2007 Bulletins

12/31/07 — “By all means, rebuild it if we can.” The very last comment of the year really sums up why we are fighting: We certainly can rebuild, most Americans think we should rebuild, and we have yet to hear anyone propose a reason why we should not rebuild — so, by all means, we are pressing on. This has been a year of real progress. Our gains were cumulative and we think that 2008 will reward our efforts. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE. Thank you for your encouragement and support.

* * *

12/2/07 — We’re Better Than That — Aren’t We?” For those who haven’t seen the cartoon by Twin Towers supporter Mike Lester, it’s worth a thousand words. The famous goalposts that said “New York, New York” for thirty years were not disposable symbols. Those who are invested in remaking the World Trade Center into something completely different are quick to ridicule the notion that the current plan is essentially a monument to terrorism. Hard to believe. It takes very little imagination to understand that materially changing the 9/10/2001 skyline, when we could have already so easily restored it, is a nod to Bin Laden. It takes very little sensitivity to understand that his admirers would applaud the part his followers played in setting the stage for the finished product. To deny that is to be willfully ignorant. No doubt, they would appreciate having their attack given permanence, but we do not have to permit it.

* * *

11/8/07 — “An American/Awesome Thing To Do” An appeals court decided against Silverstein Properties in their bid to collect double damages from the insurance companies. Normal people, those not blessed with gobs of money to throw around, might stop at this point and question whether they are really on the right track. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a light suddenly went on in Larry Silverstein’s head? The following comment was left today by Augustus Forster | All Other Americans: “Rebuilding the Twin Towers as before would be the American/Awesome thing to do.”

* * *

10/20/07 — “World Trade Sellouts…” On 10/19/07, dailypress.com printed an article written by Joann Klimkiewicz for the Sunday Hartford Courant on the many charms of Brooklyn. Nestled in the middle of the article is one sentence that artlessly and powerfully conveys how natural it is to want to see the Towers back where they belong:
“Gazing across the river, you can’t help but replant the twin towers with your mind’s eye, imagining them back in their rightful spot, reaching up from the city skyline.”
Nicole Gelinas wrote in “World Trade Sellouts” | 5-18-04 New York Post, “Osama bin Laden gave the order to destroy the World Trade Center -– but Gov. Pataki & Co. are paying for the funeral.” Actually, the American taxpayers are paying for it — but Mayor Bloomberg, Gov. Spitzer, and all the others, didn’t have to agree to be pallbearers. Shame on them. It would be hard to find a more wrong-headed betrayal.

* * *

10/17/07 — “Not Prudent…” There is a hot new book out, Microtrends — The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes, that warns politicians of the dangers of overlooking even 1% of the population. So what would the authors think of ignoring 50/60/70% of the American people? We get touching and inspiring messages sent in all the time — the following is a good example of what people are thinking:
I saw your website today! I agree, 100%. We MUST rebuild! I wish we could get volunteers from each of the 50 states. Each one could collect for that state. Each state pay for 2% of the towers! I am not sure how much that would be, but I am sure they could afford it! I really wish to help as well! Maybe people would be a little iffy about giving, but maybe a website for each state could be set up so that the people could see their donations, and they could make sure 100 percent that the donations were going to the buildings. We could also have another part of the donations for time, like for your time and the other workers. I am from Denver and would really really like to help!!

* * *

10/3/07 — Priming the Pump… We received an extraordinary email from an 18 year-old diplomat’s son living in Switzerland, who had spent his early years in New York. What he wrote was thoughtful and passionate and is included on our new page “Dream No Small Dreams.” In the face of all that is going wrong these days, what this country really needs is a JFK to remind us what we can do when we prime the pump of idealism. The cynicism surrounding this issue — in particular, but that can be detected everywhere — is hazardous to the health of our society. Mayor Bloomberg, for one, should think again. Cigar bars and trans-fat are NOT what is killing us.

* * *

09/13/07 — “Everyone Who’s Anyone…” Testing the radio ad waters has proved extremely encouraging. We’ve received tremendous feedback. A telling theme has come up over and over again since the Alliance got started: Many of us don’t know anyone who doesn’t think that we should put the Towers back where they belong! That’s a pretty damning fact for the press to somehow “overlook.” Obviously, some care much more than others, and 6 years of PRopaganda has lowered most people’s expectations — but it hasn’t changed their hearts. And that’s what counts — or should… We have some great things in the pipeline.

