A Blog For All

September 11, 2019 -- I Remember First Responders

2019-09-11T10:55:00.000-04:00

As readers of this blog know I have been participating in Project 2,996, a tribute to the 2,996 innocent victims of 9/11, where bloggers eulogize each victim. Today, I am changing the rules a bit. I will not be writing a tribute to one of the victims who died that fateful day, but rather, a tribute to the first responders who have died in the last 18 years because of injuries they suffered while at ground zero. Please also view my previous tributes to Firefighter Thomas M. Butler, Capt. Daniel J. Brethel, Pamela Chu, Donald H. Gregory, Steven Harris Russin, Lt. Col. Jerry Don Dickerson Jr., Mary Lenz Wieman, Mark Francis Broderick, Capt. Patrick J, Brown, Hagay Shefi, Alison Marie Wildman, Daniel Thomas Afflitto, and Donna Bernaerts-Kearns, as they deserve to be remembered today too.

On 9/11, thousands of first responders rushed to the Twin Towers. As people were running out, they were running in. Many didn't make it out and are listed as one of the 2,996 innocent victims of that day. However, many of these first responders worked on the pile for the weeks and months to come. From the initial search and rescue efforts to fighting the fire that lasted for months to remove the debris and rubble from the pile, thousands of firefighters, policemen, and EMS worked days and nights in conditions that no one was prepared for. I remember the smell of that smoke. The smell lasted for months. It hung over lower Manhattan like a cloud. The smell even extended across the river and into Brooklyn and parts of New Jersey. Anyone who smelled it, who saw the smoke, knew, instinctively, that the air was not right. Something was wrong with the air that was being breathed by all of us.

In our society, we have a social contract with first responders. You risk your lives for us, and we are supposed to support you. Support you with giving you the best training, the best equipment, the best information. And if you fall in the line fo duty, we are supposed to take care of your family. On 9/11 and the days since, we have broken that contract with our first responders.

First, on 9/11 and the immediate days that followed, our first responders were not even provided proper equipment. I remember news reports that many of those fighting the fire, or searching the pile, or removing debris, did not have proper respiration equipment. They did not have proper equipment to keep them safe! While we may not have been prepared on that day, there was no excuse for that failure to last for several weeks.

Second, the government lied to them and to all of us! The government told us the air was safe. Christy Todd Whitman assured all of us that the air around the WTC was safe and not toxic. That has been proven false. I remember as the New York City Law Department was preparing to move back to our offices one block from the WTC, City and the Feds brought in experts to tell us how safe the air was to breathe. That there was nothing to worry about and there never was. More absolute lies.

Third, when these brave first responders got sick because of the work they did for us and because of the first two failures of our government, it took nearly 18 years for Congress to permanently pass a victims compensation fund so that we can in some way try to fulfill our obligations to them? Congress did it really take more than a decade of hearings, the harsh words of a comedian, and a parade of the dying to finally bring you to your senses? Shame on those like Rand Paul who voted to stop the passage of the Victims Compensation Fund. Such politics should never have been allowed to enter this discussion.

Recently, a memorial to the First Responders who have dies since 9/11 has been installed at the World Trade Center Memorial. The six granite slabs are known as the 9/11 Memorial Glade, are not inscribed with names, like the black granite that surrounds the Memorial pools because the victims that this memorial is paying tribute to is not set in stone. It is estimated that the number of first responders who will die because due to some illness related to 9/11 exposure will exceed the number of first responders who died on that day.

As a society, we must remember our social contract with our first responders. We cannot fail them like this and expect them to protect us when we need them.

September 11, 2018 -- I Remember Thomas M. Butler

2018-09-11T13:01:00.000-04:00

In my continued participation in Project 2,996, a tribute to the 2,996 innocent victims of 9/11, where bloggers eulogize each victim, today I remember Firefighter, Thomas M. Butler. Previously, I have remembered Capt. Daniel J. Brethel, Pamela Chu, Donald H. Gregory, Steven Harris Russin, Lt. Col. Jerry Don Dickerson Jr., Mary Lenz Wieman, Mark Francis Broderick, Capt. Patrick J, Brown, Hagay Shefi, Alison Marie Wildman, Daniel Thomas Afflitto, and Donna Bernaerts-Kearns. Please visit my tributes to them as well today, as they deserve to be remembered too.

Firefighter Thomas M. Butler was a member of FDNY Squad 1. Tom's life was dedicated to service. A 12 year veteran of the FDNY, Thomas was also a former NYPD Officer and a member of the US Navy Reserve, assigned to the Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit. He also served as the bay constable in Smithtown‚ N.Y.

As Tom's wife wrote in 2006, "Everyday was important to him and he lived it like it was his last." His laid back attitude was epitomized by him constantly reminding his family and friends to "Don't sweat the small stuff!".

Tom and Martha had three children, Kelly, 4, Shawn 6 and Patrick 8 months. On September 9, Patrick and Martha christened Patrick. Tom, true to his fun-loving nature, wanted a big party. Martha protested. Tom won out. Tom bought a new suit just for the occasion. This turned out to be the last time many of their family and friends saw Tom. One could hardly imagine a better, more tributing farewell to someone like Tom, than a large family party.

Kings Park Bluff Memorial, Smithtown, NY

As I write this, my family is planning a Bat Mitzvah for our daughter. Like Tom, I will be planning a big party for her, and yes, I will be buying a new suit as well.

I have eulogized several firefighters over the course of my participation in Project 2,996. I think it is important to remember these brave heroes. As everyone wanted out of those towers, these men and women ran in, with the sole purpose to protect us. Yet, we are letting them down. The statistics are well known. On 9/11, 343 firefighters (including a chaplain and two paramedics) of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY); 37 police officers of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department (PAPD); 23 police officers of the New York City Police Department (NYPD);8 emergency medical technicians and paramedics from private emergency medical services and
1 Patrolman from the New York Fire Patrol all died. Yet the FDNY and NYPD keep adding names to the list of fallen heroes. Since 9/11, more than 150 firefighters have died of cancers caused from their time at the site. Just his year, more than 500 NYPD and FDNY officers were diagnosed with new cancers. This is unacceptable. The fact that Congress took so long to pass the Zadroga Act is disgusting. The fact that they let it lapse in 2015 is despicable. That they reinstated it for 75 years is at least promising. Why it is not permanent, is beyond explanation.

September 11, 2017 -- I Remember Capt. Daniel J. Brethel

2017-09-11T11:00:00.001-04:00

In my continued participation in Project 2,996, a tribute to the 2,996 innocent victims of 9/11, where bloggers eulogize each victim, today I remember Capt. Daniel J. Brethel. Previously, I have remembered Pamela Chu, Donald H. Gregory, Steven Harris Russin, Lt. Col. Jerry Don Dickerson Jr., Mary Lenz Wieman, Mark Francis Broderick, Capt. Patrick J, Brown, Hagay Shefi, Alison Marie Wildman, Daniel Thomas Afflitto, and Donna Bernaerts-Kearns. Please visit my tributes to them as well today, as they deserve to be remembered too.

FDNY Captain Daniel J. Brethel, of Ladder 24, was living his dreams. He was a firefighter. Something he had always wanted to be growing up on East Meadow, Long Island. His brother remembers him as a 4 year old with a red firefighter hat and playing with firetrucks on Christmas Morning, He would listen to his emergency scanner and often beat firetrucks to the scene on his bicycle. At age 18, Daniel joined the East Meadow Fire department as a volunteer. At age 21, he joined the FDNY and asked to be placed in the City's busiest area, the South Bronx. It was said that he had two families: his wife and daughters who where his life, and his FDNY family.

Capt. Brethel was supposed to be finishing his shift on September 11. But like the hero firefighter he was, he accompanied his ladder company to the World Trade Center that day. It is believed that Capt. Brethel died while trying to save a fellow firefighter by pulling him under a firetruck. They were both crushed. That sense of sacrifice was not unusual for Capt. BREthel, who earlier in his career was severely burned on his neck and ears after taking off his helmet to save a fellow firefighter until medical personal arrived.

Usually I chose the person I eulogise randomly, from a list maintained by the Project 2,996 website. A few times I have selected a name that I wanted to remember, such as Steven Russin, who lived on my street, and for whom the Town of Marlboro named my street for (much like the town of East Meadow did for Capt. Brethel. However, this time I purposely picked a firefighter to remember. New York's Fire Department lost 349 members on 9/11 An additional 159 have died since from 9/11 cancers, including 32 members who were recently added to the Fire Department Memorial. It is for this reason that we need to make the Zydroga Act permanent. We need to expand it to all persons who were at, near and around Ground Zero on that day, and the following days,weeks and months. Our firefighters sacrificed their lives, and those that survived are still sacrificing their lives without proper medical treatment.

I have helped victims file their claims with the victims compensation fund. However, many more have not filed, and many more do not know that they have become eligible to file for health care and health services, because the laws have changed, and more cancers and other diseases have been added. Please, if you or someone you know was there, or around the site, please file. There are bar associations and pro bono clinics that will help you if you can't do it yourself.

September 11, 2016 -- I Remember Pamela Chu

2016-09-11T22:00:00.000-04:00

In my continued participation in Project 2,996, a tribute to the 2,996 innocent victims of 9/11, where bloggers eulogize each victim, today I remember Pamela Chu. Previously, I have remembered Donald H. Gregory, Steven Harris Russin, Lt. Col. Jerry Don Dickerson Jr., Mary Lenz Wieman, Mark Francis Broderick, Capt. Patrick J, Brown, Hagay Shefi, Alison Marie Wildman, Daniel Thomas Afflitto, and Donna Bernaerts-Kearns. Please check out these tributes as well today, as they deserve to be remembered too.

Pamela was a 31 year old Vice President of Cantor Fitzgerald, the bond trading firm located in the World Trade Center, that lost so many people on 9/11. Pamela was described as "beautiful, intelligent, modest, full of life, aggressive and honest." Her friend Christiana Yu said of her "I never saw her stressed out, but she told me about customers barking, `This is what I want. Don't sell too low. Don't buy too high.' And there was a lot of trading going at one time. And she was the only female trader and only Asian in her department, and that was difficult, but she seemed so relaxed."

In the months leading up to 9/11, Pamela moved from her parents' home in Queens to a recently renovated rental apartment five minutes from her office. By doing that, she said, she could get to work by 6:30 a.m. That is was the dedication that she showed to her job.

The Cantor Fitzgerald remembrance page says of Pamela:

Pamela enjoyed traveling and cooking. Every year for Thanksgiving, Pamela made the turkey and all the trimmings for the entire family. She was a really good cook. Her aunt and uncle did not particularly like turkey, but once they tried the exceptional turkey Pamela made, their minds changed forever. It will never be the same without Pamela celebrating the holidays.

Pamela was born in Korea, and with her parents she moved to the United States when she was 2. After graduating from the University of Buffalo, she started working for Cantor Fitzgerald as a temporary clerk, working her way up to Vice President.

Pamela was the personification of the American Dream. Come to this country, work hard and succeed. Pamela was survived by her parents, her brother, sister, and many friends. Her

A Long 15 Years: Remembering 9/11

2016-09-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

While I may not blog nearly as much as I used to, I feel drawn to do so in commemorating the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by members of al Qaeda. It is unbelievable to believe it has been 15 years since that awful day. There are kids growing up who have never known or seen the World Trade Center as the Twin Towers; they see that only in photos or videos.

