It was a “pander-palooza.”
That’s how Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson described yesterday’s mayoral forum where candidates angled for a coveted teachers union endorsement.
“Not a single candidate willing to stand up to union,” he tweeted. “If you believe the demands of the UFT and the needs of children perfectly align then you will love the candidates running for NYC mayor.”
Candidates at the United Federation of Teachers-sponsored forum at the New York Hilton in Midtown included Democrats Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson, John Liu, Bill de Blasio and Sal Albanese, as well as Independence Party candidate Adolfo Carrion Jr. — many of whom criticized the mayor and hewed to policies favorable to the UFT.
City Council Speaker Quinn revealed that, if elected, the city’s next education boss won’t be plucked from the Bloomberg brain trust.
Public Advocate De Blasio added: “We will work together to start turning around our school system.”