I guess the Port Authority and the LMDC are getting into the holiday spirit a little bit early because they are now going to gift wrap the World Trade Center site.
In a blatant publicity stunt they are going to replace the existing constructions boards with new ones detailing what is planned for the site.
Knowing that the out of town holiday crowds will be visiting the site they want to make sure they go home and tell their friends what great things are happening at the site.
God knows how much money is being spent on this new campaign but we all know that money is never concern with the LMDC or the Port Authority.
The LMDC alone continues to pay it’s over 50 staff members over $4 million a year.
And now after 7 years the Port Authority’s Executive Director Christopher Ward sees the need to create a sense of place for the neighborhood as more than just a construction site.
The Port Authority is also promoting its greening of the site.
That’s great we will have a site exempt from NYC Building and Fire codes bit at least it will be green.
So once again more smoke and mirrors.
Whatever happened to the Realistic and Rational schedule that we were promised?
It has been almost 2 months since the new plan was released and I have not seen or heard even one update.
Instead of giving us formal updates the Port Authority gives us www.wtcprogress where they answer questions that they want to answer.
And once again no one holds them accountable and now they will probably lose in arbitration and have to continue to pay Silverstein $300,000 a day in late fees.
But we are now making the site pretty for the holidays.
Don’t they realize that no matter how much wrapping paper you put on an empty box, it’s still an empty box.
But why should we expect anything different.
Why should they rush as they don’t even have any tenants to occupy the buildings?
So excuse me for being a Scrooge but to paraphrase a Christmas song....
“On the 7th year of rebuilding the PA gave to me…….Nothing”
Happy Holidays
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Fair and Honest Reporting
On Tuesday November 4th 2008 the people voted for a change.
In the most important event of my lifetime Americans elected their first African American President.
Barack Obama ran a tremendous campaign and his supporters crossed all ethnic and racial lines.
He has a chance to be a great president and unify our country.
The question is; will he be allowed to do this.
If his campaign showed anything it showed that he was the media’s choice.
He was constantly praised and rarely held accountable for any miscues or questionable associations.
If this type of bias continues, and there is no reason to believe it will stop, he may never become the leader that many hope he will be.
A case in point.
The two days following the election the stock market crashed nearly 1,000 points.
Now honestly answer these two questions.
If McCain had won the election what would have been the media’s reaction to this drop?
If the stock market rose 1,000 points over the same two days what would have been the media’s reaction?
We all know the answers.
McCain and the thought of continued Republican rule would have been blamed for the continued decline.
On the other hand if the market had risen Obama’s election would have been credited for the upswing.
But Obama was elected and the market continued its decline and the media said nothing.
If this is an example of how they are going to continue to cover him we are in for a bad run.
A President needs to be held accountable for his failures as much as he is credited with his successes.
We need an honest and fair media to keep this balance.
An honest and fair media that we have not seen for quite some time.
They need to report on him not as a Democrat, not as an African American but as the President of the United States.
They need to bring integrity back into their reporting
America deserves it,,,,,,,our new President deserves it.
Dennis
“Our character...is an omen of our destiny, and the more integrity we have and keep, the simpler and nobler that destiny is likely to be”.
George Santayana
In the most important event of my lifetime Americans elected their first African American President.
Barack Obama ran a tremendous campaign and his supporters crossed all ethnic and racial lines.
He has a chance to be a great president and unify our country.
The question is; will he be allowed to do this.
If his campaign showed anything it showed that he was the media’s choice.
He was constantly praised and rarely held accountable for any miscues or questionable associations.
If this type of bias continues, and there is no reason to believe it will stop, he may never become the leader that many hope he will be.
A case in point.
The two days following the election the stock market crashed nearly 1,000 points.
Now honestly answer these two questions.
If McCain had won the election what would have been the media’s reaction to this drop?
If the stock market rose 1,000 points over the same two days what would have been the media’s reaction?
We all know the answers.
McCain and the thought of continued Republican rule would have been blamed for the continued decline.
On the other hand if the market had risen Obama’s election would have been credited for the upswing.
But Obama was elected and the market continued its decline and the media said nothing.
If this is an example of how they are going to continue to cover him we are in for a bad run.
A President needs to be held accountable for his failures as much as he is credited with his successes.
We need an honest and fair media to keep this balance.
An honest and fair media that we have not seen for quite some time.
They need to report on him not as a Democrat, not as an African American but as the President of the United States.
They need to bring integrity back into their reporting
America deserves it,,,,,,,our new President deserves it.
Dennis
“Our character...is an omen of our destiny, and the more integrity we have and keep, the simpler and nobler that destiny is likely to be”.
George Santayana
Thursday, November 6, 2008
HR BILL 4266 IGNORED...CHILDREN CONTINUE TO DIE
To All,
It has been over 3 years since we got involved in the battle to save our children from these types of accidents.
It has been a lot longer for the families who have lost children and have tried to raise the awareness of the nation and make our lawmakers do something to protect other children.
For three years as HR Bill 1861 died in committee and HR 4266 was resubmitted we have gathered nearly 11,000 signatures on our petition but still members of Congress have turned a blind eye and children continue to die.