Some of the feelings and memories are getting hazy, the further we get from that terrible day, and yet I can get yanked back to the days and weeks after the attacks with a simple smell - walking past construction sites where they're demolishing steel or welding metal. It's the scorched earth metallic smell that triggers a physical and emotional response for me.

That and sometimes commuting into Hoboken and seeing a clear blue sky on a crisp sunny morning in the Fall, with planes and contrails in the sky.

I'm sure I'm not alone in getting those feelings or memories. Many of us experienced this in real time - in real life. We worried about families, friends, and loved ones, and the strangers we knew commuted through to Manhattan. We worried about those who went up into the Towers to save lives and those who came plunging down and the families they left behind.

We worried about the people whose cars stayed at park and rides for days and weeks after the attacks because their owners were among the victims. We worried about what might come next.

It's for that reason I write about this every year. It's why we need to remember what happened, and how we got to where we are now. For instance, there's any number of books to be recommended for background on the site, the rebuilding efforts, and the politics behind all of it. Local and national media outlets are also ramping up their coverage for the 15th anniversary. For instance, the Record has devoted an entire area of their website to 9/11 coverage.

I've written essentially the same opening each of the past few years. It's still appropriate to remember today, as it was when I first wrote this:

September 11, 2001. New Yorkers were heading to the polls to vote in primary elections to determine the next mayor of the city. It was a morning full of promise and baseball fans were excited about the Yankees' chances of making the playoffs, the Mets thinking about the future, and the start of the new football season. In other words, it was a day not unlike the ones we've experienced once again this year.

While everyone was focused on the day ahead, another group of people were thinking about the mission that would forever alter the skyline of NYC and alter history. Al Qaeda's terrorists were already on board four jets bound for New York and Washington DC and had already overpowered the crews.

I was on a NJ Transit train with my dad when I first noticed something wrong at the WTC out of the corner of my eye; it was smoke coming from the upper reaches of the tower.

It was just around 8:45.

The world changed, and I didn't quite realize it. No one did.

People watching the morning news didn't know it either at first. But they would soon be glued to broadcasts that showed the horrors of the worst terror attacks ever perpetrated.

The damage done on that morning was nearly impossible to comprehend. In the mere blink of the eye, nearly 3,000 people were condemned to death and the World Trade Center would soon be reduced to a pile of rubble that would burn for weeks on end. Reports would come in that a third plane had struck and damaged the Pentagon. But the death rattle of the Twin Towers would continue for just under two hours and victims trapped above the fires had to make the choice to stay and choke on the heat and smoke or jump to a certain death. All too many make that decision to jump. Firefighters on the ground also succumbed before the towers fell - falling debris hitting firefighters and fleeing people alike.

Victim Number One would be there to comfort those who fell. Rev. Mychal Judge of the FDNY was comforting fallen firefighters and office workers alike when he was struck and killed by debris. So many people inside the Department and around the City thought so highly of him that he was honored as the first victim of the attacks - so that he could comfort and aid all those many others who were murdered on that day - to guide them to Heaven. There are continuing efforts to see him sainted, and his ministrations to those in need, especially on that day, certainly would do his memory justice.
All too many would unfortunately follow him - and not by their own choice.

Here are remembrances of a few of those killed on 9/11, as written by my friend legalbgl for Project 2,996:

Donald H. Gregory (2015)
Steven Harris Russin (2014).
Lt. Col. Jerry Don Dickerson Jr. (2013).
Mary Lenz Wieman (2012).
Mark Francis Broderick (2011).
Captain Patrick J. Brown (2010).
Hagay Shefi (2009).
Alison Marie Wildman (2008).
Daniel Thomas Afflito (2007).
Donna Bernaerts-Kearns (2006).

Remembering what happened, why it happened, and what's happened to the people who were there on that horrible day, not to mention the consequences of the terror attacks are why I write this. It's also why the 9/11 Museum is so integral to commemorating and remembering. While the National 9/11 WTC Museum continues drawing millions of visitors a year, I still fervently believe that it should be brought under the auspices of the National Park Service with all their wherewithal and expertise in protecting our national heritage for future generations. The NPS would be a far better steward of this history and all it represents.

It's also why I think the museum should be free for all to come and bear witness to the events. This should be a no-brainer, and yet no one can agree on making that happen. The NPS already operates the 9/11 Memorial in Shanksville, PA, where Flight 93 crashed after passengers rose up to stop the terrorists from attempting to crash the plane into the Capitol or White House. It had been a long journey for that project to come to fruition, but the results are stunning. The families banded together to raise the money to obtain the land and build a suitable memorial - turning it over to the NPS. It was the right thing to do.

One of the reasons why the museum isn't free admission is that it's costly to maintain/operate the facility. While Joe Daniels and the foundation has done an adequate job in bringing the museum to fruition, Daniels is stepping down after more than a decade running the foundation.

Historical artifacts from the WTC aren't found only at the WTC site or at Shanksville, but at memorials and museums across the country. Two of the biggest items have recently been made ready for the public - two PATH cars that were recovered from the WTC months after the attacks. They had been stored at JFK airport with other items, but were recently turned over to museums in Connecticut and Kingston, NY for display. The repository at the airport finally shut down earlier this year.

Also, the long missing 9/11 flag was found and has been returned to the WTC museum.

Despite 15 years having passed, there's still a human toll - both in mental and physical health terms. Many throughout the NYC metro area suffer from the mental toll of 9/11, both those who lost loved ones and those who watched the towers fall first-hand (simply by looking out the window as opposed to seeing it on tv) and could smell the fires for weeks thereafter. First responders are still dying from the exposure to the chemicals in the air, and the Zadroga Act was finally made permanent after far too long a delay by Congress.

On Friday September 9, there's a memorial procession by the NYPD's Emerald Society through Lower Manhattan to commemorate and celebrate the lives of those law enforcement members who died.

Construction at the site doesn't domination the front pages of local papers as it used to, as construction is nearing the end on several portions of the site. The entire Western side of Ground Zero is now essentially built out - between the Memorial, Museum, 1WTC, 4WTC, 7WTC, and the WTC Transit Hall.

The South Memorial Pool looking towards 4WTC.

Should it surprise anyone that the companies involved in rebuilding have been caught up in shenanigans, including lying about using minority hires in erecting the steel at the site? Larry Davis, who won a $1 billion contract on the strength of partnering with minority owned businesses, was found guilty of lying about who was involved in erecting steel at the site. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He lied about employing minority and women-owned businesses, said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

The following is an update of construction around the WTC site:

1WTC recaptured part of the skyline and is regarded as the tallest skyscraper in North America at 1,776 feet. 1WTC is now open for business, including the observation deck. The tower is about 2/3 occupied.
2WTC is once again in limbo. Despite reports last year that the Norman Foster inspired design was scraped in favor of one by Bjarke Ingels to fulfill the needs of News Corp, the company has backed out as anchor tenant. If and when 2WTC is finally built, it will likely become the one of the most expensive skyscraper ever built (after 1WTC) because of the complexity of designing and building the skyscraper in the location chosen. It's being built atop key infrastructure for the entire site, including ventilation for the PATH system, and the cost will soar to nearly $4 billion. Without the anchor tenant, there's no timeline for when the tower will be completed.
3WTC has nearly reached its final height as the concrete core was finally built out and the exterior curtain walls have started rising. The building is still scheduled to be open for business in 2018. It's anchor tenant is Group M, which took 700,000 sf of space in the 2 million sf building. Other tenants include Tiffany's and Hawksmoor Steakhouse.
4WTC is in the process of being occupied. Tenants are already moving in, though it is not yet fully occupied. Currently, the building is about 80% leased.
Bringing up the rear is 5WTC, which has pretty much fallen off the radar since the site of the former Deutsche Bank building was finally razed. There are no plans for what to do with that site, and it may continue to lie fallow. Frankly, the Port Authority should sell the site and let a private developer build out the site - whether as office space (not likely), or as a combination of hotel and residential space, which makes more business sense given the spate of these combination towers being built around the City, including at the former Moody's site a few blocks north at 30 Park Place, which also happens to be being built by Silverstein Properties.
The WTC Transit Hub is finally open but it cost more than $4 billion. That's nearly $2 billion over the original budget estimate, and the costs associated with this has sapped the Port Authority's ability to build new infrastructure in the region, which is its core mission. Instead, the agency has poured billions into a project that doesn't add any cross-river capacity. It's a glorified high-end shopping mall that's struggling to find tenants even as the nearby Brookfield Center at the former World Financial Center has been reimagined as its own high-end mall. It handles substantially fewer commuters than any of the other transit hubs in NYC - Penn Station or Grand Central Terminal, and the cost isn't going to be recouped anytime soon.
Still lagging is the Vehicle Security Center that runs along the south side of the WTC and which was previously occupied by the former Deutsche Bank building. There's a new platform and entrance area being built for vehicles servicing the WTC complex, but it's years behind schedule and over budget (like everything else at the WTC). Even St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is seeing progress - and that's even with Santiago Calatrava designing the new church (who designed the PATH hub). The elevated park atop the VSC is being constructed at the same time, but the delays have had a ripple effect in getting work done elsewhere on the site, including bringing in tenants to their new offices. Liberty Park, as it is called, has been open since this past June.
The WTC Performing Arts Center (PAC) has long been off the radar, but now that the PATH hub has opened, the temporary headhouse at Vesey and Greenwich can be demolished to make way for the performing arts center. Barbra Streisand has been tapped as chairperson of the PAC's board. The PAC will be named in honor of Ron Perelman, who donated $75 million towards the $250 million cost. It's expected to be open in 2020.

The PAC has produced a video showing the new design and how it relates to its surroundings:

The North Memorial Pool looking towards the PATH transit center as it appears before the PAC is built.

While the PATH hub will be visually interesting and definitely become a photographer's favorite, the problem with it is that the $4 billion spent adds not a single iota of additional cross-Hudson capacity to the PATH system at a time when the Amtrak Hudson River tunnels are in dire need of work due to Sandy damage, and there's no place to increase capacity until new tunnels are built. The Port Authority is fudging the figures so as to claim that 250,000 pedestrians will use the transit hub daily. That's not exactly true. 35,000 people use PATH daily in and out of the WTC. The rest are people who the Port Authority expects to visit the mall being built as part of the hub, and the people who are working in 1WTC and 4WTC as those spaces are filled out. 250,000 people are not going to be taking PATH daily; they're also throwing in commuters from the MTA system courtesy of the Dey Street connector. Even with proposals to extend PATH all the way to Newark Airport, the ridership figures do not justify the billions spent the way they were. Last December, some New Jersey Democrats argued that PATH should scuttle the extension over the ongoing civil and criminal investigations of United Airlines and dealings with the former Chairman of the Port Authority David Samson. Those investigations have already led to several airline officials being fired and Samson entered a guilty plea in June.

The price does provide for a lot of marble though. The Port Authority wanted a white elephant - and they got one - clad in marble. Well, that was before they lined the halls with LED signage - particularly the East-West Connector with Brookfield Place.

The underground spaces are once again a mall.

I know that may shock or surprise some people, but unless the entire site was going to be transformed into a memorial or museum, the space was going to be put to commercial use. That's what was there before the WTC was destroyed. It has again become a mall.

Much of the fault for the slow pace of rebuilding is the result of Port Authority actions and omissions to limit cost increases, especially when it comes to the transit hub and the delays in building led to still more costs incurred. All of these costs add up, and they've sapped the Port Authority's ability to do other critical infrastructure work elsewhere in the region, like building the Gateway Tunnel or additional PATH service or cross-harbor tunnels - expanding transit options while the WTC complex continues to be rebuilt at a near glacial pace. That pace is also the result of the acts by governors in both New York and New Jersey to contain costs. Special ire should be directed at Gov. George Pataki whose interference in the design plans in the early years after the attacks added years and billions in costs to the rebuilding process.

1WTC shrouded in breaking clouds. Note that scaffold on the south side.

The Port Authority is considering selling 1WTC, though that's a parallel to the situation immediately before 9/11. Back in 2000, the Port Authority entered in to a 99 year lease with Silverstein Properties for the WTC complex. The deal was still being finalized with the insurance on the site when the attacks occurred. Now, the Port Authority is trying to get rid of its real estate portfolio. One has to wonder who'd consider buying it given the history of the site: namely being the target of two successful terror attacks. 1WTC remains nearly 30% vacant.

However, beyond the WTC complex, Lower Manhattan has remade itself as a residential district as much as a financial and business one. The population in Lower Manhattan has doubled since 2001, which reflects the resilience of the neighborhood.

The rest of the skyline has changed greatly too. While there was a lot of discussion about how NYC might not see supertall skyscrapers built after the attacks, it turns out those discussions fell on deaf ears and developers have gone supertall in a big way. NYC has now seen construction of some of the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere in the past decade, and many more are on drawing boards.

Despite all the new construction, even at the WTC complex, the skyline will never be the same. Neither will our hearts, which are heavy with the loss and supreme sacrifices made on 9/11 by the rescue personnel who bravely rushed up the towers even as people were racing to get out of the towers or gasping as people were forced to jump to their deaths to avoid being burned alive in the fires that racked the towers.

I remember.

Last year, Century21 Department store wrapped their building across from Ground Zero with a full size mural. It's as appropriate then as today.

What the Century21 wrap will look like when done.

We remember.

Yellow roses adorn the names of those who served in the military and died on 9/11 as part of Veterans' Day remembrances.

The Tribute in Light

The view of Lower Manhattan from the Staten Island 9/11 Memorial at St. George.

Looking across the Hudson River from Hoboken.

For my prior year recollections and postings, see September 11, 2015, September 11, 2014, September 11, 2013, September 11, 2012, 10 Years Later, September 11, 2010, September 11, 2009, September 11, 2008, September 11, 2007, September 11, 2006, and September 11, 2005.

Memorial Day 2016

2016-05-30T08:55:00.000-04:00

A well deserved thank you to all who have served in our nation's armed forces. While all gave some, some gave their all, and you have my everlasting gratitude. It's not just a day to thank our service members for their service, but to remember that we owe it to them to make sure that they have our support beyond mere headlines and political punchlines.

We simply do not do enough to give our veterans the support they need. This takes several forms, but it boils down to not sufficiently paying them for their service while in uniform, and then not doing enough once they've separated from service.

It is the latter that is the most haunting given that politicians have essentially turned them into disposable heroes - they make great backdrops for political rallies and gatherings, but don't do nearly enough to make sure that they have sufficient mental health support and care. Far too many service members end up homeless, on the street, and or having mental illnesses that make it difficult for them to participate in the very society that they helped protect through their service.

Add to that the need to make sure that they have jobs with living wages after separation, and you've got two issues that should unite most Americans behind a plan that would give these service members the backing and support that they need and deserve.

So, while many of us sit back and enjoy the barbecues, the Indy 500, baseball, and other sporting events, take a few moments to remember all those who served and made it possible.

We Remember. And we give thanks.

Music City, Motoring, and Many Waterfalls

2016-04-13T21:30:00.000-04:00

It's time for yet another photo spread. This time, it's from Tennessee, Kentucky, and a bit of North Carolina. Specifically, we're talking about Nashville, Mammoth Caves National Park, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and a few other famous spots, including The Hermitage and the Polk home.

The Parthenon, which was a temporary structure as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. It was such a hit, that the effort was made to make it a permanent structure, which was completed in 1931.

A rain soaked Parthenon

Mammoth Caves - the historical entrance tour. We missed out on seeing more of the cave system because we didn't make reservations ahead of time. We'll know better next time.

One of the many bears spotted during our trip through the Smoky Mountains.

There were countless waterfalls along the way. This is one.

Want to cross the Green River in Mammoth Caves National Park? Take a ferry.

Grotto Falls, in Smoky Mountains NP

At the President James Polk home in Columbia, TN.

Nashville at night.

The Ernest Tubb Record Shop, home to one of the most famous radio shows in country music. Imagine the history told, the music strummed in those walls.

The Kitchen Sinks at Great Smoky Mountains NP.

Yet another waterfall in Great Smoky Mountains NP.

Outside the Nashville Symphony.

One of the many neon signs along the Honky Tonk Row in Nashville.

Add caption

At the summit of Clingmans Dome.

A natural bridge.

Broadway after a rain soaked night in Nashville.

The Day of Reckoning Fast Approaches in New Jersey

2016-03-06T07:40:00.000-05:00

New Jersey residents are about to feel the cold sting of a strike by NJ Transit rail workers. They've been without a contract for years and the matter has gone to federal mediators, who have ruled multiple times in favor of the unions:

Several union representatives and elected officials speaking at the rally urged state leaders to accept recommendations from a Presidential Emergency Board, which sided with the unions. NJ Transit officials rejected those recommendations.

At least one of the remaining sticking points surrounds health benefits, with the unions offering to pay 2.5 percent of their straight time salary for health benefits.

NJ Transit wants employees to pay 10 to 20 percent of premiums, depending on which plan they're covered by.

Transit and rail union officials sat down Friday with federal mediators National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C., where the two sides discussed a new offer from the agency to avert a March 13 strike or lockout.

While the two sides failed to reach a settlement, a release from the National Mediation Board said the discussions were "positive and constructive."

Asked if an agreement is in the offing, coalition spokesman Stephen Burkert declined to discuss details.

"We're closer now than we were months ago," Burkert said following the rally. "We want to settle this, and we want to do it at the bargaining table."

The two sides will meet again Monday in Newark in hope of hammering out a final settlement, Burkett said.

So far, Governor Chris Christie, fresh off kissing Donald Trump's ass in the GOP primaries after dropping out of the race himself because he couldn't generate any traction despite spending more time in New Hampshire than New Jersey, has been uncharacteristically silent about this major issue facing the state.

It could be that Christie doesn't know what NJ Transit is, or that it is a major economic engine for the state. Or, he doesn't know how to deal with the problem. Either way, he's been MIA on transit issues and his GOP allies in the state legislature seem more interested in slashing or abolishing the estate tax than they are making sure that the transportation trust fund and pension fund obligations are met.

Let's also point out that NJ has not raised the motor fuels tax in a generation, while NJ Transit riders have faced repeated increases in fares over the past decade because the state continues to reduce its support for transit. New Jersey is one of the states most heavily dependent on mass transit, and the cuts and fare hikes have combined to leave the agency without wiggle room to deal with contract matters with its employees.

To help close an $80 million budget gap, NJ Transit has proposed to increase its fares an average of 9 percent, effective Oct. 1, 2015. This would be the first fare increase in five years; the last fare increase averaged 22 percent. As part of this proposal, some bus and train service would also be reduced. Meanwhile, the state’s gas taxes, already among the lowest in the nation, have not been raised since 1988.

The motor fuel tax now purchases less than it did a generation ago, so there's even less money to go around.

These workers deserve pay raises and it shouldn't be shouldered entirely by the commuters.

Frankly, there's no easy answers here - but it starts with refocusing attention on how the state budgets transit. Gov. Christie went ahead and pulled money from the Port Authority to rebuild the Pulaski Skyway in a decision that the federal SEC is investigating as a potential violation of bonding with the Port Authority. That's because the state didn't have any money in the trust fund to pay for the work. All across the state, bridges and other infrastructure is crumbling, and there's no money to do all the work.

This affects the ability of residents to get around the state, and affects public safety. After all, we shouldn't have to live in fear of concrete falling off bridges, bridge abutments collapsing, or structures failing entirely. And mass transit is one way in which more people can get around the state reducing congestion and traffic. Gov. Christie has long shown disdain for mass transit and these problems are coming home to roost.

Far from showing leadership, Gov. Christie is all but abdicating his leadership role and instead focused on how his choices can best suit his political future. That's no way to run the state, and it shows.

If this strike or lockout occurs, there is simply no way for hundreds of thousands of workers to get into the City. There isn't any capacity available to add buses to cover all the displaced workers. We're talking about gridlock, lost productivity both in New Jersey and in neighboring New York. Telecommuting is the only option for those fortunate enough to have it, but for those who work in fields where they have to be there in person, this will have serious financial consequences to them, their families, and their employers.

In plain English, the NJ Transit strike contingency plan is a bunch of wishful thinking and prayers, much like their asinine plan in place before Hurricane Sandy struck and severely damaged NJ Transit's rail operations for months.

Moreover, the strike would also cripple freight movement throughout the state since NJ Transit controls tracks used by freight lines and the freight wouldn't be able to move. This would have a devastating effect across the state.

Trump's Path to White Supremacy Is Now Complete

2016-02-28T10:59:00.000-05:00

We're going down the rabbit hole once again.

The GOP frontrunner and presumptive nominee for the GOP nomination, Donald Trump, once again was caught quote-tweeting a white supremacist. This isn't a one-off instance.

And quoting a guy who follows the US Fascist party. This is part of Trump's twitter strategy @howiewolf pic.twitter.com/wUVTGeZNi0

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) February 28, 2016

He keeps doing it.

Every few days he finds some white supremacist or fascist account to quote-tweet.

62% of the People Donald Trump RTed This Week Follow Multiple White Supremacist Accounts https://t.co/crOGRAhMci pic.twitter.com/QrIEVkxzoF

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) January 28, 2016

The source for @realDonaldTrump's tweet? An actual neo-Nazi. That's whose dangerous racist lies he wants to amplify: https://t.co/ubTBwIUOiI

— Anil Dash (@anildash) November 23, 2015

For any other candidate in any other year, this would have terminated their campaign. This isn't like any other election year, and Donald Trump isn't like any other candidate.

Those tweets are actually garnering little in the way of opposition from within the GOP. And now, he's garnered support of noted racist/white supremacist and former Grand Dragon of the KKK David Duke and yet he keeps playing games.

Donald Trump wouldn't disavow David Duke's support for his presidential bid, saying Sunday that he knows nothing about the white supremacist leader.

"Just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke, OK?" Trump told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."

"I don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists," he said. "So I don't know. I don't know -- did he endorse me, or what's going on? Because I know nothing about David Duke; I know nothing about white supremacists."

