Former Rudolph Giuliani has criticized current Mayor Bill de Blasio for his policies on taxes, a possible ban on horse-drawn carriages, and other issues. (Credit: CBS 2)

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani slammed Mayor Bill de Blasio Wednesday, saying he has some “real disagreements” with the man now occupying his former desk at City Hall.

As CBS 2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer reported, de Blasio has been in office about 85 days – two weeks shy of the 100-day mark. But that is enough time for Giuliani to make a judgment – and to take the gloves off and unload on the current mayor.

“I know the economy of the city is going in the wrong direction,” Giuliani said. “People are talking about moving out of the city because they’re afraid of high taxes.”

It was a bald reference from the two-term former mayor, a Republican, to the Democrat de Blasio’s oft-stated desire to raise taxes on the rich to pay for universal pre-kindergarten.

Legislative leaders in Albany will not approve the new tax, but it is just one of several issues where the two part company – or as Giuliani described it, have “some real disagreements.”

Until this week, Giuliani refused to criticize de Blasio. But now, the two have apparently parted ways on the economy, charter schools, and the mayor’s desire to ban horse carriages.

Giuliani confessed that he himself thought about a ban on horse carriages in 1994 when he began his tenure as mayor, but quickly changed his mind after meeting the drivers.

“I feel kind of emotional about that, because I got to know the people. I was probably inclined to want to do it, and I went and visited the stables; met the people,” Giuliani said. “These are mostly hard-working legal immigrants. They rely on horse to feed their children. They take very good care of that horse.”

Giuliani said it would be a crime to put the horses out to pasture, because they like to work.

“They’ve got to find work for the horses, because the horses become depressed,” Giuliani said. “I hope the mayor changes his mind about it.”

A de Blasio spokesman issued a statement about Giuliani’s comments.

“We’re proud of the agenda we’ve set on public safety, education and income inequality,” the statement said. “Those are priorities that will benefit everyone, Rudy Giuliani included.”

Giuliani did agree with de Blasio on some issues, among them the choice to re-hire his old police commissioner.

“I’ve also seen in the new mayor a tendency to correct things. I thought he made a good choice in Bill Bratton,” Giuliani said. “He got himself into a lot of trouble over charter schools; he seems to be correct himself.”

Kramer asked Giuliani if he ever considered running for the job again. He said he is not, but is instead thinking about running a horse operation.

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