This Week's Stories
GG's quick takes on recent NYC news


Week of 22 October 2001:

Toxic Site
Toxic chemicals and metals are being released into the air, soil, and water around lower Manhattan, according to Environmental Protection Agency reports obtained by the New York Environmental Law and Justice Project and published in the Daily News. Dioxins, PCBs, benzene, lead and chromium are among the toxic substances detected around the World Trade Center, sometimes exceeding federal safety levels. Tests also found contaminants are being released into the Hudson River, especially after it rains. Until now, public attention has focused largely on the potential hazards of asbestos in the air. The EPA is urging rescue and cleanup workers to wear respirators.

Looking For Jobs
An estimated 10,000 people showed up at the second job fair aimed to help those who lost their jobs as a result of the World Trade Center attacks. Yesterday, the New York State Department of Labor released statistics saying that the number of people in the city and state applying for unemployment insurance last week doubled from a year ago. Approximately 2,000 applicants were turned away from the job fair. A third event is scheduled for November 15.

Scaffolding Collapse
Five construction workers died yesterday when a steel and wood scaffolding on a building at 215 Park Avenue South collapsed, killing five construction workers and temporarily trapping others. Rescue workers and equipment were rushed from the World Trade Center to the building near Union Square.

At the time of the accident, some 19 workers were thought to be on or below the scaffolding repairing the facade of the 20-story building. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

The building is leased and managed by companies owned by real estate executive Stephen Green, whose brother, Mark, is the Democratic candidate for mayor. In August a city building inspector cited the owner, Dever Properties, and Green's company for failing to "maintain an exterior building wall."

Eyeing the Aid
While the state is making a bid for $54 billion in federal money to rebuild New York City and repair its economy, the city has more modest goals. The Times reports that the Giuliani administration is focusing on somewhat limited plans, including federal tax breaks, to encourage businesses to remain in or move to Lower Manhattan and to entice developers to construct new buildings there.

Math Morass
The state yesterday released the scores of tests taken by fourth and eight graders last spring, again prompting concern about student achievement, particularly in middle school math. Slightly more than 77 percent of city eighth graders failed to meet state standards in math. In reading, the city failure rate was 66.9 percent. Both scores were virtually identical to those on the 2000 tests and far worse than the statewide results.

City fourth graders, meanwhile, showed a more significant improvement in math, though nearly half still do not meet standards.

The eighth grade results demonstrated why middle schools have become a major focus for educational reform. Meanwhile, Schools Chancellor Harold Levy said he is overhauling the math program. Observers, though, wonder how many reforms can be undertaken with the city, and the school system, facing a budget crunch.

New Recruits
Yesterday Mayor Rudolph Giuliani swore in 307 new Fire Department recruits who now begin 10 weeks of training. Firefighters are moving into training at an expedited rate and the group will probably begin working by the end of the year, Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen said. Both the Fire and Police Departments have seen applications increase since September 11. Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik said that applications to the Police Department had risen 10 percent over last year. The mayor told the new Fire Department recruits that they were an important part of rebuilding the city. "The reality is that we're mournful, we're sorrowful, we're crying and we always will, but we are stronger than we were before," Giuliani said.

Routine Victory
While a plan to move the Super Bowl to the Meadowlands failed several weeks ago, the Bronx will once again host the Major League Baseball World Series. The New York Yankees advanced to the championship for the fifth time in the last six years and will face the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 1999, the mayor's office estimated that the Yankees World Series victory (last year featured both New York teams) brought in an estimated $37 million in business to the city and additional $4 million in tax revenue.

Concert For NYC
At the Concert for New York City, which is expected to raise more money than any other single charity event in history, the parade of rock stars, movie stars, sports stars, comics, and public officials who appeared on the stage of Madison Square Garden Saturday evening had much the same messages. I am a New Yorker; I am not afraid.

It began with David Bowie singing Paul Simon's "America" and his own "Heroes." It ended with Paul McCartney singing "Yesterday" and "Let It Be" and a new song, called "Freedom," written after 9/11. In-between were nearly six hours of music and solicitation and tribute -- Elton John and Billy Joel played on end to end grand pianos and sang a duet of "New York State Of Mind"; Bon Jovi sang "Dead Or Alive"; the Backstreet Boys dedicated their songs to a friend who was on the plane that crashed into Tower 1. There were also some 6,000 rescue workers and their families, many of whom held up pictures of police officers or firefighters who died -- and some of whom were held up as heroes in brief and moving appearances on the stage. Ticket sales alone raised $14 million, and there will be many times that amount from viewers of the broadcast on music channel VH-1. The money will go to relief for relatives of the victims, especially lower-income survivors. "I hope they saw this tonight," former President Clinton said, having heard, he said, that Osama bin Laden and his group watch American television. "Because they thought America was about money and power, and that if they took down the World Trade Center we would collapse. But we are not about mountains of money and towers of steel. We are about mountains of courage and hearts of gold."

Still Reeling
Most of the 1,100 retail business in lower Manhattan are in danger of shutting down, according to Crain's New York Business. Many are closed now because they are in the "militarized zone" near the World Trade Center, or in the process of cleaning up or making repairs. But of those that have reopened, according to a study of some 500 by the Alliance for Downtown New York, 84 percent say sales have slid anywhere from 20 to 80 percent. But a business need not be located downtown in order to be in trouble. Though New York is popular now throughout the country, this is more as a symbol than a destination, and businesses dependent on tourists and suburban visitors are struggling. Since September 11, some 6,000 hotel workers have been laid off, as have some 15,000 restaurant workers; 70 restaurants have been shut down, at least 30 of them permanently. Sales are down sharply at department stores. Attendance at cultural institutions has declined as well -- some 30 percent, the Post reports, at the American Museum of Natural History. According to the Times, a bill to encourage tourism in the city was introduced into the House of Representatives Carolyn B. Maloney and Thomas M. Reynolds, both of New York. It would provide up to $2,000 in tax deductions for certain trips and an additional $1,000 for those who come to New York State. Meanwhile, New York's two senators, Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, are pushing for $5 billion in incentives to keep both businesses and residents from leaving lower Manhattan, according to Crain's, which says the major proposal would give businesses that sign or extend a lease in Manhattan south of Chambers Street a $3,000 per employee tax credit.

In Two Weeks
It is now official: Mark Green is the Democratic candidate for mayor, endorsed by his run-off rival Fernando Ferrer. He faces Republican Michael Bloomberg, who is expected to spend $40 million of his own money on television commercials. Election Day is two weeks from tomorrow. Because Democrats outnumber Republicans in New York about five to one, the many other local races were largely in effect decided in the Democratic primary. This was going to be the most historic campaign in New York City in a century, with term limits kicking out most incumbents and campaign finance reform encouraging a whole new batch of citizen-candidates. Indeed, an amazing 420 New Yorkers, many enticed by the promise of a "level playing field," became candidates for public office this year, by far the largest number ever. But has the promise of a transformation in local government been fulfilled? Mark Berkey-Gerard looks at the most interesting, disappointing and surprising results in "How The Promise Of Campaign 2001 Played Out" on Gotham Gazette's Searchlight on Campaign 2001.

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