested in the “mallification” of the city. The middle class is being squeezed out and homeless rates have spiked. I’m also still disgusted with not having a vote on term limitations.

  I always find a write in vote to be a waste of a vote, but I see no harm in it this time. Thompson has no chance. Bloomberg, thanks to his money and no viable contender, will win so I say Jodi for Mayor! Vote for Jo!

  
  
• [22] J M from New York City October 28, 2009 - 11:15AM

  By catering to the financial industry in NYC at the expense of others the mayor's been penny wise and several pounds foolish. For example, we used to have a thriving television and film industry in Manhattan. No more. The last sound stage was turned into condos years ago. And for someone so reputedly interested in art and culture, his own network canceled its art program, The Muse, last winter.

  
  
• [23] Harold from Hoboken October 28, 2009 - 11:59AM

  I was interested in Brian's comment regarding the candidates tactic of not answering the asked question but instead launching into a self serving monologue. Why do moderators or tolerate this tactic? Why not adopt the BBC tactic of aggressively persuing the answer. Is it timidity, misplaced politeness, etc?

  
  
• [24] John from Jersey City October 28, 2009 - 02:01PM

  Far more interesting - to me, at least - than Bloomberg's contributions to Cory Booker (mentioned in the segment) is the fact that Bloomberg also made $26,000 (maximum allowable by law) to Jersey City mayor Jerremiah Healy's campaign this year. It's one thing for Bloomberg to shovel cash into his own campaign, but a far different matter to fuel in such a significant way the corrupt (and indicted) machine that runs Jersey City. In addition to his personal contribution, Bloomberg also held a fundraiser in NY for Healy that raised close to $1 million from NY folks, some of whom are looking for favorable treatment in their business dealings with Jersey City.

  Those of us who live in Jersey City who are desperate for a legitimate representative governing body continue to suffer from the waves of cash from outside interests given to the folks who seek to sell off the city for their own personal gain.

  What is in it for Bloomberg? I can't know for certain buy my guess would be compliance from the NJ contingency within the Port Authority for anything Bloomberg wants on WTC redevelopment.

  
  
• [25] Jessica Flores from Queens, NY November 03, 2009 - 06:15PM

  This was a wonderful show. I loved hearing about that amazing Pace University program dedicated to teaching young students political literacy. We are all lucky because of these amazing people teaching our kids to understand, become involved and perhaps make changes in what goes on in our city.