The Rebuilding of Ground Zero, Part 146

The long-delayed deal between the Port Authority and St. Nicholas Orthodox Church has finally been done. The church had been promised that it would be rebuilt, but the Port Authority never attached a dollar figure, location, or size to that commitment.

It has now.

The church will get $25 million towards rebuilding, and that's an amount smaller than had been hoped for.

The church, which is to include a nondenominational bereavement center, will sit on a platform above the helical underground ramp of the vehicle security center, through which trucks and buses will travel from street level to the subterranean loading and parking areas serving the new World Trade Center.

A smaller church building will allow engineers to take advantage of the current design of that helical ramp, thereby eliminating the need for the extensive redesign and structural reinforcement that the larger plans would have required. Because there will be no fundamental change to the underground layout, officials of the state and the archdiocese said the St. Nicholas project would not delay or impede construction of the vehicle security center, which is expected to be completed in 2013.

The Port Authority estimates that it will spend about $25 million to construct the platform on which St. Nicholas will sit and provide the necessary utility hookups. The authority had balked at earlier estimates of $40 million, and it will not make a $20 million contribution to the archdiocese, as had been contemplated in earlier discussions.

From the platform up, financing would be the church’s responsibility. While it is impossible to estimate the cost with any precision until the church has been designed, the Rev. Mark Arey, the ecumenical officer of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and a spokesman for the rebuilding effort, said a $10 million construction budget would not surprise him. With a base of several million dollars of spontaneous contributions, in addition to insurance proceeds, Father Arey said that sum could be raised quickly.

The delays were due to the inability to timely demolish the former Deutsche bank building that sat like a hulking ruin along the south side of Ground Zero, and now that it has been demolished, work can proceed on the church and the vehicle security center. The Port Authority will build the platform on which the church will rest, and because of its siting, it will not be as costly or as difficult to complete.

Frankly, this is a deal that should have been reached years ago, but for the failures of the Port Authority to not only contain costs on the PATH transit hub, but because of its responsibility and liabilities to the church. Had the PATH reconstruction not gone more than $1 billion over its estimated costs, the Port Authority would have had the money to make this happen much sooner (and wouldn't have needed to impose massive fare and toll hikes on its transit operations).

Obama Administration To Scrap Portion of Health Care Reform As Too Costly

In response to the realization that a portion of the health care reform package was not going to ever work as hoped, the Obama Administration is scrapping a portion of the package dealing with long-term care programs.

Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, said she had concluded that premiums would be so high that few healthy people would sign up. The program, which was intended for people with chronic illnesses or severe disabilities, was known as Community Living Assistance Services and Supports, or Class.

“We have not identified a way to make Class work at this time,” Ms. Sebelius said. She said the program, which had been championed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, was financially unsustainable.

Kathy J. Greenlee, the assistant secretary of health and human services in charge of the program, said: “We do not have a viable path forward. We will not be working further to implement the Class Act.”

This is a huge setback on the supposed cost savings anticipated from the overall health care reform package. Of the $210 billion in deficit reduction due to health care reform, $86 billion was attributed to the CLASS program. It's only going to add fuel to the fire that Congressional Republicans have been grousing about with the workability of the entire program.

The reason that the program is being shelved is that the premiums would have been too high and too few healthy people would have signed up to make the program work as intended.

That's a problem with all too many portions of the health care reform package - including the portions of the package that imposes penalties on people or businesses who refuse to sign up for health care insurance if they don't already have it.

Deal Details Continue Leaking In Shalit Swap

We already know that Israel is paying a steep price to secure the release of Gilad Shalit. 1,027 Palestinians currently held by Israel are scheduled to be released in upcoming months. The first batch of 450+ would include terrorists responsible for over 500 Israeli deaths including terrorists involved in the deadly Sbarro pizzeria bombing.

Now, we learn that the second batch of terrorists would be from Fatah - about 550 in total.

A total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners will be released in the deal, in two stages. In the first stage, 450 prisoners will be released. Schalit will then be sent to Israel, and another 550 prisoners will be released two months later.

AFP quoted the diplomat as saying Egypt persuaded Israel that the second batch of prisoners to be released in two months time will all be from Fatah.

That is in addition to the terrorists being released in the first batch including those apprehended in connection with plots to bomb hotels are also expected to get released along with other terrorists involved in major attacks.

They are part of the first phase of 450 prisoners set to be freed out of the 1,027 names in total.

They include Nasser Batima, convicted of planning the 2002 Passover Seder suicide-bomb attack on the Park Hotel in Netanya, in which 30 civilians were killed and 140 were wounded.

All will be welcomed by their fellow Palestinians as national heroes and resumed calls for jihad to bring about Israel's eventual destruction.

Such has been the case with prior swaps and that certainly wont change here. Hamas and to a lesser extent Fatah are beneficiaries of this swap.

Abbas is hoping that all prisoners will one day be freed. Perhaps Abbas would like to be reminded that but for Palestinian terror attacks, attempts, and thwarted plots, those Palestinians sitting in Israeli prisons convicted for such crimes would not be there. In other words - don't incite your population to carry out terrorism and delegitimize Israel's right to exist and Israel wouldn't have to imprison terrorists who delight in the murder and mayhem they cause with their attacks.

Some Israelis are filing suit to block the deal, noting the disproportionate release of noted admitted and convicted terrorists involved in numerous mass casualty attacks in exchange for a single Israeli. They include families of those killed or injured in some of those attacks.

More on the Zuccotti Park Protests

I just got back from Zuccotti Park, and it was more crowded than it's been in the past few days - and that's with the rain/drizzle and more rain forecast. Media trucks are plentiful and I've got to think that the threat of eviction to clean the park this morning energized the crowds and got more people to show up - and to show up to see whether the protesters would be evicted.

The end result is that there's a lot more people, but within the park itself it doesn't seem to be a police presence and things were its usual state of protest drummers and occasional chants - but peaceful.

Posting photos shortly.

UPDATE

Significantly larger crowds during the noon hour at Zuccotti Park today.

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UPDATE:
This particular incident occurred earlier this morning and deserves further scrutiny. A protester, who was later identified as someone belonging to the National Lawyer's Guild, was apparently hit and/or run over by a NYPD officer on a motorized scooter on Broadway. Here's the video:



It shows that the guy was up close and personal with the cop on the scooter, and then there's a scrum. The guy ends up on the ground, everyone pushes forward, and then the cops move in to move everyone out of the way - and appear to be arresting and/or treating/dealing with the guy who was "run over".

The guy at most had his foot run over by the scooter - not exactly getting run over by a car - and his reaction appears to be playing up the incident for the hoards of videographers and photographers present.

One thing to further keep in mind is that almost everyone in the protests and covering the protests has a camera of some sort - and many have video capabilities. Thus we'll get multiple views and Kurosawa would have a Rashomon field day.

CBS News reports that the guy lost his balance and was run over, which would indicate that it was accidental. But note that you've got photographers and videographers lining up to capture the scene (they block some key details in this video btw, like whether the guy purposefully put his foot in the way of the oncoming scooter and/or played up his injuries for the assembled media. Others in the crowd are busy shouting that the guy's leg was run over, which would be a neat trick considering the size of the scooter involved.

I expect to see an inevitable lawsuit against the NYPD for the incident - and this video may well be included as evidence.

UPDATE:
The NYT has more on the incident, including that the person was a legal observer for the NLG named Ari Douglas. Unlike the NYT representation of the video, I see the officer get off the scooter and attempt to contain the scene until other officers show up to assist. Note that there was a group of people converging on this officer at the critical moments when the man fell, and it's little wonder that the guy is now under arrest on multiple charges.

UPDATE:
The New York Times has updated its coverage and it notes that at least several independent eyewitnesses claim that Douglas purposefully put his foot under the scooter and that he was never trapped at any time.

The Daily News quoted one of its photographers, Joseph Marino, as saying that the scooter “definitely hit” Mr. Douglas but did not run him over. “I saw him sticking his legs under the bike to make it appear he was run over,” Mr. Marino said.

Mr. Browne said he was also told by The Associated Press that one of its photographers witnessed Mr. Douglas deliberately putting his feet under the scooter.

Brookfield Backs Off But Protesters Scuffle With Police As They Headed To Wall Street

Brookfield Properties, which owns Zuccotti Park, backed off demands that the protesters at the park clear areas so that the owners could clean the park of debris from more than three weeks of protests. The company can make its own rules/code of conduct for park usage, even though it is open for public use and enjoyment.

The 7:00AM decision to not clean the park was met with throngs of cheering protesters, some of whom braved the strong thunderstorms that rumbled through the region last night dumping more than an inch of rain on the area.

Yet, shortly after the decision not to clean the park was made, a group of protesters broke off from the main group and attempted to march on Wall Street itself with brooms and were met by police. There were clashes and arrests. Police claim that they were attacked by protesters hurling garbage and bottles. At least four people were arrested this morning. MSNBC reports 10 were arrested.

NBC News reported that police used the scooters to try to force protesters off of the street at several locations on Wall Street and Broadway.

In some cases, police rode scooters directly at people who stopped traffic and refused to move away.

Demonstrators threw bottles and one threw a garbage can at police, according to reporters on the scene.