You simply cannot make this stuff up.

Trump claims to have a perfect memory, and can't recall that he went after Duke in 2000.

Donald Trump knew David Duke was a klansman in 2000, yet denies knowledge of him now. https://t.co/P3eMUj3lWP pic.twitter.com/kJQUKqMxim

— Justin Green (@JGreenDC) February 28, 2016

Now, Trump refuses to disavow Duke.

It's all part of a pattern that has long been undeniable for months. Trump is actively soliciting, and pandering to, white supremacists and racists that form a significant portion of the GOP base. It's part of the reason that the GOP isn't pushing back against the racist and white supremacist and fascist statements Trump has made over the past few months. They're increasingly worried that they'll lose critical votes.

All of Trump's statements and actions, and the counter-actions by the GOP are symptomatic of the rot in the GOP itself. They've spent years cultivating anger, fear, and hatred among the GOP base. Now, they've found the guy that epitomizes all that in Trump.

September 11, 2015 -- I Remember Donald H. Gregory

2015-09-11T10:52:00.000-04:00

This is the tenth year that I have participated in Project 2996, a tribute to the 2,996 innocent victims of 9/11, where bloggers eulogize each victim. Previously, I have remembered Steven Harris Russin, Lt. Col. Jerry Don Dickerson Jr., Mary Lenz Wieman, Mark Francis Broderick, Capt. Patrick J, Brown, Hagay Shefi, Alison Marie Wildman, Daniel Thomas Afflitto, and Donna Bernaerts-Kearns. Please check out these tributes as well today, as they deserve to be remembered too. Also, please check out Lawhawk's post, where he continues to do an amazing job of detailing the progress of the WTC Site and the politics surrounding the site!

As I look back on these tributes, I remember why this project was started. To eulogize the 2,996 victims of 9/11. However, as we have been learning since that day, the list of victims has grown. Some 20,000+ people, first responders and people living and working in the area, are sick with various diseases, including respiratory illness, and cancer. Just recently, Marcy Borders, who was captured in a haunting photo, covered in toxic 9/11 dust, died of stomach cancer. These people, dying all too often from toxins they encountered on 9/11 and in the immediate aftermath. It is for this reason that all Americans, must put aside politics, and pressure our politicians expand the Zadroga Act, to include more help for these people. To expand the list of covered illnesses to include cancers, lymphoma, leukemia, etc., as well as PTSD, and physical injuries. Moreover, Congress needs to take steps to make funding for this act permanent, and not subject to political whims!

Today, I remember Donald H. Gregory. as always, I select my tributes randomly from Project 2,996's website. What struck me when I was going through the site is that even today, 10 years later, we still have names that were not selected by bloggers in the past. So I selected Donald, from the list of names with no eulogy listed. I hope that my words can capture the person.

Donald was a survivor. He survived the 1993 attacks on the World Trade Center, walking 104 floors down in the World Trade Center on the day that terrorists declared that New York City buildings and innocent people were not off limits. While the 1993 attack did not leave an indelible mark on the ones sworn to protect us, it did on Donald, who had dreams thereafter that he was trapped in the building as it was collapsing. Unfortunately, those nightmares became reality.

On September 11, 2001, Donald wasn't supposed to be in his office, where he, like so many others, worked for Cantor Fitzgerald. He had survived triple bypass bond surgery, which had kept him out of the office for several months. He had survived circulatory issues related to diabetes, and had been out for several weeks. But, the dedicated professional, wanted to return to work, and had come back only late in the week before the attack. .

Donald is survived by his wife Maureen, who he made a point of kissing every day. Maureen remembered Donald as a man of "quiet faith". "He had a generosity of spirit that extended to all in our family. Most importantly, he taught to believe in yourself." Donald also has three children, Amanda, then 20, Sara, then 19, James, then 14, who inherited his father's love for sports,

14 Years Later: Remembering 9/11 and Where We Are Today

2015-09-10T21:10:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that it's already been 14 years since 9/11. I remember it like it was yesterday, and yet there's an entire generation of kids whose only knowledge of the events of the days and weeks after the attacks is from books, videos, or personal recollections such as this.

That's one of the reasons that I continue to write these annual remembrances. It's also for myself.

I've written essentially the same opening each of the past few years. It's still appropriate to remember today, as it was when I first wrote this:

September 11, 2001. New Yorkers were heading to the polls to vote in primary elections to determine the next mayor of the city. It was a morning full of promise and baseball fans were excited about the Yankees' chances of making the playoffs, the Mets thinking about the future, and the start of the new football season. In other words, it was a day not unlike the ones we've experienced once again this year.

While everyone was focused on the day ahead, another group of people were thinking about the mission that would forever alter the skyline of NYC and alter history. Al Qaeda's terrorists were already on board four jets bound for New York and Washington DC and had already overpowered the crews.

I was on a NJ Transit train with my dad when I first noticed something wrong at the WTC out of the corner of my eye; it was smoke coming from the upper reaches of the tower.

It was just around 8:45.

The world changed, and I didn't quite realize it. No one did.

People watching the morning news didn't know it either at first. But they would soon be glued to broadcasts that showed the horrors of the worst terror attacks ever perpetrated.

The damage done on that morning was nearly impossible to comprehend. In the mere blink of the eye, nearly 3,000 people were condemned to death and the World Trade Center would soon be reduced to a pile of rubble that would burn for weeks on end. Reports would come in that a third plane had struck and damaged the Pentagon. But the death rattle of the Twin Towers would continue for just under two hours and victims trapped above the fires had to make the choice to stay and choke on the heat and smoke or jump to a certain death. All too many make that decision to jump. Firefighters on the ground also succumbed before the towers fell - falling debris hitting firefighters and fleeing people alike.

Victim Number One would be there to comfort those who fell. Rev. Mychal Judge of the FDNY was comforting fallen firefighters and office workers alike when he was struck and killed by debris. So many people inside the Department and around the City thought so highly of him that he was honored as the first victim of the attacks - so that he could comfort and aid all those many others who were murdered on that day - to guide them to Heaven. There are continuing efforts to see him sainted, and his ministrations to those in need, especially on that day, certainly would do his memory justice.

All too many would unfortunately follow him - and not by their own choice.

Here are remembrances of a few of those killed on 9/11, as written by my friend legalbgl for Project 2,996:

Steven Harris Russin (2014).
Lt. Col. Jerry Don Dickerson Jr. (2013).
Mary Lenz Wieman (2012).
Mark Francis Broderick (2011).
Captain Patrick J. Brown (2010).
Hagay Shefi (2009).
Alison Marie Wildman (2008).
Daniel Thomas Afflito (2007).
Donna Bernaerts-Kearns (2006).

Local commemorations are already underway (and here and here) and will continue through the week throughout the region. This is the second year for which the WTC Museum is open on 9/11. While I still find the cost of going to the museum to be ridiculously expensive and think that the museum should be free for all who visit, it has quickly become one of the most visited museums in the city.

While I don't need to be able to visit the museum myself, the museum is for those who weren't even born yet or understood what actually happened at the WTC site on 9/11 and the weeks, months, and years that followed. The museum should be free for all to come and bear witness to the events. This should be a no-brainer, and yet no one can agree on making that happen. The NPS already operates the 9/11 Memorial in Shanksville, PA, where Flight 93 crashed after passengers rose up to stop the terrorists from attempting to crash the plane into the Capitol or White House. It's been a long journey for that project to come to fruition, but the results are stunning. The families banded together to raise the money to obtain the land and build a suitable memorial - turning it over to the NPS. It was the right thing to do.

This should likewise be the outcome at the WTC - the museum and memorial should be turned over to the NPS for administration and oversight.

While the federal government created the James Zadroga health and compensation fund (Zadroga Act) because of the ongoing health concerns, including cancers, of those who carried out relief and recovery efforts at Ground Zero, parts of the program are set to sunset once again without further action by Congress. As more time passes, the link between exposure to the environment at Ground Zero and cancer is increasingly clear.

More people continue to seek assistance via the program, including those emergency responders who came from across the country to spell the FDNY and NYPD and PAPD in the grim task of recovering the remains of those murdered. The Zadroga Act wasn't perfect by any means and it has come too late for some, but it's a start to compensate and aid families of responders who are suffering from all manner of ailments attributed to Ground Zero exposure. The Act should be made permanent, especially as the number of victims of the attacks grows - more names will be added to the list of those who fell as a result of 9/11. That includes another 21 FDNY officers who worked during the recovery after the attacks.

Congress, and the GOP in particular, have not taken the necessary action to reauthorize the Act, and they are putting the lives of the responders at further risk and adding needless stress from the financial uncertainties:

As funding for the program reaches its expiration date, many lawmakers are pushing for extended, long-term compensation for victims. This April a number of federal lawmakers called for a permanent reauthorization of the James Zadroga Act. Despite reluctance by some members of Congress to fund the reauthorization, which will cost around $400 million annually, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told Jon Stewart in July that she expects a vote sometime around September 11. Both Gillibrand and Stewart are passionate supporters of the act, with Stewart calling any resistance to it “the most galling example of a legislature removed from the purpose of their job.”

There are also efforts being made to honor those transit workers who were involved in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. After all, the MTA helped transport workers to and from Ground Zero and Staten Island where debris was being sorted, helped with logistics, and had to rebuild devastated infrastructure in and around the WTC, including stations, tracks, and related equipment.

Construction at the site doesn't domination the front pages of local papers as it used to, as construction is nearing the end on several portions of the site. The entire Western side of Ground Zero is now essentially built out - between the Memorial, Museum, 1WTC, 4WTC, 7WTC, and the nearly finished above-ground portion of the WTC Transit Hall.

The South Memorial Pool looking towards 4WTC.

The following is an update of construction around the WTC site:

1WTC has finally recaptured part of the skyline and is regarded as the tallest skyscraper in North America at 1,776 feet. 1WTC is now open for business, including the observation deck, which opened earlier this year. That's even as work continues around its base on the eastern side.
Construction of the Transit Hub is still underway, and Santiago Calatrava's design shows its final form, even as the cost pushes past a staggering $4 billion. That's nearly $2 billion over the original budget estimate, and the costs associated with this has sapped the Port Authority's ability to build new infrastructure in the region, which is its core mission. Instead, the agency has poured billions into a project that doesn't add any cross-river capacity.
4WTC is in the process of being occupied, after being completed last year. Tenants are already moving in, though it is not yet fully occupied.
3WTC is once again rising skyward after a delay due to lack of financing and tenants signed. It is more than halfway to its full height, and it is scheduled to be open for business in 2018.
2WTC is seeing progress at last, although the design has completely changed. Architect Sir Norman Foster is off the project, and his design has been shelved in favor of one designed by Bjarke Ingels, whose design comes courtesy of the whims and wishes of News Corp, who will be an anchor tenant. 2WTC will likely become the one of the most expensive skyscraper ever built (after 1WTC) because of the complexity of designing and building the skyscraper in the location chosen. It's being built atop key infrastructure for the entire site, including ventilation for the PATH system, and the cost will soar to nearly $4 billion. Oh, and for those keeping track, 2WTC is likely to be finished in 2020.
Still lagging is the Vehicle Security Center that runs along the south side of the WTC and which was previously occupied by the former Deutsche Bank building. There's a new platform and entrance area being built for vehicles servicing the WTC complex, but it's years behind schedule and over budget (like everything else at the WTC). Even St. Nicholas Church is seeing progress - and that's with Santiago Calatrava designing the new church (who designed the PATH hub). The elevated park atop the VSC is being constructed at the same time, but the delays have had a ripple effect in getting work done elsewhere on the site, including bringing in tenants to their new offices.
Bringing up the rear is 5WTC, which has pretty much fallen off the radar since the site of the former Deutsche Bank building was finally razed. There are no plans for what to do with that site, and it may continue to lie fallow. Frankly, the Port Authority should sell the site and let a private developer build out the site - whether as office space (not likely), or as a combination of hotel and residential space, which is much more likely given the spate of these combination towers being built around the City, including at the former Moody's site a few blocks north at 30 Park Place, which also happens to be being built by Silverstein Properties.

