IN THIS WEEK'S ISSUE
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 2 , 2006 |
DEAR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, This was a very busy week that included the resignation of Gretchen Dykstra, the head of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation and the beginning of several committee meetings headed by Frank Sciame to streamline the budget and plans for the Memorial and Memorial Museum. I attended a meeting this week with Mr. Sciame and members of the WTC Memorial Family Advisory Committee. The meeting was very productive as we had an opportunity to discuss the 9/11 families concerns. My hope is that our concerns will be considered and that Michael Arad, the designer of “Reflecting Absence” is involved in the decision making process as they weigh any modifications made to the original design. There also must be complete transparency in the process moving forward. Both the families and the general public should be kept informed of the process. We look forward to working with the interim president, Joe Daniels to keep the process moving. This time of transition at Ground Zero requires steady leadership and VOICES supports the Foundation's mission to build a Memorial that will remember and honor those who died, recognize the endurance of those who survived, and the courage of those who risked their lives to save others. The release of U.S. Department of Homeland Security appropriations for this year has upset many in the New York area. DHS has a responsibility to make sure all areas of the country are secure, but I am not convinced that New York and Washington deserved the steep cut in funding they received. We will continue to monitor this issue, as many powerful New York politicians have said they will fight for a restoration of some funding. Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Pete King were particularly upset by the DHS contention that the city has no "national monuments or icons" that need special security, despite being home to Ground Zero, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty. They responded by sending postcards of famous New York Landmarks to DHS Secretary Chertoff and are encouraging others to do the same. Read more about their creative action alert below and make your voice heard if you feel strongly about this issue. Warm Regards,
VOICES "SIGNIFICANT OTHERS" GROUP still HAS SPACE for additional members
VOICES additional teleconference group for Parents of 9/11 victims held its first meeting this week but is seeking new members. This will group will meet Wednesdays from VOICES still has openings for the "Significant Others" teleconference support group open to males and females who were in a serious relationship with a 9/11 victim but were not married, such as those who were living together, domestic partners, or engaged. The group's next meeting is Monday, June 5, 2006 at 11:00 am EST VOICES teleconference groups are offered free of charge but registration is required. Teleconference groups are always open to new members. Check the teleconference group schedule and see which one works best for you. Interested individuals should call VOICES at (866) 505-3911 or (203) 966-3911 for more information.
WTC MEMORIAL FOUNDATION HEAD GRETCHEN DYKSTRA leaves post Last Friday WTC Memorial Foundation President and CEO Gretchen Dykstra resigned, the latest high-profile departure from leadership at the embattled site. In her resignation letter, Dykstra explained: "There is general agreement that the multiplicity of authorities makes it difficult for anyone to move expeditiously. Perhaps it would help if there were one less player.” Presumably Dykstra knew that her former position would be quickly filled, however, so there will still be a Foundation "player" at Ground Zero -- just not her. Joe Daniels, the foundation’s General Counsel, has been asked to serve as acting President while a search gets underway. Media reports and insiders had speculated that Dykstra might be leaving because of disputes of cost and control at the site, but the timing was still abrupt: just a few days before her resignation Dykstra kicked off a speaking tour to promote the Memorial design in East Hartford, Connecticut, according to Journal Enquirer (NE Conn.) coverage. NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg said he urged Dykstra to stay on the job, and told the New York Times: "I don't know that her leaving is going to solve any problems. Quite the contrary, it just makes it more complex because you don't have her." PATAKI FIRES BACK AT SPITZER'S CRITICISM OF LMDC New York Attorney General and Gubernatorial front-runner Eliot Spitzer entered the fray downtown last week, harshly criticizing the rebuilding efforts of the LMDC. "Those who are running the LMDC deserve an enormous piece of the criticism," Spitzer said according to the NY Daily News. "This was an Enron-style debacle where they have violated their duty to the public... Now they're beginning to throw in the towel one by one." Spitzer's last comment was seen as a swipe at outgoing LMDC boss John Whitehead. In response LMDC spokesman John Gallagher fired back: "We would certainly welcome it if the attorney general chose to participate constructively in the rebuilding of lower Manhattan, which, during the past 4-1/2 years, he's utterly failed to do," also quoted in the Daily News. For his part, Pataki said: "I'm very much offended when he compares the team . . . to Enron. I think it's outrageous," as quoted in the Associated Press. "If he sees any reason to challenge the integrity of the people there, he should say it and he should say whose integrity he's challenging and why he's challenging that integrity." But it may just be early election season jousting. In reaction to the public spat, Bloomberg claimed that the important decisions about Ground Zero will already be made when the next governor -- whoever it is -- takes office: "I don't know that anything will change with a new administration in Albany... We do have to, at some point here -- and I think we've passed that point -- as they say, fish or cut bait. It's time to cut bait" -- using a colorful fishing metaphor for "make a decision."
WINNERS AND LOSERS ANNOUNCED IN HOMELAND SECURITY GRANTs Funds slashed for New York and Washington while other cities see gains The 2006 Department of Homeland Security Urban Area Grants were announced Wednesday, with New York and Washington D.C. facing steep 40 percent cuts from last year. This year's allocation to New York City will drop to $124.5 million from $207.6 million last year. Washington will see its funds drop to $46.5 million in 2006 from $77.5 million. Other cities got sharp increases: funding for Louisville, Omaha and Charlotte, N.C., jumped by about 40 percent, with grants to each of about $8.5 million. Money for Newark and Jersey City, in a combined grant, rose 44 percent, to $34 million. Chicago, Atlanta and the Los Angeles area each received small increases. Click to see a New York Times graphic comparing winners and losers for 2006 Urban Area Grants and a full table of 2006 Homeland Security Grants by State (.pdf) The Urban Area Grants are a large part of the overall DHS allocation program to the States.