WNBC reported that at least 10 people had been arrested as police tried to stop about 500 people, with brooms raised in the air, from marching on Wall Street.

NBC News said that one person who had been arrested was injured and bleeding and was taken to the 7th precinct for treatment. NYPD was extending shifts for some officers across the city in response to the situation.

Despite the police's efforts, protesters were gathering at the Stock Exchange, NBC News said.

Gothamist and the Daily News also has more photos, including one guy who has been interviewed by media outlets before wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. This particular idiot claims that he's protesting for the people but refuses to show his identity out of some misguided belief that he's doing so for the people. We'd just have to ignore that he's wearing a mask attributed to a guy who sought to overthrow the British government in a foiled terror plot (he has been involved in a plot to bomb the House of Commons).

Police are now checking identification cards for access to the Wall Street areas at Broadway and Wall Street.

The Never Ending Story: Delays Plague Northeast Corridor Over Power Problems

Amtrak and NJ Transit have a broken record. It's called power problems on the Northeast Corridor causing extensive delays in and out of New York's Penn Station due to issues at the Hudson River tunnels.

And it's happened again. There are 30-60 minute delays or more along the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Lines and Midtown Direct service is going to Hoboken.

This is a problem that happens so frequently, it's almost better to recognize the few days where there aren't delays than to focus on the days when delays occur due to issues with the power systems that constantly break down or malfunction.

Building new Hudson River tunnels wont fix the problem. Replacing and modernizing the power systems throughout the region would. That's still an ongoing problem and the replacement and modernization is occurring in a piecemeal fashion and will take years before everything gets updated. The ongoing failure to maintain and upgrade services throughout the years has left the system dangerously close to collapse. Grafting a new tunnel onto the existing infrastructure will only give a veneer of improvement, but the power systems have to be improved or else the contemplated tunnels will not have the intended benefits.

Confrontation Looms At Zuccotti Park Over Need To Clean Park

Brookfield Properties, which owns the land on which Zuccotti Park is located, wants to get in and clean the property (power washing to eliminate grime and remove trash and other debris from more than three weeks from protests). Mayor Mike Bloomberg came by the park yesterday afternoon to promise that the cleanup would proceed and wouldn't involve a permanent removal of the protests. The mayor's office released a statement formally ordering the protesters to cooperate with the sanitation workers and that the work will proceed in stages.

That follows a letter submitted by Brookfield Properties to NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly:

Brookfield's Letter to NYPD asking to "clear" Zuccotti Park of Occupy Wall Street protesters



OWS organizers aren't buying the claims and say that they will clean the park themselves

Their declaration reads:
On Wednesday/Thursday, all campers/supporters should reach out to friends/family/anyone to donate or purchase brooms, mops, squeegees, dust pans, garbage bags, power washers and any other cleaning supplies to be collected at sanitation. The sanitation committee should move full-speed ahead on purchase of bins allocated by consensus at GA.

After General Assembly on Thursday, we'll have a full-camp cleanup session. Sanitation can coordinate, and anyone who is available will help with the massive community effort! Then, Friday morning, we'll awake and position ourselves with our brooms and mops in a human chain around the park, linked at the arms. If NYPD attempts to enter, we'll peacefully/non-violently stand our ground and those who are willing will get arrested.

Afterwards, we'll march with brooms and mops to Wall Street to do a massive #wallstcleanup march, where the real mess is!

I doubt that Brookfield would go along with that, considering that they want to make sure that the park's electrical systems and other infrastructure is maintained. Brookfield has been more than gracious as allowing the protesters to occupy the space, but the protesters need to show their hosts some latitude as well.

On today's agenda for celebrities showing up at the park: Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.

UPDATE:
I just got back from a quick scouting of Zuccotti Park. Things were somewhat more subdued through most of the park, but Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine had a good sized crowd (couple hundred from the looks of it) surrounding him near the sculpture at the corner of Liberty and Broadway. There was a group of percussionists at the other end of the park for a time and some of the protesters appeared to be making an effort to tidy things up with brooms. New signs of note were about how they were going to spend the day cleaning up around the park and tomorrow they'd clean up Wall Street.

A lot of the paper signs were under tarps with all the rain overnight and showers expected through to the weekend. It's certainly put a bit of a damper on things.

The Brookfield Properties cleanup hasn't started, but individual protesters were tidying up and moving tarps and sweeping up some areas of the park.

Latest NJ Transit Customer Satisfaction Survey Leaves Riders Wanting

After receiving poor grades across the board on the first customer satisfaction survey earlier this year, NJ Transit got bad news when it released the results from the follow-up survey.

The results were even worse.

Of course, the results were skewed by several serious rail disruptions occurring just as the current survey was being distributed (derailments and major disruptions causing significant delays).

