Daily News Hosts 1st of # Mayoral Debates Streamed on Google+

The NY Daily News hosted Thursday night a mayoral forum in Brooklyn, the first of three the Daily News is sponsoring in conjunction with Metro IAF. The Debate which was participated by four of the Democratic candidates and two Republican was also streamed live via Google+ On-Air Hangouts. The upcoming debates will be held in February and March. 

The candidates–City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, former comptroller Bill Thompson, Comptroller John Liu, former MTA chairman Joe Lhota, and Manhattan Media Publisher Tom Allon were posed housing-related questions by audience members.

Analyzing the debate was Daily News Josh Greenman, who noticed that Republican newcomer, Joe Lhota,  didn't find his own voice yet to stand apart from his Democratic challengers

Tom Allon, criticized the health department for “chasing after people who are drinking 32-ounce soft drinks” instead of looking at health problems related to hurricane Sandy.

Bill de Blasio, compared Bloomberg's attitude and lackluster record on housing and the Hurricane Sandy recovery to former President George W. Bush standing on an aircraft carrier after invading Iraq under a banner that read “Mission Accomplished”.

Oh, and they also debated a HOT topic: Mold. 

City Comptroller John C. Liu, earned the loudest laughter of the night with his line: “It’s quite possible that Mayor Bloomberg doesn't know what mold is.”  

Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson said building more affordable housing will take a lot of will. "Do we have the will to make sure we keep people here, that there is income diversity?" he asked.

Christine Quinn, directed some light criticism toward her political ally, Mayor Bloomberg. Quinn took aim at Bloomberg's latest housing initiative. "We just did a whole competition of how to make itty-bitty little apartments on the East Side of Manhattan," Quinn said. "Why don't we go out and ask the development community, 'With this amount of money, with this type of stuff, what can you do for us to build senior housing?'"