By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

I lunched on Friday with the Queens leader of the City Council.

I’ve known him for more than two years; we’ve been at parties and dinners together, but the two of us never sat down to talk.

At lunch, I discovered why his Council colleagues view Leroy Comrie as the go-to guy in the Queens delegation. This large man has a very large heart and an equally large capacity to listen, negotiate and get things done while bringing people together.

Michael Schenkler and Leroy Comrie Tribune Photo By Shams Tarek

His quiet, slow style of speaking is deceiving, while his mind moves methodically with a deep understanding of the dynamics of all involved. He carefully measures each reaction as to how it impacts on his district, our borough, his political import, the people of the City and the institution of government.

Leroy is bright and well read — somewhat a student of the institution in which he participates. He gets much of his news online and can frequently be found surfing the net late at night after a ten-hour-plus workday.

His colleagues have been singing his praises to us since he first was named chairman of the influential Rules Committee of the City Council. As one of the class of fourteen new Council members of Queens, he  – above all others – emerged as the delegation leader. Shortly after the year began, his Queens colleagues officially elected him Delegation chairman.

He led the delegation in budget negotiations, but is quick to praise the work of others. He prides the Council’s work on the budget, citing the restoration of: $7 million in cuts to the Queensborough Library system; $5.5 million for CUNY scholarships; and funding for Crossing Guards. Comrie insists there is an additional $500 million in economies still available. He supports Council member items, explaining cultural institutions and after-school programs must be maintained to provide our children with the music, art and physical opportunities not adequately offered in schools.

Comrie was instrumental in convening a meeting of all Queens elected officials to provide a borough-wide focus on the need to preserve our cultural institutions and achieve status and financial support for them as citywide institutions. “The Hall of Science, PS 1, MOMA and Queens Museum,” he asserted, “deserve the level of support the City provides to other institutions [located in Manhattan].”

Leroy Comrie brings people together. And when I challenged him on reparations and race, he responded with his typical thoughtful, incisive analysis.

“There is no overt racial discrimination in New York today,” he said.

 However, he explains, the black community does not yet possess the network built over many years of running government that enables funding and institutional contacts to exist in the white community. In September, Comrie is conducting a workshop to empower the not-for-profits in Southeast Queens. They will be provided with the tools to write proposals, seek foundation grants and create tax-exempt (501C3) charities. The disparity in funding coming to his community, explained Comrie, exists because we don’t have decades of depth of City employees leaving the public sector to return to the community to help us build.

“The discussion of reparations is necessary,” Comrie insisted. “The government still doesn’t understand what people feel about still waiting for their 40 acres and a mule . . . I don’t know if it is money, but the government must acknowledge it wronged many of our people allowing them to be enslaved.”

He is thoughtful and perhaps scholarly when it comes to the social issues impacting our City.

“The damage still exists,” explains Comrie. “Some of our people predetermine, there is no opportunity and a lot just don’t try. But today the opportunity is there.”

Leroy Comrie is a self-described moderate.

“I listen to all sides and come out with the best plan . . . When you include everyone’s opinion, the solution is moderate.”

His description of himself echoes that of his colleagues who say Leroy will always give you the time to help solve a problem. When the Queens delegation is informally polled as to whom they would like to see as the next Speaker of the Council, Leroy Comrie’s name is first or second on everyone’s list.

So I asked, “Leroy, they say, the City needs a man of color as the next Speaker, will that be you?”

“I don’t want to be Speaker because I’m black” he asserted. “I want to be the next Speaker because I’m the most qualified . . . It would be a horrible legacy to be elected because I’m of color. I want to be picked by my colleagues because I’m best able to deliver for the 51 Council members, and perform most effectively for the people of the City and the institution of government.”

“Does that mean,” I asked, “that color should not be considered at all?”

Leroy laughed, smiled and said, “You use whatever leverage you can to get in the door.”

Leroy Comrie prides himself on being a family man. I’ve seen him with his wife and two adorable children. His tender warmth is clearly apparent.

He cares deeply about people and conveys a sensitivity and compassion which seems to differentiate him from other politicians.

Leroy loves his job.

When asked what’s the best part of being Councilman, he smiled again and without pause, said, “Getting thank yous.”

Leroy Comrie appreciates people.

People appreciate Leroy Comrie.

This thoughtful, caring man will be around for many years, leading and uniting people in the future New York.

Leroy Comrie is certain to make his mark as a giant of our City.

The Tale Of The Buck

It’s the tale of the political tape and it isn’t pretty. Like previous years, the numbers tell the story: if campaigns are not publically financed, the playing field cannot be close to even – incumbents have a big advantage.

In a redistricting year where, historically, incumbents can lose their advantage as district lines move, the bucks say something else.

In all legislative races this election season, 28 incumbents have campaign warchests totaling $5,346,669. Challengers, 49 of them, have only a total of $399,473. Incumbents average $190,952 cash on hand while challengers average only $8,153. Incumbents, on average, have more than 23 times the amount of money for this campaign than their challengers.

We’ve provided you with the cash on hand of all candidates who filed petitions for office this year. Play with the numbers, play with our analysis. But sadly, when you go to vote, the almighty buck may make your decision for you.