Rudy Giuliani Misleads Granite State Voters on Fiscal Record
Political Desk
April 26, 2007
Washington, DC - Rudy Giuliani tried to portray himself as a shrewd fiscal manager to a group of business leaders in Nashua on Tuesday. However, his record tells a very different story about Rudy's lack of fiscal restraint during his tenure as mayor of New York City.
Earlier this month in Alabama, Giuliani bragged, "I'll be a fiscal conservative. I'll lower taxes. I'll seek private market solutions to most problems." [Associated Press, 4/10/07] But according to the New York City's Independent Budget Office, the Rudy Giuliani that Granite State voters do not yet know increased income taxes alone by 40 percent, while property tax revenues went up 12.7 percent. In fact, the tax burden for New York City residents remained at the top of the list in the nation under Giuliani. [Associated Press, 4/17/07; NYC Independent Budget Office Tax Revenues; New York Times, 2/24/00; New York Sun, 3/29/07]
The city's Independent Budget Office data also shows that Giuliani grew the size of government. During his tenure as mayor, total spending on personnel by the city increased 35.6%, by $5.6 billion. [Associated Press, 4/17/07; NYC Independent Budget Office Agency Expenditures, Full Time Positions]
"How can Granite State voters trust Rudy Giuliani to tell the truth about his candidacy if he is willing to mislead them about his fiscal record as mayor?" said DNC Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "The truth is that under Rudy's watch, tax revenues soared, government spending grew, and the size of government ballooned. If he were a strong leader, Giuliani would fess up to his true record and not try to spin Granite State voters about his management skills."
Below is a fact sheet setting straight Rudy Giuliani's record on budgeting and taxes.
RUDY GIULIANI'S REAL RECORD ON BUDGETING AND TAXES - DON'T TAKE HIS WORD FOR IT
GIULIANI: MISLEADING ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING
RHETORIC: Reduce Spending. Giuliani recently told a crowd in West Des Moines, Iowa, ''We need to reduce spending.'' He said, "That's how you make government more effective, that's how you make government more efficient.'' [Associated Press, 4/17/07]
REALITY: Spending Went Up 30%: In New York City, spending went up 30% under Giuliani as mayor, or by $9.5 billion. Even stopping the tally before costs related to 9/11 finds a 28% increase, or $8.9 billion more in annual spending then before he took office. [NYC Independent Budget Office Revenue and Expenditure Summary]
REALITY: Against Line Item Veto: "Giuliani also successfully sued to challenge the constitutionality of the line-item veto that would have given President Clinton the power to eliminate wasteful spending." [Associated Press, 4/17/07]
GIULIANI: MISLEADING ON GOVERNMENT SIZE, WORKFORCE
RHETORIC: Cut Size of Government: Giuliani claims that "As President, he would.trim the government workforce. He says that "I reduced the size of government in New York." [New York Daily News, 4/11/07; "Hannity And Colmes," Fox News Channel, 2/5/07]
REALITY: Government Spending, Payroll Grew: The Associated Press noted that the city's Independent Budget Office data shows more employees when Giuliani left. Additionally, total spending on personnel by the city increased 35.6%, by $5.6 billion from the year before Giuliani took office through the end of fiscal year 2001, his last full year in office. Even his website claim that "He cut the size of city-funded government bureaucracy by nearly 20% - excluding the number of cops on the street and teachers in the classroom" is greatly exaggerated. Official figures show that the bureaucracy aside from teachers and cops went down only 12%. [Associated Press, 4/17/07; NYC Independent Budget Office Agency Expenditures, Full Time Positions; http://www.joinrudy2008.com/index.php?section=2, accessed 4/23/07]
GIULIANI: MISLEADING ON TAXES
RHETORIC: Cut Taxes: Giuliani brags that "New York City taxpayers saved more than $9 billion in taxes" under his leadership. [http://www.joinrudy2008.com/index.php?section=2, accessed 4/23/07]
REALITY: Tax Revenue Soared: City records show that fees and fines increased, and overall tax revenues increased by $3.5 billion, or 19%, between the last budget of Giuliani's predecessor and his own last budget. Income taxes alone went up by 40% ($1.45 billion), while property tax revenues went up 12.7%. The tax burden for New York City residents remained at the top of the list in the nation under Giuliani. ($988 million). And "in the case of one of the biggest tax cuts during his tenure, the elimination of the commuter tax, Mr. Giuliani actually opposed the tax cut so vigorously that he brought a lawsuit jointly with the city's Democratic City Council speaker in an effort to get a court to order state lawmakers to keep the tax in place." [Associated Press, 4/17/07; NYC Independent Budget Office Tax Revenues; New York Times, 2/24/00; New York Sun, 3/29/07]
GIULIANI: MISLEADING ON THE SURPLUS
RHETORIC: Increasing The Surplus: Giuliani claims that he "turned a $2.3 billion budget deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus" [http://www.joinrudy2008.com/index.php?section=2, accessed, 4/23/07]
REALITY: Surplus Unchanged: But according to the official Independent Budget Office, the city's surplus (revenues minus expenditures) was $5 million every year from before Giuliani to the present [NYC Independent Budget Office Revenue and Expenditure Summary]
Earlier this month in Alabama, Giuliani bragged, "I'll be a fiscal conservative. I'll lower taxes. I'll seek private market solutions to most problems." [Associated Press, 4/10/07] But according to the New York City's Independent Budget Office, the Rudy Giuliani that Granite State voters do not yet know increased income taxes alone by 40 percent, while property tax revenues went up 12.7 percent. In fact, the tax burden for New York City residents remained at the top of the list in the nation under Giuliani. [Associated Press, 4/17/07; NYC Independent Budget Office Tax Revenues; New York Times, 2/24/00; New York Sun, 3/29/07]
The city's Independent Budget Office data also shows that Giuliani grew the size of government. During his tenure as mayor, total spending on personnel by the city increased 35.6%, by $5.6 billion. [Associated Press, 4/17/07; NYC Independent Budget Office Agency Expenditures, Full Time Positions]
"How can Granite State voters trust Rudy Giuliani to tell the truth about his candidacy if he is willing to mislead them about his fiscal record as mayor?" said DNC Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "The truth is that under Rudy's watch, tax revenues soared, government spending grew, and the size of government ballooned. If he were a strong leader, Giuliani would fess up to his true record and not try to spin Granite State voters about his management skills."
