Rudy Giuliani: Supply-Sider-in-Chief

Human Events ^ | Feb. 9, 2007 | Deroy Murdock

[FairOpinion]

Republican primary voters should rally around the GOP field's most accomplished supply-sider, the all-but-announced Rudolph W. Giuliani. Having sliced taxes and slashed Gotham's government, New York's former mayor is the leading fiscal conservative among 2008's GOP presidential contenders.

Before Giuliani's January 1, 1994 inauguration, New York's economy was on a stretcher. Amid soaring unemployment, 235 jobs vanished daily. Financier Felix Rohatyn complained: "Virtually all human activities are taxed to the hilt." Punitive taxes helped fuel a $2.3 billion deficit.

Mayor-elect Giuliani sounded Reaganesque when he announced he would "reduce the size and cost of city government" to balance the budget. In his first State of the City address, he said: "We're going to cut taxes to attract jobs so our people can work."

Giuliani spent eight years keeping these promises.

"America's Mayor" cut or killed 23 levies, saving taxpayers $9.8 billion. Giuliani pared Gotham's top income-tax rate by 20.6%. Washington, D.C.'s CFO reported that between 1993 and 2001, local taxes on a family of four New Yorkers earning $50,000 fell 23.7%.

Giuliani cut the commercial-rent tax, curbed sales taxes, and curtailed the marriage penalty on taxpaying couples. Giuliani proudly shaved Gotham's hotel tax from 6% to 5 in 1994. Consequently, that tax's revenues soared from $135 million in Fiscal Year 1995 to $239 million in FY 2001.

Giuliani defends his supply-side instincts with bracing candor. Asked after September 11 if he would hike taxes, Giuliani called that "a dumb, stupid, idiotic, and moronic thing to do."

Giuliani's expenditure growth averaged 2.9% annually, while local inflation between January 1994 and December 2001 averaged 3.6%. His FY 1995 budget decreased outlays by 1.6%, while his post-9/11 FY 2002 plan lowered appropriations by 2.6%.

If President Bush had followed Giuliani's example and limited Washington's spending to 2.9% average, annual growth, the just-unveiled FY 2008 federal budget would cost $2.275 trillion, not $2.9 trillion, saving taxpayers $625 billion, the Cato Institute's Stephen Slivinski estimates. Such Giulianian fiscal discipline would generate a $386 billion surplus, not an anticipated $239 billion deficit.

Giuliani repeatedly privatized municipal assets. Giuliani sold WNYC radio for $20 million, WNYC-TV for $207 million, and Gotham’s share of the U.N. Plaza Hotel for $85 million. Divesting the New York Coliseum excised an eyesore from Columbus Circle and added $345 million to city coffers. Giuliani also let the private Central Park Conservancy manage Manhattan's fabled urban forest.

These eight years of tax reduction and fiscal responsibility helped hammer unemployment from 10.4 percent in 1993 to 5.7 percent in 2001. Simultaneously, personal income advanced 53 percent.

It's hard to compare a two-term ex-mayor, a one-term governor, and a four-term U.S. senator. Nevertheless, Cato's 2006 gubernatorial report card gives former Massachusetts chief executive Mitt Romney a "C." While the top personal tax rate fell 6 percent on his watch, thanks to a referendum voters approved before he arrived, Romney's first budget raised $140 million by closing corporate-tax loopholes. It also featured some $501.5 million in increased fees, including higher marriage licenses (from $4 to $50), pricier gun permits ($25 to $100), a $100 biannual fee for volunteer firefighters (rescinded under pressure), and a $10, previously free, ID card that lets the blind ride Boston public-transit gratis.

Few in Congress expose outrageous federal boondoggles as fervently as does John McCain. However, he is an ambivalent tax fighter. According to Club for Growth research, McCain opposed President Clinton's 1993 tax increases and supported his 1997 capital gains tax cuts. He also voted to extend President Bush's 2003 tax cuts. For 2005, McCain earned a 78% National Taxpayers Union rating -- an "A."

Unfortunately, McCain opposed President Bush’s 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. McCain voted against repealing the Death Tax in 2002. Also, in 1998, McCain embraced former Sen. Tom Daschle's (D.-S.D.) motion to approve Big Tobacco's Master Settlement Agreement, including a $1.10-per-pack cigarette-tax increase.

"I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues," McCain conceded to Wall Street Journal editorialist Stephen Moore. "I still need to be educated."

Conservatives seeking a proven leader to lasso taxes and rein in runaway spending have a natural choice for President: Rudolph W. Giuliani.

[EternalVigilance]

Funny how one can interpret a quote from the bible when the can't distinguish the forest from the trees.

The meaning is plain to anyone with a brain and an honest heart.

[Porterville]

Laugh all you want, he wins.

[PhiKapMom]

I take Human Events! Guess I had better go read the last issue! :)

[Porterville]

You are saying you have a dishonest heart or no brain?

[Darkwolf377]

Did you see him lead his mistress to Mass?