On a scale of 0 to 10, rail customers gave NJ Transit an overall grade of 4.2 in the agency's latest "Scorecard" customer satisfaction survey, down from 4.5 in April during the initial survey.

The score from bus customers went up slightly, from 5.5 in April to 5.6 in the latest survey.

For all modes of transportation, the systemwide NJ Transit score was 5.3, up from 5.2 percent in April.

The latest survey was taken by about 15,000 customers between Aug. 2 and Aug. 22. Smack in the middle of that time period was a train derailment outside New York Penn Station on Aug. 9 that led to two mornings of hellish commutes.

NJ Transit Executive Director Jim Weinstein, a rail commuter from Hamilton to Newark, said the Scorecard is the cornerstone to make the agency better and more responsive to customers.

The only way that the overall score could rise from 5.2 to 5.3 is if more bus riders were submitting surveys than rail users because the rail service was significantly worse during the latest period covered.

Service on the Main/Bergen line has been particularly bad, especially in the wake of Hurricane Irene and the disruptions on the Port Jervis line ended up affecting service due to poor planning and logistical issues in having equipment in place to handle the additional customers. Indeed, the agency all but admitted that they screwed up with a lack of information and they've eventually improved service.

Problems continually dog service along the Northeast Corridor, including power problems, Portal Bridge issues, and other delays that end up costing customers time and money.

There are no quick and easy fixes, but all customers want is to get prompt notifications when there are service disruptions so that they can have time to make alternative plans.

The Avengers Trailer Hits Screens

If you're a comic book fan, or a fan of the Iron Man movies, then this is right up your alley.

It's The Avengers trailer, and it shows some familiar faces, and a couple of new ones.



Oh, and that music you hear in the background? It's none other than Academy Award winner Trent Reznor's We're In This Together Now. He seems to be the go-to guy for movies these days (can't imagine why not!).

Underwear Bomber Enters Guilty Plea in Attempt To Blow Up Plane Christmas Day

You no longer have to say "alleged" underwear bombing suspect Abdul Farouk Abdul Mutallab. Today, he admitted in open court to attempting to blow up the plane by using explosives sewn into his underwear.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab answered questions from U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds before pleading guilty to all eight charges he faced, including conspiracy to commit terrorism and attempted murder.

"Are you therefore pleading guilty freely and voluntarily?" Edmunds asked.

"That's right, yes," Abdulmutallab replied.

Edmunds reviewed the charges and possible penalties with Abdulmutallab before he entered his pleas, including that he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

He's accused of trying to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 with a bomb in his underwear on Christmas 2009. The bomb didn't work, and passengers jumped on Abdulmutallab when they saw smoke and fire.

Prosecutors' evidence was stacked high. Abdulmutallab was badly burned in a plane full of witnesses. The government said he told FBI agents he was working for al-Qaida and directed by Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical, American-born Muslim cleric recently killed by the U.S. in Yemen.

There are also photos of his scorched shorts as well as video of Abdulmutallab explaining his suicide mission before departing for the U.S.

That's a change of face and tactics from just a few days ago when he was defiant in court and attempted to use the courtroom to further his agenda of jihad.

More Details Emerge On Pending Swap For Shalit

New details are emerging about the pending deal to swap more than 1,000 Palestinians for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit who has been Hamas clutches for more than five years since he was captured in a terror attack inside Israel that killed two other Israeli soldiers and wounded several others.

Hamas claims that the deal would swap 1,027 Palestinians, including 315 serving life sentences, for Shalit. The first batch of 450 prisoners would be swapped for Shalit, with the rest coming in short order. That swap may occur within a week and Shalit would be transferred to Israel via Egypt.

Most troublesome is the fact that Hamas bigwig Khalid Meshaal says that this is not only a huge accomplishment, but the first step in cleansing the region of Israel:

In Damascus, Syria, Khaled Meshal, the political leader of Hamas, said in a televised address that the negotiations had been “very, very difficult” and called the deal “a national accomplishment” that augured well for the Palestinians, who he said hoped to “cleanse the land, and liberate Jerusalem, and unite the Palestinian ranks.”

There's no other way to interpret that statement than to see that the Palestinians continue to refuse acceptance of a 2-state solution and a peace process.

So, why is Israel going along with this? The Times points out that some key figures in the Israeli defense and intelligence community have been replaced and the previous objections to large-scale releases of terrorists have been overcome. Moreover, the Israelis aren't expected to transfer these prisoners to the West Bank, where they were seen as being more of a risk. In other words, adding 200 more terrorists to the ranks of the 20,000 strong Hamas ranks would not change the strategic calculus. Then again, I have no doubt that some of those released will attempt to carry out attacks at the first possible opportunity, and that bodes poorly for Israel's long term security.

