By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

Okay, I give up. You can’t talk to candidates. I’ve known that for years. But somehow every time I encounter another candidate who "knows-it-all," I’m amazed. Every time I encounter another politician who tells me how to run the paper, I get angry.

	Borough Presidents All Candidates have mastered the fine art of getting into the picture (as has this columnist). All the pictures on this page were taken at last week’s Tribune and Press holiday party. The Beep candidates and Michael Schenkler (Top, l. to r.): Trib founder Gary Ackerman, Helen & Don Marshall; Carol Gresser; Audrey Pheffer & Glenn Riddell; Ack with Karen Koslowitz (the camera missed me, hmmm). (Far left) The present Beep partying with this writer. (Left) Sheldon Leffler missed our party but showed up at last year’s Salvation Army Dinner in honor of Schenkler.

With term limits for Mayor, Comptroller, Public Advocate, Borough President and all fourteen Queens City Council seats, candidates abound. The next year is going to be filled with unhappy candidates for office who feel that this paper is showing favoritism to another unhappy candidate for the same office.

You can never do enough for an office holder or candidate. No matter how positive the coverage, no matter how frequent the photo, no matter how effective the stories, the first time you do something not to their liking, "you’re unfair" or "playing favorites" or "you don’t know squat about anything."

They rarely if ever call to thank you or compliment the coverage; but they are quick — very quick — to complain. Well, I don’t like it.

Allow me to set the record straight. My column — Not for Publication — is my opinion. The QConfidential page is part gossip, part opinion, part fun. Everywhere else we write about politics, politicians, government and civics is objective reporting.

We do not "slant" news stories because we favor a candidate. We do not and will not "kill" press releases or stories because we prefer one candidate to another. As a matter of fact, next time we get such an accusatory phone call from a candidate, we’ll print the whole story . . . the absurdity of some of the releases, the "gray area" use of governmental staff and funds to promote one’s candidacy and the childish accusations of candidates who have lost sight of the fact that not everyone sees things the same way.

Newspaper space is expensive — especially when you print over 150,000 copies a week. Not every story will make it to print. Papers with small circulations have the luxury of adding pages at minimal cost. We value our saturation distribution of this Borough and adding pages is an expensive option we avoid unless the news demands it. We pride ourselves on our award-winning coverage of the news. We don’t blindly run press releases to please candidates — that’s not our bag. Candidates should find another paper with different standards to satisfy their egos. Not here. Not at the Trib or the PRESS.

What’s the cause of my tirade?

Simple; I have five friends running for Borough President next year and I fear that I may lose all five.

I’ve played in politics before and guiding this paper comes first. We shall have fair objective news coverage. I promise this not to the candidates, but to our readers.

However, some of the candidates have started complaining already.

One called and claimed I was backing either this candidate or that candidate, but not the caller. Another was counting photos in the paper — not appearances around Queens reflected by the photos. The problems have started — they come with the job.

The five Democratic candidates for Borough President (as of this writing) are all decent people. I know them all pretty well. I like them all.

Helen Marshall I’ve known some forty years. Helen was president of the Parents Association of P.S. 143 in Corona. My father was the school’s principal. I’ve followed Helen’s career as she served in the Assembly and went on to the City Council. Helen is term limited and cannot rerun for the Council. She is the only Black candidate in the Beep race.

I met Karen Koslowitz in 1978 just before taking over the Trib. I was running Gary Ackerman’s State Senate campaign. Koz was a hardworking volunteer. She became a Democratic District Leader and then a hard-working Councilmember from Forest Hills. She too is term-limited. Karen has been a loyal Tribune reader and supporter for as long as I can remember.

I met Sheldon Leffler in 1981 when he was running against Gary Ackerman for Congress. I was chairing the campaign effort for Gary, my former business partner and very old college friend. Although Sheldon didn’t endear himself to me back then, I feel he and I have developed a friendship of sorts. The Councilmember from Eastern Queens is bright and philosophically in tune with many of my beliefs. I’ve run into him at the movies, restaurants and countless dinners. He, too, is term-limited and has been a loyal Tribune reader and supporter.

In 1985 I was overseeing the Queens County campaign of Ed Koch for Mayor, Andy Stein for City Council President and Donald Manes for Borough President. We hired four full timers to run the campaign: from my office, David Keisman who now publishes a paper in the Bronx; John Doyle, still the premier election day operative in the City; Lillian Prosaw, who shortly thereafter became Lillian Schenkler; and the chief of staff of my friend, then State Senator, Jeremy Weinstein — Audrey Pheffer. Since working at the desk next to my wife-to-be, Audrey has become a district leader and Assemblywoman. She’ll always be part of the Tribune family.

Carol Gresser, my newest candidate-friend and I became acquainted when Carol was appointed by Claire Shulman as Queens member of the NYC Board of Education in 1990. Carol served as Board President for almost four years. During the final term, Carol stood up to the Mayor which resulted in a falling out with Claire. Carol and I have kept up our relationship as she has worked as lecturer and activist. We’ve become occasional lunch companions and close friends. I’ve known her husband, Larry, since he ran for Council some twenty years ago.

I’ve given campaign advice to Carol — she asked.
I’ve printed fundraising invitations for Helen — she asked.
I expect to print Karen’s campaign literature.
I also expect to print Carol’s campaign literature.
I hope to print Audrey’s campaign literature.
I’d like to print Helen’s campaign literature.
Sheldon, yell if you need help.

We also handle the direct mail tasks for quite a number of candidates.

I sit in my office and have a frequent stream of prospective candidates stop by to chat. I offer the best advice I can. I’m honest and direct. In one council race, I’ve made suggestions to three competing candidates.

Sure, I have my favorites.

But above all, I have a job to do: to run a newspaper which advocates for the best for the people of Queens.

You’ll find me here doing my job.

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

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