Lynn Abraham, Doug Oliver, Keith Goodman, Anthony Williams, Nelson Diaz and Jim Kenney were all on hand for last night’s Mayoral Forum hosted by Next Great City, a coalition founded in 2007 dedicated to improving Philadelphia’s future. The event was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center between Arch and Race Streets in Philadelphia, simultaneously sharing a venue with the Philadelphia Flower Show. It was moderated by WHYY senior reporter Dave Davies.

During the forum, of which State Senator Williams arrived about a half hour late to, candidates were asked a variety of questions. Topics included various forms of taxation, the best ways of providing nutritious foods to students in the city, and how to keep longtime Philadelphia residents in their houses despite a lack of available capital for many families to do so as the city changes.

Diaz argued that the most efficient way to accomplish the lattermost problem was to “provide people who are poor and middle class affordable housing.” He suggested the best way to accomplish this feat would be to stop gentrification through a 80/20 plan “where you can have [richer] 80% of the residents pay for [poorer] 20% of the others.”

Diaz, who claims the plan is used in “many other cities,” believes that this procedure would prevent people from being forced out of the neighborhood. In fact, a common theme for Diaz throughout the night was protecting the poor, arguably more so than the other five candidates. “Poor people deserve to have the same opportunities as everyone else in the city,” Diaz said at one point in the forum, echoing a populist sentiment.

However, likely front runner Anthony Williams didn’t shy away from the advocation for liberal economic policies either. A common theme for Williams throughout the night was his disdain for regressive taxes. When candidates were asked if they supported a fee for all plastic bags used in supermarkets and other stores, all candidates said they supported the idea, save for Goodman and Williams. But it was Williams who drove home the idea that the concept was essentially a regressive tax, unnecessarily punishing those who could least afford it.

Doug Oliver was the candidate in the debate who seemed the most comfortable talking to the audience, and the colloquial ‘candidate you’d most want to sit down and have a beer with.’ Perhaps its his background in communications and public relations.

At 40 years old, Oliver is the youngest candidate in the field (despite his two hip replacements, as the audience learned last night), and like Williams, talked significantly about taxation. However, Oliver was more fixated on the city’s tax abatement program, which he called “a very useful tool for developing our neighborhoods,” but insisted that the city should “reevaluate the tax abatement program…to ensure that the money is being spent in the neighborhoods that need it most.” Housing was a key aspect of Oliver’s comments throughout the night, and in his closing statement, maintained that Philadelphia had to become more of a city where people “live” rather than simply “play” and work in.

Meanwhile, ex-Councilman Jim Kenney had an unorthodox idea for improving the diets of students in the city. Kenney suggested partnering Philadelphia’s school districts with the city’s food truck and mobile catering industry as a way to increase the students’ nutrition. He insisted that the idea would help small businesses in addition to helping students’ diets.

Lynne Abraham also talked significantly about improving student’s nutritional impact, but instead of utilizing food trucks, Abraham suggested the use of gardens. Citing the popularity of locally grown food at farmer’s markets throughout the city, Abraham suggested that the city could benefit schoolchildren by planting gardens near school grounds, like playgrounds, as a way to decrease dependence on frozen food, and increase the use of locally grown foods for schoolchildren to consume while teaching them healthy lifestyles.

Overall, the candidates also touched on a variety of ‘rapid fire’ questions, which generally consisted of lighter subjects. In one of these questions, the candidates were asked about their favorite Philadelphia Mayor of recent memory. Abraham chose Richardson Dilworth, Oliver chose Wilson Goode Sr, Kenney and Williams both picked Rendell, Diaz tied between Dilworth and Rendell. The Rev. Keith Goodman chose John Street, a surprising pick given how many associate the former Mayor with corruption.

The forum was a success for those still looking to be introduced to the candidates, yet also provided more in-depth coverage for many issues that have yet to garner as much media coverage. It even provided an opportunity to get to know the artsier side of the candidates; for instance, who knew Goodman could play the piano, Abraham loved to cook, or that Kenney read poetry?