You’re doing it all wrong.
Rudy Giuliani sounded off on Mayor de Blasio Sunday, saying his successor is moving the city “in the wrong direction.”
Speaking on a radio program, the former mayor said de Blasio is on the wrong side of the charter school issue, and said his bid to rid the city of horse-drawn carriages is “foolishness.”
“The city was on a very good course and that needs to be maintained and improved on,” Giuliani said on John Catsimatidis’ AM 970 “The Answer” radio show.
“He’s kind of turned it around. He’s going in the direction of emphasis on dependency, emphasis on big city government, less emphasis on a very well, efficiently managed city that Mayor Bloomberg had.”
Guiliani, who ran the city between 1994 and 2002, became “America’s mayor” after 9/11 thrust him into the national spotlight. Catsimatidis, a Republican, ran for mayor last year.
Giuliani did have a few kind words for de Blasio.
“In the area of crime, he made a good choice in a police commissioner with Bill Bratton. He’s an excellent commissioner. He’s got a tough record to follow. In that one area I commend the mayor.”
Bratton was also Giuliani’s first police commissioner.
“In other areas, charter schools, his foolishness with the horse drawn carriages. I have no idea why he wants to get involved with that. All of that seems to be moving the city in the wrong direction. And the desire to raise taxes, the city is the most heavily taxed city in the country.
Giuliani also took de Blasio down on charter schools.
“This idea that the mayor is at war with the charter schools, not re-upping some of them trying to collect money from them,” Giuliani said. “He should be expanding charter schools, not trying to close them down. Even if he closes down two or three, he’s moving in the wrong direction.”
In response to Giuliani’s criticism, de Blasio spokesman Wiley Norvell said, “We’re proud of the agenda we’ve set on public safety, education and income inequality. Those are priorities that will benefit everyone, Rudy Giuliani included.”