New talent, wanting to enter the council, have a chance because term limits have created vacant seats; outsiders have been given the opportunity to be competitive because of public matching funds; and wonderful public servants have new aspirations because term limits have opened up challenging opportunities for them.

No, not all is good with the system. And no, you do not have a blind convert to term limits here. However, this is the most exciting election cycle in this city’s history, ... at least in the experience of this political observer/junkie since his political junkie father introduced him to Robert Wagner five decades back.

This is not a time to worry about our city. Those misguided, self-serving naysayers who tried to overturn the term limit referendums, twice passed by the people, just didn’t get it. The mayor, who tried to dilute the effect of public matching funds, didn’t get it either. As a matter of fact, this writer didn’t realize the impact of the chemistry that was occurring.

In hindsight, I doubt that Ron Lauder, the father of city term limits or the many who created and preserved 4 to 1 matching funds recognized what the mix would produce. But the chemical reaction has started and the resultant yield (someone help me with this chemical metaphor) will benefit the city, the people, and the system for decades to come.

No, the playing field is not yet level. Incumbency, big money support and the abuse of public office resources still weigh too heavily at the ballot box. However, the equation of this election has removed incumbency and controlled (to some degree) the impact of big money. Sadly, many of those who are in office continue to abuse the people’s money to advance their own cause.

With all of that said, this field of candidates is the best field in our city’s modern history. The chemistry works — apparently so does term limits and matching funds.

Why am I raving?

I keep meeting new people, participating in this process, who are more than worthy of our consideration. There’s not just a star – in many of the races, there’s a whole cluster of shining stars wanting to serve this city.

I spent Friday morning with one of them.

Steve DiBrienza was no one to me. He was a name I had heard of — a Brooklyn councilman. Until he started coming to Queens dinners and political clubs and Tribune photographer Dee Richard started snapping his pic, I probably couldn’t have recognized him. As a matter of fact, in the field of five public advocate candidates, he was the only one who had never been in the same room as me. I had almost written the guy off. There were bigger names, better fundraisers, bigger fighters, better networkers, and even better politicians in the race. Steve DiBrienza? Fugedaboutit!

Not so quickly!

Steve came to the Tribune Friday morning. We chatted for several hours. And it wasn’t the first time and it probably won’t be the last time, I was blown away. This guy has what it takes — and more, lots more. My expectations were not only unfair, they were as far off the mark as one could imagine.

I thought I had made up my mind on this race — but clearly, the fat lady had not had the chance to sing. There are five Democratic candidates and I had prejudged the field. Don’t fall into that trap.

Steve DiBrienza not only has what it takes to be an exceptional public advocate, he has the commitment and record of fighting the system, plus the institutional know-how to work within and around the system. Not only that, this guy can win.

The 16-year council veteran said all the right things, with passion. He is not an organization politician. He’s an activist. He does not go along, to get along. He has made a difference and wants to continue to make a difference.

In the 70’s, he went to war with the Greater New York Savings Bank to gain neighborhood reinvestment and he organized a grass-roots effort that still provides affordable housing to his neighborhood. In those days, Steve related, Park Slope was not the Park Slope of today. He believes that government can and must revitalize the less affluent communities of our city.

In 1982, this outsider took on the then Council Speaker, Majority Leader, Democratic institutional powerhouse Tom Cuite.

Three years later, Cuite had enough and withdrew from the race. Steve DiBrienza beat the Democratic organizational candidate. He’s been battling windmills ever since — often successfully.

"I’m willing to take on the powerful to protect the people," says the councilman who successfully battled the mayor as vigorously and effectively as any.

He’s committed to preserving the quality of the waterfront, computerizing every school, improving essential neighborhood services, insuring affordable quality health care, increasing licensed day care, and promoting economic development.

He’s prepared to serve as a resource to new council members to ease any difficulties of transition and shorten the learning curve.

He opposes elected officials use of "any taxpayer money spent on self promotion especially in election years."

Steve DiBrienza, a product of the New York public school system with children attending New York public schools, is a man of the people.

"I love it, out on the street. I want to be where the people live their lives day to day," he says, explaining his passion for city government over Albany or Washington.

He’s an organizer — whether it’s a street demonstration or a community development association — Steve believes in grassroots politics. He is fierce and idealistic. He understands the meaning of community and will fight to preserve it.

He is compassionate towards the less advantaged and will fight to improve their lot.

He is experienced without being tarnished. He is, in this writer’s judgment, a rare independent public servant.

Steve DiBrienza talks as fast as I do — with passion and a smile. But Steve also knows how to learn. "You gotta listen to the people you govern or you don’t belong there," he insisted. He wants to, "serve the people who live, work and struggle in this city."

Steve is the only candidate of five from the outer boroughs. He has strong labor support and seems to share an anti-organizational constituency with Norman Siegel.

Steve has gone outside the normal city political consultants to put together his operation.

He believes his record and message will resonate with the Queens voter. Steve is my kind of guy. If he manages to get his message out, you’ll find Steve is your kind of guy too.

He is the type of fighter that will make a difference in this city. Steve is the type of independent that seems to perfectly fit the role of public advocate.

No, this is not an endorsement. It is a tribute to one committed public fighter named Steve DiBrienza and to the chemical reaction that results when you combine term limits and public matching funds.

A wonderful thing is happening to our city.

Discipline is not tight in the Queens Democratic Party this year.

Hiram Monserrate, who recently received the blessing of Dem County Leader Tom Manton and the endorsement of the Queens Regular Dems, just weeks later broke with the party. Monserrate is not supporting the County’s choice for mayor or public advocate. Turning his back on Manton’s men, Monserrate is going with Freddy Ferrer for Mayor and Norman Siegel for Public Advocate.

At the same time, a number of clubs in Western Queens – both Manton and Peter Vallone’s home turf – are carrying petitions for Vallone over Manton’s and Dem County’s choice mayoral designee Alan Hevesi.

At least three Northeast Queens Democratic Clubs have opted to petition for Carol Gresser, also not the County’s candidate.

And then, there are the other clubs who hand out the petitions of the County candidate at the meeting and then make the others available after the meeting.

What does all this mean?

It seems to be more important to Tom Manton to keep everyone happy than to keep everyone in line. Manton’s minions tightened ranks and leveraged their favors to deliver endorsements to the candidates they chose. But in most cases, that seems to be where the arm-twisting ended.

"Clubs are all over the place with council candidates," reports one source close to the organization, suggesting that petitions other than the county candidates are being openly circulated by regular Dem clubs.

Daily, such occurrences have been reported to our office.

"It seems that Manton’s maneuverings have secured his position as county leader and now, he doesn’t want to make enemies," one Queens pundit suggested.

From here on in, it’ll be collect, bind and file petitions with a wide array of candidates being carried by Dem clubs across Queens.

Then Manton and company will have to decide which petitions to seriously challenge. For years, they have had their way with knocking insurgent candidates off the ballot. Expect them to pick their victims carefully to insure that select candidates will have an easier time. But with the number of contested races, don’t expect the Dem sharpshooters to be everywhere.

They’ve already paved the way for victory in a handful of Council races. If they can ‘clean up the ballot’ (read: knock off the tough challengers) in two or three other races, they’ll be able to devote their energies to the remaining contests that matter to them. They could walk away with victories from one end of the county to the other.

But some of those victories will include County candidates who can’t be expected to blindly follow Manton – Hiram Monserrate and Pete Vallone, Jr. are two obvious front-running regulars with political agendas that don’t coincide with Manton plans.

It’s going to be a fun election season as term limits and public matching funds open up and invigorate the process and the party with new and exciting faces and coalitions.

Stay tuned.