* * *

09/04/07 — The Voice of the People and The Voice of Authority should be one and the same… We will be launching a radio campaign this week in New York that is going to make waves — the kind of momentum that builds and can’t be stopped. We’re confident of that. We are starting with two ads that will appeal to different audiences, and we are inviting anyone who thinks that they can put together a 55-second ad to work on the script and send it to us before recording it so we can make sure that it doesn’t include anything that the station would object to. And if we agree that we would like to add it to the rotation of ads, then we’ll encourage the creator to send us a studio-quality MP3 file. The variety of viewpoints will perfectly symbolize the broad base of support for this campaign to rebuild our World Trade Center.
We think these ads will be a very effective way of getting people to start wondering if it really is too late after all. Once the ad is posted on the site we will be reaching out for the financial support that needs to kick in if we are to run these ads with enough frequency to have an impact. We’re quite sure that we are going to find that people will respond to this campaign with a lot of support for what we are doing. It fits in perfectly with our ongoing efforts to question the wisdom of the GSA’s support for the Freedom Tower. And it all adds up to one inevitable question: WHY?

* * *

08/13/07 — Wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute… As expected, there hasn’t been a lot of time for keeping the Bulletins up-to-date, but what we’ve been doing is bringing us closer to a day in the near future when people are going to start asking WHY we should be stuck with an ersatz World Trade Center. The appeal to the Attorney General and the trip to Washington — and then the follow up — have made something very clear: They have NO answers. They CANNOT justify what they are doing. They are hoping that more people won’t start to ask questions — WE ARE HOPING THEY WILL and think that the next few weeks are going to bring some surprises.
As someone who signed the petition today wrote to us: “We shouldn’t allow such a disappointing building to replace something that made NYC great! The freedom tower will make NYC look like Hong Kong.” And he got that right. What are our “leaders” thinking? We saw a picture of buildings going up in Astana, Kazakhstan that really says it all. it’s creepy how much one of them looks like the “Freedom Tower.”
We mean no disrespect to Hong Kong or Astana or any of the other cities where the “Freedom Tower” would fit right in. But New York is not one of them. All we want is to make New York New York again — and the ONLY way to do that is by building sensational new Twin Towers. That is not too much to ask.

* * *

07/07/07 — The Sky’s the Limit… Some very promising developments are unfolding and we will be making the most of them — so the Bulletins are going to be spotty for awhile. But you can be sure that we are investing 100% of our energies into this and as the Drudge ad proved, we have barely scratched the surface of support. We have other advertising and initiatives in the works now and we encourage everyone who has ever wanted to see the Twin Towers again to give now because it will really count for a lot. Our success is only limited by our supply and every dollar brings us a step closer to the success of something that — it becomes clearer every day — is meant to be!

* * *

06/25/07 — Full Speed Ahead! We stuck our big-toe into the waters of the Drudge Report over the weekend and received passionate confirmation that people really do care as much as we have been saying they do. From now until after July Fourth we will be working on getting a mailing out to those who have it within their power to respond to the Silent Majority and make a difference – in politics, business, and entertainment. So there will probably be no more bulletins for awhile
But what we learned yesterday convinced us that the Drudge Report brings the most bang for the buck and for less than three times the cost of yesterday’s investment, where we shared the spot with a number of other advertisers, we can have the spot exclusively for the day and get more than ten times the exposure! So we’re going for broke, putting all our eggs in one basket, and counting our chickens before they hatch — in other words: HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Something very wonderful is happening — please take part. Thank you!

* * *

06/21/07 — Whose Country Is It? On Tuesday, June 19, members of the Twin Towers Alliance went to Washington to sound a wake-up call in the halls of Congress regarding the massive fraud being perpetrated at the World Trade Center site — subsidized by taxpayer dollars.
In keeping with the strongly bipartisan nature of the support for the rebuilding of the Twin Towers, we had meetings with aides to Sen. John McCain (R, Ariz.), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I, Conn.), and Representative Charles Rangel (D, NY). We also paid courtesy calls on Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Chuck Schumer’s offices. (We have a meeting scheduled for next week in New York with Sen. Schumer’s people.) We had also hoped to meet with Rep. Peter King (R, NY), but he and the aide we would meet with were tied up with Homeland Security matters.
We expect to return to Washington to build on the initial visits and to reach out to other key members of Congress. There is no denying that without the promised Federal mega-lease of space in the Freedom Tower, that dubious building would not be viable. It is bad enough that a colossal fraud was perpetrated on the American people by Gov. Pataki and his Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, but why should the American people be asked to subsidize something they have never wanted and have never had any say in? That is a question that must be answered.
Following today’s Gallup poll results showing support for Congress at an all-time low, this signature issue may be recognized as the life ring that it is. With virtually no downside because of the support that crosses party lines, this would be a perfect way to win the appreciation of the public by showing respect for what we want. And the country would rejoice!
We thank all who have donated and are sorry we can’t send individual thank yous, but we are grateful to each one of you! Considering all the disinformation in the press, it is wonderful that so many of you believe this effort is worthy of your financial support. But you are right. There is so much opportunity right now, we are trying very hard to make the most of it. The Bulletins may not reflect all that is going on, but trust us — there is a lot happening. SO, PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US IN ANY WAY YOU CAN. WE THANK YOU!

