Not For Publication:
A Look Back At The Words Of 2002 - Part I

On New Year’s 2002: “And the year 2001 will never be referred to historically without reference to the single most powerful event in most of our lifetimes — the terrorist attack on our shores and our courageous efforts to recover from and combat it.

And may all your dreams come true.

Happy New Year!

Peace.” 

On Mike Bloomberg:  “This borough, and this City chose a successful, creative business entrepreneur over politics as usual. We look for New York City in 2002 to experience a new day in politics, City management and the cost and effectiveness of government. With these expectations and a lot of hope, we welcome Mayor Mike Bloomberg.” 

On Rudy Giuliani: “Rudy Giuliani is the only elected official I can recall to exit at the peak of his popularity and performance. How quickly we forgot the brutal, unilateral, dictatorial mayor that gave way to the compassionate unifying ‘Man of Year.’”

On Black Power: “The words bring back great memories for this liberal who walked the picket lines of the sixties and read the black literature of the decade of rebellion. There was no shame in Black Power then — there was only a question whether some individuals went too far. And there is absolutely no shame now. On the contrary, there is pride.

We are all proud of Helen Marshall. We are proud that Queens, the most multi-cultural place on earth selected a person of color as its leader. We are proud that blacks, whites, Asians and Latinos can all celebrate the moment.

We fervently hope that Helen was elected because of her ability, not her skin [color]. There is nothing wrong with blacks taking pride in one of their own being elected to office; but there can be no real pride if the election was tainted with votes motivated by ethnicity and not ethics.”

On Beep Helen Marshall “And now the job begins. Helen Marshall must lead this borough of two million people. She must stimulate economic growth; she must provide tens of thousands of new school seats; she must unify our diverse cultures while securing our newly threatened safety; she must protect the environment while allowing for progress; she must care for the sick and disadvantaged during an economically difficult time; she must follow a woman who set new standards for borough presidents. Helen must perform miracles.

I smile and salute my old friend, Helen Marshall, a lady of grace and commitment.

And now Helen, the job begins!

What have you done for us lately?”

On The Statue Of The  Three Firefighters Raising The Flag At Ground Zero: “I’ve asked the Trib art department to reduce my waist by six inches, take the gray out of my hair and give me a bit of that Richard Gere chiseled chin. You’ll understand if the sketch in my column changes next week.”

On Fire Department Recruitment: “Incidentally, less than six percent of the City’s firefighters are black or Hispanic. Now there’s a story worth looking into.

Perhaps the Fire Department should recruit minority members instead of carving their faces into statues.”

On Art and Politics: “Even ugly art should not be judged politically.”

On Political Correctness: “Political correctness is destroying our freedoms. Our creative freedoms, our expressive freedoms, our constitutional freedoms are limited daily by the “thought police” who want to dictate what is correct.

I’m a liberal secure enough in my beliefs, feeling and commitment for the neediest of our society that I need not yield to those who try to dictate what I must say be in sync with ‘the movement.’ I am a liberal very secure in the belief that teaching our children how to think and not what to think is the role of education and society.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m not politically correct — I challenge and play on the edge to encourage open and free thought with the belief that it will result in ethically and morally correct choices.

Political correctness numbs free thought and compassion.”

On Discrimination: “I was six and vaguely remember talking to dad about the incident [seeing a “whites only” water fountain at Woolworth’s while visiting Florida]. He was a left-of-center liberal before it was 60s-fashionable. . . I don’t remember the specifics of the conversation, I know he asked me the questions to get a six-year-old to probe and make value judgments. That was dad. I’m glad.

Although the water was cool and refreshing on that hot day, discrimination – and for that matter Woolworth’s – left a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve carried it with me for the past half a century.”

On Redistricting: “It’s not a fair process — don’t ask me why, it just isn’t. When a political body is responsible to draw new district lines, which impact its own members and other elected officials from their party and state, fairness cannot be expected.”

On Living Together: “Now let me get this right: The same quality fish, jewelry and goods are available down the block from Korean merchants at a 20 percent lower price, but the shop is owned by or employs Chinese and therefore, Koreans should not shop there?

