By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

For her entire reign as Queens Borough President, Claire Shulman has been given courtesies and leeway rarely afforded an elected official. Other elected officials, the people, the press, this paper, this writer allowed the matriarch of our Borough the freedom to be wrong without suffering the normal public outcry that comes with the job. Personal attacks just never existed, even when our beloved borough president deserved harsh criticism. Somehow, it was always gentle — if anything at all.

Trib Publisher Michael Schenkler with his friends Claire Shulman, Terri Thomson and Carol Gresser at the 1997 Tribune Holiday Party. Shortly after this picture was taken, Shulman, at the insistance of Rudy Giuliani, condemned Gresser’s refusal to support the Mayor’s choice for Chancellor and appointed Thomson to replace Gresser. Last week, Shulman called for Thomson’s resignation because she refused to back the Mayor’s choice for Board of Ed. Prez. photo: Dee Richard

I’m not sure why. Did the borough view Claire as a grandmotherly figure who was immune from criticism. Was it her commitment to the borough? Certainly she gave the job her all. However, we’ve seen many mighty public officials ripped apart by other officials, the press, the people in spite of their hard work and dedication — remember Bill? Or perhaps the tragic circumstances of her elevation to the position made us all want harmony.

But Claire has managed, since picking up the pieces of a devastated Borough Hall in 1986, to remain immune from serious public criticism — even when it was deserved.

I apologize to my readers for giving my friend, Borough President Claire Shulman, greater latitude and more leeway than this writer believes elected officials are entitled to. In the past, when we disagreed with Claire, we were gentle . . . perhaps too gentle. The latitude we all allowed her has enabled her to lose sight of the purity of principle which enabled her to effectively pick up the Queens fallen mantle 15 years ago.

Her commitment to the people has at times been replaced by politics and deals which poisoned her once- seemingly pure purpose. We are saddened. Such is the case with the Beep’s latest misstep calling for the resignation of Queens Board of Education Member Terri Thomson.

Although clearly Shulman is at fault for selling out politically, the force that drove her to it was merciless and vulgar. His name Rudolph Giuliani.

Giuliani is a fine mayor who has served the city well. Giuliani is a ruthless politician who resorts to the vilest of threats and tactics in order to get his way. He will trample and attempt to publicly disgrace and destroy those who disagree.

Sadly, Claire has learned from him.

The mayor who has improved the quality of life in this city has brutally stifled dissention. And Claire who has likewise improved the quality of life in our borough, is no less merciless in the face of differing opinion.

Their performance in office doesn’t give them — either of them — the right to attack the fine principled voice and integrity of Queens Board of Education Member Terri Thomson or to attempt bring down a Board of Education for the mayor’s own purposes.

Our City Charter sets up an "independent" Board of Education — something our Mayor cannot tolerate. Sadly, he has coaxed, threatened and/or bullied Claire Shulman into choosing his autocratic, undemocratic path of action over the interests of the children of New York City.

He has done so for the second time.

In 1998, Carol Gresser, then Queens Board of Education member, stood up and opposed the mayor’s choice for chancellor. The facts clearly proved Gresser was right and the mayor was wrong. But that didn’t matter to Rudy or to Claire. He demanded Gresser’s head and Claire handed it to him. Shulman has unjustly been attempting to make Gresser, her former friend, pay the price ever since she opposed Rudy.

Although not the subject of this column, allow this writer a quick aside to apologize to our friend Carol Gresser. Although we lauded your fine service to the people of Queens, we failed to tell the story of an out-of-control mayor and our borough president who blindly followed his vulgar lead at the expense of the city’s kids.

We can’t let it happen again.

Terri Thomson — she’s also a dear friend — is what Board of Education members should be. She’s thoughtful, principled and has the integrity of a saint. Terri did the right thing in opposing the mayor’s choice for board president — we have no doubt about that. Claire did the wrong thing in not supporting her borough’s "independent" board member. Claire has violated her obligation to the kids of our borough and our city when she calls for Terri’s resignation.

Terri, do not resign. We are with you. The people are with you. The children need you.

