DAY NINETY-FIVE:Dec. 14:
"I never felt less American and more Brooklyn than I feel these days," said a poet today. An African American woman, the poet continued: "I cried when I saw those buildings collapse upon themselves. I have never grieved like I have these days..... Affirm life! You're either with life or against it. Affirm life."
These would be apt words anytime, but seem all the more so after digesting 24 hours of broadcast and analysis of the Osama bin Laden tape. The phrase "affirm life" seems an apt counterposition to bin Laden's celebration of the World Trade Center attack.
All day today representatives of New York City businesses, restaurants, artists, theaters and museums testified to the tourism committee of the City Council offering concrete evidence of the devastating impact of September 11 on our economy. One witness, representing the majority of the more than 2000 restaurants in NYC, said there are more restaurants in the city than exist in all but seven of the states in the nation. They employed on September 10 some 225,000 people and served as the entry-level job site for thousands of immigrants. Last year, he said, New York City restaurants generated $9.6 billion of gross income.
So far, another witness said, some 12,000 restaurant employees have lost their jobs and thousands more have been reduced to part-time work. By the end of 2002, the restaurant owners association predicts, losses will total $2.3 billion.
The theater industry, which is a linchpin of the city's artistic ambiance, has already suffered terrible losses. Eighty percent of all theaters are located in downtown Manhattan or the outer boroughs, and attendance in those areas has plummeted. The theater representatives said the average theater's administrative staff comprised 12 people prior to September 11, and just seven today. "All of New York drama is threatened," a witness from Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich Village said.
A small business representative said, "we're just hemorrhaging money. Hemorrhaging!"
Tourists like to spend Christmas in the romantic atmosphere of bright lights, white snow, Santa Claus, star-studded theater and glitteratti-filled restaurants. Instead, many of the Christmas lights are red-white-and-blue, setting off American flags. Far from having white snow, today the temperature at 10:30pm was 61 degrees, with humidity up at 90 percent. Santa Clauses are out, but parents nervously clutch their children and all to many boys want GI Joe Special Forces dolls. The star-studded theater scene is a bit diminished, as few non-New Yorkers can be spotted viewing any plays other than "The Producers". And the restaurants? Well, the latest trick is removing tables, putting more space between seatings so that the illusion of capacity filling is created.
Consider this, a witness said today: 40 percent of all restaurant revenues are earned in the months of October, November and December. Those months have shown losses for nearly every restaurant in the city.
Some people in America are afraid of terrorism. New Yorkers are now afraid of bankruptcy. On the notorious videotape Osama bin Laden expresses proud surprise that the planes caused the Tin Towers to completely collapse. Were he not currently preoccupied with the tricky business of out running B-52 sorties and bounty hunters bin Laden would no doubt marvel, with considerable elation, at the economic fallout of September 11th.
Be well. Stay safe. Stand defiant.
Laurie Garrett