Indeed, among those being released in the first batch are Palestinian terrorists responsible for the deaths of 599 Israelis. As I've warned, Hamas will welcome them with open arms and jubilant celebrations - making heroes of murdering terrorists who think nothing of murdering Israelis - including children.

It has done nothing to moderate Hamas or Palestinian views of Israel, and while it means that the Shalit family will be able to welcome home their son Gilad, it puts Israelis at risk across the board.

It's little wonder then that Hamas sees this as a huge tactical and strategic victory. The names of those being released will be announced on Sunday, which suggests that there is some last-minute discussion on who exactly is being handed over.

UPDATE:
CNN has still more details and it looks like Marwan Barghouti isn't among those getting released.

"The deal will happen in two stages -- the first stage the release of 450 Palestinian prisoners, including 315 Palestinian prisoners that have one or many life sentences and the ones who are with high sentences. The second stage will include 550 Palestinian prisoners," he said.

Of the 450 Palestinian prisoners to be freed during the first stage, 110 will go to the West Bank while 40 will go abroad, according to Mark Regev, Netanyahu's spokesman. The 550 prisoners scheduled to be released during the second stage will be freed two months later, he said.

According to Regev, jailed Palestinian lawmaker Marwan Barghouti is not among the prisoners Israel has agreed to release.

Fiat-Chrysler Strikes Deal With UAW Over Compensation

The poor/sick bastard child of Detroit, Chrysler, which is majority owned by Italian carmaker Fiat, has apparently struck a deal with the United Auto Workers union. It's not nearly as beneficial to workers as similar deals struck between the union and GM, let alone Ford, but it ends months of acrimonious negotiations.

The union said Chrysler, which went through bankruptcy protection in 2009, also committed to investing $4.5 billion to retool plants for new models. It planned to lay out more details of the proposed contract, which covers 26,000 workers, at a news conference later Wednesday.

“This agreement is the latest in a remarkable turnaround for Chrysler,” General Holiefield, the U.A.W. vice president in charge of negotiations with Chrysler, said in a statement. “Chrysler has turned the corner and with this agreement will continue to move forward. It’s a new day at Chrysler.”

Chrysler, the smallest of the three Detroit automakers, was the last to reach a deal with the U.A.W. Negotiations there were the most difficult, as Chrysler executives took a hard line against any increase in labor costs.

The union last month ratified a new contract with General Motors that creates or retains 6,400 jobs. Workers at the Ford Motor Company began voting this week on a tentative agreement, reached Oct. 4, that adds 12,000 jobs. Both deals follow the same basic framework, giving workers signing bonuses of at least $5,000, raising entry-level wages and moving work from other countries, including Mexico, to American plants.

“Together with the jobs created in suppliers and other businesses supported by auto manufacturing, a total of 180,000 jobs will be added to the country’s battered economy” if the Ford and Chrysler agreements are approved, U.A.W. President Bob King said in the statement. The 180,000 includes the new G.M. jobs.

G.M. has said its new contract increases labor costs by just 1 percent annually, an amount that prompted Standard & Poor’s to upgrade G.M.’s credit rating. Ford and Chrysler were waiting until their deals are ratified before discussing them in more detail.

Chrysler’s chief executive, Sergio Marchionne, last week described the G.M. and Ford deals as “overly generous.” Chrysler was the only one of the Detroit companies to lose money in 2010 — $652 million — but it has since repaid $7.5 billion in high-interest government loans that were its largest hindrance to profitability.

It repaid those loans by taking out still other loans (it refinanced its debt). The debt is still there, but not nearly as expensive on a monthly balance sheet as it was a year ago. The company has yet to make a profit with the new ownership in place, but a new and improved product line may help - if the public shows any interest in the Fiat products being rolled out that is.

It calls on the company to make $4.5 billion in investments and to add 2,100 jobs in the United States.

It's also expected to include a profit-sharing component, but I find that last part laughable considering that Chrysler has been losing money for years on end, which is why the company needed a bailout in the first place. I understand that the union was trying to get the company to be more receptive to worker needs, but the union also helped put Chrysler in the position it is in by saddling the company with among the highest benefit obligations in the industry per capita.

The company hasn't helped itself by proffering cars that are awful; poor quality and poor performance despite having some of the best looking vehicles on the market. One has to hope that the public takes a liking to the Fiat offerings and that Chrysler's product mix improves significantly on performance and quality. Consumer Reports recently the new Chrysler 300 to be the highest rated Chrysler product it ever tested, but it still falls well short of the best in class (and has the worst fuel economy among those in its class). It's an improvement, but is it enough? I don't think it will be.

