The foundation claims the Port Authority has it backwards and it’s the one who is owed $140 million for construction delays. “There is no chance of it being open on time. Work has basically stopped,” said Mayor Bloomberg, who is also chairman of the memorial. Nothing commemorates the dead and says we will never forget like financial disputes at Ground Zero.

Among the items banned at the site are alcohol, explosives and weapons, the latter of which has some retired cops angry.

According to DNAinfo, several first responders have complained that they aren’t able to enter the memorial with their guns, even though they have a license to carry. Obviously, if there’s any group that deserves to be heard on all matters 9/11 – it’s first responders, but are they crossing the line? Some people get hassled for taking pictures and these guys want to bring their weapons to a place meant for quiet reflection and remembrance? The entire location is lined with police officers and security as it is.

Furthermore, the NYPD is allowing retired or off-duty law-enforcement officers to bring their weapons to the Memorial site during the seven dedicated first responder days this fall, but apparently they want the policy to be in effect all year round.

Everyone is going to have some disagreement with the way the 9/11 Memorial should be run, but wouldn’t their time be better spent concentrating on getting their Cancer-stricken colleagues the health coverage they deserve? (Photo: ANIMALNewYork)

If you’re carrying herb, make sure you have it on your person (they’re not frisking) and not in your backpack, especially if you’re black or a Muslim.

Last night, while passing through Times Square, I came across a reggae artist named Mr. Spurts on 7th Avenue and 40th Street. He was holding down the corner, trying to sell his CDs. But unlike rappers who frequent that area and do the same, he didn’t go with the hard sell.

Not that it would have mattered, I had no cash on me. I did have my camera though and told him I could probably help more by shooting a short video while he chats lyrics and put it on the internet. He agreed and began to bust out a song about the September 11th attacks.

Unfortunately, there are still problems, mostly involving the proper address received by fire dispatchers.

Response times have been reduced, but firefighters are still getting ambiguous information about where exactly a fire is occurring.

…firefighters say they still regularly get address information that is vague or wrong. According to one contributor on the FDNY Rant website, when he called in a car fire on the Harlem River Drive at 138th Street recently, the operator asked what borough he was in. Then she asked for an address. ‘Again I told her it was about 138th Street, just west of the Harlem River Drive. Next question was ‘West or East 138th?’”

Opponents of the new system blamed the racial differences between fire dispatchers and 911 operators.

…some of the resistance to the new system can be chalked up to tension between fire dispatchers, who tend to be white men, and 911 operators who are mostly black women.

Regardless of race, emergency call centers are operated by people, so there are going to be  a few mistakes, and this might be one of those few instances. But in the heat of a fire emergency, Manhattan residents better make sure they provide detailed information about where they are. East or West might make all the difference. (Photo: Ming Xia/flickr)

However, with the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks less than a week away, the company did an about face and has even expanded its campaign to include “volunteer” forces.

According to this latest version of the same promo, “Active, retired, or volunteer police officers, firefighters, EMS workers or military personnel are eligible.” The special will also run until the 9/30 instead of coming to an end on 9/11 like original planned.

Now that our kids are learning about sex and 9/11, they’re almost ready for the real world.

The lessons start off in kindergarten, which seems far too early to start talking about these things. The six-year-olds will read a story book called September Roses about South African sisters who get stranded in New York because of the attacks.

One of the high school level lesson plans tells teachers to hold an in-class debate on “airport security vs. civil liberties.” There’s no talk of full body scanners or x-ray’ed boobs in the curriculum, but we’re sure our nation’s youth will make note of it as they focus in on the important stuff. (Photo: Jonathan Hobin)