Charge Misses Point

To the Editor:

Joe Carbone's Aug. 4 letter questioning my use of stereotypes regarding Bernie Kerik being Rudy Giuliani's "made man" [July 21 letter] is ridiculous.

First, let's be very clear: regarding Bernie the Perp being Rudy Giuliani's made man, it was Kerik himself in his book, "The Lost Son," page 253, who characterized becoming part of Giuliani's team in this manner. Kerik talked about how he had been kissed on the cheek by the Mayor's closest staffers and how he felt like he was being accepted onto the Mayor's team as one would be accepted into a Mafia family. He wrote: "I was being made."

To clarify Carbone's questions about power, let me state it more simply. Numerous news reports have now definitively shown that Kerik and other highlevel Giuliani staff members - Patrick, Harding, Roberts, Serra - not only had power, but were corrupted by it. That's what I was talking about: the corrupt manner in which these individuals used their power and the fact that they were able to do so because they were part of Team Giuliani. I'm talking about the power of tyrants, not responsible leaders of city government.

As for Carbone's statements regarding my promotions, the difference between my promotions and Kerik's is that I passed several promotional exams and worked my way up through the ranks. Kerik didn't pass any promotional exams, nor did he go through the ranks. He was handed his powerful position because of his ties to Mayor Giuliani. Then, he betrayed his trust and the trust of the people of the City of New York. It seems obvious that the lesson here is that this type of power - tyrannical power where no one is allowed to voice concerns - corrupts. Don't take my word for it; check out the cases noted above regarding Giuliani's Team.

TERRENCE J. SKINNER, Deputy Warden In Command, Retired