Put It Above Ground

Truth in Advertising…Not on the Campaign Trail

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=41703

9/11 memorial mural on Staten Island graced by sign from above

by Jamie Lee / Staten Island Advance

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45480

Under the category of it can’t get any worse the Port Authority and Larry Silverstein are arguing over whether the land at Ground Zero has actually been turned over to Silverstein.The argument is over a steel and wooden retaining wall on the property.

Knowing Mr. Silverstein’s track record along with the PA’s dreadful history it appears that he will win this battle as well.

When all is said in done he will wind up not having to pay almost any rent on the property this year.

The rent for the year is $78 million and as of Monday the PA had already paid $44 million in late penalties ($300,000 a day)

If the PA keeps giving him non compliance excuses not to accept the property and he can hold out till the end of the year he would save himself another $26 million.

So he will wind up only having to pay $8 million of the original $78 million rent.

Not a bad deal but typical of the Port Authority.

Don’t you think that with something of this magnitude there should have been clearly defined parameters as to what was needed to complete the PA’s responsibility?

“BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”

As with almost everything else at Ground Zero schedules and responsibilities and agreements are always moving targets.

Whether it was with the recovery effort, the identification of remains or the memorial everything was done behind closed doors with timelines and definitions of responsibility changed when it suited those in charge.

Never a comprehensive plan while all the while claiming an open and transparent process.

Isn’t it ironic that after the Port Authority and the LMDC has thrown up walls to block all of our concerns over the past 7 years that a wall is coming back to bite them in the rear.

So instead of just taking down the wall they would rather argue and pay $300,000 a day.

To this we would like to paraphrase Ronald Reagan and say “Mr. Ward, Tear Down That Wall”

So we can get to the next delay……….

Where to Turn Update 10/8

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45441

Just last week it was announced that a scaled down version of the 9/11 Memorial would be available for the 10th Anniversary on 9/11/11.

In a perfect example of not releasing all the facts it is now being reported that this scaled down version if available will only be open for about a week and then will be shut down for at least another year. (see articles below)

Just once it would be nice to get an honest and complete update from the Port Authority or the LMDC.

We went through the same thing with the building and fire codes as well as the reporting on the identification of remains.

For years we had to deal will partial releases and at times outright lies from both agencies.

And it appears that it is not going to stop any time soon.

Joe Daniels the President of the of the National September 11th Memorial & Museum is insisting that “it is possible to have the entire Memorial finished by the 10th anniversary, but if we can’t get 100%, we’ll get as much we possibly can”

This on the same day that Port Authority Executive Director stated that whatever is available on the 10th anniversary would be mostly be shut down for construction for about a year.

It would be nice if they could get on the same page.

The fact of the matter is that there will not be a permanent memorial for the 10th anniversary at least not at Ground Zero.

On July 2, 2008 we sent a letter to Mr. Daniels as well as Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson detailing our plans to build a memorial that would honor all those who died on 9/11 as well as those who responded and those who have died since. (for complete text of the letter click the link below)

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43636

We asked for their assistance with this effort $6.5 million facility on Staten Island which will include all of the aspects that 9/11 families had originally asked for at Ground Zero.

It is now 3 months later and we still have not even gotten a response from any of them.

We are moving forward with this effort and plan to raise the remaining $5.5 million from corporate sponsorship and individual donations. We already have commitments of $459,000 from Senators Clinton and Schumer and another $500,000 from State Senator Lanza.

If we break ground early next year we will have the facility complete for the the 10th Anniversary.

Please take a moment to view complete details of the Hearts and Hands 9/11 Memorial.

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=38365

We are hoping that you will join us to support this effort.

And we promise to keep you updated on our progress on a regular basis.

We also hope that Mr. Davis, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson will reconsider and work with us to complete this facility which will give family members a place to go not only on September 11, 2011 but every day after to quietly pay their respects to those who died as a result of the attacks on 9/11.

Lest We Forget

Dennis McKeon

FURTHER DELAY ON WTC SHRINE

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45409

Port Authority says 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero will open in 2012

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45410

9/11 Memorial To Close For 1 Year After Brief Open

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45411

Throughout the year we will all be receiving that certain gift that we
either will never use or already have.

If you would like to be an official drop off point please contact us at info@where-to-turn.org

We think that this will be a great way to help out the less fortunate and would like to get as many schools and organizations involved as
possible.

Hope you will join us as a re-gifter. Dennis

SHRINK RAP: PA HIRES FRAUDS FOR WTC SITE

NY Post

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45388

Where to Turn Update 10/4 

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45382

Where to Turn Update 10/3

http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=45558

Yesterday the Port Authority put out their newest plan for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center.

A few days late but when have schedules ever meant anything with the PA or the LMDC.

To no one’s surprise they have added at least two years to the last plan and it will cost an additional $1.5 billion.

Immediately following this release the LMDC chairman came out with the following statement

“I am gratified that working closely together, we have been able to synthesize the analysis and work of numerous agencies and stakeholders to come up with a realistic and rational schedule plan for the rebuilding of this extremely complex site. Under the leadership of the Governor, we have all taken significant steps to coordinate and bring clarity to the rebuilding process so that the public gets the progress it deserves accompanied by dates and a schedule that are accurate and achievable.”

We are sure glad that he is satisfied because we are not.

Anyone who has been associated with this project can tell you that any plan Realistic, Rational or Probabilistic (there word not ours) is not worth the paper that it is written on.

We are now on our third Governor overseeing this project and have had promises and “realistic” schedules from all three.

The problem is that there is no single entity governing this project.

The Port Authority doesn’t answer to the Governor for that matter they don’t answer to anyone

As for the LMDC I am not even going to go there because if anyone thinks that they have ever had a realistic or rational schedule they need only look at the Deutsche Bank Building

On top of that what are the odds that Mr. Schick will still be around when the next newest roadmap for rebuilding comes out.

So here we are seven years in with our newest plan.

And costs will continue to soar and schedules will continue to be missed.

But the saddest part is that they will throw something together for 9/11/11 and call it a memorial.

Because on the pecking order of what has priority the record shows that the families were never near the top.

For if they were this replan would have included building by NYC Building and Fire codes to assure the safety of future tenants and responders.

But that was never even considered.

So excuse me if I sound a little skeptical and don’t share the enthusiasm of Governor Paterson, Chris Ward and Avi Schick

As it appears I am the only realist among them.