No, and I couldn't give a damn what he does with his mistress, or what religion he practices.

Did you see him appoint Kerik?

Did you see Ronald Reagan appoint Sandra O'Connor?

Did you see him nearly die because he stupidly place the NYC command post at a major target

Come on, you have GOT to have more than that. Hindsight is so 20/20 when we're looking for reasons to bitch, isn't it?

[My2Cents]

Some people have so convinced themselves that Giuliani is the boogeyman that they are totally incapable of letting in any new information that would challenge that prejudice.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"And what do you think Hillary's position is on the 2nd amendment?"

About the same as Giuliani's and McCain's, unfortunately. That's my point. Maybe Rudy's backing away from his previous positions, but my caution towards him is richly warranted. I do want to like him, but there's much in his record that gives me pause. Put plainly: we have enough RINOs, thankyouverymuch.

I generally vote against the worst candidate in the general election. That would be Hillary in any universe I'm familiar with. But for the primaries I throw my energy and money towards getting the best guy nominated. And at this moment Hunter has my attention. Could change, but I like what I see. Short of cloning Ronald Reagan, he seems to be the best matched to what this country needs right now.

[Beagle8U]

" Wars? There is only one war"

Gun owners and mfg.'s have been fighting Rudi for years. They still are.

[IslandJeff]

Oh yeah, Narses, the MSM is a perfect arbiter of any Republican's position.

Please.

[EternalVigilance]

Your supply of straw men is seemingly endless.

[PhiKapMom]

It is a joint list between Areafiftyone, Bunny Slippers, and me -- we joined together so we have you covered from the east coast, to central, to the west coast! :)

[Porterville]

So issues with gun policy of NYC... seriously? NYC?

That isn't a war, it is a frickin' liberal hell, and Rudy was its only hope.

There is only one war that is of concern.

[narses]

Giuliani/Clinton/Dem vs. GOP Platform Comparison
Issue	Giuliani	Clinton	Dem Platform	GOP Platform
Abortion on Demand	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Partial Birth Abortion	Supports Opposed NY ban	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Roe v. Wade	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Taxpayer Funded Abortions	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Embryonic Stem Cell Research	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Federal Marriage Amendment	Opposes	Opposes	Opposes Defined at state level	Supports
Gay Domestic Partnership/ Civil Unions	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Openly Gay Military	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Defense of Marriage Act	Opposes	Opposes	Opposes	Supports
Amnesty for Illegal Aliens	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Special Path to Citizenship for Illegal Aliens	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Tough Penalties for Employers of Illegal Aliens	Opposes	Opposes	Opposes	Supports
Sanctuary Cities/ Ignoring Immigration Law	Supports	Supports	Supports	Opposes
Protecting 2nd Amendment	Opposes	Opposes	Opposes Supports bans	Supports
Confiscating Guns	Supports Confiscated as mayor. Even bragged.	Supports	Supports Supports bans	Opposes
'Assault' Weapons Ban	Supports	Supports	Supports
Frivolous Lawsuits Against Gun Makers	Supports Filed One Himself	Supports		Opposes
Gun Registration/Licenses	Supports	Supports		Opposes
War in Afghanistan	Supports	Supports Voted for it	Supports	Supports
War in Iraq	Supports	Supports Voted for it	Supports Weak support	Supports
Patriot Act	Supports	Supports Voted for it 2001 & 2006	Opposes	Supports

"Most of Clinton's policies are very similar to most of mine." - Rudy Giuliani

Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do and how you do it.
Rudy Giuliani

[NapkinUser]

No, I've never been a Paul supporter. I was just using him as an example. He'd still be a better republican president than Giuliani. Every republican except for maybe, MAYBE, Hagel is more conservative than Giuliani. Giuliani is a phoney and a fraud who doesn't know his place. He might have been able to do this country a great service and defeat Hillary Clinton in the senate race in 2006, but NOOOOOO, couldn't have that. He may have LOST and ruined his own selfish presidential dreams. So just let Hillary Clinton terrorize this country longer, and not ruin her chances of the white house.

Worst Viable Republican Candidate EVER

[Porterville]

I only invest my time on sure things.

[EternalVigilance]

Some people have so convinced themselves that Giuliani is the boogeyman that they are totally incapable of letting in any new information that would challenge that prejudice.

It's all ridiculous spin. Laughable.

[MichiganConservative]

Gun owners and mfg.'s have been fighting Rudi for years. They still are.

For what do you need a gun, anyway? If you've got nothing to hide, you shouldn't have a problem storing our gun at the local government building, behind three locks.

You shouldn't mind the four hours of paper work necessary to go to the range if you aren't making snap decisions to murder people in traffic.

[EternalVigilance]

I only invest my time on sure things.

Well, you're surely supporting a hardcore leftwinger.

[MichiganConservative]

He'd still be a better republican president than Giuliani.

Is there a Calvin Coolidge around these days?

[BunnySlippers]

Welcome PhilDragoo!!!