UPDATE:
Seems that Chrysler's problems with fuel economy are downright abhorrent. As a brand, Chrysler ranks dead last with CAFE mileage of a measly 19.2 mpg. Hyundai (Hyundai!?) is tops at 26.7 mpg. If customers are looking for fuel efficient cars, the last place they should be looking is Chrysler - not exactly a sign of improvement in business fortunes.

Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement Gets Fast-Tracked?

The New York Times is reporting that the Obama Administration is set to fast-track funding for a replacement bridge at the Tappan Zee. The existing bridge, which is part of the New York State Thruway - I87/I287 corridor and a key route for trucks avoiding traffic across the New York region, dates back to the 1950s and is in dire need of replacement.

The bridge is functionally obsolete and deficient structurally and the Thruway Authority has been spending hundreds of millions of dollars on repairs to keep the span open.

A replacement span has been in the works for years but the cost would range into the tens of billions of dollars, particularly if heavy commuter rail is included in the span design or if a tunnel is chosen over a bridge.

The Tappan Zee project is one of 14 projects around the country getting fast-track funding.

For two decades, local politicians have been trying to get the aging bridge repaired or replaced, and a number of options have been suggested. Transportation experts originally said the project could cost $9 billion to $16 billion, depending on whether the state included a bus and rail line.

The bridge, which was built in the 1950s, has cost the state $100 million a year in repairs and $83 million in studies about how to replace or fix it, said the Westchester County executive, Robert P. Astorino. When he took a boat tour beneath the bridge with other elected officials in July, Mr. Astorino said, the paint was peeling, there was rust on its joints and spans, and netting covered up much of its underbelly.

Mr. Astorino feared that if the bridge were not repaired or replaced, it could one day simply be shut down — forcing drivers, who make about 170,000 crossings each day, to find alternatives.

“This is a major economic artery for the entire region,” he said.

Citing the bridge’s deteriorating condition, the federal Department of Transportation decided it would let the state go forward with the project as long as it streamlined its earlier plan to make a new bridge a centerpiece of a $21 billion, 30-mile transportation corridor. The federal agency said it would help speed up the process for the state to build a $5.2 billion eight-lane bridge, to which mass transit could be added in the future.

John D. Porcari, the deputy transportation secretary, said the expedited review process would allow different government agencies to work concurrently, shaving two and a half years off the building process. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo called the fast-tracking “a shot in the arm for the project and a major step forward to restoring this key piece of infrastructure and putting tens of thousands of New Yorkers back to work.” The governor personally lobbied William M. Daley, the White House chief of staff.

The state will pay for the project by issuing $3 billion in bonds against its toll revenues; the remaining $2.2 billion will be financed with loans from labor pension funds and the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.

This is a huge project that would improve traffic flow across the Hudson River and help insure that a major arterial highway in the New York region doesn't suffer from structural collapse or closure (a problem seen elsewhere in the country).

The four alternative bridge plans that have survived the public review process would all include transit components, whether is dedicated bus rapid transit lanes, high-occupancy vehicle lanes, and/or heavy commuter rail line extensions from Suffern, New York running to Tarrytown across the Hudson - providing an Upper Hudson River transit point.

At the same time, critics are complaining that the replacement span may not well include heavy rail mass transit, and commuters wont have any choice but to drive. It would also likely result in higher tolls at the bridge.

The concerns are well founded in that once the bridge is built, the political will to add mass-transit and the added cost would be prohibitive. Adding the transit at the outset would be forward-thinking and more costly up-front, but would end up saving money in the long run.

Yet, the higher up-front cost could result in enough political opposition that the project might get killed even though the need is dire.

Overall, this is a project that would benefit upwards of 170,000 commuters daily and that number is expected to rise as the Rockland-Westchester corridor population increases and traffic patterns shift in the suburbs.

Developing: FBI, DEA Thwart Plot By Iran To Assassinate Saudi Envoy; Attack Embassies On US Soil

This is a developing story. CNN is reporting that according to US officials, the FBI and DEA have disrupted a plot by elements of the Iranian government to kill a Saudi envoy to U.S. on American soil.

This would necessarily complicate relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but I have to question the kind of motivations that Iran would try such an attack, let alone an attack of that kind on US soil. It would be the kind of action that would push the US to take a stronger stance against Iran, including still stronger sanctions and other actions.

MSNBC has more, including that the plot included attacks on Saudi and Israeli embassies in the US.

The criminal complaint, unsealed in federal court in New York City, identified the two alleged plotters as Manssor Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri.

Holder said Arbabsiar, who was arrested on Sept. 29 in New York, was working for the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

Shakuri, who is based in Iran, remains at large, Holder said.