The North Memorial Pool looking towards the PATH transit center.

Last year, the Port Authority announced that they expect the transit hub to be open by the end of 2015. I personally don't see it happening, unless the Port Authority will open it the way the MTA has done at the Fulton Center. I fully expect that sections will be closed off for construction to continue as the main transit hall is largely available. There's still demolition work underway - the temporary platform spaces and mezannine levels have to be demolished and reconfigured, and there's no indication that the work will wrap up by the end of the year. In other words, this will be a phased reopening.

The PATH hub as viewed from Church and Fulton Streets.

A nearly complete transit hub superstructure

So, while the hub will be visually interesting and definitely become a photographer's favorite, the problem with the PATH transit hub and all that spending is that it doesn't exactly add capacity to the system. The Port Authority is fudging the figures so as to claim that 250,000 pedestrians will use the transit hub daily. That's not exactly true. 35,000 people use PATH daily in and out of the WTC. The rest are people who the Port Authority expects to visit the mall being built as part of the hub, and the people who are working in 1WTC and 4WTC as those spaces are filled out. 250,000 people are not going to be taking PATH daily. Even with proposals to extend PATH all the way to Newark Airport, the ridership figures do not justify the billions spent the way they were (and there's reports that some New Jersey Democrats are looking to scuttle the extension over the ongoing kerfuffle involving United Airlines and dealings with the former Chairman of the Port Authority David Samson that has already seen several airline officials get canned).

The price does provide for a lot of marble though.

The mezzanine level for the PATH terminal; there is marble as far as the eye can see.

The Port Authority wanted a white elephant - and they got one - clad in marble.

Much of the fault for the slow pace of rebuilding is the result of Port Authority actions and omissions to limit cost increases, especially when it comes to the transit hub and the delays in building led to still more costs incurred. All of these costs add up, and they've sapped the Port Authority's ability to do other critical infrastructure work elsewhere in the region - expanding transit options while the WTC complex is built at a near glacial pace. That pace is also the result of the acts by governors in both New York and New Jersey to contain costs. Special ire should be directed at Gov. George Pataki whose interference in the design plans added years to the rebuilding and added costs.

1WTC shrouded in breaking clouds. Note that scaffold on the south side.

For the most part, construction at the site has been without serious accidents, though there have been some close calls. Last November, a scaffold malfunctioned and required a high rise emergency 600 feet in the air:

A view up the South side of 1WTC - it's my favorite view of the tower, and this particular image shows the malfunctioning scaffold on November 15, 2014.

At the same time, the Fulton Center, which is a block East of the WTC site is open, and will eventually link to the PATH transit hub via the Dey Street connector (which is still shut despite being completed for several years), and ultimately those working at the World Financial Center (Brookfield Place) would be able to access Fulton Center without having to travel outside. There's no official timeframe for when the Dey Street connector being opened, even though all the necessary infrastructure is complete.

Interior as seen from Broadway and Fulton escalator bank

The skyline will never be the same. Neither will our hearts, which are heavy with the loss and supreme sacrifices made on 9/11 by the rescue personnel who bravely rushed up the towers even as people were racing to get out of the towers or gasping as people were forced to jump to their deaths to avoid being burned alive in the fires that racked the towers.

I remember.

Last year, Century21 Department store wrapped their building across from Ground Zero with a full size mural. It's as appropriate then as today.

Century21 department store doing a full block wrap

The Century21 Department Store installing a full-block wrap on their Church Street frontage.

What the Century21 wrap will look like when done.

We remember.

Yellow roses adorn the names of those who served in the military and died on 9/11 as part of Veterans' Day remembrances.

The Tribute in Light

The view of Lower Manhattan from the Staten Island 9/11 Memorial at St. George.

Looking across the Hudson River from Hoboken.

For my prior year recollections and postings, see September 11, 2014, September 11, 2013, September 11, 2012, 10 Years Later, September 11, 2010, September 11, 2009, September 11, 2008, September 11, 2007, September 11, 2006, and September 11, 2005.

Cross posted at LGF.

Memorial Day 2015

2015-05-24T09:05:00.000-04:00

A well deserved thank you to all who have served in our nation's armed forces. And while all gave some, some gave their all, and you have my gratitude. It's not just a day to thank our service members for their service, but to remember that we owe it to them to make sure that they have our support beyond mere headlines and political punchlines.

We simply do not do enough to give our veterans the support they need. This takes several forms, but it boils down to not sufficiently paying them for their service while in uniform, and then not doing enough once they've separated from service.

It is the latter that is the most haunting given that politicians have essentially turned them into disposable heroes - they make great backdrops for political rallies and gatherings, but don't do nearly enough to make sure that they have sufficient mental health support and care. Far too many service members end up homeless, on the street, and or having mental illnesses that make it difficult for them to participate in the very society that they helped protect through their service.

Add to that the need to make sure that they have jobs with living wages after separation, and you've got two issues that should unite most Americans behind a plan that would give these service members the backing and support that they need and deserve.

So, while many of us sit back and enjoy the barbecues, the Indy 500, baseball, and other sporting events, take a few moments to remember all those who served and made it possible.

Iwo Jima Memorial at night.
We Remember. And we give thanks.

A Trip Through History - Civil War and Presidential History in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia

2015-04-19T11:55:00.000-04:00

Black Hawk Helicopters flying over Gettysburg National Park

Gun emplacement at Gettysburg

Memorial at Antietam

Looking down from the Observation Tower at Antietam National Battlefield

Burnside Bridge at Antietam.

Belle Grove plantation; focal point of the last major battle in Shenandoah Valley.

Dark Hollow Falls at Shenandoah National Park.

The night sky from Skyland Resort in Shenandoah NP.

Overexposed and light pollution from Luray in Shenandoah NP.

Luray Caverns.

Thomas Jefferson's masterpiece at Monticello.

Ash-Highland (James Monroe's residence, the original bit of which is the building on the left).

James Madison's Montpelier, which is undergoing ongoing archeological restoration and work to reveal slave quarters on the south side of the building.

Partial rainbow over Manassas (Bull Run).

Dramatic sky over Manassas.

Old Stone Bridge at Manassas.

A Colorful Open To Late Winter: NY Botanical Garden's Orchid Show

2015-03-23T22:15:00.000-04:00

The New York Botanical Garden in The Bronx puts on a fabulous orchid show every late winter/early spring, and this year was no different. While the weather outside was nearly frightful (coming just days after a substantial snowstorm) and still colder than normal, the Haupt Conservatory was filled to the brim with amazing and colorful orchids from the world over. Every color and shape was represented as seen by the photos below.

One thing I did manage to learn from the orchid show is that the orchids I've been trying to maintain over the past couple of years aren't really tolerant of the temperatures I leave the house with during the day. There are cold tolerant varieties that do much better against overnight low temps down into the 50s and low 60s, but those aren't nearly as common as the ones you'll find at most garden centers.

Great Falls on Ice

2015-02-21T15:48:00.002-05:00

The Great Falls of Paterson, New Jersey have been a national park for only a short time, but their power and size has been a draw since before the Revolutionary War. Alexander Hamilton saw the promise of the falls, and it became a generator for business making Paterson an industrial hub for decades to come.

Paterson may have fallen on hard times, but the Falls endure. The Falls are now part of a National Historical Park, and I can only hope that people get to experience the falls up close to enjoy the wonder and the important role they played in our nation's development. There's also a move to include the nearby Hinchliffe Stadium into the national park for its role as host to Negro Leagues games. It is one of the few remaining stadiums from that era to still exist.

The Great Falls iced over. The building on the left is a hydropower turbine room, which still produces power today.

The snow was beginning to fall as we were out taking pictures.

A closeup of the falls from the bridge seen in the photo above.

Looking across the national park.

Iced over.

You can't tell from the photos, but you could see the water flowing in behind the ice.

Longtime NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Surrenders to FBI

2015-01-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been an Albany fixture for 2+ decades. He was Speaker back when I was working in the legislature. And he's survived and thrived despite multiple scandals. But this is one scandal too far.

New York state assembly speaker surrenders to FBI http://t.co/pHWUMbR2jg

— TIME.com (@TIME) January 22, 2015

The Manhattan Democrat, who is the longest running Speaker in state history, is being charged with corruption over payments from one law firm (he is of counsel with another firm too).

I've been saying for years that the legislature should stop being a part time gig; they pay full time wages ($79,500, plus perks on position). Yet, they allow members to work elsewhere - like law firms, and can serve up conflicts of interest in no time. Eliminate the outside work, and you eliminate a major source of conflicts of interest.

Silver has stood against those reforms for years, in part because he benefited from the status quo arrangement. According to the NYT:

While it is legal for lawmakers to hold outside jobs, investigators said Mr. Silver failed to list the payments from the firm, Goldberg & Iryami, on his annual financial disclosure filings with the state.

In the past, Mr. Silver has been criticized for his outside law practice, a lucrative career that supplements the $121,000 he earns as speaker.

In 2013, Mr. Silver earned at least $650,000 in legal income, including work for the personal injury law firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, according to his most recent financial disclosure filing.

But what he does to earn that income has long been a mystery in Albany, and Mr. Silver has refused to provide details about his work.

He also managed to survive threats to his speakership when there were multiple sexual harassment/sexual assault cases that his office bungled/fumbled/buried. These include the Michael Boxley matter (who was one of his top staffers), investigations into whether other Assembly members engaged in sexual harassment or inappropriate conduct, including Micah Kellner, Vito Lopez, and secret settlements to silence the scandals. Silver admits that he shouldn't have used public money to fund the Lopez settlement.

The Assembly has paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements over these and other sexual harassment cases involving members and staffers. That doesn't count the boatload of money spent on legal fees.

Silver's actions in those cases should have been grounds for his caucus to send him packing, but he used divide and conquer to split the caucus from picking a replacement.

But he couldn't outrun federal prosecutor Preet Bharara. He's managed to do more to roll up corruption in Albany than Gov. Cuomo's defanged Moreland Commission. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I suspect there's lots more to come.

In the Wake of Charlie Hebdo

2015-01-09T10:24:00.001-05:00

As of this posting, there are at least two separate hostage standoff situations near Paris. One is at a kosher market (I've heard it referred to as a supermarket, deli, or grocery) on Ave Porte de Vincennes in the 13th Arr (that'd be Southeastern Paris). The other is near Charles de Gaulle airport. There have also been reports of an incident near the Eiffel Tower in the Trocadero, but so far news about that incident is limited.

