Nice Guys Finish Last

BY ALBOR RUIZ

Monday, August 11, 1997

MAYORAL hopeful Eric Ruano Melendez is flushed with excitement after his interview with RCN, a popular Colombian radio station in Astoria.
"It went well," he says.
The first woman soccer arbiter in the world that's how she introduced herself a Brazilian in her 50s who was also interviewed, agrees.
"Candidate," she asks him, "may I have a picture with you?"
It is hot in the RCN offices, and Melendez has his jacket off. But he is eager to oblige. He puts the jacket back on, straightens his tie, smiles and poses for the picture.
A nice guy, this Ruano Melendez.
Being nice, though, won't win any elections for the balding, slightly overweight, 49-year-old Guatemalan immigrant. For that, he would have to overcome some pretty impressive obstacles, such as the fact that he has zero name recognition, zero money, zero staff and zero political experience. Zero, zilch, nada.
But Melendez is not deterred.
"It's not impossible to defeat Giuliani," he says, in his mind having already left Ruth Messinger, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Sal Albanese biting the dust in the Sept. 9 Democratic primary. "A Hispanic can do it. I will never quit like Freddy Ferrer did."
For all his naivete, Ruano Melendez is not a complete rookie in the electoral game. In 1991, he ran for a City Council seat in Queens, and in 1992, he ran against Nydia Velazquez for Congress. He was unsuccessful both times.
Melendez has lived in Queens since he was 19, and is a civil engineer for the city's Department of Environmental Protection.
"I like Civil Service," he says. "It gives you a chance to make a difference."
But obviously Civil Service is not enough to satisfy his vocation for public service.
"Politics is in my blood," he says. "My two grandfathers were the mayors of their towns in Guatemala." One was an army officer, as was the candidate's father. He was brought up under a strict regime of order and discipline.
That likely accounts for his proposal to militarize New York. "Let the National Guard assist in law enforcement on our streets," is the way he puts it. Yet, crime is down in the city. Why take such a drastic step at this point, which also would alienate Hispanics by reviving memories of military juntas and dictat orships?
"Well, then let's do it in the public schools," he answers. "Let the National Guard and West Point officers serve as teachers to reestablish order and discipline."
If he ever is elected, Melendez will be, to say the least, a rather unorthodox public official. He would reduce unemployment by using "abandoned areas in the five boroughs to create and promote Disney-style amusement parks." This, together with a casino in the Rockaways, would increase tourism and generate employment, as well as new revenue.
But the cornerstone of would-be Mayor Melendez' plans for the City of New York is to transform it into the 51st state. "If we become a state, we would not have to depend on Albany's Legislature to obtain public funds."
All through the conversation, RCN employes and visitors have been walking by, and many of them have greeted Melendez warmly. "Como estas Eric?"
"Un pacer Sr. Ruano."
These people like him, and they are willing to indulge him, the way one indulges an eccentric and likeable uncle. Liking him is one thing, voting for him another. Hispanic voters have become way too pragmatic to vote for someone just because he is Latino.
"Eric is a decent man," an RCN employe said. "But I would not vote for him. He doesn't have a chance, and he has no experience."
It has been a long day for the candidate. It is almost 10 p.m., but the adrenaline is flowing, and he is not ready to call it a night just yet.
EVERYBODY else is tired, but the mayoral hopeful stands up, puts his jacket back on, straightens his tie and says with a wide smile: "Let's go have dinner."
A nice guy, this Ruano Melendez.