People without jobs can no longer freely spend their money on goods and services, at the same time paying sales taxes to the City. Businesses without enough clientele must either cut back employees or totally shut down, leaving more people out of work, and depriving the City of even more tax revenue. The Unemployed, without income, don't pay income tax. Deprived of sales, business and income tax revenues, the City must cut back on services and personnel, resulting in even more unemployed who can no longer spend freely and provide tax revenue.

When and how will this cycle end?   Just how long can the innocent victims of terrorism, corporate corruption, fraud and greed survive their financial (and emotional) depression?

I felt privilaged to have been a Red Cross volunteer at Ground Zero after the 9-11 attacks, and to be one of the almost 5,000 citizens who participated in the Listening to City forum at the Javitz Center on July 20th to express my views on the rebuilding of the site. The six architechtural designs presented to us by the big corporate firms were flatly rejected by over 60% of all participants. The leaders were stunned by our staighforward opinions and the reasons behind them. And because the forum was so heavily covered by the news media, we could not be ignored. It was a remarkable display of democracy at its finest.
For once, the voice of the people ruled!

Now the design competition has been opened up to a wider variety of architectural firms—both large and small—who will incorporate the ideas heard at the forum. We anxiously await the results.

Personally, I would like to see a chapel built in the space between where the two towers stood; a small non-denominational hall where all believers—and non-believers—can come and sit and reflect or pray. A place where Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or any other belief might be allowed to hold a service for their followers. But mainly, it would be a simple, quiet and reverential place for people, whether workers or tourists, to remember those lost, regardless of season or inclement weather. The entry might contain photographs of the WTC plaza, the towers (interior and exterior) and the other WTC buildings that were destroyed, as well as statistical data about the site & buildings.

On the exact spaces where the twin towers stood, I would like to see twin memorial parks with grassy lawns and flower beds, a walking path and stone benches. Standing within its bounds should be some remnants of the former WTC: the piece of waffle-like frame from the tower's facade; the steel girder cross that stood over the clean-up workers; the last-standing steel beam that was just removed; or the damaged, but still beautiful golden globe that once stood in the center of the fountain in the WTC's former plaza. Perhaps an identical miniature version of the fountain could be set in the center of one of the parks.

Somewhere there should be a plaque naming the former companies housed in the towers and a list of the people who died there. Another plaque should list all of the uniformed officers and rescuers who died.

There might also be a designated spot where visitors could leave flowers, mementos and personal wishes-similar to the items of condolence left on the fences of St. Paul’s chapel, and as one often leaves at a gravesite.

I believe every New Yorker would like to visit a true memorial of our great World Trade Center, with real relics of what once was there. I can think of no better reminders of our city's terrible loss.