NYT: Among firefighters, Giuliani is both hailed and hated

RAW STORYPublished: Saturday June 16, 2007
Among firefighters, former Republican New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, now running for president, is both "hailed and hated," according to a front page story in Sunday's New York Times.
Michael Wilson writes, "Interviews with more than 50 firefighters and department officers show a mix of admiration and disdain for the former mayor. Many firefighters praise his years in office, citing his success in reducing crime and his leadership after the terrorist attacks. Others harbor a deep resentment for what they describe as his poor treatment of the department before and after Sept. 11."
"Some still speak bitterly about a contract that left firefighters without a raise for two years," Wilson continues. "Some also say Mr. Giuliani has exaggerated the role he played after the terrorist attacks, casting himself as a hero for political gain. The harshest sentiments stem from Mr. Giuliani’s decision nearly two months after 9/11 to reduce the number of firefighters who were allowed to search for colleagues in the rubble — a move that he partially reversed but that still infuriates many firefighters."
Back in March, as RAW STORY reported, a letter drafted by NYC firefighters slammed Giuliani for "a disgraceful lack of respect" for the New York firefighters who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
According to Roll Call, the letter particularly assailed Giuliani for deciding to "scoop and dump" debris from the World Trade Center towers, moving it to a landfill.
"Mayor Giuliani’s actions meant that firefighters and citizens who perished would either remain buried at Ground Zero forever, with no closure for families, or be removed like garbage and deposited at the Fresh Kills Landfill," the drafted letter said.
Excerpts from Times article: