[jdm]

Rudy Giuliani likes to take credit for the transformation of the city's Times Square.
But some say the cleanup was the result of years of urban planning.

[livius]

Well, it was years of planning, but Rudy was the only one who was finally able to implement it and put conditions in place, such as getting rid of the hot and cold running hookers, that permitted it to develop. He did this by picking good police chiefs (with whom he almost always fought!) and by enlisting popular support in cleaning up neighborhoods.

I wouldn’t vote for him for president because I don’t think he has the scope, and he’s way too liberal, but he was a very good mayor of NY at a difficult time.

[Tanniker Smith]

While even his critics will say Giuliani deserves praise for his part in redevelopment of the area, the finished product was the culmination of decades of work that came before he was elected, according to lawmakers and urban planners.

And like good government planners, they would've planned it to death unless they'd gotten a kick in the keister. There's lots to complain about with Rudy, but no reason to knock what he did by saying he didn't do it. Just makes you lose all credibility.

[Mr. Jeeves]

If you want to see what New York was like before Giuliani (albeit with lower violent crime rates) come spend a few days in San Francisco. It’s like a living history museum with a “70’s urban blight” theme. ;)

[fedupjohn]

I was there yesterday, yes he did, case closed. Have a problem with that, talk to me, I work there.

[moehoward]

Times Square changed because large corporations took over a world famous location. To make a visit feel safer, local officials cracked low life skulls forcing them from the immediate area.

Must not have been too many Illegal Alien skulls getting cracked or JulieAnnie would have put the brakes on it.

[Rosemont]

“Did Giuliani Really Clean Up Times Square?”

Probably. But RG is too LIBERAL on important social issues i.e. life, marriage, borders... RG is a good man but is not the right fit for President. Maybe ambassador to the UN.

[OESY]

This Times Square debate is silly. Giuliani can be criticized for several things, but this is not one of them. He cleaned up New York and made it a viable, vibrant city again. He demonstrated leadership when other leaders gave up. He never walks from an policy argument, and winning arguments attracts votes. Optimistic by nature, he get things done. Liberals hate and fear him, as this wedge piece illustrates, because he was so effective. America needs a strong leader, though I regret he chose not to run for governor of New York. We could use some integrity in Albany.

.

[MarkL]

Well, I can say that there was a HUGE difference between the Kcch/Dinkins run New York City and the Gulianni run NYC. And NOT just Times Square. All over the city. IMHO, the best example being Grand Central Terminal, the train and subway station. Before Rudy cleaned it up, is was a putrid cesspool where you really didn't want to spend any more time than you absolutely had to. About 3 years into Rudy's administration I was back, and the place was immaculate. Even the public bathrooms were clean! He also got rid of the "window washers" on the streets, and implemented new traffic rules that would fine the hell out of anyone blocking an intersection. And then there were the beat cops. During earlier administrations, it could be tough to find a cop. Under Rudy, sometimes it seemed as if there was a cop on every corner.

Mark

[aShepard]

OK, I give up!

How is this story any different than the Clintoons’ taking credit for the resurgence of the 1990’s US economy, which happened on their watch, based on the Reagan, Bush 41, tax and spend policies of their 1980’s administrations?

Change takes awhile. Just as the next administration will take credit for the success that Gen. Petreous has had in the 2007 Iraq war, as the war winds down. Bush be damned!

BTW, it’s interesting how Iraq has been excised from the newspapers and the TV news shows. Wonder why????

[Calpernia]

I do believe that Rudy breathed life back into an 80-year-old cabaret law, ‘single handedly’.

[april15Bendovr]

Old Time Square

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3213442482097917538&q=1995+time+square&total=54&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

The new Time Square

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5197239232065538875&q=new+time+square&total=7775&start=10&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=6

[april15Bendovr]

Its also important to note that Carol Burnett played a role in cleaning up Time Square.

[Bernard]

Abraham Lincoln is buried in Springfield, Illinois. Behind the building he is in, there is a small bell tower dedicated to him. There's a little plaque with the names of the local town bureaucrats who authorized the spending to build the bell tower.

Reading this article, it is clear that the plaque to cover all the little people who want credit for the change in Times Square must be huge, or written in very small proportional font.