New York City has no national monuments or icons.
That’s what the Department of Homeland Security says in a form obtained by ABC News. As a result, anti-terror funds for New York City were cut by 40%, from $207.5 million in 2005 to $124.4 million in 2006.
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74 Responses to “New York City has no national monuments or icons.”
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The Statue of Liberty doesn’t count?
June 1st, 2006 at 2:33 pmWell not anymore, the terrorists already got them all.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:33 pmBoston funds down too. They should have national monuments, no?
Maybe it’s a blue state thing?
June 1st, 2006 at 2:34 pmUmmm Statue of Liberty anyone? Empire State Building, Times Square, a host of museums, universities and libraries.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:34 pmThat’s a new one.
What’s the Empire State Building? How about Wall Street? Yankee Stadium???
June 1st, 2006 at 2:34 pmHa ha ha ha!!!! That’s what they get for taking their sorry-ass time getting the 9/11 monument built!!! All the petty fighting, arguing, re-designs…..it’s kept them from recieveing millions and millions…
What is stunning to me is that, according to msnbc, Las Vegas is scheduled to be “de-listed” after 2006; i.e., no more money. Vegas??? Not a threat? Wow…..
June 1st, 2006 at 2:35 pmThe report mentions how they forgot about the UN, but come on, the terrorists would never attack their strongest ally.
“Beware Our Non-binding Resolutions”
June 1st, 2006 at 2:36 pmAs the GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD, NYC is a world landmark!
June 1st, 2006 at 2:37 pmGuess that “thwarted terrorist plot” to take out the Brooklyn Bridge with a blow torch would be okay now.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:38 pmNo icons or monuments? Apparently all that info is classified so it was not released to the people making the calculations. Can’t be too safe you know.
I’m amazed by this. But to be honest I’m so sick of the war on terror I could projectile vomit.
Nine months ago…but still valid. You can’t call it terror if you’re not afraid of it.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:38 pmListen it is important that money be moved from places like NYC where it will be wasted protecting worthless civilian targets to places where it can be more useful.
I understand that Senator Stevens was successful in lobbying Homeland Security for a few million dollars to add protection for his new bridge to nowhere. Gotta protect those new national monuments to pork barrel spending with a few Patriot Missile batteries.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:39 pmIf by no monuments they mean no support for president Bush then that would explain the funding cuts.
Anyone notice how the area’s driectly affected by 911 did not vote for Bush? NY - Obvious, Mass - Planes took off from here, New Jersy - Planes took off from here, PA - Plane Crashed here. DC - Plane crashed there, CA, Planes were headed there…hmmmm
June 1st, 2006 at 2:40 pmWhat about Grant’s Tomb? Not significant enough that a former president is buried there?
June 1st, 2006 at 2:42 pmWhen will people learn? terrorists don’t care about destroying monuments…they want to destroy people. They didn’t go aftert the twin towers because of some sort of global symbolism, but because of the business that soemtimes went on there and because they knew the casualties would be high.
To act like terrorists would rather destroy a statue or monument as opposed to rack up a body count is completely idiotic. The irony is that Bush wants to keep running on how safe he’s keeping everyone and in fear of a terror attack, yet acts like terrorists would rather destroy symbols than people.
Fact, terrorists want to be taken seriously and that is why they go after people and heavily populated areas. They don’t blowup empty buildings. They want as much blood shed as possible so they can blame the US government in some odd logic of their own.
My point is that New York is a target because there are millions of people packed densely into the city and surrounding area. That means a higher casualty rate. This is why terrorists don’t go after rural states with much fewer people.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:43 pmI’ll bet the Dick Cheney Federal Building in Casper, WY is very well protected.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:46 pmBrooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, United Nations, Wall Street, largest subway system in th US….no, no national icons there. What national icons does Wyoming have or Florida or Texas for that matter?
June 1st, 2006 at 2:48 pmCheck out the new Statute of Islam! New York’s new icon.
Click on Clyde!
June 1st, 2006 at 2:52 pmYo, Donald Trump’s comb-over alone is a national monument/icon.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:53 pmMaybe DHS knows something we don’t, and soon there will actually be no national monuments or icons in NYC. *shudder*
June 1st, 2006 at 2:54 pmMakes sense, of course, because terrorists target national monuments, and becasue they have none, the terrorists would never target New York.
Wow. Aside from that stupidity, is there any monument that signifies the USA more than Lady Liberty? The beacon of freedom shining out across the ocean, calling brave souls to our shore?
I’m offended. Seriously, you have to hate America to leave the Statue of Liberty off the list.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:55 pmeveryone seemed to miss the interesting story that bush lost in DC 90%-10%. that should say a lot.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:57 pmWait a second…NYC may not be the most high target thing out there albeit, but what about D.C? I mean…let’s see…national capitol…
Hmm..no value there. *scratches head* you would have at least htought they would be selfish enough to invest in the place THEY WORK AT. Guess not. Well it’s good to know they’re not selfish, but mildly retarded to think that the hub of all representatives is insignifcant. Understandably D.C. is buffed up already, but what about local response?
I mean not all of the dollars are going to the cities to buy anti-missle batteries. A lot of it is going to putting more cops on the street, having more firefighters, training more EMS personnel.
Don’t get me wrong, every city should increase their local services, but I’m pretty sure the town with “home of the largest supply of corn” is not goign to get hit by terrorists. I’m pretty sure something along the lines of “home of civilian and military leadership” will more likely get hit.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:59 pmOne thing that I will not believe is that the terrorists want to kill as many Americans as possible. I don’t believe it because I don’t believe that they are stupid. How difficult would it have been during the last five years to load up a small plane with explosives and fly it into a baseball or football stadium, taking out tens of thousands at a time? Hell, LaGuardia Airpoirt is practically next to Shea Stadium in NYC. And yet they haven’t even tried. If killing Americans was their true goal, there are lots of things they could have done. So I do no believe that killing Americans is the goal of the terrorists.
June 1st, 2006 at 2:59 pmI believe that this government is run by the dumbest assholes walking the planet or they are the most diabolic, profiteering criminals that were ever elected to office. FEMA has been destroyed, Homeland security is as joke, the White House is run by a Dolt and the congress is corrupt, our treasury is sacked, and a war costing billions with no end, killing thousands–civilian and military is opposed by the majority of the American people, but the mischief continues. Apparently the wasteful, squandering of taxpayers’ money is no problem for these incompetents. Malfeasance and misfeasance in government has reached galactic levels under Bush and his cabal.
June 1st, 2006 at 3:01 pmSeattle’s funding cut too….WTF??? First of all Seattle is a PORT CITY. This, after they refuse to make it mandatory for ALL CONTAINERS to be checked before they enter our ports (because it wouldn’t be “COST EFFECTIVE???”)
what is it? We ALL know for a fact that the MOST EDUCATED among the population of this country - reside on BOTH COASTS!!!!! what does that tell you?
June 1st, 2006 at 3:04 pmWayne: So I do no believe that killing Americans is the goal of the terrorists. - - Maybe the DVD of “Black Sunday” was never released in the Muslim world. I’m guessing they’d think that was a good blueprint.
June 1st, 2006 at 3:04 pmMaybe Homeland Security thinks the Statue Of Liberty can defend herself… you know, after the Ghost Busters slime her insides and play some music on their radio. We all know that only then can she kick major ass!
June 1st, 2006 at 3:13 pm#23 Wayne
Bombing Shea stadium during a Mets or Jets game would be doing the rest of the Countrry a favor. Unless the D-Backs or Cardinals were in town.
Davis Dam on the Colorado at Laughlin NV/Bullhead City AZ has been closed to traffic since shortly after 9/11 due to the terorist threat and Mohave County AZ has just purchased a new bomb sniffing robot with DHS money to assure the terrorists don’t walk across the dam with a bomb. If the dam were to be destroyed completely the river level would rise enough to flood an area for two to three hours with less people than are packed into Shea stadium on a good day.
My point is this: This administration has absolutely no idea in hell how to stop the terrorists and furthermore they don’t want to stop them. They are interested in their own personal and corporate greed and to hell with the poor 99% of the Americans.
June 1st, 2006 at 3:13 pm#26. Was that movie about using an aircraft as a weapon. “Who would’ve anticipated that?”
June 1st, 2006 at 3:25 pmUh-oh Clyde, the D-backs are in town right now (at least, they were yesterday)! And, as Wayne and I are ardent Mets/Jets fans, we’d prefer that Yankee Stadium be the target ;-D
June 1st, 2006 at 3:44 pmWhat about The Donald’s hair, what about the Carneige deli, what about the Chelsea Hotel, what about Yankee stadium? But seriously, has any one asked what constitutes a Catastrophe, apparently Katrina didn’t qualify as one. Next the White House will tell us just to buy private terrorist acts insurance.
June 1st, 2006 at 4:00 pm#31. Ask Trent Lott how useful insurance has been to him.
June 1st, 2006 at 4:08 pmCall me a cynic, but why do you think 4 cities in Ohio are getting DHS funds…
June 1st, 2006 at 4:15 pmI guess Ellis Island doesn’t count either as a National monument or icon.
June 1st, 2006 at 4:17 pmForgot Grant’s Tomb as well.
June 1st, 2006 at 4:21 pm#29 Don’t forget Tom Clancy’s book about the Japaneese pilot flying his plane into the capital building during a joint session of congress. Who would have ever thought someone would use a plane as a weapon indeed. Perhaps Clancy is with Al Queda or maybe they knew the plot to his book, or maybe just maybe, the idea has been around for a long time and totally ignored for 8 months in 2001?
June 1st, 2006 at 4:47 pm#23 - Wayne, I can’t go along with you on this one. I thought the very definition of terrorism was creating terror by killing as many innocents as possible. Sure, it hasn’t happened here for quite a while, and Georgie would have us thanking him for that, but OBL bided his time over 9/11. So why wouldn’t he just start planning a new and bigger party, and in the meantime let us tear this country apart from within? Bush & his crowd have done more to wreck this country than OBL could have come up with in his wildest dreams. All he has to do is sit back and smile.
June 1st, 2006 at 4:56 pmHow many times is it going to take before we get it???
The writing is on the wall!!!
BOLTON: “We’re making a significant step here,†that will be criticized by many of the president’s staunchest supporters here at home. But he’s taking this step to show strength and American leadership and to say he’s willing to do something that may be unpopular even with some of his supporters…”
TRANSLATION: “We’re moving forward with the agenda laid out in PNAC whereby the United States is no longer a representative democracy/republic.” “for you conservative supporters who disagree with us, it’s been a nice ride, thanks for playing.”
TIME TO MAKE PLANS: (1) GET A PASSPORT AND (2) HAVE A PLAN TO LEAVE THE US FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR OWN LIVES.
Think I’m nuts? Ask the folks in Germany who kept telling themselves it would get better.
June 1st, 2006 at 5:04 pm#37 But, Zookeeper, they don’t have to kill even one more person to have accomplished the goal of making us tear ourselves apart over the issue. Already our civil rights have all but vanished under this dictator. All I’m saying is that I do not believe our government when it tells us that the terrorists want to kill as many of us as possible, because if that were their goal, there are so many things they could have been doing. I do believe that the terrorists want to destroy us as a country, and they don’t have to kill anyone else, because the job is nearly done thanks to President George “The Constitution is just a goddamned piece of paper” Bush. That’s all I’m saying. There is no reason for anyone to panic about getting killed by terrorists. Personally, I think you have a better chance of getting killed by our own government than you do by terrorists.
June 1st, 2006 at 5:21 pm[…] Then, ThinkProgress alerted me to this nugget, and everything suddenly fell into place. Jim Varney may have left us in 2000, but Ernest P. Worrell lives. He’s the DHS Secretary. New York has no national monuments or icons, according to the Department of Homeland Security form obtained by ABC News. (Click here for the actual document.) That was a key factor used to determine that New York City should have its anti-terror funds slashed by 40 percent–from $207.5 million in 2005 to $124.4 million in 2006. […]
June 1st, 2006 at 5:37 pm#39 - I understand what you’re saying now, Wayne. We are in more danger from within than from without. Your first sentence in #23 threw me.
June 1st, 2006 at 5:38 pm#41 Unfortunately I can’t always “say it all” in one sentence. One of my co-workers always brings in The New York Post and its headline today was “Washington to New York: TERROR? WHAT TERROR?” It reminded me of a headline in The Daily News about thrity years ago. New York City was having a serious financial crisis and then-mayor Abe Beame went to DC to ask President Ford for a loan. The headline the next day said it all: “FORD TO NYC: DROP DEAD”. Ah, Republicans. You gotta love ‘em, ’cause you can’t shoot ‘em. Unless you are the Vice President of the United States and they are a 78-year-old man whose face looks too much like a quail.
June 1st, 2006 at 5:48 pmWayne and Jane,
Your analysis of the situation, in my mind, is right on. The terrorists have already accomplished a good part of their goal by disrupting our lives as they were before Queen George the Dumb. As I attempted to point out in #28 most of the anti-terrorism actions by this incompetent administration do nothing but feed the corporate coffers and make things difficult for the rest of us.
Mets 1, D-Backs 0 in 13 innings. I’m glad they went to Atlanta.
June 1st, 2006 at 5:52 pmFirst of all, this has nothing to do with preventing a terrorist attack, the next occurrence of which on US soil is a matter of ‘when’ and ‘how bad?’ not ‘if’.
This is about money and jobs. Its an election year. That 40% cut from NY’s budget is needed to increase capital spent and bring forth new jobs in red states. Remember, this is the year federal politicians return to their home states to show the rubes that they “brought home the bacon.”
Further, who said they *want* to prevent the next terrorist attack?
That said, I work on Wall St, and if something even minor happens here, the US will be in an all-out, no-holds-barred, depression. We are currently teetering on the top edge of a bull stock market and bull commodities market that are overdue for a correction (may be occurring now!), and the largest bubble market ever recorded in the history of the world- the US residential real-estate market. If something happens now, we’re royally screwed. You red staters will have to resort to eating boot leather, again.
Hilariously, it will probably be blue staters making movies and doing fund raisers to ease your plight “Grapes of Wrath”-style.
June 1st, 2006 at 5:53 pm#42 - Wayne, I don’t care what Jane says, you’re alright. ;)
June 1st, 2006 at 6:04 pm#42- I also remember a few years ago (Ok, 2, really) when during a federal election for the president, the current presidential administration was playing chutes and ladders with the Terror alert level, specifically with ‘non-specific credible threats’ to financial institutions in NYC. I also remember the NYPD being a little miffed cause they had to foot most of the bill for all those HERCULES guys who had to stand around in their armor, ’cause then, like now, this has nothing to do with preventing an attack.
Its a political move, bourne of political expediency. Terror gets remembered only when it serves their political purposes. When it doesnt, or that tactic doesnt seem to be working, it gets forgotten faster than the details of a white house meeting with Abramoff.
June 1st, 2006 at 6:09 pmThanks, Clyde! Then you’ll allow the Mets/Jets to continue their existence? :)
Wayne’s sister and I have been going to games at Shea on a fairly regular basis for many years now. Immediately after 9/11, Shea was used as a staging area for recovery work at Ground Zero, and reopened for games again on 9/21/01. We were there for the second game after they reopened, and I have to say that it was an extremely emotional, bursting-with-patriotism event. The kind fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates sent a huge “God Bless America” banner with thousands of notes and signatures, the NYC “skyline” (part of the Mets’ logo) atop the outfield bleachers had the Twin Towers blacked out, etc., just a rollercoaster of emotions and a feeling of oneness among the fans that was amazing.
However, no matter how many times we go to Shea, we never worry about terrorists hitting us there. We go through the security check (which seems to vary from one gate to the next, or one game to the next), and we still don’t worry. The infamously annoying planes from LaGuardia airport go overhead, and we still don’t worry. We just don’t believe all the “terror” bullshit. I’ll be at Shea two weeks from now, and I won’t worry about terrorists then, either!
June 1st, 2006 at 6:14 pmAnd neither will I. Enjoy the game, Honey!
June 1st, 2006 at 6:22 pmJane and Wayne,
It was really just a bit of dark humor. I root for the Jets and the Mets. Especially when they are playing the Dolphins and the Dodgers respectively. It is real people like you and the other regulars here, myself included I hope, that through our own little bit will restore this Country to sanity, to Mom, apple pie, and baseball. Maybe a bit of football.
Let’s get to work!
June 1st, 2006 at 7:03 pmNo problem, Clyde, we weren’t taking you seriously this time. If you love baseball as much as we do, you’re okay in our book too! (You’re okay just for rooting against the Dolphins and Dodgers ;-D ) (Hmmm, that ‘close parenthesis’ makes my smiley-face look like it’s got a double chin.)
We have to leave, there’s a really bad thunderstorm going on and we hope to get home in time for Keith.
See y’all tomorrow!
June 1st, 2006 at 7:15 pmCOMMENT 44 IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY.
Too bad many of you could not figure this out. The money is taken from the blue states and given to the red states for one reason only.
ELECTION YEAR.
This has Lips Mehlman and Butthole Rove written all over it. They are sitting in their offices, knowing that they are going to lose out in the 2006 election so they decided to take the DHS budget and screw the blues.
Of course, they thought no one would notice.
June 1st, 2006 at 7:46 pmDubya Dunce Decider probably wants New York undefended to allow another inside job terror attack to occur there?!
June 1st, 2006 at 8:08 pmPerhaps the DHS could tell us just what is considered to be a national monument, or Icon? When “warrentless wiretapping” was polling poorly, they started to call it a ‘terrorist surveillance program’, which polled better. We just need to know their definitions.
June 2nd, 2006 at 1:05 amHomeland Security Thinks Outside the Box …
Our Homeland Security Department stays one step ahead of the terrorists by not only anticipating likely terrorist targets but even anticipating the terrorists’ anticipation of our anticipating them. …
June 2nd, 2006 at 5:26 amFu*king red stater inbreds DON”T GET OUT MUCH!
…how the hell are they supposed to know what’s in NY or LA?
…and these are the retarded mofos making money decisions about Iraq and Homeland (in)Security…
June 2nd, 2006 at 9:49 amWhat I don’t get is, if you ask anyone anywhere in the world to list 10 American icons, and symbols of America, you are going to get the Statue of Liberty pretty high up on that list. It is probably the single most recognised American symbol (aside from the flag) in the world, its basically become a symbol of what America stands for, from its origins as a symbol of freedom (and the Abolitionist movement) all the way down to it being a symbol of America’s promise to all immigrants.
Of course, when has the Bush camp ever bothered about what America actually stands for? I suppose Liberty is too close to Liberal for Republican tastes, and hence, Lady Liberty can’t symbolise the Amurka that Bush stands for.
June 2nd, 2006 at 1:37 pmRe: #44 - someone else agrees
June 2nd, 2006 at 3:17 pmSo whats that Statue of Liberty thingy?
Is that just a ballon or something?
June 2nd, 2006 at 4:20 pmHmm.. Sounds like cutting taxes for the wealthy is much higher up on this Administration’s list than providing resources and money to prevent terrorism. I hope someone calls then on this during the next election cycle to see what the repubs have to say about it.
June 2nd, 2006 at 7:29 pmjust got back from a vacation to NYC. visited Statue of liberty, ellis island, empire state building, grand central station, central park and times squares. All places are high population density and high profile places. Of course they happen to be mostly democratic.
June 3rd, 2006 at 1:14 amAnd let’s not forget the Rockettes…
June 3rd, 2006 at 1:58 amDid you know;
June 10th, 2006 at 10:37 pmAs many as one in four Americans can trace their roots to Brooklyn. Many visitors investigate their genealogy at historic immigration sites such as Ellis Island and the French-made Statue of Liberty.
-Wikipedia
No Icons, No Monuments Worth Protecting:
Q> What’s so significant about the New York City hall and the quaint little park in front?
A> It’s a Historical Icon
City Hall Park is ONE OF THE MOST SACRED SITES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION !!
It was once called “the commons” of New York. Historians call it the gathering place of patriots and the cradle of Liberty.
_The First Blood of the American Revolution was spilled in a dispute over the Liberty Pole the Sons of Liberty erected in what’s now City Hall Park.
_When Gen. George Washington received word the Declaration of Independence had been signed. He gathered his men in the area that is now City Hall Park and had the Declaration read to them. Ya’see… the Declaration was signed in Philadelphia. . . but the soldiers who were going to back up that bold statement were in New York City.
_A statue honoring Nathan Hale is in City Hall Park. He’s the guy who said, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country”.
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