* * *

06/18/07 — The Question Is… What we should be asking is not “Why do they hate us?” but “Why do they love us?” Then we will be focusing on the real challenge to our country — because if we aren’t true to our own values, to the American Dream of self-government and giving citizens a real voice in the affairs of state, then that will be the cause of our greatest vulnerability — there is nothing less appealing or more disappointing than a fake.
On the other hand, if people who are locked into stagnant societies see and hear us saying NO to this sell-out at Ground Zero and watch us rebuild our Twin Towers by the force of our will and the strength of our convictions, then they will know that this country really is something special — a model to emulate and worthy of any sacrifice to achieve for themselves. We don’t have to disappoint people who are looking to America to prove that government of, by and for the people is not simply a quaint idea because this country is the real thing – and it’s up to her citizens to reinforce that.
We are on our way to Washington with the message that New Yorkers and Americans have less to fear from terrorist attack than from the short-circuiting of the democratic process. Political chicanery should not be rewarded at Ground Zero. We don’t buy the nonsense that the reason to do what we’re doing is because we’re doing it. The current plan was never the legitimate result of a legitimate process and when that stops mattering our country is going down the drain. We trust that it does and will matter — enough to get it straight. Spoiled children who want what they want do not respond to the voice of reason. We repeat: It is time for some adult supervision. This entire matter could benefit from a month’s worth of “time outs” while we take this to the people.
The results of our first efforts at fund-raising have been encouraging and we are examining how to make the very best use the seed money we are receiving. Please recognize that the time for action is NOW… Thank you!

* * *

06/09/07 — Gaining Ground We have our first appointment in Washington — set for June 19th at 11AM — and we’ll work on getting at least one or two more this week. We are not minimizing the political courage that would be required to back us up. In fact, just officially recognizing that we exist is quite a leap, coming after years of pretending on the part of politicans and the media alike that the issues we are raising don’t matter. Direct answers to direct questions shouldn’t be so hard for citizens to get. But political fallout is the ONLY block to getting this before the American people to be judged it on the merits. Political support would mean that the media would have to report it, whether they wanted to or not. If the force of our argument were not so compelling we might be less confident, but we think that anyone who is betting on the immovable object over the irresistible force is going to find they backed a loser.

* * *

06/08/07 — Not a Big Deal We got a call from a supporter from Florida who visited family in New York this week and visited Ground Zero — as he had a year ago. He couldn’t get over how little has been done since that time, compared to what the news hype had led him to expect. We explained to him that what has been put in place would not necessarily have to be undone. An intelligent site plan, that restores the superblock and gets rid of the preposterous plans to impose the street grid on the site is still achievable and would mean that the Towers could be protected without the current cement fortress base that is planned. Then nothing would prevent them from using the current steel beams for some other building. The important thing to understand is that, with adult supervision, the mess that the politicians and bureaucrats have made of this can still be sorted out.
We do not include Mr. Silverstein as having been a real part of the problem. His original intention was to rebuild the Towers. In the days following September 11th, he vowed to rebuild them and said that we owed it to our children and grandchildren. But he was mugged by the Governor and a gang of elitists and since then has been making the best of a nasty situation. We do not think that he will be a stumbling block to getting this fixed, once he truly sees the possibilities.

