For those of you who are not familiar with this column, let me explain. “A Penny For My Thoughts” is not a political column. It is not your basic editorial piece about current events, the world of politics, or me barking at someone for all the horrible things that they do. Instead, this column is about me, my friends, my family and my life. It is a warmer, kinder and gentler editorial that allows you, my reader, to take a situation that happened to me, and draw strength from it and/or learn from it. It is these reasons that I give you my thoughts – without ever asking for a penny.

This particular column is not about me or my family. It is about my friend, my good friend, your friend – Rudy Giuliani. When I was in high school, my first aspiration was law. Thinking I would make a great lawyer, I began to study law by signing up for the Law Program at Sheepshead Bay High School. This program took me two places; to London, England for one week to study Parliament, and to the office of United States Attorney Rudolph William Giuliani. Mr. Giuliani spent some time with my classmates and I telling us what a U.S. Attorney is and does. He was very informative, funny and made a boring class trip not very boring at all. At the end of the class, my friend and fellow classmate approached Mr. Giuliani and asked for his autograph, causing my other classmates to laugh at my friend for doing such a ridiculously “uncool” thing. Upon hearing the question, Mr. Giuliani asked my friend, “Why do you want my autograph son?” My friend responded, “Because you’re going to be Mayor someday.” Mr. Giuliani gave my friend his autograph and said, “Yeah, sure.” A year ago, I saw that friend again. As soon as he saw me, he crossed his arms and said something only he and I would understand – “Now who’s laughing?”

He was right. Mr. Giuliani is now Mayor Giuliani. For the past four years he has been Mayor Giuliani – and he should be again.

I know what you’re thinking. I just told you that this was not a political column. You’re right. I’m not going to endorse the Mayor, I’m going to endorse the man.

As a journalist, I have interviewed Rudy well over a dozen times. What intrigues me about him is how much he knows about this city. I have asked him detailed questions about crime, education, homelessness, etc. Each lengthily and informative answer he gives me is always incorporated with statistics. Statistics that come not from a note pad or graph, but from his head. He has quoted me figures on how crime is down in a particular precinct, what the vote was on a recent bill, how many school children passed the regents exams – all from memory – only someone extremely dedicated to this city could have all that information in memory. Rudy is dedicated and does possess that kind of memory, because the city – his city – is always on his mind.

If you look at this city in the last four years, you would see that Rudy has done so many things to make our lives easier, not his. If one were elected as Mayor of the City of New York, one would realize that they have a lot of power and can do many things to make their lives easier. Instead, Rudy has made us his top priority – even making some enemies along the way to do it. Instead of increasing the overhead of city government, as his predecessor did so well, he reduced the amount of government jobs which made the salary “us taxpayers” pay our politicians much less. He has reduced the heavy tax burden we have carried for so long in so many ways. By reducing the hotel occupancy tax, suspending sales tax for two different weeks this year, and cutting real estate taxes so the businesses would come here instead of run away, Rudy has turned this city around and done a tremendous job of once again making New York City, as he once called it, “The Capital Of The World.”

But don’t take my word for Rudy’s success, ask the dozens of politicians – both Republican and Democrat – that have endorsed him, read the editorials of the other papers that have endorsed him, ask anyone from any of the major unions that have endorsed him – they will tell you the same thing that I am about to tell you:

On Election Day, vote for the man, the Mayor, my friend, Rudy Giuliani.

Just a little warning: There is someone out there who is going around telling everyone that Rudy does not deserve four more years. You know what they say – if the message is bad – kill the “Messenger.”