20/20 Vision For Ground Zero

New Yorkers know that rebuilding at the World Trade Center site has been painfully slow with many hurdles. In the past, the Port Authority has generally made it difficult for us to peer into Ground Zero as if to hide their disgrace. Suddenly, the Port Authority has changed its view and will change our view of this cherished land. A new, see-through mesh fence will be erected. Described as a “clean and informative wrapping,” it will enclose much of the area’s 16-acres. Imprinted directly onto this fencing will be artist renderings of all the site’s signature projects. Screen designs will be updated periodically to reflect building design modifications and progress. There’ll be an open viewing area created on Liberty Street enabling spectators to look straight down into the construction pit. The new PA barrier is a clever concept and welcome change. It should be remembered that no fence will ever be more touching or inspiring than those which sprung up throughout New York City in the days and weeks following 9/11. New Yorkers spontaneously created those fences where the world collectively grieved. Seven years after September 11th 2001, New Yorkers should see more than "pretty pictures" on a barrier. We should see floor after floor of magnificent towers rising towards the heavens. Let’s ensure that the PA manages this project more effectively now. Or, let’s guarantee that “the writing will be on the wall” for those who mismanage it again.

Queens-Midtown Tunnel Fizzle-Missile

Arye Sachs, 48, was recently in Federal court facing trademark infringement charges. It’s the way he got there that makes this story memorable. Sachs drove a 25-foot-long “missile” through the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and through the streets of Manhattan numerous times without being stopped! The phony rocket had the words “Viva Viagra” along the side. That didn’t make “little-blue-pill” manufacturer Pfizer Inc. any too happy. The judge, who ultimately ruled against Sachs, seemed more curious about how Sachs did it than what he did. According to Sachs, on September 8th, he simply towed his rocket right past laughing toll booth cops. In fact, Sachs stated that he drove the rocket through the Lincoln Tunnel five times without being questioned. Pfizer also took exception to the entrepreneur's mobile-billboard drive past their corporate headquarters too! A Port Authority spokesperson doesn’t believe Sachs could drive as freely as he did without being pulled over. He vows they’ll look into the matter. With the severe threats New Yorker’s face just by being New Yorkers, it’s pathetic and possibly criminal that the PA needs an investigation now to determine if this happened the way Sachs said it did. Shouldn't they already know for certain that it's impossible? It is impossible, right?

PA Ground Zero Workers Being PAtrolled

The Port Authority will pay $300,000 to LifeMatters, a not-for-profit group for the purpose of hiring psychologists to observe construction site personnel. This is supposedly being done as a precautionary move to prevent accidents. Two counselors will make their way around the 16-acre site looking for odd behavior among the PA’s 700 workers. A union source believes it’s more a crackdown on drinking, smoking and goofing off rather than acting goofy. Worker safety should be of paramount concern at every PA construction site throughout New York. Hiring more experienced supervisors might accomplish that goal better than head-shrinkers. Why not employ psychologists in the Port Authority’s corporate offices instead? All New Yorkers know of the mismanagement and crazy decisions that have come out of there for years!

Terrorism Recedes Into PA’s PAst

The “threat color level” for the Port Authority appears to be rosy. Security patrols around midtown’s Port Authority Bus Terminal have been reduced to pre-9/11 levels; reportedly to save on excessive overtime costs. This is the busiest bus-port in the world with over 200,000 passengers a day yet three security booths, constructed after 9/11, are now unmanned 24/7. The PA was found liable in 6 deaths and 1,000 injuries in the 1993 WTC bombing. Critics say that New York’s commuter hub is far less safe than it should be. Port Authority spokespeople claim its safer now than ever before. Hopefully circumstances won’t lead to a court ruling against the PA once again.