We are hopeful with that with the new administration just elected promising change things might actually well "CHANGE"
HR 4266 was submitted 12/17/07 and in almost a year has only garnered 11 co-sponsors
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 2/7/2008
Rep Chandler, Ben [KY-6] - 1/16/2008
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] - 2/6/2008
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] - 3/14/2008
Rep Fossella, Vito [NY-13] - 12/19/2007
Rep Graves, Sam [MO-6] - 2/14/2008
Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] - 12/18/2007
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 12/4/2007
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] - 2/25/2008
Rep Price, David E. [NC-4] - 2/25/2008
Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] - 3/4/2008
Please contact your Representative and have them get on board to protect the most venerable in our society.
Don't let another family have to lose another child as did the DiTomaso did this week in Yonkers.
Below are links to our petition and information on the bill please sign on...get involved and help us make a change.
Petition
http://www.petitiononline.com/HR1861/petition.html
HR BILL 4266 (FORMERLY HR BILL 1861)
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=33
Yonkers toddler killed after TV topples from bedroom dresser
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45816
It has been over 3 years since we got involved in the battle to save our children from these types of accidents.
It has been a lot longer for the families who have lost children and have tried to raise the awareness of the nation and make our lawmakers do something to protect other children.
For three years as HR Bill 1861 died in committee and HR 4266 was resubmitted we have gathered nearly 11,000 signatures on our petition but still members of Congress have turned a blind eye and children continue to die.
We are hopeful with that with the new administration just elected promising change things might actually well "CHANGE"
HR 4266 was submitted 12/17/07 and in almost a year has only garnered 11 co-sponsors
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 2/7/2008
Rep Chandler, Ben [KY-6] - 1/16/2008
Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] - 2/6/2008
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] - 3/14/2008
Rep Fossella, Vito [NY-13] - 12/19/2007
Rep Graves, Sam [MO-6] - 2/14/2008
Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] - 12/18/2007
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 12/4/2007
Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] - 2/25/2008
Rep Price, David E. [NC-4] - 2/25/2008
Rep Skelton, Ike [MO-4] - 3/4/2008
Please contact your Representative and have them get on board to protect the most venerable in our society.
Don't let another family have to lose another child as did the DiTomaso did this week in Yonkers.
Below are links to our petition and information on the bill please sign on...get involved and help us make a change.
Petition
http://www.petitiononline.com/HR1861/petition.html
HR BILL 4266 (FORMERLY HR BILL 1861)
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=33
Yonkers toddler killed after TV topples from bedroom dresser
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=45816
Monday, November 3, 2008
LIFE IS AN OCCASION ....RISE TO IT
To All,
Someone sent me the following with the question:
What choice would you have made?
Now I have no idea if this is true or not but I would like to think that it is.
Our lives are so caught up in having to win.
From the presidential race right on down to little league too
much emphasis is put on winning.
Life is an occasion and we need to rise to it.
These kids did and after reading this I am going to try to rise to it as well.
Dennis
MAY YOUR DAY BE A SHAY DAY
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children
with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a
speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:
When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does,
is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.
He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. I believe that when a child
like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world,
an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself,
and it comes in the way other people treat that child.
Then he told the following story:
Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay
knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?
I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play,
it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
I approached one of the boys on the field and asked
(not expecting much) if Shay could play.
The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing
by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning.
I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him
in to bat in the ninth inning.
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a
broad smile put on a team shirt.
I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart.
The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored
a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
played in the right field.
Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously
ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field,
grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential
winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their
chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a
hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold
the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher,
recognizing that the other team was putting winning
aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few
steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact...
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the
ball softly towards Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a
slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have
easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shay would have been out and that would have been the end
of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first
baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.
Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling,
Shay, run to first! Run to first!
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made
it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, Run to second, run to second!
Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards
second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.
By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right
fielder had the ball.
The smallest guy on their team who now had his
first chance to be the hero for his team.
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag,
but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too,
intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners
ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran
to help him by turning him in the direction of third base,
and shouted, Run to third! Shay, run to third!
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators,
were on their feet screaming, Shay, run home! Run home!
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as
the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team
That day, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true
love and humanity into this world.
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter,
having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy,
and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
Someone sent me the following with the question:
What choice would you have made?
Now I have no idea if this is true or not but I would like to think that it is.
Our lives are so caught up in having to win.
From the presidential race right on down to little league too
much emphasis is put on winning.
Life is an occasion and we need to rise to it.
These kids did and after reading this I am going to try to rise to it as well.
Dennis
MAY YOUR DAY BE A SHAY DAY
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children
with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a
speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:
When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does,
is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.
He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. I believe that when a child
like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world,
an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself,
and it comes in the way other people treat that child.
Then he told the following story:
Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay
knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?
I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play,
it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
I approached one of the boys on the field and asked
(not expecting much) if Shay could play.
The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing
by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning.
I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him
in to bat in the ninth inning.
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a
broad smile put on a team shirt.
I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart.
The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored
a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
played in the right field.
Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously
ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field,
grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential
winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their
chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a
hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold
the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher,
recognizing that the other team was putting winning
aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few
steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact...
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the
ball softly towards Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a
slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have
easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shay would have been out and that would have been the end
of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first
baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.
Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling,
Shay, run to first! Run to first!
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made
it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, Run to second, run to second!
Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards
second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.
By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right
fielder had the ball.
The smallest guy on their team who now had his
first chance to be the hero for his team.
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag,
but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too,
intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners
ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran
to help him by turning him in the direction of third base,
and shouted, Run to third! Shay, run to third!
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators,
were on their feet screaming, Shay, run home! Run home!
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as
the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team
That day, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true
love and humanity into this world.
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter,
having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy,
and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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