Both are originally from Iran and Arbabsiar is a naturalized U.S. citizen, the complaint said.

Saudi Arabia's ambassador is Adel Al-Jubeir, who has served in that post since 2007.

The indictment is the result of a sting operation conducted by the FBI, sources tell NBC News.

The case started when one of the suspects, who lived in Texas, made contact with an undercover DEA informant and asked for assistance from the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico to assassinate the ambassador, the sources said.

ABC News reported that Arbabsiar was the one who made contact. A source said he reportedly claimed he was being "directed by high-ranking members of the Iranian government," including a cousin who was "a member of the Iranian army but did not wear a uniform."

Arbabsiar allegedly wired $50,000 to the informant as a down payment on a $1.5 million assassination fee.

UPDATE:
A copy of the Justice Department amended complaint can be found here. They are charged with the following:

conspiracy to murder a foreign official; conspiracy to engage in foreign travel and use of interstate and foreign commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire; conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives); and conspiracy to commit an act of international terrorism transcending national boundaries. Arbabsiar is further charged with an additional count of foreign travel and use of interstate and foreign commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.

Reports Indicate Yet Another Attempted Deal To Swap Shalit For 1,000 Palestinian Prisoners UPDATE: Done Deal!

We've been down this particular path so many times that I've lost count. Gilad Shalit has been held by Islamic terrorists in Gaza for more than five years and has been refused access by the Red Cross and other humanitarian groups. Hamas refuses to release him on humanitarian grounds and sees him as nothing more than a pawn in order to secure the release of hundreds or thousands of Palestinians, including noted terrorists who have Israeli blood on their hands.

That's what the New York Times is indicating in the latest iteration. The Israeli government is apparently working a back channel deal to secure the release of Gilad Shalit in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians.

No good can come from the release of hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel for terror activities and attacks against Israelis. Hamas will use the release as yet another opportunity to crow about the ability to outlast Israel and that Israel will eventually collapse because Israel will be incapable of defending itself from these kinds of attacks and incidents.

Where is the price Hamas will pay for holding Shalit? What would keep Hamas from carrying out more kidnappings to extort still more concessions from Israel? There are none. Yet, at the end of the day, Shalit will likely come home and Palestinian prisoners will get released to adoring crowds of Palestinians cheering the murderers that are released.

That isn't justice. That's lamentable.

UPDATE:
Apparently the Israeli cabinet is going to be meeting to discuss approval of such a deal.

Is the Shalit deal within grasp? Saudi Arabia's Al-Arabiya TV reported Tuesday that Egypt has made a breakthrough in its mediation of a deal meant to secure the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, and that such an exchange may take place as early as November.

An Israeli official confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has convened his cabinet to discuss the prisoner exchange deal that would bring the Hamas-held soldier back home.

The prisoner swap would see Shalit exchanged for some 1,000 Palestinian militants held by Israel. A source involved in the talks said the deal would see the prisoners released in a two-stage arrangement, the first involving the release of 450 for the soldier, with the remaining 550 freed at a later time.

UPDATE:
Hamas is already crowing: Hamas officials call Schalit deal a 'historic victory'
Izaddin al-Kassam spokesman claims that Israel has accepted all the demands of the captors.

Abu Obaida, spokesman for the armed wing of Hamas, Izaddin al-Kassam, said that the agreement includes prisoners from east Jerusalem, Israeli Arabs and all females and minors. He also pointed out that two-thirds of the prisoners who would be released in return for Gilad Schalit are serving lengthy terms in prison.

There's no word on whether noted terrorist Marwan Barghouti is among those who will be released. His name had come up repeatedly over the past five years.

Zuccotti Park Protests Continue, But Down At Wall Street....

The protests at Zuccotti Park by the Occupy Wall Street groups continue, and the press trucks are lined up as usual. What isn't typical is the pedestrian access in and around Wall Street itself. The NYPD has penned in the entire area with the ubiquitous barricades that have sprung up all over Lower Manhattan and they limit access to several of New York City's premier landmarks and tourist attractions. That's in addition to the restrictions in place since after 9/11.

Anyone trying to access the area now has to run the gauntlet.

You have to walk down and around Federal Hall to get to the other side of the street to view the New York Stock Exchange directly across the street. Police barricades prohibit access to the steps of Federal Hall itself, and to enter the famed building where George Washington took the oath as first President of the United States, you have to go around the back and enter through the rear of the building.

The steps are off limits to limit protests, but they have also limited access to one of the great buildings in New York City.

Good luck trying to get on those steps, which was a tourist destination for those seeing Federal Hall and Wall Street.

