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Rudy Giuliani in South Carolina« Thread Started on Oct 13, 2

Daily newsbrief journal for October 2007, also see http://www.usdemocrats.com/brief for a global 100-page perpetual brief and follow twitter @usdemocrats


Rudy Giuliani in South Carolina« Thread Started on Oct 13, 2

Postby admin » Sun Jan 29, 2012 9:38 am

Rudy Giuliani in South Carolina« Thread Started on Oct 13, 2007, 4:12pm » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------October 11, 2007 Rudy Giuliani is in South Carolina today, where he will likely continue to exaggerate his fiscal record as Mayor of New York City to score political points as he did earlier this week at the CNBC Debate. Yesterday, the New York Times took a closer look at Rudy's exaggerations and "misleading statements," debunking his tax-cutting claims. [New York Times, 10/10/07] Contrary to his claims during the debate, during Giuliani's time as mayor the City's debt reached historic highs, city spending grew by 30%, and the payroll was larger - in dollars and people - when he left office than when he started. In fact, independent fact checkers have also debunked Giuliani's tax-cutting claims, finding that many - including the largest - of the tax cuts he claimed credit for either came from the state or were actually ones he strongly opposed. Rudy will also likely exaggerate his record on health care. He may claim that he stands for America's families, but the truth is that Rudy supports President Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), which would provide health care for 10 million children in America, including over 122,000 children in South Carolina."Rudy Giuliani is at it again, exaggerating his record and telling the voters just about anything to score political points," said DNC Communications Director Karen Finney. "How can families in South Carolina trust Rudy Giuliani to stand with them when he won't give them honest answers about his record? Rudy should know that Americans are looking for a leader they can trust, not one who will bring them four more years of the deception and failed policies of the Bush Administration." Exaggerating on Tax Cut Record:Giuliani repeated his exaggerated claim that he cut taxes 23 times as mayor, which has been repeatedly debunked by independent analyses:Giuliani Exaggerates His Record On Taxes, Taking Credit For Nine Tax Cuts Where None Is Due. In an article entitled "Giuliani's Tax Puffery," independent watchdog FactCheck.org found Giuliani's claims on cutting taxes highly misleading. They wrote that "the mayor takes credit for too many tax cuts" and called his claims an "overstatement." Their research showed Giuliani can't claim credit for nine of the 23 cuts he cites. They also found that "he takes personal credit for eight cuts that were initiated not by him but by the state, according to the city's Independent Budget Office, a publicly funded, nonpartisan watchdog agency that puts out highly regarded budget analyses." [FactCheck.org, 7/27/07 (http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008 ... ffery.html]Largest Cut Giuliani Claims Credit For Is One He Actually Opposed. FactCheck.org wrote that for example, with the personal income tax surcharge, "he strongly opposed one of the largest cuts for which he claims credit, reversing himself only after a five-month standoff with the city council." The personal income tax surchage reduction, worth an estimated $821 million in FY01, was a full 26% of the overall tax reductions reported by the Giuliani administration for that year and by far the largest of the 23 on the list of tax cuts he claims credit for. CNBC called it "the granddaddy" of the city's tax cuts, noting his original opposition to it. [FactCheck.org, 7/27/07 (http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008 ... ffery.html); "Tax Reductions - Already Enacted," Budget Summary, City of NY Executive Budget FY 02, p. 50; "Squawk Box," CNBC, 10/5/07]CNBC's Truth Squad: In a segment called "Truth Squad," CNBC's Squawk Box found that "But a closer look at the numbers show he's claiming credit for some tax cuts that weren't his idea to begin with and others that he actively opposed." ["Squawk Box," CNBC, 10/5/07]Daily News: "Not Really True." The New York Daily News wrote that Giuliani's claim is "not really true, say tax-cutting allies of the former mayor, as well as experts at the city's Independent Budget Office and elsewhere." [Daily News (NY), 7/29/07]Exaggerating on Spending Record:Rhetoric: Giuliani claimed NYC spending "went down 7%."Reality: Spending Under Giuliani Went Up 30%. In New York City, spending went up 30% under Giuliani as mayor, or by $9.5 billion. Even stopping the tally at the end of FY01, before costs related to 9/11, finds a 28% increase, or $8.9 billion more in annual spending then before he took office. ABC's Rick Klein wrote "Rudy Giuliani claims to have 'lowered spending' in New York City - big asterisk has to be there for that to be accurate." [NYC Independent Budget Office Revenue and Expenditure Summary (http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/iboreports/Rev ... ummary.xls); Rick Klein's Blog, ABC, 5/15/07] Giuliani No Friend of Working Families:Rhetoric: Giuliani claimed he had a strong record in support of labor, even claiming that "I think unions have made a positive contribution." [Debate, 10/9/07]Reality: A Lousy Record For Workers, Venomous Relationship With UnionsGiuliani Mimics Bush Opposition To Minimum Wage. On MSNBC's Hardball, Giuliani said that "The president is thinking about any increase in the minimum wage usually means less jobs." He