The Race begins: Its Thompson vs. Lhota - Orchestrated by Giulian

Joe Lhota seems trapped with Giuliani, despite his weekend claims that he's his own man. 

Rudy Giuliani slammed the Democratic candidates fiscal plans, telling NY1 that they would give away the store to municipal unions if elected. “It frightens me because I think what they [the unions] have in mind is trying to elect their candidate so they can get sweetheart deals,” Giuliani charged. “We’re going to need a mayor who’s capable of striking fair deals, but striking tough deals that protect the taxpayers of this city, not just deliver the city over to the union members.”

Thompson, who is vowing for at least 2nd place in a run off, and a would be possible opponent to Lhota in the fall, didn’t take kindly to the accusation of being a union stooge, David Seifman reports in the Post.

“Over the years, I’ve shown myself to be fiscally responsible and understanding of the city’s budget,” he told The Post. “It’s a little strange coming from Mayor Giuliani. I came into office right after he left and he didn’t leave us in the best fiscal condition.”

Thompson charged that Giuliani tapped the city’s pension funds in 2000 so he could inflate his own budget, leaving his successors with the tab. “He also had a pension re-start where he pulled out hundreds of millions of dollars to spend before he left and before the economy went south,” Thompson said.

“So I’m kind of dismissive of the former mayor’s comments, given his history of fiscal irresponsibility.”

Lhota, Seifman reports, stuck up for his former boss, saying the entire pension board, which is dominated by municipal unions, approved the deal.

“To say that this was solely and singularly a Giuliani policy is hyperbolic in the worst type of degree,” Lhota fired back. “The fact of the matter is Rudy Giuliani never raided the pension system the way it was described by Bill and he should know better.”