* * *

06/06/07 — A Scam, by any other name, would smell … It seemed only right on the anniversary of the D-Day landing that we added these words to the heading of our Survey page:
Given the billions of taxpayer dollars involved and the deep emotional connection that most Americans have to the World Trade Center, we are disturbed by the lack of respect our officials have shown for this effort to raise awareness and get simple accountability. If American citizens cannot ask direct questions and receive direct answers from their elected officials on such an important matter, what does that say about the health of our democracy?
Our requests for meetings in Washington with Senators Schumer, McCain, and Lieberman, Speaker Pelosi, and Congressmen Rangel and King are pending. We are looking to them for leadership.The American people are being swindled at Ground Zero. We will press our case.
We also amended the final question in the survey to read: It is the position of the Twin Towers Alliance that it is not up to the public to have to justify why the Towers should be returned to their place in America’s skyline, but it is up to those who believe differently to justify the radical redesign. The World Trade Center and the Twin Towers were synonymous for decades in the opinion of the world. How then can it be said that we are rebuilding the World Trade Center? Can you put into one or two sentences a good reason why we are building something other than new Twin Towers?

* * *

05/29/07 — Hearing Voices In preparing the Memorial Day message, Just Powers, we were guided by the words of two past Presidents — Thomas Jefferson and John Kennedy — and we realized as never before how bullet-proof the reasoning is for rebuilding the Towers. That is why, in all our outreach, we have never been accused of being wrong on the facts — the strategy seems to be that by just ignoring us, and pretending we are out of the mainstream, they can silence the message. But, there’s not a chance of that happening. We are 100% certain that someone, somewhere is going to read Just Powers and finally open the doors that have been closed to the majority who think as we do about the Twin Towers — the people who placed them in the Top Twenty of America’s Favorite Architecture (see 2/15/07).
The impropriety of disrespecting and marginalizing an issue so overwhelingly worthy of respect is massive and hard to fathom. And the obstruction has been bipartisan. We keep sending out op-eds to editors who have refused to let this debate take place. So, from now on, our new page — Letting the People Judge – will be where we will publish the opinion pieces that we use to challenge preconceptions and encourage the assistance we need.
Creative advertising is going to build the Towers. We are taking very proactive steps to counter those who think they have a monopoly on the future — our future. The Sidewalks of New York contest is going forward and proving to be quite a success because it resonates with people. Now we just have to make the wider public aware of it and get the buzz going.
Advertising is why we formed the non-profit People United to Rebuild the Twin Towers and we are counting on supporters of rebuilding to recognize that this is the time to contribute whatever you think you can — so please go to the Take Action page and click on the credit card link. it could easily be the best money you ever spent… We got a donation the other day with a message that was priceless: “I’d give thousands if I could. It’s too bad our government is backstabbing us. They are allowing the terrorists to win.” But it’s not just the government — the greater harm is being done by those who are feeding us homogenized information. It’s not right. We can make it right. Go to the Take Action page and do what you can.

* * *

05/25/07 — Shameless Gov. Spitzer, who seems to to know no limits when it comes to empty rhetoric, assures us that now that Mr. Silverstein’s insurance woes are over, “we will shape the Manhattan of the future, and ensure New York City’s status as the greatest city in the world.” It is a good thing that Silverstein won the tug-of-war with the insurers, because it was two attacks and to deny payment for two incidents was an injustice. But if New York is to regain its rightful place as the greatest city in the world it will be in spite of Spitzer, not because of him. And the braking action of the insurers’ resistance, while self-serving, did much to prevent the sell-out at Ground Zero from being much further advanced. But as it stands, there is really nothing remotely irreversible in the way.
“The train is now moving on down the track,’’ Silverstein assures us. “The World Trade Center is on its way to being rebuilt.’’ Maybe he really believes that, because you can fool some of the people some of the time and maybe he’s one of them, but that train is going nowhere near the World Trade Center. Those of us who recognize that fact have a real battle on our hands — and so do they.

* * *

05/14/07 — An Inconvenient Truth? The Twin Towers Alliance is reaching out to six ranking officials in an earnest effort to prevent a terrible tragedy from being compounded by a terrible mistake.
Because of the strong bipartisan support for rebuilding the Towers we feel an obligation to pursue a bipartisan resolution. We sent our meeting requests to the schedulers for six key members of Congress. Senator Schumer is New York’s Senior Senator; Senator Lieberman and Senator McCain have proven that they can be relied upon to put principle above politics. Speaker Pelosi has a unique role in service to the American people and Congressmen Rangel and King are two of New York’s most prominent public servants.
The presentation is compelling and the logic cannot be respectfully swept aside. We are not kooks. We are credible and make a good appearance. And we are not after personal gain. What fuels our tenacity is a deep concern about the unintended consequences of the current course. If what we are asserting is fallacious, we would like to hear it. Otherwise, we would like to know how anyone can say it doesn’t matter or tell us why the current plan matters more.
We look forward to presenting a convincing and well-prepared case for how the public AND Mr. Silverstein can still be the winners at Ground Zero. A noble future beckons and getting this right could hardly be more important to the spirit of New York or the health and security of our country.
Meanwhile, a revealing news item appeared on a Belgian website that couldn’t have made it plainer that people around the world think that twin “Freedom Towers” are being built at Ground Zero . . . because, after all, what would be the reason to build anything but twins in place of the Twins?

