As a mayor, Giuliani was unlike any of his predecessors. He sought to tear apart the social welfare programs that LaGuardia and other mayors worked so hard ensure. Giuliana put much of his energy into bettering the middle class, and completely dismantled support for the lower class altogether. On a national basis, he immediately received praise, however, many who were denied social programs actually needed it, or were college students – forcing 16,000 CUNY students to drop out.
Subsequently, he changed the system again, only this time forcing work onto those who were eligible to receive Medicaid and Food Stamps. This was another objective that was both criticized and applauded. The funding that was once allocated to aid-based programs shifted into the white-washed emergency departments and wealthy, private institutions.
Meanwhile, he was also making an impact on the education system. He used testing as a way to increase standards. On the contrary, he had a poor relationship with three chancellors and the teachers’ union. He also hired Herman Badillo to reform the system and lay the groundwork to disband the Department of Education. He also planned on having private companies run the schools among other things.
Furthermore, he had a hand in the arts as well. New York, alongside many urban areas, was highly favorable of the First Amendment right to freely utilize the media. Giuliani didn’t condone such expression and censored a lot of art. His threatening of fund removal of the Brooklyn Museum was a clear example of how excessive his demands got, because they displayed an exhibit showing the Virgin Mary in a negative manner. This caused outrage against the mayor’s use of power and even led the museum to sue the city. They won the case.
This tactic of strong-arming people worked occasionally, as he often threatened several groups throughout the city. He even began to barricade himself in City Hall, keeping a close eye on all information that was to become public record. It got to a point where he spent $13.8 million on renovating City Hall Park and then hand-selecting which groups got to use it, which was also deemed unconstitutional on the federal level.
Then New York got a different taste for Mayor Giuliani. Following the events on 9/11, he became a national hero. He attended funerals and became the face for the media to follow. His approval ratings skyrocketed and his prior negligence was overshadowed.
He was compared to LaGuardia a lot during this time. They had similar upbringings, but LaGuardia had a more open take on immigration, focused on assisting the poor, and advocated for the arts. In these senses, Giuliani was the opposite. In turn, Giuliani will be remembered as a effectual mayor, and may even rank higher than his counterpart for his sheer acts following 9/11.
