Terrorists 2; Americans 0

[base311]

Hey Avery, Harry, et al;

Thanks for your hard work on BD2001. Alas, it was not meant to be.

But I'm curious. In some of the news releases I've read, Bridge Day Commission Chairman Keith Spangler is quoted as saying the, "...commission wants the state to provide funding that would allow the festival to go forward this year." (AP/Charleston Daily Mail)

I am curious if you (or anyone else for that matter) has any idea what the state not covering funding has to do with this?? Do you or anyone else have any details? This is weird... I can't imagine a commission with the fiscal interests of what amounts to a tourist economy coming to a decision such as this based on a lack of (what amounts to peanuts in the scheme of BD income) funding for additional security. Frankly, I think there is something else going on. Has the state funded security supplementally in the past? Is this a cop-out/scape goat diversion from some sort of local politicking of which we are not aware??? It seemed to me that the West Virginia Governor Bob Wise's Office wasn't very sympathetic to the Commission's request (if it indeed made a legitimate request).

From the WVa Governor:

"It's not in the plans to give the commission any funding to continue considering that they decided not to have it," Wise spokeswoman Amy Shuler Goodwin said.

I think all of that is just WEIRD. WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON?

I'm also very curious who, exactly, wanted the social security and driver license numbers. Was it the Commission? or the NPS?

I will say this... I'm telling everybody I know that it was the National Park Service who shut Bridge Day 2001 down... That's the kind of dirty misinformation I like to pass along whenever possible. HEH HEH HEH

This country might as well roll over and die because everytime I turn around we allow the terrorists to have exactly what they want: EVERYBODY IS LIVING IN FEAR!!!

peace
Gardner

[guest]

Gardner,
I spoke with Mr. Spangler today. To make a long story short one explanation gave to me was most of the states funding was used to repair all the damage from the devastating floods earlier this year. Funding for the additional security was not available. We all know that on Bridge Day it's a mad house on the top. He said that they(B.D Commission) will continue with the Bridge Day tradition next year. Take it for whatever it's worth.

[guest]

It WAS the NPS who shut down Bridge Day 2001. They are the ones who shut down the landing area so essentially we had no where to land except the water or the RR tracks. The BDC had no choice but to stop it! Even before the Sept. 11 attacks the NPS was planning on closing the LZ off, they just are using that as an excuse now. Pretty pathetic I think.:*

[guest]

http://www.nps.gov/neri/bridgeday.htm

[Brooke]

"America is full of fear from its North to its South, from its East to its West, thank God for that", Bid laden said in a video shown sunday.
If we keep living in fear, cancelling because of security or for whatever reason, and we continue to live "full of fear", Ol' Bin Laden has won.