There have been casualties reported in one of the incidents, with at least two dead.

The two standoff situations appear related to each other and to the Charlie Hebdo attacks, as well as a separate attack resulting in the death of a French policewoman the other day. It's likely all part of the same cell.

Yet, there's something irking me about all this. We're being told that it required training and tactics to carry off the attacks, but yet the best that this cell could manage is to kill a bunch of unarmed journalists and a couple of cops who were caught by surprise and off-guard before engaging in standoffs at locations like a grocery store.

Is this the best that al Qaeda in Yemen can do?

I know that sounds off or somehow callous but if you're studying tactics, methods, and capabilities, al Qaeda has gone from being able to pull off spectacular attacks against the USS Cole (a military target no less), the African embassy bombings that killed hundreds of people, and 9/11, which killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands more, to now being able to attack a French satire paper.

That's quite telling about the limits of what al Qaeda is able to do more than a decade after 9/11. It doesn't mean let your guard down, but it should also put things in perspective.

Also putting things into perspective? That the cry and hue about Muslims overwhelming Europe are so vastly overblown that a handy dandy visual is needed to hammer it home:

This is the best visualization I've yet seen of Europe's "Muslim tide" hysteria pic.twitter.com/a681LGp4yR

— Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) January 9, 2015

Or, perhaps a few other statistics about the threats from terrorism:

Less Than 2 Percent Of Terrorist Attacks In The E.U. Are Religiously Motivated. http://t.co/NAuKUyYXNn

— lawhawk (@lawhawk) January 9, 2015

And if you're listening closely, just substitute Jew for Muslim in all those calls for banning Muslims from entering the country because the acts of a handful are indicative of the intent of all (and that's the most limited kind of rhetoric streaming from the right, which also includes expulsion and flat out genocide). Even in France, where anti-Semitism is rampant, the fact is that most people - of all religions - just want to live in peace, and there are those who want to deny everyone that opportunity. They happen to include Islamist extremists who do not speak for all Muslims.

So, while attention is rightly focused on Paris and the search for the Charlie Hebdo killers, there's Muslims living in fear of Islamic extremists the world over, and few places are more dangerous right now for Muslims than Nigeria where Boko Haram is operating with ruthless abandon. This terror group is rampaging across northeastern Nigeria, where reports of slaughter continue. That terror group is now threatening Cameroon as well, and Niger has now refused to assist Nigeria in retaking the area around Baga. Reports continue circulating that 2,000 or more people were killed by Boko Haram since the start of the year there, and that at least 20,000 people have been displaced. Some reportedly drowned attempting to flee across Lake Chad.

Yet, the silence and lack of media reports and access means that this horrific attack isn't getting anywhere near the press coverage of the attacks in Paris.

Cross posted to LGF.

Justice. Only Justice Shall Thou Pursue

2014-12-22T14:25:00.001-05:00

I learned about the execution style killing of two NYPD officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, in Brooklyn while at a family gathering, and it is heartbreaking to learn under any circumstances.

These officers were doing their jobs, trying to reduce crime in a high-crime area of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn they weren't even from the local precinct but rather called in from other parts of the city to help. The man who killed them had an agenda that had nothing to do with protests or protesters; he had a lengthy criminal record and had shot and nearly killed his girlfriend before coming up to NYC to engage in more mayhem.

But NYPD supporters who ignore all that ails the Department and that there are bad officers in their midst, will try everything to link the killer to the protests. The PBA's Pat Lynch and others will try and blame the Mayor for the killings, claiming that the Mayor doesn't support the officers wholeheartedly and without reservations.

The problem is that there's no truth to the matter asserted. The Mayor does support the police. He also doesn't want anyone to tolerate criminal behavior by the police. He wants justice applied evenly and fairly. He has to warn his son (who is black) that police might not respect him or treat him properly because of the color of his skin, even if he does nothing wrong. That's not disrespecting the police; that's stating an objective fact. Police in NYC, and nationally, do engage in racial profiling and they do stop blacks far more often than whites when adjusting for per capita.

Justice. Only Justice Shall Thou Pursue. It's originally found in the Old Testament. It's a call for justice and to follow the law.

It's not just an empty slogan.

I've been referring to this belief quite frequently in the past several months, if only because it's become abundantly clear that there are some people who don't think that justice applies to everyone.

Some people believe that law enforcement is immune from being responsible for their actions that result in the death of unarmed people and particularly unarmed black men and children. This belief extends to the police and prosecutors who are supposed to uphold the law.

When the police and prosecutors fail to do their jobs properly, that harms everyone - it's a breach of the social compact that the police have with us. And they have to be responsible for their actions as well.

It's pitiful that the police boosters are trying to pin blame on people like Al Sharpton or Mayor DeBlasio for the shooting of the two cops; we don't hear these same voices blaming right wingers like Rush or Hannity when white supremacists and sovereign citizens use the same rhetoric and vitriol in stalking and targeting law enforcement. There, those people are categorized as lone wolfs and not representative of everyone else.

Personal responsibility.

It cuts both ways. It is ultimately the responsibility of the shooters and criminals who carry out these acts. It is also the responsibility for everyone to call out those who use extreme rhetoric.

Justice demands it.

The need to seek justice for those who are killed at the hands of police is not mutually exclusive with the need respect or to mourn their losses in such horrible circumstances. The NYPD has done heroic things, such as running into the burning WTC before it came crashing down on 9/11, and they've killed unarmed black men including Sean Bell, Eric Garner, and Amadou Diallo. They've sodomized Abner Louima, and the fight for justice continues. Good cops shouldn't stand to see their ranks sullied by those who violate the social compact, and yet that's exactly the message we get from their union leadership who blames the assassination on the mayor who represents an entire city, and not just a police union.

Justice demands it.

Cross posted at LGF.

Fulton Center, 1WTC, and a Malfunctioning Scaffold

2014-11-15T09:20:00.000-05:00

This past week was a busy one in Lower Manhattan. Fulton Center finally opened after years of delays and cost overruns. Parts of the station have been open for some time now, but the central feature - the oculus that lets light stream down into the heart of the station - is now revealed, and the escalators and other areas are now open. Upper floors, however, are still off limits as they wont open until businesses move into retail spaces on those upper floors.

The Fulton Center (previously called the Fulton Street Transit Hub), was meant to untangle and better connect a number of subway lines that were built at different times by different competing subway companies at the beginning of the 20th century. Some were built at different depths, and some cross over other lines in a tangle that would make Escher blush.

The MTA did manage to improve the flow between some of the key lines, including the A/C and the 4/5, so that's a big improvement.

What was left on the table is that while the oculus is already an architectural darling, the MTA could have used the space above the station to sell air rights that could help defray the costs for the station or permit construction of other capital projects elsewhere.

What follows is a series of photos taken around Fulton Center:

Interior as seen from Broadway and Fulton escalator bank

Arches and architectural detail of the Corbin building access to Fulton Center

Looking up at the Oculus

Retail space along the street level of the Fulton Center

Looking up and through the Oculus

Information bank at Fulton Center

After viewing Fulton Center, I walked over to the WTC memorial to shoot some more photos, and a dramatic sky didn't hurt either:

1WTC shrouded in breaking clouds. Note that scaffold on the south side. I'll come back to that later.

Yellow roses adorn the names of those who served in the military and died on 9/11 as part of Veterans' Day remembrances.

Looking towards the 9/11 Museum, the WTC transit hub, and 3WTC. Note that the spikes are nearly completely installed.

Still my favorite view of the WTC - looking up the South side of 1WTC. Note the window washing scaffold high up in the center of the photo. This photo was taken 12:41PM. I didn't know it at the time, but within minutes, that scaffold would suffer a major malfunction requiring a high level FDNY emergency rescue operation more than 600 feet in the air.

Scaffolds on the NW corner of 1WTC.

Scaffolds and a hatch to allow a scaffold to deploy for the lower floors.

The damaged scaffold dangling at a sharp angle; this was taken at 1:25PM, about an hour before the rescue was completed.

The two men aboard the scaffold were rescued unharmed, and within 48 hours the window that had to be broken out to carry out the rescue had been replaced. The investigation into why the scaffold failed is underway.

Sandy Related Repairs to Affect LIRR and Amtrak Service for Years

2014-10-02T09:20:00.000-04:00

New Yorkers have been trying to adjust to the new normal of MTA repairs to tunnels that were flooded by the storm surge from Superstorm Sandy. It included a 15-month closure of the Montague tunnel that affected many living in Brooklyn. There have been scattered closures to other tunnels and rerouted service elsewhere in the subway system, but now comes word that Amtrak is about to do its own remediation of the East River tunnels.

These tunnels service not only Amtrak, but LIRR and NJ Transit. They connect Penn Station with Long Island through the Sunnyside Yards and Harold Interlocking. Amtrak has to take two of the tunnels out of service for a year each. This will reduce the service capacity by 25% (1 out of four tunnels will be out of service at any time during the duration of the project that is expected to start next year).

The reconstruction will be similar to the work done on the Montague tunnels. It will include rebuilding the bench walls that include cable conduits for signals and power, plus railbed replacement and other work that can't be done while the tunnel is active.

The MTA and Amtrak were able to get service restored, but have been seeing an increased amount of service disruptions due to corrosion of equipment in the affected tunnels. That's why this full rehabilitation must get done.

But the East River tunnels are the easy part.

Amtrak has said that they must do the same with the Hudson River tunnels.

There are only two tunnels under the Hudson, and each are over 100 years old. They are functionally obsolete and need major rehabilitation, but that work can't be done until additional capacity is added.

After Gov. Christie cancelled the fully funded ARC tunnel project, that left a gaping hole in capacity expansion. Amtrak proposed a better project, Gateway, that would directly link in with NY Penn Station and allow through trains to run and high speed rail once service improvements elsewhere in the system are made.

Gateway is more than a decade away from seeing the light of day due to lack of funding. So New Jersey residents will be suffering with service delays for the foreseeable future.

Now some will point to Christie being short sighted in his cancellation of the project, but it was the right thing to do because NJ Transit has never met a capital project it couldn't complete overbudget and years after the scheduled deadlines. Cost overruns were likely to be in the $1-2 billion range, and even the FTA warned about the cost containment.

Gateway allows more capacity to the entire system - NJ Transit, Amtrak, and LIRR. ARC would have had limited capacity improvements for NJ Transit since the New York terminus was just that - a terminus. There was no place to store additional trains for rush hour, reducing actual customer capacity on the trains that would run to New Jersey.

The fact that we need to get additional capacity to allow for both growth in customer demand and to fix existing infrastructure is well established. What's missing is the lack of support in New York and New Jersey to find the funding for this critical work. That falls on both Gov. Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Both have shown indifference to mass transit and infrastructure beyond a few car-centric projects like the new Tappan Zee bridge in New York and the Pulaski Skyway rehabilitation and NJ Turnpike expansion projects in New Jersey.

This has to change in order to improve the economic competitiveness of the region against other world-class cities.

