Firefighters don’t love America’s ex-husband
We’ve all hear the stories about Rudy Giuliani’s supposed heroism in the days after 9/11, how he single-handedly save the cities from the twin evils of terrorism and a depressed economy. It turns out that many of the real heros of 9/11 — members of the New York Fire Department — don’t have such a high opinion of America’s ex-husband:
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 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. 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.
Rudy Guiliani’s entire candidacy is based on a lie: the lie that he did something heroic in the days following 9/11. While he certainly is to be commended for going to all the funerals for firefighters and policemen, the bad he did almost certainly outweighs the good. We spoke earlier of his mistreatment of rescue workers:
The city ran a generally slipshod, haphazard, uncoordinated, unfocused response to environmental concerns,†said David Newman, an industrial hygienist with the New York Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, a labor group.
City officials and a range of medical experts are now convinced that the dust and toxic materials in the air around the site were a menace. More than 2,000 New York City firefighters have been treated for serious respiratory problems. Seventy percent of nearly 10,000 recovery workers screened at Mount Sinai Medical Center have trouble breathing.
Related posts: