The Battle For Ground Zero, Part 165

Governor Pataki vetoed a bill that would have ensured that the WTC memorial and museum remained fee-free.

Gov. Pataki yesterday vetoed legislation designed to keep entry to the World Trade Center memorial and museum free.
The bill, which was vehemently opposed by Mayor Bloomberg, would have prohibited the expenditure of state funds for the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation unless its board of directors gave an "irrevocable pledge" not to charge admission.

It would also have required the foundation to return all state money if admission is ever charged, regardless of how far into the future it is, and would give the Attorney General's Office the legal authority to go after the funds.

While the desire to maintain a free museum and memorial is understandable, Pataki thinks that the facilities need the flexibility to charge if their fiscal requirements demand them.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg is finally warming up to the real health concerns that Ground Zero workers face.

Bloomberg's grave concerns about World Trade Center illnesses came as he endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's plan for the federal government to put up $2 billion to test and treat Ground Zero workers, residents and volunteers over the next five years.

Some critics of government efforts to help sick people welcomed Bloomberg's comments.

They said it was a shift in tone after weeks of questioning whether illnesses were linked to Ground Zero pollutants and opposing state legislation to help sick WTC workers and their families.

"Clearly, people who worked on the site . . . the closer they were, the more symptoms they have that are very troublesome. In a couple of cases those troublesome symptoms have turned into more than that," Bloomberg said.

"I'm particularly concerned about people five and 10 years from now that will come down with diseases that may or may not have been caused [by WTC toxins]. And if they were caused, then making sure we have the monies available to take care of them."

Bloomberg was very clear that the federal government should foot the bill for medical treatment, and applauded Clinton's proposal to do that.

It's curious that Bloomberg was silent on what the City would do for its own workers. After all, this is a problem facing the federal govnerment, and state and local governments in New York. All levels of government have failed the Ground Zero rescue and recovery workers and they need to step up to the plate to provide the kind of care they deserve.

I'm no fan of Hillary, but she's got the right idea in setting aside money for the health care issues facing those workers at Ground Zero. The problem with her plan is that it wasn't just those Ground Zero workers and nearby residents/businesses, but the zone of those affected actually extends into Brooklyn as the prevailing winds regularly carried the debris, smoke, and toxins into Brooklyn across the harbor.

Technorati: World Trade Center, WTC, Pataki, LMDC, urban policy, Freedom Tower, IFC, International Freedom Center, spitzer, silverstein, mount sinai, respiratory ailment, wtc cough, bloomberg.