New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo pulled out a no-show at the Thursday morning dedication for the new 9/11 Memorial Glade, a monument dedicated to recovery workers affected by toxin exposure following the 2001 terror attacks, as The Daily Caller reported.
Mayor De Blasio’s office stated that the event conflicted with his schedule, but the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate was spotted at a nearby gym 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony, the New York Post reported.
“The Mayor’s team determined they could not make the event work with his schedule,” de Blasio spokesman Freddi Goldstein said. “The event was not brought to his attention and if he had known about the invitation, he would have attended.”
About 2,000 rescue workers have died from inhaling toxic fumes following the 9/11 attacks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s World Trade Center Health Program.
Andrew Cuomo was also was no where to be seen at the event, despite being listed as a guest speaker in a pre-event press release.
A spokesman for Cuomo said that the press release was issued in error, as the governor never confirmed his attendance for the event and was “always going to be in Albany dealing with issues relating to the end of the legislative session.”
“Our administration was always participating in this event as the state, under the Governor’s direction, contributed $500,000 in support of the memorial,” Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo spokesman said. “The Governor’s Counsel Alphonso David and Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton were there representing the administration at the ceremony.”
A fireman who aided in rescue efforts in the aftermath of 9/11 found it “appalling” that neither Cuomo or de Blasio showed up at the event.
“De Blasio has had some major issues with the police and other emergency service unions in the city for his lack of support in the past,” the fireman, who wished to remain anonymous said. “This is like another slap in the face to them.”
Maureen Fritz, whose firefighter brother William Gormely died in 2016 due to illnesses related to 9/11, told the New York Post it was “unacceptable” that Andrew Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio skipped out on the memorial dedication.
“They ought to be ashamed of themselves,” Fritz stated. “They should not be reelected at all because that’s not how you treat your citizens, your first responders.”
Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart attended the dedication ceremony, which was held on the 17th anniversary of the end of 9/11 rescue-and-recovery efforts.
“Today we are dedicating this memorial glade to all who became sick or died because of causes related to the attacks and to all the men and women who took part in the rescue and recovery effort that ended on this date 17 years ago,” Bloomberg stated. “We have a duty to care for those who need it and to honor the memory of those who died. The memorial glade helps us to fulfill that duty.”
