Mayor Giuliani and City Comptroller Alan Hevesi – the city’s new warring parties – yesterday traded attacks on issues from racial profiling to pension investments.
Giuliani got the ball rolling when a reporter asked if he’d confirm a report in The Post that mayoral aides were ordered to steer clear of Hevesi after Hevesi’s campaign ran a TV commercial that referred to police profiling.
“I express my view, and then people can figure out what they would like to figure out from that,” Giuliani responded.
He charged that Hevesi had taken a number of “pretty irresponsible” positions, from his handling of the city’s pension funds to his decision to focus on profiling.
“I think there’s a level of pandering there which everyone recognizes on both sides of the issue, which is kind of remarkable,” said Giuliani.
Giuliani also ripped into Hevesi for saying he’d be willing to raise taxes to help fund schools.
Hevesi turned the tables, pointing out that Giuliani himself supported an income-tax surcharge to fund the “Safe Streets, Safe City” anti-crime program.
“Why is it when he does it, it’s responsible, and when someone else supports a similar program, it’s irresponsible?” Hevesi asked.
The comptroller, one of four Democrats battling to replace Giuliani at City Hall, also defended the pension funds as “one of the best managed” in the nation.