Giuliani said the government needs to "find ways" to expand access to health insurance. He argues the solutions to our health care crisis, "have to be free market solutions. They have to be a competitive system." He has criticized Democratic proposals for universal health care that he said would threaten a "socialization" of the American medical system. He also said their plans would increase the cost of health care by putting it more in the hands of bureaucrats. He supports a combination of tax credits and vouchers for the poor to expand private health insurance.


Tax Credit

Giuliani proposed a fixed tax credit (in excess of 15,000 USD) to families to help them to afford personally financed health care. Giuliani sees this as the solution to the main problem, the current firm-purchased system. His proposal targets those with employer-based insurance and those who pay taxes. The plan is reportedly similar to a 2006 plan presented by President Bush of which analysts thought that the youngest and healthiest employees would go into the private sector, but older and sicker ones would remain on employee insurance.

Vouchers

In April 2007 Giuliani suggested we should provide more health care coverage to the poor and to way to do it is through vouchers.

Giuliani on market based health care reform

Global Warming

Giuliani opposes carbon taxes as a solution to global warming. He favors energy independence through alternative energy such as ethanol.

Nuclear Power

According to Giuliani, we should seriously consider building more nuclear power plants. He says nuclear power may be dangerous, but so are other source of power and nobody has died from nuclear power.


Directly from the candidate:

On Kyoto sending factories, jobs and investments to China and India?

They would move offshore to China and India and it would have no impact on global warming. Whatever your scientific conclusion about global warming, whether it's manmade or it isn't or whatever, the reality is that if you don't have restrictions on China, if you don't have restrictions on India, our contribution, ultimately, is going to be minor. We could put all these restrictions on ourselves and have just as much arguable global warming if China, India, some of these other countries that are going to be contributing a lot more to this don't become part of some kind of system to create alternatives.(Interview on "Kudlow & Company", RealClearPolitics.com Mar 26, 2007)

Direct Ties to Energy Industry

Giuliani’s law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani (formerly Bracewell & Patterson), is infamous for representing some of the nation’s largest energy firms. Among these are Enron, ChevronTexaco, Pacific Gas & Electric, Dynegy, and Southern Company.

Giuliani’s firm has defended these energy giants against charges of pollution and has represented them on the lobbying front as well. For example, Bracewell represents the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council – “a huge coalition of utilities including Southern Company and First Energy that lobbies for industry-friendly policies.”


Giuliani on developing and exporting renewable energy

At a February 2007 speech in Washington DC, Giuliani promised to take on the nation's public school system, but not dismantle it. "I would not destroy it," he said. "I would revive it, reform it, and change it."

Vouchers

Among the changes he would try is the implementation of a school voucher program, which Giuliani has long favored.

Directly from the candidate:

As Mayor, Rudy Giuliani worked to reform the nation’s largest public school system, with over 1 million school children. He increased school funding and hired new teachers, while insisting on reforms that ended social promotion, abolished principal tenure, and created a Charter School Fund. Rudy is also a strong supporter of school choice, believing that it is one of the great civil rights issues of our time.

Giuliani on Education Reform

Giuliani has been an advocate of lower taxes, fiscal discipline and smaller government. He supports "adjusting" the ATM, eliminating the estate tax and making the Bush tax cuts permanent.

Directly from the candidate:

Cutting Taxes

Rudy is the real fiscal conservative in the race. He cut taxes 23 times in New York and turned a $2.3 billion budget deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus, while balancing the city’s budget. Because he turned his conservative principles into action, New York City taxpayers saved more than $9 billion in taxes and enjoyed their lowest tax burden in decades, while the economy grew and city government saw its revenues increase from the lower tax rates. Rudy Giuliani believes in supply-side economics, because he did it and he saw it work.

Despite his fiscally conservative rhetoric, in 2001 Giuliani wanted New York city taxpayer’s to foot half of the $1.6 billion new stadium for the Yankees and Mets, generating widespread criticism.

Giuliani on reducing spending and taxes:

align="left" vspace="5" hspace="5">Economic Security & Good Jobs
Giuliani has been an advocate of lower taxes, fiscal discipline and smaller government. He supports "adjusting" the ATM, eliminating the estate tax and making the Bush tax cuts permanent. >>read more

Quality Education
Rudy Giuliani wants to reform but not dismantle the public school system. He does support a voucher program. >>read more

Environment, Energy & Sustainability
Rudy Giuliani opposes carbon taxes as a solution to global warming. He favors energy independence through alternative energy such as ethanol and he would contemplate building new nuclear power plants.
>>read more

Health Care
Giuliani said the government needs to "find ways" to expand access to health insurance. He argues the solutions to our health care crisis, "have to be free market solutions. They have to be a competitive system." He has criticized Democratic proposals for universal health care that he said would threaten a "socialization" of the American medical system. He also said their plans would increase the cost of health care by putting it more in the hands of bureaucrats. He supports a combination of tax credits and vouchers for the poor to expand private health insurance. >>read more