The Failure of the WTC PATH Hub

2014-09-23T09:20:00.000-04:00

Construction of the Port Authority's PATH Transit Hub is still underway and Santiago Calatrava's design shows its final form, even as the cost pushes past a staggering $4 billion. That's nearly $2 billion over the original budget estimate. These inflated costs have sapped the Port Authority's ability to build new infrastructure in the region, which is its core mission. Instead, the agency has poured billions into a project that doesn't add any cross-river capacity.

Set aside the architectural features of the exterior or the fact that the Port Authority is boasting about a transit hall that is larger than that of Grand Central Terminal in Midtown. I think that the design will ultimately be an iconic site in Lower Manhattan and become one of the more photographed sites in Manhattan, which is saying something.

But the visuals can't overcome the serious flaws to the project that will saddle future commuters for generations to come.

The view from Fulton Street.

This is first and foremost a transit hub. So, the first question to be asked is whether it does that job well.

I think I know the answer to this, even though the permanent design is still being unveiled in phases.

The design is a failure.

This week is proof of that.

The new terminal cannot handle counter-commutes. It just can't do it.

The new platforms are all shiny and clad in white marble and the steel ribs that peek out are also white, so you can be forgiven for the impression that you've walked into an Apple store with all the gleaming whiteness and sleek curves.

But getting to the platform itself is a comedy of bad design.

The mezzanine level for the PATH terminal; there is marble as far as the eye can see.

There is currently one platform open, and there are two elevators, which is a significant improvement over the original station or even the temporary station built after the attacks but that's the extent of the positive news. The problem is that the Port Authority decided in its infinite wisdom to build two escalators that funnel into the center of the future transit hall. There are three sets of stairs. During the past two days, it has been next to impossible to get up the stairs or on to the platform level because there simply isn't any room for people to go.

The escalators preclude any counter-commuting. You are forced to go to the stairs at the far ends of the platforms, but considering that we're talking about full trains, there's no extra room for people to squeeze through to get either up or down, so it takes extra time to navigate through the PATH platform level.

That's inexcusable. The Port Authority chose to install costly escalators that they don't even operate full time (they shut down during midday) because of the cost, rather than stairs that would be much more amenable to counter commuting.

What's sad is that it's actually easier to get from the platform levels to the mezzanine level from the old temporary platforms than it is from the gleaming new platform A.

It's part of the mindset about the Port Authority thinking only in one direction, and not realizing that there is a significant number of people who commute from Manhattan to New Jersey for their jobs. It's a serious oversight and one that should be corrected with the remaining platforms, but I doubt that they're going to make those changes, even though it would be the prudent thing to do.

So, who to blame for this? I have to put the blame squarely on the Port Authority, which apparently never bothered to look at how people actually commute, and what can happen when there are service disruptions elsewhere in the system.

The Port Authority loves to claim that there's going to be 250,000 pedestrians using the PATH hub daily, and that there are 35,000 commuters. They can't handle those numbers, and this week shows that the new hub isn't quite up to the task either.

September 11, 2014 -- I Remember Steven Harris Russin

2014-09-11T08:50:00.000-04:00

For several years now I have participated in Project 2996, a tribute to the 2,996 innocent victims of 9/11, where bloggers eulogize each victim. Previously, I have remembered Lt. Col. Jerry Don Dickerson Jr., Mary Lenz Wieman, Mark Francis Broderick, Capt. Patrick J, Brown, Hagay Shefi, Alison Marie Wildman, Daniel Thomas Afflitto, and Donna Bernaerts-Kearns. Please check out these tributes as well today, as they deserve to be remembered too. Today, I remember Steven Harris Russin.

Steven was born in Marlboro, New Jersey, the town in which I live. Two years ago, the town ceremonially renamed several streets after victims of 9/11. My street was renamed Steven Russin Way. Since the renaming, I wondered who Steven Russin was. I was going to do last year's tribute to him, but decided that I needed to eulogize a victim from another location, other than the World Trade Center.

Steven Russin was a child at heart. That is how several online articles and eulogies about Steven start out. Steven was born and raised in Marlboro, NJ, attended Marlboro High School, where he carried on a successful baseball card trading business, and later, Ithaca College, in upstate New York. Like many of the victims on that faithful day, he worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, as a government securities trader.

However, work was not what defined his life. Steven's life was his son Alec and the unborn twin girls he never met, Ariella and Olivia, who were born four days after 9/11. Ariella even wrote a letter to Steven, which was published in
“The Legacy Letters: Messages of Life and Hope from 9/11 Family Members,” which she reads in the video below (the proceeds of sale of this book go to the Tuesday's Children organization.)

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Like Steven, I too am a child at heart. I also would have been front and center in that water gun fight shown in the video. From all accounts, Steven, like most of the victims I have written about, appears to be someone I truly wish I could have met. I would have loved to have talked to him about his kids and share stories of my own children. To discuss how we both balance demanding work lives with the desire to spend as much time with our children. While I have not met Steven, I am sure that several people I know have, and I hope they feel free to comment on his life here.

Steven's family and friends have set up the The Steven Russin Children Assistance Program Fund, who's mission is to enrich the lives of children of families with financial limitations. In addition, this child at heart has a playground named after him. What a fitting tribute!

13 Years Later: Remembering 9/11

2014-09-10T22:05:00.000-04:00

I've written essentially the same opening each of the past few years. It's still appropriate to remember today, as it was when I first wrote this:

September 11, 2001. New Yorkers were heading to the polls to vote in primary elections to determine the next mayor of the city. It was a morning full of promise and baseball fans were excited about the Yankees' chances of making the playoffs, the Mets thinking about the future, and the start of the new football season. In other words, it was a day not unlike the ones we've experienced once again this year.

While everyone was focused on the day ahead, another group of people were thinking about the mission that would forever alter the skyline of NYC and alter history. Al Qaeda's terrorists were already on board four jets bound for New York and Washington DC and had already overpowered the crews.

I was on a NJ Transit train with my dad when I first noticed something wrong at the WTC out of the corner of my eye; it was smoke coming from the upper reaches of the tower.

It was just around 8:45.

The world changed, and I didn't quite realize it. No one did.

People watching the morning news didn't know it either at first. But they would soon be glued to broadcasts that showed the horrors of the worst terror attacks ever perpetrated.

The damage done on that morning was nearly impossible to comprehend. In the mere blink of the eye, nearly 3,000 people were condemned to death and the World Trade Center would soon be reduced to a pile of rubble that would burn for weeks on end. Reports would come in that a third plane had struck and damaged the Pentagon. But the death rattle of the Twin Towers would continue for just under two hours and victims trapped above the fires had to make the choice to stay and choke on the heat and smoke or jump to a certain death. All too many make that decision to jump. Firefighters on the ground also succumbed before the towers fell - falling debris hitting firefighters and fleeing people alike.

Stephen Siller, whose name is memorialized in the annual Tunnel to Towers Run to raise funds for responders.

He's also memorialized at the Staten Island 9/11 Memorial thusly:

Stephen Siller's memorial on Staten Island

Coming full circle, on May 1, 2011, the United States finally caught up with Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. In a daring raid on a compound near Pakistan's military academy, US special forces killed bin Laden and captured a treasure trove of intel. That's small consolation for the thousands of families and friends who still grieve the senseless murder of their loved ones in New York, Washington DC at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The profound loss is a heavy burden on all those who were there and on those who lost loved ones.

Local commemorations are already underway and will continue through the week throughout the region. In fact, this is the first year that the WTC Museum will be open on 9/11. The museum has not opened without controversy. There's the question of the incredibly high cost for entry, the tacky gifts included in the gift shop, potentially locating restaurants in the museum, and lawsuits filed over the installation of the WTC cross. The cost to entry is still too high (it should be free) and the lawsuits to block the installation of the WTC cross, which were filed by an atheist group, lost.

Part of the reason that the WTC Museum charges fees is that it's a private foundation operating the site. They have to deal with security and overhead of the facility, which is quite significant. I've long called for the National Park Service to take over and that this would necessarily reduce the overall costs and improve the accessibility to the site. While I don't need to be able to visit the museum myself, the museum is for those who weren't even born yet or understood what actually happened at the WTC site on 9/11 and the weeks, months, and years that followed. The museum should be free for all to come and bear witness to the events. This should be a no-brainer, and yet no one can agree on making that happen.

Meanwhile, the federal government created the James Zadroga health and compensation fund because of the ongoing health concerns of those who carried out relief and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. More people continue to seek assistance via the program, including those emergency responders who came from across the country to spell the FDNY and NYPD and PAPD in the grim task of recovering the remains of those murdered. The Zadroga Act wasn't perfect by any means and it has come too late for some, but it's a start to compensate and aid families of responders who are suffering from all manner of ailments attributed to Ground Zero exposure. The Act is scheduled to sunset unless it is reauthorized, and given the dysfunction in Washington, it can't be taken for granted that it would be continued.

Construction at the site doesn't domination the front pages of local papers as it used to, as construction is nearing the end on several portions of the site. The entire Western side of Ground Zero is now essentially built out - between the Memorial, Museum, and 1WTC.

The South Memorial Pool looking towards 4WTC.

1WTC (aka the Freedom Tower) has finally recaptured part of the skyline and is regarded as the tallest skyscraper in North America at 1,776 feet. 1WTC is set to open later this year even as work continues around its base.

Looking down Fulton Street from West Street towards Church across the WTC. 1WTC is on the left, and the memorial to the right.

The North and East sides of 1WTC

Construction of the Transit Hub is also underway, and Santiago Calatrava's design shows its final form, even as the cost pushes past a staggering $4 billion. That's nearly $2 billion over the original budget estimate, and the costs associated with this has sapped the Port Authority's ability to build new infrastructure in the region, which is its core mission. Instead, the agency has poured billions into a project that doesn't add any cross-river capacity.

The WTC PATH transit hub with nearly 50% of the spikes installed. Every day, the structure looks more and more like a stegosaurus. The structure on the left is 3WTC, which just saw construction restarted this past week. To give a sense of size, the tips of the spikes are probably 10-15 stories tall at their peak and extend out from the main structure by 50-75 feet at their widest points.

One of the tower cranes preparing to hoist one of the ribs into its final location on the north side of the transit hub.

Work continuing on the PATH transit hub.

The North Memorial Pool looking towards the PATH transit center.

The price does provide for a lot of marble though.

The mezzanine level for the PATH terminal; there is marble as far as the eye can see.

The Port Authority has announced that they expect the transit hub to be open by the end of next year. I personally don't see it happening, unless the Port Authority will open it the way the MTA has done at the Fulton Center. I fully expect that sections will be closed off for construction to continue as the main transit hall is largely available.

So, while the hub will be visually interesting and definitely become a photographer's favorite, the problem with the PATH transit hub and all that spending is that it doesn't exactly add capacity to the system. The Port Authority is fudging the figures so as to claim that 250,000 pedestrians will use the transit hub daily. That's not exactly true. 35,000 people use PATH daily in and out of the WTC. The rest are people who the Port Authority expects to visit the mall being built as part of the hub, and the people who are working in 1WTC and 4WTC as those spaces are filled out. 250,000 people are not going to be taking PATH daily.