Such a message is one of hate and prejudice. It is made of the same ugly sentiments that caused six young men in Keene New Hampshire to attack my son because he was Jewish. It is a message built on fear. It is a message that must be rejected by people of goodwill.

Welcome to America . . . land of opportunity.

Somehow, someday, everyone may understand that although we may all be different, there is a lot more we all have in common.

But until that day comes, there is much more to be done.

The thriving downtown Flushing marketplace has not adequately reached out and attracted the non-Asian consumer. I wonder if the old American marketplace has made all new Americans welcome.

The future Queens I dream of is not going to care about your race, color, religion, sexual preference or national origin.

Now, where can I get some gim chee?”

On Mocking Politicians: “Our point is simple. We are a non-discriminatory fun poker.

Elected officials are merely people with the same foibles as the rest of us.

They are not perfect. They do funny things; they say funny things. Sometimes circumstances around them are interesting or humorous.

Gossip, humor and fun compose the grease that keeps government from emitting an unbearable, constant, high-pitch shriek.

If you can’t laugh at the process and process makers, you don’t live in a democracy.”

On Ethnic Caucuses: “We understand the purpose of the Congressional Black Caucus or the Women’s Caucus or whatever. But sadly we note the absence of a unity caucus: a special interest group committed to celebrating and promoting our similarities. It seems that the halls of government can be more divisive than the streets of the City.”

On The New City Council: “The system is broken and we look to the new guys to fix it. The City is in financial trouble and the people are prepared to sacrifice. Those who want to maintain the status quo are doomed to become part of the past . . .Change, my friends, is often good.”

On The Job Of Rebuilding: “The lure of money — big money — along with the intoxication of power is the biggest obstacle in the way of the new class of Council members achieving their full potential. . . I’ve seen top-notch people elected to office be so taken with the power and celebrity that they forget their roots and the little people. . .That’s bad; the money is worse. They start to live big and spend big. They fundraise big. They become beholden to the big contributors, the big spenders and the big lobbyists who buy the big tickets, big gifts and provide lavish dinners. You get the idea.

Divisiveness, special interests, political, ethnic or special agendas seem to divide legislative bodies causing them to lose focus. This Council already seems to be distracted by issues unimportant to the task at hand. . . . Keep your eyes on the prize. Hold on.”

On The I.R.S.: “Interesting, on the list of whose eyes to avoid, the taxman is king.”

On the Stock Market Scandal Or The Church Sex Abuse Scandal: “But sadly, like any other scandal, the fixers may try to get away with less than a real and permanent fix.

History tells us, in times like this, there could be a couple of sacrificial lambs. One or two may go to jail. Some bucks in restitution may be paid. Some new rules may be instituted.

But unless there is a vigilant public constantly watching and yelling, unless all who knew of criminal action are made to pay, I fear that, in the future, some young innocent will again be raped by one of them.

Let us pray.”

On The School System: “Potential school system savior after savior seem to come and go — many of whom, like Levy, have been men of quality and character — and yet the schools continue to fail the kids.

We know not if giving the control to the Mayor would improve the system, however, we are certain that the present system has failed.

It is time for a change.”

On the Commuter Tax Repeal: “If you’re looking for someone to blame [for repealing the commuter tax], try the Democratic Assembly Speaker and a number of Queens Assembly members who voted in favor of its elimination. . . The fiscal health of our borough is above party and politics.

It is this writer’s guess that if anyone is going to come up with and get enacted a revenue stream to replace the lost commuter tax, it is going to be a Republican. Mayor Mike Bloomberg has demonstrated the independence and fiscal creativity to tackle this problem.

This writer, a lifelong Democrat is not loyal to party, but to performance.”

On The Late Budget: “So, with a GOP Senate, a Democratic Assembly, and a Governor of either party, you get failure. . . complete and utter failure. Those that tell you otherwise are lying to you.

We send our Assembly members and State Senators to Albany to represent the best interests of the people of our State. . . We elect them and entrust them with the business of government.

Until they pass an on-time budget or vow to oust the leadership so mired in politics as to disregard the best interest of the people – friends or no friends – they don’t deserve your support. . . .

After 18 years of not having an on-time budget, maybe it’s time to throw the whole bunch out!”

Not4Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

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