Below is a fact sheet setting straight Rudy Giuliani's record on budgeting and taxes.
RUDY GIULIANI'S REAL RECORD ON BUDGETING AND TAXES - DON'T TAKE HIS WORD FOR IT
GIULIANI: MISLEADING ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING
RHETORIC: Reduce Spending. Giuliani recently told a crowd in West Des Moines, Iowa, ''We need to reduce spending.'' He said, "That's how you make government more effective, that's how you make government more efficient.'' [Associated Press, 4/17/07]
REALITY: Spending Went Up 30%: In New York City, spending went up 30% under Giuliani as mayor, or by $9.5 billion. Even stopping the tally before costs related to 9/11 finds a 28% increase, or $8.9 billion more in annual spending then before he took office. [NYC Independent Budget Office Revenue and Expenditure Summary]
REALITY: Against Line Item Veto: "Giuliani also successfully sued to challenge the constitutionality of the line-item veto that would have given President Clinton the power to eliminate wasteful spending." [Associated Press, 4/17/07]
GIULIANI: MISLEADING ON GOVERNMENT SIZE, WORKFORCE
RHETORIC: Cut Size of Government: Giuliani claims that "As President, he would.trim the government workforce. He says that "I reduced the size of government in New York." [New York Daily News, 4/11/07; "Hannity And Colmes," Fox News Channel, 2/5/07]
REALITY: Government Spending, Payroll Grew: The Associated Press noted that the city's Independent Budget Office data shows more employees when Giuliani left. Additionally, total spending on personnel by the city increased 35.6%, by $5.6 billion from the year before Giuliani took office through the end of fiscal year 2001, his last full year in office. Even his website claim that "He cut the size of city-funded government bureaucracy by nearly 20% - excluding the number of cops on the street and teachers in the classroom" is greatly exaggerated. Official figures show that the bureaucracy aside from teachers and cops went down only 12%. [Associated Press, 4/17/07; NYC Independent Budget Office Agency Expenditures, Full Time Positions; http://www.joinrudy2008.com/index.php?section=2, accessed 4/23/07]
GIULIANI: MISLEADING ON TAXES
RHETORIC: Cut Taxes: Giuliani brags that "New York City taxpayers saved more than $9 billion in taxes" under his leadership. [http://www.joinrudy2008.com/index.php?section=2, accessed 4/23/07]
REALITY: Tax Revenue Soared: City records show that fees and fines increased, and overall tax revenues increased by $3.5 billion, or 19%, between the last budget of Giuliani's predecessor and his own last budget. Income taxes alone went up by 40% ($1.45 billion), while property tax revenues went up 12.7%. The tax burden for New York City residents remained at the top of the list in the nation under Giuliani. ($988 million). And "in the case of one of the biggest tax cuts during his tenure, the elimination of the commuter tax, Mr. Giuliani actually opposed the tax cut so vigorously that he brought a lawsuit jointly with the city's Democratic City Council speaker in an effort to get a court to order state lawmakers to keep the tax in place." [Associated Press, 4/17/07; NYC Independent Budget Office Tax Revenues; New York Times, 2/24/00; New York Sun, 3/29/07]
GIULIANI: MISLEADING ON THE SURPLUS
RHETORIC: Increasing The Surplus: Giuliani claims that he "turned a $2.3 billion budget deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus" [http://www.joinrudy2008.com/index.php?section=2, accessed, 4/23/07]
REALITY: Surplus Unchanged: But according to the official Independent Budget Office, the city's surplus (revenues minus expenditures) was $5 million every year from before Giuliani to the present [NYC Independent Budget Office Revenue and Expenditure Summary]
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