explained on Fox, "I think the president sees the complexity of that. I mean, he's sees the fact that the minimum wage -- it's very politically appealing to say it should be raised, but the minute you raise it, you're going to cost jobs, lose jobs, create a lot less flexibility at the lower levels in terms of entry-level jobs." [Fox News Network, 10/13/04; Hardball, MSNBC, 10/13/04]Giuliani Vowed To Mount "Revolution" Against Labor. "Vowing to mount a 'revolution' in labor negotiations, a campaign-bound Mayor Giuliani yesterday said he would stiff municipal unions in upcoming contract talks unless they surrender their claim to across-the-board wage hikes..The surprise announcement in the mayor's preliminary budget speech angered union leaders" [Daily News (New York), 1/28/00]Teachers Union President: Giuliani Was Provocative; Unions Had A Hard Time. "Teachers union president Randi Weingarten looks back at Giuliani's tenure and observes simply, 'Labor had a really hard time with Rudy Giuliani. His rhetoric was inflammatory. He wanted to be provocative and was. I don't think it was helpful.'" [Los Angeles Times, 9/13/07] Giuliani Refuses to Rule out Florida Coastal Drilling:Rhetoric: Get More Alternative Energy. Today, Giuliani insisted that "you don't draw the line anywhere," when it comes to alternative energy, and wouldn't rule out even drilling off the coasts of Floridaand California.Reality: Giuliani Profiting From Expanding US Dependency On Foreign Oil.2007: Giuliani Firm Representing Saudi Oil Ministry. While Giuliani campaigned on America's needs to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, in March 2007, Giuliani's law firm began representing Saudi Arabia's oil ministry in a Texas court case. [Associated Press, 5/14/07]2005-2007: Giuliani Defends Law Firm Lobbying For Hugo Chavez's Citgo. Starting weeks after Giuliani joined the firm in 2005 and continuing into 2007, Bracewell and Giuliani received as much as $250,000 to lobby for Citgo, the oil firm controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. On June 21st, Giuliani "defended his law firm's work for the company, saying Citgo employs 'thousands and thousands of people in America.[The law firm] represented them honorably. They represented them well.'" [Bloomberg, 3/14/07; Newsday (New York), 6/22/07]2007: Giuliani Continued To Make Money Helping Increase Use Of Foreign Oil in Kazakhstan. Since 1997, Bracewell and Giuliani has operated an office in the Republic of Kazakhstan "to service oil producers and their lenders in the Caspian Sea region" Among their clients is "BMB Munai, which develops oil wells in Kazakhstan" [Associated Press, 3/20/07, 5/15/07]Giuliani Failed To Answer Question on Private Equity:This afternoon, Giuliani was asked about private equity: "Can you explain it as New Yorker where these billions of dollars come from? Where were they before, and is there any downside to this amazing bonanza in the hedge fund and private equity firms?"Since Giuliani failed to answer the question, here are some key facts:Giuliani Backs Private Equity Firms on "Carried Interest" Tax Battle on Capitol Hill. Rudy Giuliani opposes any efforts to increase taxes on private-equity-firm executives, who currently enjoy only a 15% tax on what is generally considered to be partners' share of profits at private equity and hedge funds. Giuliani, campaigning against any increases those taxes said recently in New Hampshire, "Who knows what you're going to do to capital markets?" He continued to say that Wall Street is "quite sensitive right now" about tax and regulatory issues. [The Wall Street Journal, 8/3/2007, 8/30/2007]Giuliani Chairs Private Equity Fund. In his most recent personal financial disclosure, Giuliani reported "compensation he earned as chairman of Leeds Equity Associates IV, a private-equity fund that gave him the option of taking a $150,000 stipend or an undisclosed share of future profits. Mr. Giuliani opted for the share." [The Wall Street Journal, 5/17/2007]Giuliani's Campaign has Received $800,000 from Hedge Fund Industry. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Giuliani's campaign has received $800,750 from the hedge fund industry. The "securities and investment" industry gave even more, almost $3.5 million in the first half of 2007, which is higher than any other candidate for president. [Opensecrets.org, 10/4/2007] Giuliani Opposes Children's Health Insurance:Giuliani Calls the Children's Health Insurance Program "Socialized Medicine." "[I]t would have the really odd effect of moving children who presently have private insurance to becoming wards of the state, basically having to move in the direction of - and I know the Democrats get all upset when you say this, but they're taking us toward socialized medicine…It is not - it's not really good to move this thing, in terms of more government control health care." [This Week, ABC News, 8/5/07] Giuliani Supported Bush's Veto Threat. Hardwood reported, "Giuliani also weighed into the controversy now brewing in Washington over children's healthcare. President Bush has threatened to veto what the Democrats have proposed to dramatically expand that program, saying it will lead to single payer. Giuliani condemned socialized medicine and he said Bush is right." Giuliani said, "If in fact the analysis is correct, and you know we have to see the final version; if it in fact is going to move children away form private insurance to government controlled healthcare, I think then you have to veto it." [CNBC, July 2007, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnOhJtJ6_E]###
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