New York City – Tonight was the first of two hourlong televised debates between Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. Mr. Thompson is running as a Democrat; Mr. Bloomberg as Republican and independent. Dominic Carter of NY1 News hosted the debate.
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The debate started off with an unscripted audience outburst. Before Mayor Bloomberg could even begin his opening statement, a protester began screaming “what are you doing here?” “We voted for term limits!”
Term limits – and Bloomberg’s move earlier this year to ask the City Council to overturn them – was one of the most contentious aspects of the hour-long debate, the first of two ahead of the Nov. 3rd vote. A second debate is set for Oct. 27th.
City Comptroller Bill Thompson, the Democratic candidate, said Bloomberg, who is running as an independent, “betrayed the trust” of voters when he asked the City Council to amend the term limits law.
Read the entire debate blogged by NY Times reporter Sewell Chan And Michael Barbaro
Their records speak for themselves. Thompson didn’t produce real results. Bloomberg did. Not that I’m such a big fan of Bloomberg, but if this is the choice, Bloomberg will get my vote.
you got the money you got the power
Why is Mayor Bloomberg above the law?
The Law clearly stated that the position held a limit of two terms.
Why does he hold us to the law if he won’t do so himself???
4 more years!
We are forgetting the old New York
We where ashamed to be a New Yorker, today it is one of the most successful cities in the world.
What does it mean to you? It means jobs and a lot of opportunities that in today’s world of no manufacturing and any mom and pop stores it is vital to have a pro at the top to continue to keep New York safe and successful. Yes he has his problems but the good is way over the bad
What’s really hart to understand is, how is it possible that bloomberg is doing so good in the polls I personally don’t know of anyone satisfied with him,and which part of the city will vote him in? Is it car owners or real estate owners, or is it smokers,. Its just his money that gives him unlimited power just for robing our hat earned money.. Les go Thompson
Somebody has to ask bloomberg if he’s going to put tolls on the east river bridges which I’m sure he will let his true colors shine
Everyone seems to have forgotten how Bloomberg ran on a platform of ending homelessness. Under his leadership the city’s homeless population has grown to record levels, over 10000 Families are now homeless! He has the NYC housing authority issuing section 8 vouchers, but the process moves so slow that no landlord will hold the apartment vacant for the length of time it takes to process. And he won’t even offer those vouchers to the homeless! Instead he offers then the “Advantage New York program, which allows rents at 40 percent less than what section 8 allows. Basically he’s trying to empty the city’s shelters by telling the people to find housing below market rents! Every housing program in the state has come to grips with the reality of the rental rates, but the Furer, errr Mayor hasn’t raised the rents for the homeless apartments in 2 years.
Thompson come more to the jewish neb’so they will know how good you are!!!
It is shameful that a city like NYC cannot offer a better choice for mayor than the two current candidates. Bloomberg will win but not because he is good, only because he is better than Thompson. In truth they both stink.
term limits are important – they were created for a reason, so if there is a tyrant who is popular the longest he’ll be in office is 8 years. this time were lucky bloomberg isn’t a bad guy, but what he did with term limits is unacceptable. secondly, he also used $100mm of his own money to get himself elected, that’s a red flag, he shouldn’t be allowed to that, he has an unfair advantage, he fills everyone’s heads with his propaganda because he can pay for it.
he’s going to be elected to office again and it’s plain wrong!!
Bloomberg says he is not beholding to the “special interests” He is the special interests. Bloomberg is the fox in the chicken coup. All knowing all wise with his money he has made himself New York’s self imposed KING. I am voting for Thompson. He’s good. This could be David and Goliath all over again.
i’m not pro-bloomberg in general but i feel the need to respond to some points made by #2 .
“Wanted to charge you for coming into manhattan”
notice that on all other bridges coming into manhattan there are ALREADY tolls. why should the east river bridges be exempt? the city’s going to be short billions of dollars in revenue over the next two years and this would help cover the enormous expenditures (especially since you also don’t want to raise taxes or cut fire houses)
“Bike lanes (putting bikers in danger by mixing ’em with cars.)”
this doesn’t even make sense. bike lanes segregate bikers from cars. otherwise they would just bike on any given street with no designated lanes. it’s illegal for bikers to bike on the sidewalks, as those are for pedestrians.
“Before Mayor Bloomberg could even begin his opening statement, a protester began screaming “what are you doing here?” “We voted for term limits!””
That protestor was Rev Billy Talen, the Green Party candidate for Mayor who was excluded from the debate! Please do not block him out, he should have been in that debate!!!