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Bloomberg Vs. Ferrer On Channel 7

Sunday, October 30, 2005

(New York - WABC, October 30, 2005) -- WABC-TV sponsored Sunday's debate between the candidates running for New York City mayor. We hope the program will help voters make an informed decision in the election, set for November 8th one week from Tuesday.

The two men clashed on a variety of topics, from whether Ferrer did enough in the Bronx, to whether Bloomberg is too Republican and whether he is spending too much money.

With Mayor Michael Bloomberg up by 30 points and outspending his challenger nine to one, everyone expected Fernando Ferrer to go on the attack, and he did.

Fernando Ferrer: "And here's another thing you won't see in a Mike Bloomberg ad. You wont' see 50 percent of our kids entering high school and dropping out."

Ferrer ridiculed the mayor's appointees to the MTA: "I wouldn't have called the mayor's four appointees wimps. I would have called them potted plants."

And the Democratic contender ripped Bloomberg on his ties to the Republican Party.

Ferrer: "I'm a democrat and I'm proud of the work I've done with Bill Clinton and the support I got from him. Are you proud of George Bush?"

Bloomberg: "When I've disagreed with the president I've been very vocal. When I've agreed with the president I've been vocal too."

It's been a tale of two cities, with Ferrer criticizing and Bloomberg saying New York's on the right track.

Bloomberg: "What's happening in this city is that because crime is coming down, the schools are getting better the quality of life is better, more and more people want to live here."

Surprisingly the mayor, a number of times, hit back and hard.

Bloomberg: "Freddy's proposed $12 billion in extra spending and $6 billion in tax increases already, and he's not even elected."

The two clashed on schools with the mayor saying Ferrer supported the old system, the old board of Education.

The mayor can brag of rising test scores but Ferrer accused Bloomberg of doing too much for younger grades and not enough for high schoolers.

Ferrer: "Look,a I'm not running to be the mayor for the 4th grade. I'm running to the be the mayor of all the grades."

And Ferrer promised to re-open four closed fire houses. Something the mayor calls unrealistic.

Bloomberg: "We don't have the money to put a cop on every corner, a firehouse in every neighborhood. We have to make choices."

Also, Ferrer thanked Bloomberg for adopting much of his housing plan.

Both men today did well, but it was most important for Ferrer. He was able to go toe-to-toe for an hour with mayor Bloomberg.

But the question is: "Is this going to be enough to change dynamics of the election?"

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