* * *

05/05/07 — This is rantworthy! A Google Alert recently led us to a conversation on a “Generation Y” blog where someone did a very able job of using his own knowledge of events and the talking points of this website to persuade his peers of the merits of the case for the Towers. The conclusion that one them reached said it all: “that’s a hefty post . . . im still milling it over . . . good points though . . . this is rantworthy.”
We hope that Senators Schumer, Lieberman, and McCain will see it that way! We will soon post in the Leadership section above a link to the letter we send to their schedulers requesting a meeting. We chose Senator Schumer because he is New York’s Senior Senator. We chose Senators Lieberman and McCain because this issue is above politics and believe that both men have demonstrated a dedication to put principle first. That is all that is required to change course at Ground Zero, but we will be pressing our case in other ways as well and are relying on everyone to go to the Take Action page and do whatever they can to get this ball rolling.

* * *

04/22/07 — Truth or Consequences? We have finally concluded the upgrade to the site, and just in time. We had a very eventful week, including half an hour spent on the phone with Senator Schumer’s DC office. We were enquiring as how to best follow up on the TTA Survey, given officials’ total disregard of our legitimate request for their involvement. Federal tax dollars dispensed through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the General Services Administration’s promise of major leases in the unpopular “Freedom Tower” are propping up a plan that many Americans despise — and which would not otherwise be viable — making them accountable for what is built.
We also contacted the Attorney General’s Office a number of times, but have not had a response. As we said in the faxed request on 4/6/07 (below) we would expect a well-reasoned request to the Attorney General asking him to secure an injunction on behalf of the people of New York, pending an investigation, to at least result in a formal finding of fact. If the Public Integrity Unit does not think there was official misconduct that resulted in an illegitimate course being followed at Ground Zero, then they should have the courtesy to tell us on what they based their findings. We gave them a petition with a sampling of over 1000 verified and verifiable New York names and comments in support of our request. It is sad to see, after all the promises, that, as the New York Post said today, the Governor “speaks loudly and carries a small stick.” We still believe that on this issue he could change his mind. And why not? There is every good reason to do so.
We think our elected officials are waking up to the fact that they cannot defend their laissez-faire attitude toward what almost everyone knows was a process that could not pass the smell-test — nor can the media defend their actions. The worst of it is that neither of these two powerful arbiters of our destiny thinks they have any obligation to answer us. The country should beware. If we don’t matter, then no one really does. As must be clear, we are taking the bull by the horns, and are prepared to ride it. We’re ready to launch “The Sidewalks of New York” ad campaign, which promises to be a huge success and we are actively scouting for a PR representative to get our story out there. Don’t just wish us luck. Go to the Take Action page and do whatever you can to rebuild the Towers.

* * *

04/13/07 — How sad is that? Governor Spitzer announced this week that his first 100 days couldn’t have been better and that “we’ve accomplished virtually the entire agenda we set out to accomplish in this time frame.” Not even an honorable mention for the World Trade Center. We will continue to try to persuade him that his lack of leadership on the WTC will be a black mark on his record, no matter how illustrious his performance may otherwise be.

* * *

04/06/07 — Politics or Justice? This letter to Claudia Cohen, Chief of the Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit, was faxed today. We ask for information on the review of the TTA’s 10/24/06 complaint requesting that the AG’s Office seek an injunction against further development on behalf of the public until the true facts — and beneficiaries — can be sorted out.

* * *

04/05/07 — Our Slip Is Showing! There is a major site upgrade in the works that we hope will be fully in place in another ten days or so. Because we’re so pleased with the direction it is taking, we’ve gone live with our beta-version while we work out the kinks, improve the focus, and clean up the cosmetics. Comments and suggestions are welcomed — and we are looking for a volunteer who would able to spend a couple of hours a week developing the site.

