New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, took away grandma and now want to use COVID to take away space for children to play. Well, he almost did the latter. Then, came the backlash.

The news of the memorial came shortly after New York Mayor, and known nemesis, Bill de Blasio announced a ticker tape parade for COVID-19 essential workers. Of course, de Blasio, can’t outshine Cuomo and the New York governor had to do something to also honor the essential workers. He probably also wanted to flex some muscles (not saying which one) as the state controls the Battery Park City Authority. So, of course, Andrew Cuomo choses to erect a monument to memorialize the essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The monument, called the “Circle of Heroes”, and will feature an eternal flame along with 19 red maple trees, symbolizing the 19 types of essential workers who kept the city afloat during the darkest days of the pandemic.

Guess whose name is first on the memorial dedication plaque? Don’t all jump at once to answer here…

Now, don’t get me wrong. The essential workers should be memorialized and recognized. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. But Cuomo and his people clearly did not think this through. In the concrete jungle that is New York City, Rockefeller Park possesses a large, open green space. The space is very welcome for individuals who need their dose of green and for children at play. It’s also a much-loved space for senior citizens of the city. You know, those seniors Cuomo did not manage to kill? But just because he can, (or he thought he could), Andrew Cuomo decides that he wants to put a monument in the middle of this green space. New Yorkers are now just coming out after being on lockdown for a little over a year. They are enjoying being outside. Their kids are enjoying playing with their friends. They may even be stripping off the dreaded government-mandated muzzles. It seems some New Yorkers were a little irritated when they learned of the news of this monument smack, dab in the middle of this large, open field.

This plan includes the planting of 20 trees for a life-affirming monument in a destination park made for all New Yorkers to enjoy, in the shadow of the symbol of New York’s resilience and openness.”-Jordan Bennett, a spokesperson for Cuomo

Less “openness” when someone sticks a monument in the middle of things. According to this, the monument will honor nurses, doctors, healthcare workers, transit workers, police officers, EMTS and paramedics, firefighters, correctional officers, store employees, National Guard, government employees, building service workers, utility and communications workers, delivery drivers, teachers, sanitation workers, construction and manufacturing workers, food service workers and hospitality workers.

Teachers? The memorial honors essential workers. Not those hashtag-living their best lives-during pandemic. Is there a way to honor only the ones who did NOT go out in the streets to protest school reopenings while parents, grandparents and kids struggled? Can we take these “essential workers” out of this equation? Yep. Didn’t think so.

The "Circle of Heroes" monument in NYC will open this Labor Day, honoring the essential workers who carried us through this pandemic.

It will be a permanent tribute to their heroism & service.

These workers have *always* been essential & we are eternally grateful. pic.twitter.com/oA2wrY1iP3

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 23, 2021

Cuomo’s plan for the memorial had contractors cutting down trees to plant other trees. Makes sense, right?

The "Circle of Heroes" monument in NYC will open this Labor Day, honoring the essential workers who carried us through this pandemic.

It will be a permanent tribute to their heroism & service.

These workers have *always* been essential & we are eternally grateful. pic.twitter.com/oA2wrY1iP3

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 23, 2021

Oh, barf.

So, The bulldozers came and residents also came out, and so did tree-huggers (yes, really) in full-force. Now, Cuomo is walking back the monument in Rockefeller Park. After much pushback, he said “we’re never going to make everybody happy, but we have to find another place to put it,” basically.

Battery Park City Authority chairman George Tsunis, a Cuomo appointee who doesn’t reside in the community, told residents the governor agreed to relocate the “Circle of Heroes” COVID workers memorial out of Rockefeller Park in BPC, a giant lawn where neighborhood kids play.”-Carl Campanile and Bernadette Hogan, The New York Post

Oh, he agreed to relocate it. How noble of Governor Andrew Cuomo. In truth, there is absolutely nothing Andrew Cuomo can do to memorialize or to honor New Yorkers when it comes to the subject of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID crisis in New York was responsible for killing more than 50,000 New Yorkers. Now, this zero wants to honor the heroes? Andrew Cuomo put the lives of many New Yorkers’ elderly loved ones at risk. Cuomo and his lackeys even lied about this. First responders and healthcare workers were also forced and pushed into these unsafe conditions. Cuomo knew these conditions were sub-par. He knew all of these people were at risk. He did not care. While this was happening, Cuomo spent his evenings on CNN with his brother. He spent his time putting on a good face for his COVID-19 briefings that eventually got him nominated for an Emmy award. He tried to hide the philandering and the inappropriate sexual behavior, but that didn’t work out too well, did it? Now he wants to honor essential workers? Oh, yeah… and by the way, place his name at the TOP of the plaque honoring the heroes of the COVID pandemic?

That’s cute. Andrew Cuomo wants to memorialize the essential workers after shoving their elderly parents and grandparents into under-prepared, over-crowded facilities and trying to push the fact that he did so under the carpet. “Openness”, he says. I’m sure in the open minds of some New Yorkers, the Emmy-Award-nominated Cuomo can stick his monument somewhere else entirely. And it’s not in a damn park.

Photo Credit: Pedro Lopez/FlickR/CC BY 2.0/Cropped

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