Fischer And Heiner To Debate Wednesday

Mayoral candidates Greg Fischer and Hal Heiner will face each other in a debate this week.On Wednesday, the two candidates will address a meeting of the Louisville Forum. They will take questions from the audience, and each other. Forum President Dot Ridings says most previous debates have been sponsored by single-issue organizations, and she's anticipating a less narrow discussion."We do expect a broad range of issues from schools—even though the mayor, frankly has precious little to do with school policy, we'll get some—it'll be I think more about jobs, economic development, tolls, perhaps the arena. 'What are you going to do about this?' 'What are you going to do about that?'" she says.Fischer, a Democrat, and Heiner, the Republican nominee, were the only candidates invited to the debate. Ridings says it's Forum policy not to invite candidates who poll at under 15% to a general election debate. That excludes independent candidate Jackie Green, who says he is disappointed with the exclusion."If it had been any closer than that, if any other candidate had made more than 15% of voter support in a recent, bona fide poll, we would have invited that person to participate," says Ridings.The debate is at noon and will be taped for broadcast on WFPL at 8 pm