Let's hear it for His Honor, Rudolph W. Giuliani -- our Mayor. Last weekend, the Mayor forced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to remove an advertisement for New York magazine from the sides of city buses. The poster showed the magazine and the slogan {Possibly the only good thing in New York Rudy hasn't taken credit for."

Mr. Giuliani explained that he didn't want his image exploited for commercial gain. But those who know him know that's not the real reason. The real reason is his unyielding devotion to truth.

Rudy Giuliani knows that there are many good things in New York he can't take credit for.

In fact, we called his press secretary to ask for a list. She declined to provide one. Isn't that Rudy all over? Modesty is the man's middle name.

But we're not about to let him hide his light under a barrel. We've been observing the life of our neighborhood and our city for long enough to ferret out at least a little of what the Mayor won't boast about. So, here are some other good things about New York Rudy Giuliani can't take credit for.

First and foremost, of course, is decent schools. Schools that in their design, their spacious classrooms, and their manageable size pay homage to the dignity of learning. Schools that don't leak. Schools where no one is taught in a projection booth, a closet, or a bathroom. Schools that offer each student books, paper, pencils and the opportunity to use a computer.

Then there's caring for the weak, the unemployed, the abused or neglected child, the homeless man shivering this week in an encampment in Riverdale Park or riding the IRT No. 1 train to nowhere. The Mayor hasn't taken credit for that.

He hasn't taken credit for teen centers, like the Riverdale Community Center's at the David A. Stein Riverdale School, MS 141, places that offer young people a place to hang out, to play, to find help with their homework, to stay out of trouble.

And he certainly wouldn't take credit for the New Yorker's traditional generosity, his willingness to share. Not Rudy. Last spring, he refused to share a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the refurbished Enid Haupt Conservatory of the New York Botanical Garden with Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer. During the recent campaign, he prevented a housing group from inviting his opponent to the opening of a new low-income apartment complex, even though as Manhattan Borough President, Ruth Messinger had appropriated a substantial portion of the funds to build the apartments. And on Monday, Mr. Ferrer got to attend ceremonies for the opening of the new Bronx housing court building only by threatening to crash the festivities, to which he hadn't been invited.

Sharing? Rudy certainly wouldn't take credit for that. Or for skilled parks workers, a vigorous recycling program, well-maintained streets and bridges: why, the list could go on and on.

A Riverdalian long prominent in our political life was discoursing the other day about the sickly condition of our democracy, in which so few people even bother to vote. It's the press's fault, he said. News reports that trumpet the bad and never point out the good that elected officials do have so eroded the people's faith that they no longer trust their leaders.

He was absolutely right. Why, many newspaper articles even implied that Mr. Giuliani's insistence that the New York ads come off the buses was tyrannical. Some stories held it up as another example of his authoritarian nature, called him a control freak, questioned his sense of humor. Can you imagine?

That's why we've donned our hair shirt to extol a Mayor who's no content with ridding our city of crime, grime, graffiti, and squeegee men, a man of such integrity that he's now embarked on a campaign to rid New York of falsehoods.

And he won't even take credit for it.