Rudy Giuliani

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Republican presidential hopeful will be in South Carolina on Thursday.

He’s scheduled an announcement and news conference in the Capitol Rotunda in Columbia at 9:30 a.m. At 1 p.m., he’s scheduled to have lunch with small business owners at Magnolia’s on East Bay Street in downtown Charleston. He will follow his Charleston visit with a meeting of supporters at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans baseball home opener at Coastal Federal Field in North Myrtle Beach.

Recently, Giuliani spoke with SCBIZ about his views on business and government’s role in fostering it.

Giuliani, who ran his own law office earlier in his career and now is head of Giuliani Partners, a wide-ranging, New York-based consultancy, said in his experience, government can be both a help and a hindrance to the small business owner.

“Most of the ways that government hurts is by interfering,” he said. “Government can give you some help in the special situations — where you have to do redevelopment — but largely, both on the government side and the business side I would make a deal with government immediately which is … don’t interfere with us too much. Do that and you’re giving us the best break you can possibly give us.”

Giuliani went on to say he believes it is important for local governments to keep taxes moderate or at least competitive with other states and cities that might be vying for the same economic development opportunities.

“What communities are businesses comparing you to? What are the other alternatives (for businesses) and what are their tax rates and how much off from that are you? Are you higher? Lower? If you’re higher, you’re going to lose a lot of business. If you’re lower, you’re probably going to be in pretty good shape. But at least if you’re even you’ll be in a competitive position.

“Holding the line on tax rates and fees — hidden taxes — is very, very important,” Giuliani said.

Click here to read the full SCBIZ interview with Giuliani.