Put It Above Ground

Maybe you can remind the council there was NEVER a legitimate Memorial Competition.  As a competitor in the competition from the start, I can assure you Reflecting Absence was a preconceived idea between Maya Lin and Rolland Betts…the two worked together at the Yale Corporation, and had plans in place long before the smoke screen of a competition.  

  I believe announcing via a press release (I have a copy) that an INDEPENDENT jury would be judging the competition amounts to felony false advertising when the jury was in fact connected in multiple personal and professional ways.   When I filed a complaint with the NYS ethics commission, they shoved it under the rug…surprise, mostly Pataki appointed positions…My complaints fell on deaf ears to the FTC as well, we are after all talking about the President’s best friend here.  

  Funny how the design (RA) mirrors the one Maya designed prior to the competition and published in NY magazine was conveniently submitted through a port authority worker who’s father used to be the Israeli ambassador, and friends with Pataki…I found an article placing them in Israel together…Guiliani too for that matter.  

  Reflecting absence is the substandard result of an elite few exploiting the death of innocent lives for personal gain. 

  Keep up the fight, so many stand with you. 

Press Release:

For Immediate Distribution

March 28, 2006

 

WHAT: Skyscraper Safety and Put It Above Ground Advocates Press Conference

WHERE: On the steps of City Hall, NYC

WHEN: Wednesday, March 29,2006

TIME: 9:30 AM

Immesiately following this press conference, at 10:00 AM, the City Council’s Committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment will hold a hearing on the second floor of City Hall regarding:

Oversight - “Status of the WTC Memorial”

The Skyscraper Safety Campaign, 9/11 family advocates, safety professionals, evacuation specialists, uniformed services, and union representatives will testify to the lack of safety as well as the immunities from NYC codes inherent in the proposed memorial design.

The LMDC, Port Authority, and related entities wll also be testifying.

All families who are concerned about having a safe, above the ground memorial are encouraged to attend. This is a golden opportunity to show the City Council how the 9/11 relatives feel about a dangerous underground memorial.

The LMDC originally claimed that there would be 25,000 visitors a day to the underground memorial. When safety concerns were raised about no exit strategy to handle this type of crowd they lowered their estimates instead of addressing the safety issues. They continue to show images of from one to dozens of people visiting the planned memorial. The bottom line is that the original numbers are probably right on target. Now if you figure that the memorial is to be open 24 hours a day, which would be possible if it were above ground but not likely in its current design, that would mean 1,000 people per hour cramped in the under ground space. Either people will be rushed through after they pass through metal detectors or we will have people lined up back to the Staten Island Ferry waiting to get in. Not a pretty picture, but this is not how one person sees it.

Anne Papageorge, who’s helping to coordinate the memorial’s construction thinks that the politics and noise will recede. We haven’t decided which term was meant to describe us.

She thinks that this will ultimately be about a single visitor who stands before the names of the dead with the sound and mist of a waterfall filling the air.

She also has stated that it’ll begin to change and decompress the visitors from the busy city, from the taxicabs and street and honking noises to this more contemplative space, and then get you ready for this experience, of decent, confronting death and then ascending back to life.

How waiting in line for hours to be rushed through a cramped space shoulder to shoulder with a thousand other visitors searching for the randomly placed name of your loved one with the thunder of a waterfall (with frozen mist in the winter) in front of you and the rumbling of the PATH train on the other side of the wall can be considered contemplative is beyond me.

Remember these are not made up statements as they came from someone who is coordinating the memorial’s construction.

Take a moment and click on the photo to the right. This is not propaganda or revisionist history just actual facts, photos and articles from the past

Fiction:   There are only about 12 9/11 families that oppose the current Memorial Plan (statement from the LMDC family representative on the Memorial Advisory Committee)

Fact: Over 2,000 9/11 family members have signed our petition opposing the current Memorial plan.

 

Fiction: The Port Authority will abide by NYC Building and Fire Codes

Fact: The Port Authority is exempt from NYC Building and Fire Codes. They currently do not have to build under the legal jurisdiction of either the FDNY or the NYC Buildings Department

Fiction: The current plan is supported by the major uniformed unions.

Fact: Representatives of the major uniformed unions supported our cause at our kick off rally including Steve Cassidy from the FDNY and Pat Lynch from the NYPD.

Fiction: This is just an attempt by griping 9/11 family members who will never be satified with any plans for Ground Zero

Fact: This is an attempt to assure that a safe and proper memorial is built supported by over 10,000 people from around the world.

Fiction:The LMDC has done all in its power to let the families and general public know that the memorial experience will take place between 35 and 70 feet below street level.

Fact: 90% of the people interviewed at Ground Zero had no clue that the memorial was to be placed underground and not one picture of the memorial on the fence surrounding Ground Zero shows any aspect of the underground memorial

Fiction: The Memorial Experience will be a safe and comforting experience for those who visit.

Fact: Despite views of from 2 to 20 people viewing the memorial (as shown on the LMDC website) thousands of people will visit the site each day and will have to endure long lines and be subject to passing through metal detectors prior to getting to the actual memorial. Only one ramp in and one ramp out (feeding out onto West Street) are currently planned to handle the crowds.

