Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

9/11’s White Elephant
The New York Times ^ | August 19, 2011 | August 19, 2011

Posted on 08/30/2011 6:44:42 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

There is nothing wrong — and much that is right — with building a national monument to memorialize the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 9/11 attacks a decade ago. The awful events of that day traumatized the country — and changed it. The dead deserve to be remembered. Far be it from me to suggest otherwise.

What I do want to suggest, though, is that what’s being built in the name of 9/11 — a staggering $11 billion worth of government-sponsored construction on the 16 acres we now call ground zero — is an example of just about everything wrong with modern government. When the World Trade Center site is finally completed, it will include a state-of-the-art train station whose cost overruns have surpassed $1 billion. The 9/11 memorial itself, which covers the footprint of the former twin towers, was so far behind schedule that it is now being hastily constructed, out of sequence, so that it will be ready by the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.

And then there’s 1 World Trade Center, scheduled to be completed in 2013, which will add 2.6 million square feet of office space in a city that doesn’t need it, at a cost so high that it will be a cash drain for decades to come. Where’s the Tea Party when you need them?

Last year, I wrote about 1 World Trade Center, pointing out that its $3.3 billion price tag made it, by far, the most expensive office building ever constructed in America.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; US: New Jersey; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 911; chrischristie; christie; condenast; cuomo; freedomtower; portauthority; teaparty; waste; whiteelephant; worldtradecenter; wtc
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

1 posted on 08/30/2011 6:44:43 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
Dear NYT if the building is not needed why did you not stop it? This is the first I have heard of the building costs. The Freedom Tower it is called.

Another building to stop is the Ground Zero Victory Mosque. Though I understand the NYT is for that building.

2 posted on 08/30/2011 6:53:12 PM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Sad, and it sounds so typical when the Government gets envolved... Our Government does know how to waste money......


3 posted on 08/30/2011 6:53:32 PM PDT by Die_Hard Conservative Lady (When all the working class leave California what will be left?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

For once a New York Times column I agree with. I guess miracles do happen.


4 posted on 08/30/2011 6:54:15 PM PDT by bwc2221
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Die_Hard Conservative Lady

It took approximately five years to build the twin towers at a cost of 400 million. Since they were destroyed and the government has gotten involved in their replacement/memorial ... it has taken 10 years at a cost of 11 billion plus ... and not finished yet.


5 posted on 08/30/2011 7:00:06 PM PDT by doc1019 (You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
$11 billion. I would have taken that money out of the Arabs skins, and much, much more.

So much they would pay just to let us, in our mercy, leave a few of them alive.

6 posted on 08/30/2011 7:03:52 PM PDT by Batrachian (Barack Obama is the Lily Tomlin of presidents.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: doc1019

They should have just rebuilt the original twin towers (with learned improvements). Would have been a great twin finger to ragheads the world over. IMHO


7 posted on 08/30/2011 7:04:30 PM PDT by doc1019 (You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: bwc2221

I agree with it too.


8 posted on 08/30/2011 7:04:36 PM PDT by SpaceBar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: doc1019

Great idea in your post #7 but makes too much sense.


9 posted on 08/30/2011 7:23:17 PM PDT by luvbach1 (Stop the destruction in 2012 or continue the decline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
It is a government and union boon doogle...
10 posted on 08/30/2011 7:25:17 PM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

“It is a government and union boon doogle...”

If the real estate market needed the space, the private sector would have put another complex there within 6 months. There is simply no demand for that much office space in lower Manhattan; they already had a lot of vacancies at the time of the attack.


11 posted on 08/30/2011 7:29:43 PM PDT by kearnyirish2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Ground Zero deserves the best the city can give it. And a lot less meddling by gov’t and every idiotic special interest scam. There are advertisements on the subways soliciting “victims” for city medical treatment for whatever illnesses were allegedly caused by being in Manhattan on 9/11 and not dying. It’s an orgy of maggots on the carcass. /r


12 posted on 08/30/2011 7:31:13 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Die_Hard Conservative Lady

Live in NYC and this guy is 100 percent correct. They should have given it to trump to develop from day 1 in it’s original form but a floor higher.


13 posted on 08/30/2011 7:55:28 PM PDT by GlockThe Vote (The Obama Adminstration: The flash mob who wonÂ’t leave.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Die_Hard Conservative Lady

Live in NYC and this guy is 100 percent correct. They should have given it to trump to develop from day 1 in it’s original form but a floor higher.


14 posted on 08/30/2011 7:58:32 PM PDT by GlockThe Vote (The Obama Adminstration: The flash mob who wonÂ’t leave.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: GlockThe Vote
Amen. Would have been done cheaper and on time.

(Love your tagline, BTW).

15 posted on 08/30/2011 8:50:09 PM PDT by TheWriterTX (Rock you like a Herman Cain 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: GlockThe Vote
They should have given it to Trump to develop from day 1 in it’s original form but a floor higher.

and would be finished well before the 10th anniversary

Complete with anti-aircraft set up on the top.

16 posted on 08/30/2011 11:37:35 PM PDT by spokeshave (Obamas approval ratings are so low, Kenyans are accusing him of being born in the USA.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: GlockThe Vote
Trump had the right idea. Rebuild the towers with the new foundations adjacent to the originals.

This is a slow-mo spending fiasco. Symbolism over substance.

18 posted on 08/31/2011 1:01:33 AM PDT by newzjunkey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Did anyone see the multi-hour Discovery Channel documentary on the building of the Freedom Tower? It was a schmalzy romantic and uniformly flattering look at the construction of the tower and museum. The commercials indicated that the documentary was paid for by Chevrolet/GMC. The theme was something like “The USA is recovering and moving forward again.” Schmalzy, romantic, and uniformly flattering.

Goebbels would be proud...

:-(


19 posted on 08/31/2011 2:46:41 AM PDT by SteveH (First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: no-to-illegals

“Another building to stop is the Ground Zero Victory Mosque. Though I understand the NYT is for that building.”

And the mosque has applied for a grant(taxpayer money) to help build it’s shrine for islamopigs.


20 posted on 08/31/2011 5:19:15 AM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson