Mom's Day & Gun Control,
Follow The Dots, And
A Proud Newspaper Dad

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY: Although my heart is in Florida with mom, my consciousness is in Washington, D.C. and across this nation where a million moms will be marching to demand common sense gun control.

As we reported back in January, a nonpartisan gang of grandmothers, mothers and aunts will descend on the nation’s Capitol with their sisters marching in major cities across the United States to put Congress on notice that common sense gun policy — specifically licensing and registration — is the will of the people.

Regulating guns to preserve the lives of our children is the most fitting tribute we can pay to our nation’s moms. Cars and drivers are licensed and registered. Cars have both door and ignition locks. Cars are made to transport. Guns are made to kill.

The NRA be damned. Just what part of protecting our children’s lives doesn’t the Congress get?

To follow the movement or to get involved, log onto: www.millionmommarch.com; call toll free: 888-989-MOMS; email: nyc@millionmommarch.com.

25,000 MORE NEWSPAPERS: This column is now appearing in two newspapers. It continues to run in the Tribune, the paper I’ve been publisher of since 1979 and for which I’ve written political and personal commentary on and off since the early 1980s.

But now, in addition to the Tribune, this column – or a version of it – will appear in our new newspaper, The Press of Southeast Queens. The Press, as described last week will serve the dynamic minority communities of the area.

For those new to "Not4Publication," there will be some political commentary and reflections, some personal observations and perhaps a smattering of newspaper sharing between the Trib and Press. I hope it proves to be enlightening, educational and enjoyable to readers of both papers. I know, as I write, I learn, think and enjoy. Please come along for a weekly ride.

As always, I welcome and encourage reader feedback. I can be reached at: Queens Tribune, 174-15 Horace Harding Expressway, Fresh Meadows, NY, 11365 or MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com.

FOLLOW THE DOTS: With the launch of the Press, the past week has been hectic to say the least. I have not had time to make the calls to nail down the political theory I am about to share with you. However, it represents the type of follow-the-dots thinking that turns on us political junkies.

For those who’ve read me in the past, you know I believe that the game of politics is exciting — exciting to watch, play and comment upon.

Allow me to play out loud. Recognize that nothing here is verified and no harm is intended to anyone. There are no axes to grind, merely observations by this somewhat astute political scribe:

A political insider, a friend who has played at the higher levels of consultancy, informed me late last week that Joe Crowley has retained a media consultant to defend his Congressional seat against the challenge by City Councilman Walter McCaffrey.

For those new to this space, the former Congressman, Dem County Leader Tom Manton, timed his withdrawal from the race so that he controlled the process and was able to name Crowley as his replacement, thus avoiding a Primary fight. This angered Western Queens politicos Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan and Councilmen John Sabini and McCaffrey. And after lots of unpleasantness, the threesome is backing McCaffrey against incumbent Crowley and Manton’s Democratic organization.

Now, stay with me.

Queens County has two viable candidates for Mayor in 2001 — it could have been three, but former Congressman Reverend Floyd Flake is not a candidate since he has opted to fill his plate with other things at the moment.

Council Speaker Peter Vallone and Comptroller Alan Hevesi are two of the four most frequently mentioned to likely succeed Rudy Giuliani as Mayor. The others, Public Advocate Mark Green, who is hoping to inherit the position should Rudy run for Senate and win, and Bronx Beep Freddy Ferrer, who many pundits expect to drop down and run for Comptroller unless the ethnic balance in the race greatly improves his chances.

Also of significance in this scenario is the fact that Manton, the Queens Dem Leader, has more often than not has been at odds with Hevesi and allies with Vallone. Observers have always expected when push came to shove Manton would back his Western Queens ally Pete Vallone over Alan Hevesi with whom Manton has, for the moment, a tenuous peace.

Now how does Crowley’s election, which is where we started, impact upon the Mayoral analysis? Crowley’s political rabbi or godfather (depending upon which pew you sit in) or mentor (if you don’t pew often) is Queens Dem Chair Manton. Manton, who has been perceived as a Vallone backer, is in reality in control of (or greatly influences) the Crowley political operation.

Crowley has just retained the service of political guru Hank Morris. Although Morris might be known to you as the guiding operative behind the election of Chuck Schumer, he has a candidate that is even more important to him than NY’s Jr. Senator. Hank Morris’ future is invested in none other than Queens’ Alan Hevesi — the two go back as far as we can remember.

Hank Morris is not likely to help Tom Manton’s handpicked guy (Crowley) if there is not some sort of understanding about Hevesi.

Follow the dots: the deal has therefore been struck and if our supposition is accurate and all players hold true, expect to see the (Tom Manton) Queens organization backing Alan Hevesi for Mayor in 2001 and a new judge Peter Vallone.

Then again, there could be an incumbent Mayor Mark Green, or we might have missed one of the dots.

Stay tuned.

IT AIN’T HEAVY: The picture below is borrowed from last week’s issue of The Equinox, the newspaper of Keene State College, New Hampshire. It ran with the following caption:

"Self-portrait of Lee Katzman. Lee is the new editor of the Equinox, and feels as if he has the weight of the whole world on his shoulders, now."

Lee, with the world on his shoulders, is my 21-year-old son — raised in a home with high ideals and lots of newsprint and ink — who took the picture and was recently elected to his new position by the paper’s editorial board. He just put out his first issue which arrived at our house this week — I’ve been showing it off to everyone in the office.

I can share with Lee the burden of running an organization and the awesome responsibility of putting out a quality journalistic product weekly, on deadline. Yes, Lee it does feel like the weight of the Unisphere on your shoulders.

I expect, throughout the next year, to be giving Lee a couple of tips on getting the publishing job done. To start with Lee, it takes a good team — like the one I have here at the Trib. Then, real hard work, discipline, imagination, integrity and a dogged desire to serve the community in a manner that our founding fathers knew and understood was as precious as any of our freedoms.

Lee, as we in Queens embark on our new newspaper, I share with you the anxiety and anticipation of the new publishing task, but assure you that at the end of the journey, the weight on your shoulders is eased and you discover a wonderful new and rewarding world.

Write on!

Best of luck from a proud father.

————————————

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

Click Here For The Not 4 Publication Archives