A view in front of the New York Stock Exchange where the NYPD has expanded its already large presence.

I thought this particular protester had some good ideas. This gentleman had a list of demands on how to improve the banking system.



That contrasts with the nuttiness of protesters a few steps away.

Protesters calling for investigations of Attorney General Eric Holder, and complaining about the US use of unmanned aircraft to take out terrorists.

Taking up prime space along the sidewalk on Broadway.

Which do you think will get more attention? The latter, of course, but that doesn't diminish the importance and relevance of what the lone gentleman calling for improved banking regulation and transparency has to say.

Also, the public square around 1 Chase Plaza has been cordoned off by the owners/building managers of that site, which is near to Wall Street and Zuccotti Park, likely to prevent a similar encampment.

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UPDATE:
I went back today to check out some of the photos, and it turns out the protester complaining that Johnson and Johnson was murdering people was an anti-fluoride loon. He thinks that J&J was murdering people with dental floss and anti-cavity rinses.

I kid you not.

The Sweet Science of Bioremediation

Bioremediation of contaminated land is something of a holy grail for scientists and environmentalists since it utilizes natural processes to cleanse soils and groundwater of contamination. It can be done either in place, or with a mechanical removal of soil for treatment off-site.

Some cleanups in New Jersey are using molasses to enhance the bioremediation. That can speed up the cleanup and restore lands much more quickly than other cleanup methods.

In a relatively new process called enhanced anaerobic bioremediation, the diluted molasses provides a food source for microbes that occur naturally in the soil. The microbes multiply, then use the solvents the way humans use oxygen, breaking them down into non-toxic byproducts, such as carbon dioxide.

International Molasses now ships its syrup to cleanup sites in New Jersey and several other states.

"A few years ago we started seeing a lot of growth in this area," said Eric Lushing, vice president of Malt Products Corp. and its subsidiary, International Molasses Corp., which supplies molasses to the Kearfott site.

"The molasses we produce is food grade, which is not true of a lot of refineries, which make it below food grade," Lushing said. That makes their product more appealing to cleanup experts, since food grade molasses does not contain other chemicals that might exacerbate a contaminated site's issues, he said.

The companies' molasses and malt products are more typically sold to food manufacturers that make cookies, snack foods, breakfast cereals, candy and peanut butter.

International Molasses Corp. began in 1957 as a regional supplier of malts and has grown internationally. It has manufacturing plants in Maywood as well as in Canada, Great Britain and the Netherlands. The company also has a product called Eco-Molasses, a byproduct of sugar refining that is sold to golf courses and other facilities for lawn maintenance. Eco-Molasses is touted as a product that improves leaf color and plant health, decreases thatch, and increases microbial activity in the soil.

'99 percent' clean

"We're hoping that within two years this process will bring the contaminants down to an acceptable standard," said Mo Mohiuddin, project manager with Arcadis, the contractor hired to clean up the Kearfott site. "We won't get every molecule of contamination but we should be able to hit 99 percent of the mess."

Anaerobic bioremediation is a growing strategy for contamination cleanup experts. It has been used at hundreds of sites nationwide, including Air Force bases from Oklahoma to California.

If it can be made significantly cheaper, that would further spur cleanups.

Zuccotti Park Protests Continue; Now With Al Sharpton Sighting

Columbus Day observations have meant that there are more crowds than usual in and around Zuccotti Park. Part of that is due to a scheduled street fair on Broadway beginning at Liberty and running several blocks south towards the Battery. That means that there's quite a few more people milling around.

There's also quite a few more media trucks on the surrounding blocks, but the message is pretty much the same as in earlier days. In fact, most of the media has focused on the periphery of the park, but if you walk through the park, you'll find that interspersed among protesters are those who might otherwise be considered transients and otherwise camping out there because they could - not because they're protesting.

There seemed to be more posters calling for an "End the Fed" and there was a smattering of pro-Palestine or pro-Native American rights.

There was also a few conspiracy type posters:

Some groups have also brought their kids down to join the protests - allowing the kids to draw and scribble signs and that's added to the coverage.

Then, there's the crowd that has surrounded Al Sharpton, who's managed to find his way down to the park to attend:

He didn't say much that hasn't already been said, but the media and gawkers were out in force

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UPDATE:
Damn. I missed Jimmy "The Rent Is Too Damn High" MacMillon and Susan Sarandon at the protests too.

Here's your Heh moment:

the protesters are starting to notice folks taking advantage of the demonstration by grabbing some of the free food and clothes that have been made available in Zuccotti Park.

“The tourists take all the food, and the hipsters take all the clothes,” said one demonstrator.

And thus far, Anonymous hasn't been able to do anything to take down the NYSE (or their website).