What has been perpetrated on the public at Ground Zero is an even bigger swindle than what the banks and insurance companies pulled, because this was the one place where our public servants should have shown the utmost respect. On the bright side, this is the one place where correcting course would give an immediate, profound boost to the country’s morale and result in a lasting tribute to the American character.

The good cop-bad cop show that the Port Authority and Mr. Silverstein are putting on at the Trade Center isn’t fooling anyone. They might have gotten away with it before, but not now that, everywhere we look, the inmates are running the asylum and have locked us in.

When is someone in power going to act grown-up and say “Sorry. This is wrong. Let’s make it right,” instead of the arrogant, dishonest, delusional attempt to bang a square peg into a round hole? We have had going on seven years of insanity and excuses. When is someone in power going to realize that this one stand would endear him or her to the people forever!!!?

The World Trade Center is a sinkhole for public money. If only officials had honored the public’s opinion the Towers would be shining today. Their morbid plan was a bust in a boom market because it’s just awful. Larry Silverstein, who was contractually obligated on September 11, 2001, to replace the Twin Towers with new Twin Towers outsmarted himself.

Back when he did have a leg to stand on he should have listened to the people – we would have backed him up against the politicians and he would have 10,000,000 square feet open for business today. Now he has taken to bragging that he is going to build a new Rockefeller Center. With whose money? Rockefeller Center was not built with public funds.

The Port Authority knows that there is a plan to build new Twin Towers ready to go. It would save billions of dollars and shave years from their projections — and, for once, we would have something to show for our money (which, for some reason, officials think is their money…) In an MSNBC online poll in January, 90% of respondents said scrap the “Freedom Tower” for “Twin Towers II”.

New Twin Towers could be topped off by the 10th anniversary beside a fitting memorial that 9/11 Families prefer. If that’s not news, nothing is. It’s time to put officials in their place and the Twin Towers back where they belong. It’s not too late to do the right thing and do the thing right! And there is no doubt what most of us think that would be.

This comment that was left overnight on our petition says it all:

My father is retired FDNY. Many of our friends died that day. My aunt was on the 93rd floor. Growing up in Staten Island, I always loved the sight of the Towers when I looked at the City. Every time I pass the site where the twins were, I feel anger and rage. Those animals stole a part of my heritage. The Twin Towers were like the Grand Canyon, no picture or book could ever capture its awe-inspiring emotion. Rebuild the Twin Towers. — John Sorrentino

We are preparing “The Anatomy of A Swindle” to take to Washington in the near future. We sent this notice to the Inspector General of the General Services Administration on Tuesday, March 24th, and will send a copy today to Sen. Inouye, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations today, the 25th.

It’s not too late for new Twin Towers. We can save billions and cut years off the project, because it would be a much more efficient plan to build. When completed it would be far more valuable real estate. But the most important reason by far is the courage it would give this city, this country, and this world. We can’t afford not to rebuild the Twin Towers. This is anything but over.

Thank you, David Shuster, for your March 24th interview with Ken Gardner. We hope your example of honest journalism — not disinterested, just honest — catches on.

Far from being too late to do the right thing, it makes less sense now than ever to continue. We will say more about that soon. Meanwhile we are including the Bulletins from October 2006, when we asked Attorney General Spitzer to intervene. That was just the first of many efforts to get officials to look at the merits of the case. If only they had, the public would have been spared years of wasted effort. But, digging in their heels has gotten them nowhere — how much longer do they want to pretend that they are making progress? Of course they can building something, because they have the public’s purse to distribute. But the only real progress would be spending our money to do the right thing.

10/20/06 Press Release — Twin Towers Advocates Call On Attorney General To Investigate Official Misconduct If they were running a public corporation they would be off to prison or at least out the door. We are prepared to be mischaracterized by some as spoilers and fringe extremists, but that is silly. We’re mainstream New Yorkers and very reluctant activists, but we’re not giving up and can back up all we say. Those who go on the attack against us should be prepared with facts, not innuendo.”

10/20/06 — APPEAL TO ATTORNEY GENERAL SPITZER We elect politicians who pledge to serve all the people and then they too often decide to represent only certain ones. The Twin Towers were destroyed by people who had nothing but contempt for the democratic process and adhered to an ideology that wants to impose something on people that they would not choose for themselves. Then, right here at home, it is the disdain of officials for what the people want that has so distorted our recovery and the rebuilding of our World Trade Center.