Newsday from New York, New York • 13

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For mail subscription, call 631-843-2000. SOOT A13 legend' history. She left the office in September 1976, less than two years after Morgenthau arrived. In some ways, Snyder suggests, Morgenthau has become a Teflon prosecutor. With all the hoopla over former state Sen.

Guy Velella's early release from jail last year after pleading guilty to conspiracy for steering state contracts to bribe-payers, for instance, Morgenthau's office was never criticized for cutting the plea bargain that allowed his release a mere three months into his one-year sentence. Velella was returned to jail for another three months after his release sparked criticism. "To me, it was a sweetheart deal for a corrupt politician, aided by the DA's office, and then they act very self-righteous and are going to investigate," said Snyder "What? Investigate themselves? The situation they set up?" But Morgenthau makes no apologies for Velella's deal. To him, the issue wasn't whether Velella got out in two months or 12. months.

"The important thing was he would have to resign from the Senate and that he would have to resign from the bar," You've 66 got to assume, yeah, she'll give him a run for his money. But he's a living legend, and he's got an awful lot of people who owe Pollster Maurice Carroll on Snyder and Morgenthau Morgenthau said. "The length of time was much less important." One major and potentially damaging case for the district attorney was the high-profile 1989 rape and beating of the Central Park jogger. A dozen years after Morgenthau's office obtained convictions against five teens in the case, a serial rapist confessed to the horrific crime and DNA supported his admission. He also claimed he acted alone.

"If they served time that they shouldn't have, that was an absolutely intolerable situation that the DA should never have let happen," Snyder said, but stressed that the public was still in the dark because the office did not hold a public hearing before Morgenthau agreed to dismiss the convictions. Morgenthau's position is that once the new evidence was uncovered and investigated, he was obligated to support overturning the convictions. No public hearing was necessary. If elected, Snyder said she would spend less of the office's $65-million budget fighting white-collar crime she criticizes the lengthy prosecution of former Tyco International chief Dennis Kozlowski, for instance, accused of stealing millions from the conglomerate and more on community outreach. And Snyder, who supports the death penalty while Morgenthau is a vocal opponent, said she would focus more on prosecuting domestic violence, one of the few areas of violent crime that has not abated in the city.

"Time for a change," is Snyder's slogan. "New leadership. New ideas. New energy." Code words for the fact that Morgenthau is an octogenarian? "It has nothing to do with age," she said in an interview. "It has to do with how long he's been there and the office being stale." Still, age clearly has been on the minds of political insiders watching the race.

Morgenthau's advanced age was even used recently as part of a skit parodying the race by members of the press corps' Inner Circle at their annual show. "The negative is age. There is no other negative as far as I can tell," said political expert Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute, which has not surveyed the district attorney's race. "You've got to assume, yeah, she'll give him a run for his money. But he's a living legend, and he's got an awful lot of people who owe him." IN THE SUBWAYS Swiping, but going nowhere wanted him to open the serCOMMENTARY vice gate.

He didn't have a key. "You have to go upstairs to RAY SANCHEZ the token booth across the street," said the agent, who was born in Guyana. "Use the agent here's customer a when station you assistance out. gate English. The there." The couple It man was spoke kept raining no pointneed one? ing to the gate.

They waited a The scene was the subway at few minutes before leaving 34th Street and Sixth Avenue the station. in midtown yesterday. New As soon as the Guyanese York City Transit permanently revenue agent and the Eastshuttered the first eight of 164 ern European MetroCard token booths being eliminated machine repairman left the as part of a high-tech revolu- station, the length of the line tion in fare collection. The doubled. part-time booth is closed At the head of the line Sundays.

No burgundy-jacket- were three or four couples ed agent roamed this entrance. from New Jersey and AlaA black metal gate covered bama. They swiped and the turnstiles. More than a swiped in vain. dozen people, tourists mostly, "Swipe it again, fast," one formed a line behind two tall, of them said.

high -wheel turnstiles. The "Go, go, go!" said another exasperation at the front of the on getting a green light. line increased with each failed "No, hold the card the swipe of a MetroCard. other way," one woman has to say, then you structed. go," instructed an armed reve- "I think it registered," said nue agent for the MTA who another.

"You lost your fare." rushed into action with anoth- "This is ridiculous," one er brave soul who had been man said. repairing MetroCard ma- "You have to do it fast and chines. Surely the handgun run," one woman said after strapped to his waist thwarted finally crossing into station. any hostility. Soon the high-wheel it again," he said.

stiles swarmed with a little faster this time." Card-swiping hustlers capitalizThe rider tried it again. And ing on rider inconvenience. again. He ran the card through For $2 per customer, they yet again. "A little slower," the quickly swiped riders through revenue agent said.

Now the with unlimited-ride cards, green-lighted display changed keeping lines moving and to say "Go," and the frustrated pocketing fistfuls of cash. A rider pushed through the gated change in state law this sumturnstile. Impatient people mer will make the practice a piled up behind. Trains were misdemeanor carrying up to heard leaving the station. three months in jail and a $500 The bottom of the Metro- fine.

"Just part of the cost of Card has three white arrows doing business," one subway with the words, "Insert this swiper said yesterday. way This side facing you." At the 47th-50th StreetEither that instruction needs Rockefeller Center station, revision or there's something part-time booth N-501R had a very wrong with the card fresh coat of red paint. It too readers. was closed yesterday. All The revenue agent was closed booths are being paintnow shouting directions to a ed red.

A sign said, "Station rider on the other side of a customer assistance agents black metal gate. do not have access to money. Take the he said. No fare card transactions at the rider asked. They this kiosk." repeated this two more times A hustler worked the highbefore the message reached wheel turnstiles.

A transit its destination. worker tended to a broken "You have to go back up- vending machine. "Life will stairs," the revenue agent was tell us if closing the booths telling a young Asian couple was the right decision," the with a baby stroller. They worker said. www.nynewsday.com NEWSDAY, 'AVONOW.