Funding Methodology Explained
Though DHS claimed this years' in Urban Area Grants would be allocated largely according to risk, the allocations left some scratching their heads. The total $711 million pool was a 20 percent cut from last year's $836 million, reflecting overall belt tightening at DHS. $1.7 billion will be distributed to the States this year, down from about $2.2 billion in 2005. Homeland security officials said the grant formulas were the product of teams of law enforcement officials from around the nation evaluating the effectiveness of the spending proposals submitted by the 46 eligible urban areas. Cities that submitted poorly designed or piecemeal plans saw their bottom lines suffer.
The grantors seemed to favor proposals that focused on one-time purchases, like first responder equipment and infrastructure improvements, rather than recurring expenses, like New York's need to cover overtime costs for police officers--including the heavily armed "Hercules Teams" seen above. "We want to make sure we are not simply pushing dollars out of Washington," said Tracy Henke, DHS assistant secretary for grants and training, as quoted in the New York Times. "The reality is you have to understand that there is risk throughout the nation."
New York Politicians Lash Out Politicians in cities that saw steep cuts fired back Wednesday, including New York Congressman Peter King (R), Chairman of the powerful House Homeland Security Committee. In a New York Post OP-ED where he vowed to fight the DHS cut "tooth and nail" from Capitol Hill, King writes: "Homeland Security funding is supposed to be distributed based upon risk - and we all know that no city faces greater risk than New York. We've done more than any other city in the country to defend ourselves and our nation; that should be rewarded, not punished. We're at the top of every terrorist hit list, and we need this funding to ensure our city is not attacked again." The New York media didn't pull any punches, either--especially for DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff: "President Bush must give Chertoff the boot with a hearty, 'Heck of a job, Mikey,'" a NY Daily News editorial fumed yesterday.
DHS officials went on the offensive to defuse the criticism. Yesterday, Chertoff commented to the New York Times: "There was no suggestion about anything we did that New York is not the No. 1 terror target. But I do think it's fair to ask this question: After a city gets $500 million, more than twice as much as the next-largest city, is it correct to assume they should continue to get the same amount of money year after year after year after year with everybody else dividing up what remains?" Predictably, urban areas given funding increases praised DHS. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Wednesday in the Los Angeles Times, "the federal government's recognition that our dense urban population and our high-profile critical infrastructure [makes L.A.] the single greatest terrorist target west of the Mississippi."
ACTION ALERT: SEND A NEW YORK LANDMARKS POSTCARD TO SEC. CHERTOFF
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rep. Peter T. King continued their call for Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff to justify massive cuts to homeland security funding for New York despite the fact that no state has been more affected by terrorism or is a greater target of terrorist attack. The postcards that Sen. Clinton and Rep. King sent to Secretary Chertoff can be seen on Senator Clinton's website. Secretary Michael Chertoff
SAVE THE DATE: FORUMS MONITORING WTC HEALTH ISSUES
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Thursday, June 29, 2006 Info: The purpose of this meeting is to communicate to the public the Registry's most recent findings, to further the dialogue between the Registry, its enrollees and the public, and to link people to health facilities, services and other resources. For additional information call 212-788-5452
SAVE THE DATE: An Evening of Workshops & Wellness
Wednesday June 7, 2006 Cost: Free of charge, advance registration required Contact: Please let us know you’re coming – call Laura at 201-837–9090 or send us an e-mail at thelivingroom@jfsbergen.org and read the event flyer
RECORD YOUR MEMORIES and pay tribute to a loved one IN ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY
Following their highly successful visit to our New Canaan Office, StoryCorps will visit Rockland County, NY next month to record interviews with more VOICES families. StoryCorps will be recording Saturday, June 17 and Thursday, June 22 at the office of Hospice of Rockland County, 11 Stokum Lane in New City, NY. Reservations are required. For more information or to make a reservation please contact VOICES at (866) 505-3911 or (203) 966-3911. Each interview will take approximately one hour.
The 2006 hurricane season begins today — Is everyone ready? -- State and local governments along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are heeding the alarm of last year's record onslaught and forecasts of another worse-than-normal hurricane season this year (USA Today)
A Tower on Times Square Gets New Radio Equipment to Help Emergency Workers -- The owners of a Times Square tower have wired their building with radio equipment designed to help emergency workers better communicate with each other once inside — especially in parts of the building where radios tend to drop signals (New York Times) WTC responders illness worse than expected -- Doctors who treat World Trade Center responders say they are surprised almost five years later by the growing number seeking help for the first time - 100 people a month in the biggest monitoring program - and by the severity of illnesses among Sept. 11 workers already in treatment (NY Newsday) Compensation Extension for 9/11 Cleanup Workers -- Three Manhattan Democrats urged the Legislature yesterday to pass a bill that would make it easier for government workers who took part in 9/11 to claim workers' comp because of illnesses that developed after the attack (New York Times) Still hurting: Experiences of three Ground Zero workers -- Profiles of three 9/11 Responders facing ongoing health issues (NY Newsday) Click for a list of ongoing medical offerings for Ground Zero workers (.pdf)
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