Giuliani Urges National Energy Policy; Opens Web Site

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, acting more than ever like a presidential hopeful, in a speech to the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a think tank, criticized the Bush administration for failure to develop an energy policy and place more importance on nuclear power, ethanol based fuels and hybrid vehicles.

He did not mention President George W. Bush directly, but said of his administration, "I can't imagine how you can achieve anything in government without a plan."

Referring to the country's longterm energy needs, he stated, "This is an area where we haven't had a plan in a very, very long time."

He called for increasing nuclear power output by speeding up permits for nuclear plants and said the permit process for natural gas ports and oil refineries should also be made easier. Giuliani is familiar with

the power industries because his consulting firm, Giuliani Partners, advises energy companies and represents a proposed liquefied natural gas project on Long Island, which has run into considerable local community opposition.

Asked what advice he would give President Bush on energy policy, the former New York City mayor stated he would set fixed goals and deadlines for creating more nuclear power plants, encourage greater use of hybrid cars and increase ethanol production.

On another subject, education, Giuliani said he favored school choice and vouchers and described education as a major civil rights issue in cities which had failing public schools.

In another candidate-like move, Giuliani's political action committee unveiled its own Web site last week SolutionsAmerica.com.

As one might expect, the site offers a very favorable view of the ex-mayor via the Time Magazine 2001 "Man of the Year" issue that hailed Giuliani as "the mayor of the world," a title which is now often repeated.

The site shows Giuliani in a picture with President Bush at Ground Zero and offers a history of his tenure as mayor. It also explains that the organization Solutions America is dedicated to finding commonsense solutions to the nation's challenges.

-John Toscano