Claire withdraw your demand for Terri’s resignation and allow our borough to heal. Turning your back on fine public servants who were once your friend, who have served the borough well, who have worked for the best interest of the children of the city, in order to politically deal with the Mayor is not a credit to you or our borough.

Doing business with the devil will get you burned.

Claire, you’re better than that.

Okay, I’ve had it. Friend or no friend, I can’t sit by and watch a candidate for City Council utilize city funds and facilities for his own political purposes.

Several months ago we criticized press releases from the office of our friend Councilman Morton Povman pushing the Council candidacy of his chief of staff Jeff Gottlieb (Not 4 Publication Dec. 7,2000). Those releases contained pictures of Gottlieb and applauded Gottlieb’s work. The people of the city paid for the postage, releases, envelope and staff that mailed them.

Subsequently, we spoke to Povman who acknowledged that it was wrong and promised it would not continue. We met with Gottlieb who acknowledged wrongdoing and promised it would not happen again.

Well Gottlieb has moved out of the wrongdoing area into an area that is gray — dark gray. Six releases arrived from Councilman Povman’s office last week — with six photos. Not one had a picture of Councilman Povman. Each identified Gottlieb as Councilman Povman’s chief of staff and contained a photo of Gottlieb performing some community activity.

No, Jeff and Morty, this is probably not illegal. But it stinks!

But bad turned to worse, when I had the chance to review a tape of the NY1 interviews with the five candidates for the 24th Councilmanic seat. I was in Florida when the original show aired.

It is clear from the seal of the City of New York which appeared on the office door in which Gottlieb conducted his interview, that he was inside the Council office. Hey Jeff, that’s city property and not for campaign use. Neither are the stamps, the staff, the desk or anything belonging to the Council. It’s the property of the people. Keep your political self-serving hands off!

Three of the four other candidates work for the City of New York, the other, for the State of NY. None of them used a government office to meet with NY1 reporter Kerri Lyons.

We’ve been to Barry Grodenchik’s Borough Hall office but know he’d never use it for his political advantage. Likewise, Jim Gennaro, Morshed Alam and David Reich knew not to violate the public trust.

As far as Gottlieb is concerned, I’m appalled.

He’s either arrogant or stupid.

The misadventures of the beleaguered statue of Queen Catherine of Braganza took another bizarre turn last week.

The homeless 35-foot statue of the Queen for whom our borough is named was originally commissioned by the Friends of Queen Catherine to be erected in Long Island City overlooking the East River.

Manuel de Sousa headed the decade-long cooperative effort, funded largely by the people of Portugal, birthplace of Catherine who became the Queen of England.

Beep Claire Shulman secured the plot of land from the Port Authority, and Long Island artist Audrey Flack won a design contest and was selected in 1995 to sculpt the Queen. Tallix Inc. was retained as the foundry to fabricate progressive bronze casts of the Flack sculpture and to make the final bronze full-scale monument.

Other than some grumbling as to the artistic beauty of the sculpture — it was plain ugly and old fashioned — the project went along smoothly until 1998 when some black groups protested the monument observing that Queen Catherine’s family had engaged in slave trade.

Under some pressure, eight years and several castings into the project, Shulman withdrew her support and the offer of the site for the statue to be erected. Tallix stopped work and the head of the 35-foot Queen was left outside on a scrap heap.

In January of 1999 de Sousa sought completion of the homeless Queen whose face needed resculpting. One of Flack’s assistants, David Simon, was retained to restore the work and complete the project.

Flack insisted that Simon has distorted and mutilated her version of Catherine and sued Friends of Queen Catherine and Tallix under the Visual Artists Rights and Copyright acts.

Last week US District Court Judge Sidney Stein ruled that Flack has the right to protect her original concept but took no further action since Flack and de Sousa have put the project on hold — again.

It’s now a decade since de Sousa and his Friends of Queen Catherine first made the offer to the people of Queens to erect a statue of the Queen for whom their borough is named. That offer was accepted and 10 years and $10 million later, we see the results of politics intruding into the arts — indecency!

Mr. de Sousa and the people of Portugal are owed an apology.

The statue deserves a home.

Even ugly art should not be judged politically.

Not4Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

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Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@queenspress.com