As we begin the Put It Above Ground Campaign there are a variety of ways that you can help.

We need volunteers to collect signatures during the day at Ground Zero. Anyone interested can call us at 347-273-1371

We need to get the petition out to a broader audience. Please make people aware of this website and the petition.

We need our supporters to contact their elected officials to ask for their support in championing this cause.

Click the link below for a sample letter

Petition Letter

Use this link to find your Representatives

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

If you would like to donate to help use raise the awareness of Rosaleen’s fight and lend a voice to the Put It Above Ground Effort you can do so by going to:

http://www.firstgiving.com/putitaboveground

Click on the link below to enjoy the Memorial Experience. This is the original animation that used to appear on the Memorial website. Is this how you want to honor your loved ones? This is a far cry from the recent images that the LMDC has been promoting.

http://www.renewnyc.com/images_WMS/memorial_final/multimedia/movie2.asf

Raise the Memorial

Build it to Code

Eliminate the Random Placement of Names

Reserve Historical Remnants Above and Below Street Level at Ground Zero

Listen to the Families…Listen to America…Listen to the World

Sign Our Petition

http://www.petitiononline.com/WTT2006/petition.html

Below are a few comments from New York Magazine January 2004

Future Past

What do you think of the proposed WTC memorial?

 
• By Jada Yuan

Dennis

 

Trying to Fill a Void Left by 9/11Rosaleen Tallon’s little brother, a firefighter, died in the towers’ collapse. She’s fought a lonely battle in his memory ever since.

By Ellen Barry, Times Staff Writer
March 25, 2006

NEW YORK — Some time around 4 a.m., when Rosaleen Tallon has stretched out on a cot on the bare, freezing sidewalk, a still figure appears on the corner beside her.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-rosaleen25mar25,0,7392087.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Sept. 11 group ends vigil, but continues fight to change memorialhttp://www.amny.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny–attacks-memorial0325mar25,0,5982311.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork

The Put It Above Ground Petition to Eliminate Port Authority Exemptions at Ground Zero an Raise the Memorial to the Light of Day has recorded its 10,000th signature. (8,800 on line and 1,200 hand written).

This petition is truly representative of an open and fair process as the signatures come from all 50 states and nearly 40 countries. The majority of signatures are from families and friends of victims of the 9/11 attacks. Many comments have been included with the signatures and can be viewed at

http://www.petitiononline.com/WTT2006/petition.html

A copy of this petition will be presented to Congress. Copies of the petition, signatures and comments will also be supplied to the LMDC and the Port Authority.

We will continue to accept signatures as we launch the National Put It Above Ground Memorial Campaign.

Your continued support is greatly appreciated.

Dennis McKeon

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Distribution, 3/24/06

contact:

Rosaleen Tallon - RJTALLON@cs.com

Sally Regenhard - 646-266-1987

Dennis McKeon - 718-619-2371 dennis.mckeon@where-to-turn.org

 

 

9/11 Vigil Families Launch National

“Put It Above Ground Memorial Campaign”

Petition Drive Reaches 10,000 Signatures

“Safety First” Is The Priority of Families in WTC Memorial

WHAT: 9/11 Vigil Families Launch “Put It Above Ground Memorial Campaign”

WHERE: In front of 10-10 Fire House, Liberty Street, west of Church Street

WHEN: Saturday, March 25, 2006

TIME 10:30 AM

 

Rosaleen Tallon, sister of 9/11 FF Sean Patrick Tallon, and the WTC Vigil participants & supporters announce the completion of the 17 night: “Vigil of Love and Honor” which has been conducted outside Fire House 10-10 at Ground Zero to protest the lack of safety and honor in the LMDC/Port Authority proposed underground Memorial.

We also announce the launching of the “Put It Above Ground” Memorial Campaign: http://putitaboveground.org

We are supported by the A-9/11 Advocates, representing the uniformed services, The Skyscraper Safety Campaign: a project of Parents & Families of Firefighters &WTC Victims, Where to Turn, a public advocacy group with 9/11 roots, and nearly 10,000 people from across America and around the world. These are the people who have signed our petition to eliminate Port Authority exemptions at the WTC and to demand a safe and honorable Memorial, with preservation of historical remnants above and below street level at the WTC.

http://www.petitiononline.comWTT2006/

 

The current “Put It Above Ground” petition & public education drive conducted by 9/11 family members on Church Street at Ground Zero will be greatly expanded during daytime hours, seven days per week, commencing on Monday, March 27, 2006, and will continue until a goal of a safe, above the ground, respectful memorial is achieved.

10,000 signature petition to be delivered to Congress

9/11 families and safety experts to testify at the NYC Council public hearing on the status of the WTC Memorial on Wednesday, March 29, 2006 at 10:00 AM, City Hall, N.Y.

 

* Rev. Bill Minson, who played an integral role in establishing this Vigil, will lead us in prayer to conclude the press     conference.