Last night the Democratic mayoral candidates had their first “official” debate. After more than 100 forums and debates hosted by different groups around the city, and televised debates on NY1 and WABC-TV Channel 7, the Democratic mayoral candidates participated in their first “official” debate organized by the New York City Campaign Finance Board under the city’s election laws.
For our initial report, we look at a question asked by moderator Errol Louis: “Should you be free to drink a beer on your own stoop?” In some neighborhoods, residents have been ticketed for doing so. Their anger at being ticketed has been further stoked by pictures of Mayor Bloomberg violating the same prohibition, unticketed, drinking wine at concerts in Central Park. We spoke with Anthony Weiner on this topic, who offered a broader assessment.