4WTC is nearly done, though I'm surprised that there's an exterior lift still attached to the south side of the building. Even 1WTC has been buttoned up, and it was topped out after 4WTC. That's odd to say the least, but tenants are supposed to be moving in there next month. Maybe.

2 WTC remains a stub, and construction has finally resumed at 3WTC after Larry Silverstein finally secured financing and other commitments to build out the building that had reached about 10 stories before grinding to a halt. Silverstein signed GroupM to lease 500,000 square feet of space in the tower, which enabled the developer to move ahead and secure additional financing from the Port Authority. That financing raised questions from some, who thought this was a giveaway but ignores that this was a loan guarantee - the agency wasn't actually putting the money up. The only way the Port Authority loses on the deal is if Silverstein defaults, which isn't likely to happen.

Lagging behind all the other structures is the Vehicle Security Center that runs along the south side of the WTC and which was previously occupied by the former Deutsche Bank building. There's a new platform and entrance area being built for vehicles servicing the WTC complex, but it's years behind schedule and over budget (like everything else at the WTC).

Much of the fault for the slow pace of rebuilding is the result of Port Authority actions and omissions to limit cost increases, especially when it comes to the transit hub and the delays in building led to still more costs incurred. In order to complete construction of the memorial in time for the 10th anniversary, the Port Authority needed to spend $500 million more on the transit hub to build out the memorial while the site was erected around the transit links.

At the same time, the Fulton Center, which is a block East of the WTC site is nearly open, and will eventually link to the PATH transit hub via the Dey Street connector, and ultimately those working at the World Financial Center (Brookfield Place) would be able to access Fulton Center without having to travel outside. It's likely to be opened in time for when 4WTC is fully opened for business.

The skyline will never be the same. Neither will our hearts, which are heavy with the loss and supreme sacrifices made on 9/11 by the rescue personnel who bravely rushed up the towers even as people were racing to get out of the towers or gasping as people were forced to jump to their deaths to avoid being burned alive in the fires that racked the towers.

We remember.

The media will be out as usual. The Memorial is busy preparing the site for the memorial service and the media is getting set up. These photos were taken on September 10, 2014:

PIX11 news van at corner of Church and Vesey.

NYPD security barriers being arranged ahead of tomorrow's events.

Flags being hung from 3WTC

Preparations for the memorial services underway.

This year Century21, the department store whose main location is across from the WTC and which was badly damaged by the attacks, has unveiled a building wrap in time for tomorrow:

Century21 department store doing a full block wrap

The Century21 Department Store installing a full-block wrap on their Church Street frontage.

What the Century21 wrap will look like when done.

We remember.

The Tribute in Light

Reaching towards infinity

The view of Lower Manhattan from the Staten Island 9/11 Memorial at St. George.

Looking across the Hudson River from Hoboken.

For my prior year recollections and postings, see September 11, 2013, September 11, 2012, 10 Years Later, September 11, 2010, September 11, 2009, September 11, 2008, September 11, 2007, September 11, 2006, and September 11, 2005.

Cross posted at LGF.

Meet Me In St. Louis

2014-08-06T19:05:00.001-04:00

Looking up at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (aka the Gateway Arch). Definitely very impressive from the outside. Also impressive? The line to get in. Depending on time of day, you could spend more time waiting in line than actually riding the elevator to the observation deck.

Inside Union Station. The station, repurposed as a hotel, is a grand space with a nightly light show. One of the more impressive public spaces in the City.

At Busch Stadium with a view of the Arch, Court House, and downtown.

A view from behind home plate.

One of the great things about St. Louis is all the public art and sculptures on display. This is part of a larger display along Market Street.

Soulard Market is a hidden gem near the Budweiser brewery (and tours and free tastings). However, this is more likely to leave a lasting impression with a copious amount of fresh food, spices, teas, and other local delicacies.

More of the fresh food on display.

From the top of the Gateway Arch looking West. There was a bit of haze plus the windows don't exactly give you the clearest views (and they're incredibly tiny - each one is less than a foot high and about 18 inches wide). Everyone gets wedged in tight up there trying to hunch over to get a view, let alone decent photos.

Fountains outside Union Station at night.

More fountains outside Union Station.

The Lincoln home in Springfield, Illinois. It's where Lincoln accepted the nomination to lead the Republican Party in the 1861 presidential elections, which he won.

We hit several stretches of Route 66 in and around St. Louis. This particular stretch was near the Lincoln National Historic Site.

Inside the State Capitol of Illinois.

Looking up at the State Capitol of Illinois.

St. Charles, Missouri. Home to the first state capitol and first capital of Missouri.

White Haven, the home owned by US Grant and where he lived prior to the Civil War. It's where he met his wife, who was from a family of slave holders.

Inside the Budweiser Brewery.

Inside the Court House where the state's Dred Scott cases played out.

This space is recreating the look and feel of the court room at the time of the Dred Scott decision. The courtroom was originally several times larger than this.

Walking through the Old Courthouse, you could really feel the history around you. Hitting these historic sites really did give you a sense of the importance of the St. Louis environs and why events turned out the way they did - it was where US Grant got his first exposure to slavery (via his wife's family). It's where the infamous Dred Scott case worked its way through the courts on its way to an abominable decision by the Taney court, and where the nation was at a crossroads- literally and figuratively as a central point on the way West.

If you want to get a primer on civil rights and equal protection under the law, look no further than the courthouse downtown. The courtroom for Dred Scott leaves a lasting impression on those willing to learn - we are still a world away from truly having equal protection under the law, and minorities are still persecuted and not treated equally.

That goes for religious as well as ethnic minorities. So, when I hear about how Christian persecution in the US, I have to wonder what planet these people are talking about, because Christians aren’t being persecuted here - they’re being exposed to the limits of separation of church and state as the Founders wanted because no religion shall be established, which means that Christians can’t impose their views on everyone else through state acts (like legislation).

A few other observations about St. Louis in general. The food is pretty damned good. Had Imo's and Ted Drewes as well as great Italian food at a place off the beaten path. Square One distillery and brewery is a nice spot in the Lafayette neighborhood. The area's parks and recreation activities are quite nice, and there's plenty of distinctive architecture to take in.

But there was one thing I couldn't quite figure out. Why did local and state leaders think that every street, let alone highway needed more lanes of traffic? The place could have accommodated two or three times as much traffic and still had room for several times more. It's one of the most overbuilt areas for roads I've ever traveled. The area could definitely benefit from a road diet.

For these photos, I shot with my Canon 60D and either the Sigma 8-16mm, f4.5-5.6 or Sigma 17-50mm f2.8 lenses.

The Gaza War Continues: Where Do We Go From Here?

2014-07-22T20:40:00.000-04:00

The latest battle in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas (Operation Protective Edge) continued without any sign of letup. Israel's military continues ground operations inside Gaza, while Hamas has continued firing rockets and missiles at Israel. Israeli ground forces have taken casualties while Gazan casualties continue to grow.

Thus far, Palestinians living in Gaza have taken the brunt of the fighting. There have been hundreds of casualties and it is still unclear just how many of them are civilians and how many have been Hamas fighters. Media outlets are relying almost exclusively on Hamas and PA sources for casualty counts, and Hamas has been notorious with lying about who was killed and conflating their casualties with civilians.

It is indisputable that Israel has hit civilians, including children in the course of the fighting and trying to hit at Hamas terrorists who are entrenched in urban areas and firing at Israel from within civilian areas. Israel reports that they've killed at least 270 terrorists, while the UN indicates that 479 have been killed overall, including 364 civilians, 76 militants, and 39 who they can't classify. Gaza's Health Ministry puts the tally at 632 killed and nearly 3,800 wounded.

It is also indisputable that Hamas has no problem firing from civilian positions including schools and UN facilities. For the second time in a week, the UNRWA has found rocket caches in one of their facilities.

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Hamas has become more brazen in where they're storing their weapons, all while their leaders cower in underground bunkers while Gazans who aren't connected with the leadership and don't have the means to protect themselves are taking the brunt of the damage with no where else to go.

It is also indisputable that but for Hamas firing rockets and missiles at Israel incessantly since even the last ceasefire in 2012 (all but one month had missile/mortar or rocket fire) that Israel would not have needed to invade Gaza once again after the latest rounds of barrages that have landed deep inside Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The FAA may have succeeded in doing what Hamas couldn't do directly. After firing missiles in the direction of Ben Gurion Airport, Delta Airlines and a quick succession of other airlines decided that they didn't want to put their planes in harms' way. The FAA then ordered US airlines to halt flights to and from Israel for 24 hours. Other airlines also followed suit.

The airlines rightfully don’t want to see their gear destroyed by the missiles or rockets, and that’ll be more than enough to keep them away though it is strange that they are not willing to fly into Israel but haven't had issues with flights to/from or over other war zones and conflict regions in recent years, including Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Ukraine (prior to the shoot down of Malaysian Air Flight 17).

The FAA order and its effect on the conflict can play out in one of two ways. It could force Israel to a ceasefire while Israel has not achieved its goals militarily so as to get flights to resume. If the flights remain shut down, it would have the effect of imposing economic harms on Israel (lost tourism/commerce) and indirectly strengthens Hamas’ hand.

However, the concern for Israel's economy is just as likely to move Israel to mount an even larger military campaign into Gaza so as to eliminate the threat to Israel's only international airport and crush Hamas' capabilities once and for all. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu is likely to opt for the latter, knowing that his country needs the influx of tourists to keep the economy going and a prolonged shutdown would have dire consequences. Israeli public opinion isn't going to take this kind of existential threat to their livelihood and country; they're going to press ahead with rooting out Hamas if it means eliminating the threat to Israel's airport.

Until now, the primary justification for the Israeli ground assault has been to root out the tunnels and bunkers Hamas has used to bring weapons into Gaza from Sinai, store the weapons, and to infiltrate into Israel. The missile attacks near Ben Gurion are the kind of justification that Israel could make to continue its fight inside Gaza - to eliminate the threat to Israel's economy and transportation networks that fighting to clear the tunnels from Gaza didn't. It would potentially provide the open-ended invitation for Israel to remain in Gaza, a region Israel unilaterally withdrew from in 2005 as no nation would ever allow its key transit locations to be under constant threat from missiles and bombs.

Meanwhile, the diplomats are trying to formulate yet another cease fire proposal. It's actually a joke at this point. Everyone knows that the ceasefire agreement is going to end up being the same as all the prior deals between Israel and Hamas. Both sides will promise not to fire on the other beginning at X. Once X plus a given period Y has occurred, Israel will promise Z and Hamas will need to reciprocate with A. The ceasefire deals are essentially fill-in-the-blank and you can substitute the times, dates, and in the end, all that is left are the casualties on both sides to be buried and hospitalized.

It's nice that the diplomats and EU members are calling on Hamas and other terror groups in Gaza to be disarmed, but there's no indication of how or who would do what they propose. Hamas seems to have an answer to that question - they’ll keep firing their munitions until they’ve expended their stockpiles. Israel will continue taking that fire until they have forced Hamas to expend all of its weapons.

Gazans will continue to suffer from Hamas actions and Israeli responses and both Israelis and Gazans will mourn their losses and curse Hamas. And that, unfortunately, is the takeaway.

Cross posted at LGF