Adams and Sliwa debate reveals nuances in their platforms
BY MORGAN C. MULLINGS
Voters got to watch mayoral
candidates Eric Adams
(D) and Curtis Sliwa (R) discuss
today’s news and their
political history for the fi rst
time at a Wednesday, Oct. 20
debate. The hosts and moderators
battled a shouty, tense
match between the Democrat
expected to win and the Republican
who refused to back
down.
Adams talking points on
Sliwa were that he is a “liar”
out to spew “buffoonery”
on the debate stage. Sliwa
brought up some of Adams’
previous controversies, all of
which the Brooklyn borough
president stood his ground
on. Questions were given with
rapid-fi re and little time for
rebuttal, but each confi rmed
some well-known opinions on
policing, vaccines and business
to a wider audience.
Here’s what they had to say
about the four most pressing
issues facing New York City
today ahead of the general
election on Nov. 2.
Policing
Adams, a former police offi
cer, touted his experience as
a transit cop as reason enough
to trust him over Sliwa. But
Sliwa stood his ground that
he was protecting citizens on
the train too as the founder
of the citizens patrol group
the Guardian Angels. He expressed
disappointment in
Adams’ lack of commitment
to putting more offi cers on the
streets.
“I’m the only candidate
standing on stage that said I
will hire more police offi cers,”
Sliwa said. He’d like to have
3,000 more cops on the streets.
Adams clarifi ed that he’s
not a cop critic, nor is he a
public safety critic. He said,
“We’re going to ensure that
number one, I will have the
backs of my police offi cers … if
you decide not to understand
the nobility of public protection,
you won’t serve in my department.”
He also said that while
Sliwa was “playing cop” while
he endured the crime wave
of the 80s and discussed his
history fi ghting for victims
of police violence by calling
out aggressive police tactics.
NYC’s #1 Source for Political & Election News
“I protected black and brown
and low-income New Yorkers
as a police offi cer when I was
fi ghting for reform testifying
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O 16 CT. 29-NOV. 4, 2021 BTR
in federal court about the
overuse of stop and frisk,” he
said.
Vaccines
“I will follow the rules that
are in place,” Adams said of
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s vaccine
mandate for all city workers.
The mandate angered police
and fi refi ghters’ unions, but
the Democrat didn’t budge on
the need for mandates, even
if that means servicemen lose
their jobs.
Both candidates are vaccinated,
but Sliwa said that the
city should never fi re those
who don’t want the vaccine.
Recently, Adams said that
if the FDA approved one of
the three available COVID-19
vaccines for young children,
he would mandate that public
school children receive it.
While it has been proven that
the mandates improve compliance,
Sliwa had a negative response
to this idea as well. The
Republican, who has three
sons in school, expressed surprise
at kicking out kids who
don’t get the vaccine.
Education
The city’s Gifted and Talented
program is on the way
out, and Adams has been clear
that he will evaluate the situation
as mayor before getting
rid of it for good. The controversial
test for four-year-olds
will be replaced with de Blasio’s
Brilliant NYC.
During the debate, Adams
clarifi ed his stance on the
test. “I don’t believe a four
year old taking the exam
should determine the rest of
their school experience,” he
said, adding that he wants to
make sure to screen for learning
disabilities as well and
expand different learning options.
Sliwa, however, wants to
expand Gifted and Talented
so that it is available in every
school.
Both candidates agree that
students should have more
time in school in some way,
particularly with a shorter
summer break.
Republican Curtis Sliwa, left, and Democrat Eric Adams locked horns in a
heated mayoral debate on Oct. 20, 2021.
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