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


Week of 29 October 2001:

The Final Debate
Democratic candidate Mark Green and Republican candidate Michael Bloomberg held the final debate Thursday night in a race for mayor that will be decided next Tuesday. For 60 minutes, they mostly attacked one another's character and credentials, but they did discuss their positions on education, on rebuilding downtown, and on safety.

Green said the rebuilding of downtown should be overseen by an agency that included both city and state officials "to cut through the red tape and the bureaucracy and immediately start digging and rebuilding." Bloomberg said there was no rush to rebuild, and that the city should be in sole charge. "Adding a level of bureaucracy adds absolutely nothing."

Asked to list three things each could do as mayor to ensure New Yorkers' safety, Bloomberg said 1. keep the public informed. 2. have the police force, working with the federal government, "ensure our safety." 3. have people "exercise some common sense but go about their normal lives." Green answered 1. appoint a deputy police commissioner for counter-terrorism. 2. "protect the public health function of the Health Department," including "disease surveillance." 3. Have more "points of departure: "So if something bad happens, everybody knows where to go for vaccines."

On education, Green said the priority should be reducing class size, Bloomberg increasing teachers' pay. Green said there should be "more computers and technology in the classrooms." Bloomberg said the emphasis should be on basic skills such as reading and math, not computer literacy.

For a partial transcript, go to Searchlight on Campaign 2001.

Haunted Halloween
New Yorkers celebrated Halloween and a rousing 10th-inning win by the Yankees in Game 4 of the World Series amid heightened police security and fears about anthrax and terrorist threats. The National Guard's Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support team and F-15 fighter jets stood ready to head either to the parade in Greenwich Village or to Yankee Stadium if required. Some 2,000 police patrolled the Halloween parade, which attracted an estimated 200,000 to 250,000 people, half the number that attended last year. The parade, which featured more flags and expressions of patriotism than usual, went off with out incident. Earlier in the day, more than a third of city public school students missed school. While Halloween traditionally sees low attendance, this year was especially light with some parents saying they were nervous about the usual Halloween mischief coupled with threats of further terrorist attacks.

Meanwhile, anthrax concerns heightened yesterday as Kathy T. Nguyen, a 61 year old hospital stockroom employee, died, becoming the first New Yorker to die of anthrax and the fourth fatality from inhalation anthrax in the country in recent weeks. Investigators continue to probe how she might have contracted the disease. One theory is that a handful of tainted letters may have contaminated others distributed in the city.

Ripple Effect
While New York's large financial companies and retailers have suffered the most since the September 11 terrorist attacks, a new study by the Center for an Urban Future shows other industries have also experienced significant setbacks. The study entitled "Sudden Impact: Many of New York City's Vital Sectors Seriously Affected by September 11 Attack" asserts that more than 100 arts groups around the city experienced substantial revenue shortfalls, 50 software firms and other computer-related businesses were displaced, 250 garment factories in Chinatown had to shut down for at least a week, and a decline in air travel has resulted in losses for hundreds of truckers, food preparation companies, limousine services, parking lot operators, hotels and other airport related businesses in Queens. The full report is available online http://www.nycfuture.org/econdev/1001sudden.htm.

Historic Debate
Mayoral candidates Michael Bloomberg and Mark Green faced off in the first Spanish-language mayoral debate in the history of city. During the 90-minute exchange, the two candidates debated issues like education, Bloomberg's record campaign spending, and how to rebuild lower Manhattan with the help of Spanish translators. The first of only two debates before the General Election went largely unnoticed since it was broadcast only on a Spanish radio station WADO from 4 to 5:30 p.m. For an archive of news stories on the debate, visit to Searchlight on Campaign 2001. The second mayoral debate is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. on television channel 7 WABC and on the radio at 820AM WNYC.

Seven Weeks Later
It has been seven weeks since the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, which has affected New York City in many ways. Much in New York is still uncertain, still unknown. Too much, said Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The mayor testified before the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security yesterday that Congress should pass a law requiring the Federal Bureau of Investigation to share intelligence with local law enforcement. "We need the information, and we need it right away," Giuliani told members of Congress during a hearing at City Hall. "Otherwise, we're going to make a terrible, critical mistake."

In the latest in a pattern that is too frightening to become familiar, a 61-year-old Bronx woman has tested positive for inhalation anthrax, the most serious and potentially lethal form of the disease. It is the first such case of this more dangerous form of anthrax in New York. The woman worked near the basement mailroom of the New York Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital on East 64th Street, and the hospital has been shut down.

This is not the only area hospital affected by the aftermath of September 11th. Hospitals in New York City have lost $367 million, most of it from a dramatic decrease in patient admissions, according to the city's Health and Hospitals Corporation and the Greater New York Hospital Association, a trade organization

In the wake of a warning by the FBI that a new terrorist attack may be imminent, Governor George Pataki has ordered that the 470 troops guarding Ground Zero, area airports, Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal and other spots be carrying loaded weapons by the end of the week. Though security is promised to be heavy, the usual mass events of autumn in New York are continuing. The Halloween parade will proceed tomorrow night and the New York City Marathon on Sunday. In a show of support, President George W. Bush is expected to attend Game 3 of the World Series in Yankee Stadium tonight. Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik said, "it's going to be one of the safest spots in town, so everybody should go to the game and have a great time."

In the past seven weeks, hundreds of thousands of homes in the New York area have remained unable to receive more than two television stations, according to the Times, because the other stations had their main antennas atop one of the Twin Towers. Lines at the city's 1,200 soup kitchens and food pantries have grown longer since the attack, as thousands more New Yorkers have become unemployed, the Daily News reports.

Eight schools close to the Twin Towers were forced to shut down, and only two have been able to reopen. But their plight and that of the city in general moved people around the world to write letters, send gifts (an elementary school in Japan sent 7,000 origami cranes; Oklahoma City and St. Louis sent 40,000 teddy bears), and donate money to the New York City school system. In the seven weeks since the World Trade Center attacks, the Board of Education has collected $1.1 million. Heartening as this is, it does not begin to address the disaster's effect on the schools, according to Schools Chancellor Harold Levy, who has asked the federal government for $300 million in disaster relief aid.

The Rebuilding Maze
While businesses push for action to rebuild lower Manhattan, it is not clear who should be in charge of the reconstruction and what should be done on the site of the devastation. But business and civic leaders say a plan, including tax breaks and grants, must be announced soon to keep companies from permanently leaving the area and perhaps the city. The Times reports that continuing friction and battles for control between the state and city governments are hampering efforts to take the needed action.

Although financial incentives may need to be in place soon, architects, designers and planners are cautioning the city and developers to move slowly on rebulding on the trade center site, Newsday writes. Before any plan is made final, these experts say, builders should have a clear sense of what is best for the city and listen to the voices of the community.

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