* * *

03/28/07 — Announcing People United To Rebuild The Twin Towers While most Americans have hoped all along that the confusion and corruption at Ground Zero would finally give way to new Twin Towers, politicians at every level have failed to show the leadership required. This transcends politics and we wish, for once, that our officials would do the same.

* * *

03/22/07 — Enough Said? Mayor Bloomberg spoke at a Senate hearing earlier this week and urged Senators to help pay for Ground Zero workers’ health care . . . “After all, 9/11 wasn’t just a strike against New York – or Washington,” he said. “It was an attack against all of America. It was an act of war, and our government has a clear responsibility to the casualties of that terrible morning.”
Oddly, the mayor doesn’t seem to recognize that “our government” is another term for our people. How else could he explain his lack of interest in returning the Twin Towers to their indisputable place in the skyline of New York and in the hearts of people everywhere? There is ample evidence that that is what our people want. It’s time to make “our government” understand that if we pay, we want a say. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to work? Why is it so hard to get a hearing of our own? Why isn’t listening to us a “clear responsiblity?” Mayor Bloomberg isn’t the only one tuning us out.

* * *

03/08/07 — Hard to Imagine As new signatures and comments come in, we are cheered by the expressions of support — even when the messages attest to sadness and frustration over what is happening to our World Trade Center. But today we received a message that so perfectly expresses what so many of us think that it hurts the heart to read it.
“Living in Connecticut, I drive into or past Manhattan occasionally and, to this day, it still feels like a punch in the gut when I look at the NYC skyline without our beloved towers standing there. It brings a tear to my eyes every time. I can’t imagine why anyone would NOT want to rebuild and reclaim what was ours. Until our towers are back where they belong, there will always be a hole in our hearts.” -Catherine Curley | March 8, 2007
What Catherine’s comment zeroes in on is the implicit fact that only willful blindness and prejudice could account for NOT wanting to “reclaim what was ours.” As one of the most moving of the LMDC “Public Comment Cards” implored:
“Just as I want my wife back, people want their towers back. The main difference is the latter is possible, the former, not. Walk around Times Square or the Village and look at how many photos and postcards of the Twin Towers are there for sale. I’ve even seen an NYC 2003 calendar with the WTC pictured. That’s what they want . . . don’t let today’s fears control tomorrow’s dreams.”
It’s not surprising that the photos and postcards are still everywhere you look — but what is amazing is that we still have to fight for something that our politicans and journalists should have recognized as our right — to reclaim what can be reclaimed. Instead, special interests with all sorts of secondary agendas were dubbed “stakeholders” and everyone else was frozen out.
We would respect opposing positions if they were willing to debate the merits — but they can’t win on the merits so they don’t try — they just pretend to “listen” while doing whatever they want — no questions asked. But we want answers, we are getting stronger, and we will be heard.

* * *

03/04/07 — Now, More Than Ever HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TWIN TOWERS ALLIANCE! We actually launched the site on St. Patrick’s Day, but it went online for pre-launch signatures on March 4, 2006. Now, almost 4000 names later, we think it is worth pointing out that most national polls are based on a far smaller sampling than we have here. While it is true that all the people who signed were brought to the site by their interest in the Towers, that doesn’t change the fact that they run the gamut: young and old, conservatives and liberals, black and white, Northerners and Southerners, united by a common need to right a wrong and prevent a truly historic blunder from going forward in our name. We have a verfication mechanism in place to ensure that the signatures are from unique email addresses and this site is a true window into the heart of America.
If more people realized that there is still a fight being waged to turn this around, we think the response would be tremendous, and to lose a victory that we would otherwise win, merely because the matter is being misrepresented to the public, would be outrageous. We are not going to let that happen. So we’re making a major shift in strategy that we expect will raise the profile of this campaign. Details will follow soon.

* * *

02/23/07 — What “Freedom” Tower? Now, even though Governor Spitzer has taken the low road at Ground Zero, some exciting new horizons are opening up, which we will unveil when they are fully formed, we hope within a week. Meanwhile, the New York Times published a Letter to the Editor, written by a strong supporter of new Twin Towers. It is a thrill to think that millions of people were exposed to the logic of rebuilding, which is looking more and more like the only sensible and honorable course.

* * *

02/19/07 — The survey has now been faxed to the 2008 Presidential candidates. We are confident that the reasons to take this matter seriously will not be lost on them and that some will see the reason to examine this further. We will post responses as they are received.

