FOR THE RECORD

His reputation locally has been shredded by his criminal conviction earlier this summer for improperly accepting $200,000, much of it from two businessmen linked to organized crime, but Bernie Kerik apparently is still considered a go-to guy by some foreign governments with security problems.

Mr. Kerik, who is advising Jordan on law-enforcement matters, has also been retained by the government of Guyana to help curb gang-related crime - which has included the fatal shooting of five employees of one of the country's newspapers and the robbery of $100 million from two banks by 15 armed bandits - as that nation prepares for elections.

It's not clear, however, that Mr. Kerik's firm will be able to collect the sizable fee promised by Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo for its work in reforming the Guyanese police force. Two weeks ago, after the retainer was announced, the Inter-American Development Bank said that it would not finance the retainer, either of Mr. Kerik as an individual or his firm, the Kerik Group. President Jagdeo, who was up for re-election Aug. 28, the day this newspaper went to press, had said IDB would be providing the $20 million loan that would pay for the reform program, including Mr. Kerik's undisclosed retainer. One of the country's political factions, the Alliance for Change, protested Mr. Kerik's retainer because of his tainted past, questioning how he could be an appropriate adviser when he was considered unfit to be U.S. Homeland Security Secretary because of his tangled financial history and his associations with two brothers identified as associates of the Gambino crime family. (Mr. Kerik is also the subject of a probe by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan into the financial transactions of the Correction Foundation, according to a recent New York Times story.)

Reporting on the protest, the Queens-based newspaper Caribbean Impact described Mr. Kerik as having "reportedly glued himself to Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's left shoulder following the September 11 attacks."

In an editorial, the paper stated that it hoped "the news of the hiring of former New York top cop Bernard Kerik is just a political gimmick and not a serious consideration."

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The struggles of Democratic Senate hopeful Jonathan Tasini in his bid to line up labor support for his challenge to Hillary Clinton continued last week.

Mr. Tasini got the opportunity to speak at an executive board meeting of the Civil Service Technical Guild Aug. 23. When Fred Newton, one of his supporters in the union, which is Local 375 of District Council 37, asked for a vote on an endorsement, however, it was quickly torpedoed.

Tech Guild President Claude Fort, according to Mr. Newton, said that it would be unfair to hold a vote because Ms. Clinton had not yet had a chance to address the union. A motion to vote on an endorsement was overwhelmingly defeated by the roughly 50 members of Local 375 who were present.

Mr. Fort's position seemed inconsistent with that of DC 37, which a week earlier had canceled a scheduled appearance by Mr. Tasini before its political screening committee because that panel had made up its mind to endorse Hillary's re-election without hearing from her rival.

The Tech Guild president said in a phone interview the following afternoon that he told Mr. Newton, "We've got to be democratic." Did he expect that Hillary would be addressing his union between now and the Sept. 12 primary? Mr. Fort said he didn't know, and wasn't sure whether his board would even meet prior to the election.

"It will be up to the executive board what they want to do," he said.

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Our condolences to Madison High School Teacher Susan Miller on the Aug. 22 death of her father, Seymour, whose Runyonesque persona co-existed with a good heart, a wry sense of humor, and a passion for Brooklyn high school sports.

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The New York City Labor Chorus is oiling its pipes and holding auditions for new members on Sept. 18 and 25. Those interested in trying out for the group can receive further information by calling (212) 929-3232.