Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Democratic opponent William Thompson Jr. clashed in their first debate tonight, a fast-moving contest characterized more by each man’s criticisms of the other than by any forward looking policy prescriptions.
Most objective observers (i.e. not the spin doctors made available by both sides in the Museo del Barrio after the debate) would be hard pressed to detect any huge gaffes, or any “knockout punches,” from either side.
Thompson challenged Bloomberg on his the extension of term limits and castigated him for policies that, Thompson said, have squeezed working and middle-income New Yorkers out of the city. Bloomberg took aim at Thompson’s record as former president of the now defunct Board of Education and for accepting money from money managers who do business with the comptroller’s office.
Bloomberg stressed his record, particularly on education, and his confidence in the future, while Thompson said repeatedly he would work for the more moderate income New Yorkers who feel threatened by luxury developments and rising costs.
Immediately seizing on term limits in his opening statement, Thompson asked, Can the richest man in New York play by his own set of rules?” Bloomberg, according to Thompson, “has spent an obscene amount of money to distort my record and rewrite history.”
For his part, Bloomberg used his first question to go after Thompson’s record on education. “When he ran the Board of Education, schools were much more violent. …. There were always groups that tested poorly and no one did anything about it,” Bloomberg said.
Thompson responded that unlike, Bloomberg who exercises almost total control over schools, “I didn’t run the school system.” If he did, Thompson said, “I would do a better job. Simple as that.”
Bloomberg also assailed Thompson has comptroller, saying the city pension funds had not performed as well as they should partly because Thompson was influenced by money managers who gave him political donations. Under Thompson, Bloomberg said, “If you want to do business with the city, you have to pay-to-play.”
Thompson said that contributions did not influence his actions and that the mayor and his appointees to pension boards approved the pension decisions. “Your people voted for every investment,” Thompson said. “Why? Because they were good investments.”
On other issues, Bloomberg defended his massive rezoning of the city while Thompson said he would re-examine some of the rezonings, such as the Hudson Yards area on Manhattan’s West Side, with a view toward including more affordable housing.
On stop and frisks, Bloomberg said the police have “struck the right balance,” and cited the decrease in crime and improved police community relations during his tenure. Thompson said there is a need for stop and frisks but added, “I don’t think anyone would say it’s not being overused.”
Thompson ended by saying the “People of New York City are not for sale” and urging them to have their own vote on term limits on Nov. 3 and defeat Bloomberg.
Turning a Thompson slogan around, Bloomberg said, “Eight is not enough for the great things that have happened.”
But maybe 12 is. In response to a question, Bloomberg said that if he were re-elected, he would not seek a fourth term in 2013.
By Gail Robinson on October 13, 2009, 10:08 pm
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