Wilson campaigns for Rudy

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

While presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani was in Florida yesterday feverishly campaigning before that state’s primary election on Jan. 29, a small contingent of his supporters gathered at the headquarters of Lack Construction on Carrillo Street, where former California Gov. Pete Wilson told the group why he supports “The Mayor.”

“Rudy Giuliani is the man I have endorsed,” Wilson said. “There isn’t anybody that’s tougher than Rudy Giuliani. There isn’t any comparison.”
The majority of Wilson’s comments yesterday focused on Giuliani’s fiscal record during his tenure as mayor of New York City and on the candidate’s economic plans for the White House, if he makes it there.
And the brunt of that plan deals with taxes and the cutting of taxes.
In campaign literature, Giuliani is quoted as saying: “At a time when many Americans are worried about the economy, now is the right time to cut taxes so we can put America back on a pro-growth path towards future prosperity.”
As mayor of New York City, Giuliani proposed 64 tax cuts and managed to get 23 approved by the state legislature – a feat his campaign says reduced New Yorkers’ tax burdens by 19 percent.
The result, according to Wilson, was a safer, cleaner and economically revitalized city that sported a vast budget deficit prior to Giuliani’s arrival.
This, Wilson said, is the result that rival Republican candidates lack, and are lessons that shouldn’t be learned in the White House.
“It’s not the place for on-the-job training,” Wilson said of the presidency. The other candidates “do not have the same record of performance that he has.”
Wilson, who became California’s 36th governor in 1991 and served through 1999, wasn’t shy about criticizing Giuliani’s Democratic opponents either.
“The worst thing to occur is certainly what they will bring us, a massive tax increase,” he said.
Because Giuliani has not yet won a primary election, some analysts believe a victory in Florida is vital if he plans to continue his campaign.
Wilson acknowledged this to an extent, but said he believes winning Florida won’t be a problem for the former mayor.
“The right Republican can win California and [Giuliani] can win New York,” Wilson said.
Santa Barbara City Councilman Dale Francisco, the only council member to attend the event, said he agrees with Wilson and Giuliani’s take on economic matters in most situations. He said vast tax cuts would likely only work if accompanied by spending cuts.
In the case of California’s current $14 billion budget deficit, Francisco said tax cuts might not be the best idea.
As for whom he plans to vote for during California’s Feb. 5 presidential primary, Francisco said he’s torn between Mitt Romney and Giuliani.
“I really haven’t made up my mind yet,” he said.