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RUNNING ON FAILURE

Running on Failure

To the Editor:

Rudy Giuliani is running for President on a 9/11 platform of failure. My letter (July 27 issue) was in response to Rudy's lies on his Web site.

I met with Father Brian Jordan (Aug. 17 letter) in his residence on Aug. 2, where he told me I was not an angry man, but merely dedicated to exposing Giuliani's failures before, during and after 9/11. I did not appreciate Father's implied remark that I could face termination for speaking out if I were in the NYPD. Also, everyone knew the press was at all the funerals of 9/11 heroes, including Rudy.

As for Richie Sheirer and the Office of Emergency Management, he was described as being totally inadequate on 9/11. No high-rise response plan and invisible during the attacks, as per the 9/11 commission. Sheirer has said, "What did Riches expect me to do on 9/11, stay there and die?" No, do your job. He was not qualified as head of OEM.

Father Jordan, Giuliani failed miserably after 9/11 and now 70 percent of first-responders - your friends - are sick and dying. Rudy failed to give proper respirators until November 2001 and lied about the quality of air. Giuliani hasn't lifted a finger to help get first-responders proper medical care, medications and prescriptions. Giuliani did have time to make tens of millions of dollars capitalizing off 9/11. He did help Rudy Washington, head of NYC Rudy for President Campaign, get Workers' Comp.

Now, Rudy says he was down at Ground Zero more than first-responders working with them. That is a lie. He spent more time at the World Series than at Ground Zero. Rudy Giuliani is not to be trusted.

Father, you should be more concerned about his stances on abortion, birth control, continuation of the Iraq war, gay relationships and oppressive immigration policies.

I would give anything in the world to have 15 minutes with my son; maybe, Father, you can reconcile Rudy with his children.

Rudy has disseminated lies and distorted truths about 9/11 and politicized 9/11; I am merely setting the record straight.

JIM RICHES, Deputy Chief, FDNY