* * *

02/17/07 — IS THERE A REAL LEADER OUT THERE? Today’s New York Post printed three very strong pro-Twin Towers letters in response to Steve Cuozzo’s February 7th column. There were no letters in favor of anything else. Who doubts that the Letters to the Editor reflect the proportion of responses received? This was a good week for the Towers. Ranking in the Top 20 in the AIA poll should give the Governor pause as he prepares to unveil his position this week. We hope he reads the Post. And we trust that the survey we sent to Congress will cause some to take a good look at what’s going on.
The battle we are waging is not about commerce, architecture, or urban development. It’s about respect: respect for those who were murdered, respect for the will of the people, and respect for the culture of which those two buildings were an important and beloved part. As long as at least 50.1% of us want them back, we need to hear a very convincing reason why something else should be built in their place. We doubt that reason exists. It’s not too late or too hard to say: “I was wrong. Let’s make it right.”

* * *

02/15/07 — We’ve revised our survey to incorporate recent developments and by noon tomorrow will have finished sending it out to every member of Congress. It may be more than many of them will read, but was written to give those who care insight into the challenge before us. We don’t underestimate the difficulty faced by those who would act independently of the vested government, business, and media interests on this issue, but it will only take a courageous few to make the difference. The 2008 Presidential candidates will receive their surveys soon.
Meanwhile, the first link [now lower on th page] on our “Restoration Alternative” page gives a revealing look into how Americans feel and think about the Twin Towers. The American Institute of Architects turns 150 years old this year and just unveiled a display on their site that is the result of an AIA and Harris Interactive poll. Based on nominations from AIA member architects, 1,800 Americans named their 150 favorite structures across the nation, and the Twin Towers placed in the Top 20 of “America’s Favorite Architecture.”
The public is encouraged to leave their comments and be part of the narrative. What is stark is the division between those who are sure that the Towers would never have placed if they hadn’t been destroyed and those whose fond memories would have enthroned them on the list, whether 9/11/01 had taken them or not. Those who are fixated on the form, but miss the spirit, can’t believe they were among anyone’s favorite buildings… their vision is sadly one-dimensional. We encourage people to respectfully share their viewpoint with visitors to this site.
Notes on the methodology indicated that figures for gender, age, race/ethnicity, income, education, and region were weighted where necessary to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. The conclusion was that with a pure probability sample of 1,804 US adults, one could say with a 95% probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2.31 percentage points. So, WHY is it that we are not rebuilding the Towers?

* * *

02/09/07 — In a full-page op-ed piece today in the New York Post, columnist Steve Cuozzo wrote: “It’s the right time for Gov. Spitzer to liberate Pataki’s Pit from the Freedom Tower – a defeatist scheme inappropriate to today’s resurgent Downtown.” He goes on to say that “After all the delays at Ground Zero, it’s worth waiting a few more years to get the site’s crowning achievement right.” He concludes that “the Freedom Tower needs a caring intervention – which means putting it on hold.”
We of course couldn’t agree more and the sooner we stop stuffing government workers into a building nobody cares for the better. Why should we be stuck with a plan that, in Cuozzo’s words was “was born out of desperation and political expediency?” We don’t share his vision for where to go from here, but in pointing out how flawed the projections that formed the current plan were, Cuozzo’s column should prompt each one of us to question our assumptions about what belongs at “the most important building project in the world.” For him, the commercial aspect appears to be all that matters, but would most New Yorkers or Americans agree?
The plan won’t ever be right unless we take a fresh look at the options while we still can, free from preconceptions and artificial limitations. Is that so difficult? Isn’t the World Trade Center worth another look? Let’s stop listening to the “experts” and start listening to our hearts. What belongs at Ground Zero is what has always belonged there. And we do not believe that review necessarily means delay. With a plan that catches the imagination, the construction would take a quantum leap and the result would be a sight for sore eyes. The announcement to the world that we’re back deserves two exclamation points not one. The world is waiting.

* * *

02/05/07 — If anything has defined the American spirit since it drew its first breath it is “CAN DO”, but everything about the WTC today smacks of “CAN’T DO.” It’s as if the country is running out of steam, starting with our leaders. So we have begun sending out a survey designed to raise awareness of the issues involved and to hold our representatives and would-be representatives responsible for how they choose to deal with the opportunity that is still before us.
A fax is in the pipeline to every member of Congress, as well as Governor Spitzer, Mayor Bloomberg, the President, and the 2008 Presidential candidates. Nine out of ten of the questions are straightforward and require simple yes-or-no answers. We will see who recognizes and respects the right of citizens to ask where the people they elect stand and to receive clear and to the point answers – who does not.

* * *

01/29/07 — We will be taking our fight to the next level this week and our new “look” parallels an intensified focus on the goal. This is a very difficult struggle, but we are no less confident of our chances for success. That is because the sham can only continue as long as people are lulled into thinking that the construction is “progress”, but if the questions at the heart of this struggle, which are posed above, ever break through into the court of public opinion, then it will quickly become apparent that the current development is a paltry excuse for what by rights should be built there. And that the sooner we correct the course the better for all concerned. The fact that the status quo has always depended upon keeping the debate out of the media demonstrates how indefensible the current plan is. We will therefore go on searching for that opening. And we will find it.
Meanwhile, the smug “you can’t please everybody” retort that Mayor Bloomberg gives whenever he is pontificating on developments at Ground Zero is tiresome and should be challenged. In the matter of the 9/11 Memorial, why shouldn’t he offer some concrete evidence of whom it is that he is pleasing and why? How did he determine whose preference matters and whose does not? Is he claiming to be pleasing most of the people, half of the people, or just the ones that count? We believe that most people think that the hallmarks of personhood, rank, age, affiliation, are central to the purpose of the Memorial and if he objects to making these vital statistics part of the tribute, then he should respect the public by explaining why. His autocratic style is inappropriate here and the petition at www.savethe911memorial.com deserves wide support. Why is he objecting and who is he pleasing?

* * *

01/15/07 — The New York Post printed three letters regarding a possible change in direction by Governor Spitzer. These letters that appear from time to time in the Post are the closest our officials can come to taking the pulse of the people. A true referendum was never sought because then those who were running the show would have had to respect the results, which was not going to happen. But the anecdotal evidence that most people favor rebuilding the Twin Towers has always been strong. And anyone who regularly reads the Letters in the New York Post can discern that the selections reflect the overall response received. So as past indicators have always suggested, pro-rebuilding sentiment leads by 2-to-1. As for the dissenter, he refers to the hard-won plans that are finally moving forward as if he truly believes it, and that is because the media didn’t recognize a duty to simply report on events instead of being cheerleaders for the corrupt status quo, so we all lose. We hope Governor Spitzer will give us more credit.

* * *

01/12/07 – We received a call from the Attorney General’s Office today to advise us that the examination of the material we submitted had been delayed by the election and change of administration, but is moving forward now. People who think that this is just a pro forma response leading nowhere may be in for a surprise – because we made the case – it is well-documented and well-reasoned – and once formally called upon to investigate an abuse of power, they can’t just dismiss it with a wave of their hand.

* * *

01/09/07 — The Wall Street Journal printed a Letter to the Editor today by Richard Hughes of the Twin Towers Alliance. We were pleased to see that not only did the WSJ choose to print a good letter about what Governor Spitzer has so aptly termed “an Enron-style debacle,” they highlighted the key point in their headline:”A Selfish Minority Vexes Ground Zero.”
That is truly the case. This greedy and corrupt cabal has vexed the rebuilding of Ground Zero and, by extension, all the people of New York, America and the world who seek to reaffirm the need for world peace through world trade by rebuilding the Twin Towers. Unfortunately, this small beacon of light, buried on page B10, is so far the only effort yet made by the WSJ to in any way acknowledge what the rebuilding movement has known since the dust was still settling over Ground Zero — that: a) the majority of Americans and people around the world want to see the Twin Towers rebuilt; and b) those who have manipulated the situation are as guilty of acting in bad faith as were those criminals who operated from the executive suites of Enron.
So while we appreciate the printing of Mr. Hughes’ letter, we remain… vexed at how the WSJ continues to be part of the continuing coverup of greed and corruption that has so far thwarted the will of the people to see the Twin Towers rebuilt. We hope that this letter will be the start of an effort by the WSJ to do its journalistic duty and be a force that exposes the true scope of this “Enron-style debacle” and helps Governor Spitzer to do the right thing.

* * *

01/02/07 — Please take a minute to send the attached fax – or use words of your own – to Governor Spitzer. “The concrete and the steel that are being heralded as the signs of a rebirth will never bring healing, because they are an affront to the heart and will of the people. It has only gotten as far as it has because the flow of information and the terms of civic debate are being controlled by a priesthood of politicians, academics, and journalists, who are not interested in informing us, but only in telling us what to think… We are sick of being talked down to by people who have lost their sense of right and wrong.”

* * *