For years, people have criticized Mayor Michael Bloomberg of NYC as the mayor of Wall Street, leaving the rest of New York to flounder on its own. This became even more obvious in his response to Hurricane Sandy. All that is important to this little, little man was getting lower Manhattan back on track. However, in the outer boroughs, especially Staten Island, families are without food, potable water, and in some cases their homes while Bloomberg prepares for a marathon to be run by yuppies from across the nation. While police and rescue squads are digging through debris for bodies, Bloomberg and his minions are ensuring that the starting line (on Staten Island) is pristine.
Photo: NY Daily News
People on SI have nowhere to sleep; hotel rooms in the rest of NYC are set aside for runners and their entourage. People on SI don’t have water; bottled water is being cooled for these self-concerned runners. Police and other first responders are needed on SI; instead, they are setting up barricades on Manhattan and the other boroughs to make the runners sojourn placid.
We can’t expect the major media to report on the ludicrous behavior of Mayor Bloomberg. He is the darling of Wall Street and owns a major media firm. These people always make sure that they cover each others rear ends. I’m sure that Sunday we will hear renderings of how Bloomberg has brought NYC back for this celebration as news outlets praise him.
What is so important that this race must be held less than a week after Hurricane Sandy? Perhaps the sponsors are forcing it to be conducted; perhaps these self-involved runners don’t want to give up their hotel rooms or their air reservations merely because scores of residents have drowned and thousands are homeless a mile or so away.
November 2nd, 2012 at 7:14 am
Yes, restoring power to lower Manhattan is more critical than restoring power to Staten Island. On a Staten Island block, you might have twenty single family homes. On a Manhattan block, you might have four or six highrises, with hundreds of tenants in each. We have people in this city who are living without power, in thirty and forty story buildings, with no goods or services open within walking distance, no transportation, no elevators, no water. Furthermore, many of those on Staten Island screaming for government assistance were told to evacuate and opted to stay home. Literally, police and emergency services went door to door telling people that they should leave, that it was unclear if or when help could arrive should they stay. They can wait.
I am personally on the fence about the marathon, but if it can go off without disrupting relief efforts then it should. Most of us here are happy to see things returning to normal – cancelling the marathon would possibly just prolong the feeling of doom and gloom.
Methinks you’re just sore at Bloomie for his choice of endorsee.
November 2nd, 2012 at 7:36 am
“…They can wait.”
Well said, TA. You forgot to mention that many of the police and first responders reside on SI, so while they’re ensuring the safety of the runners, their own homes are flooded.
Next time someone comments on the callousness of the right, we can just refer them to you.
November 2nd, 2012 at 8:21 am
Let’s see…,
Out of the 40-odd people who died in NYC from Sandy, about half were from Staten Island. But TA says there are only 20 homes there! Gee, I guess if this is true then each home must have lost one loved one.
November 2nd, 2012 at 8:25 am
Oh, BTW, TA,
According to the last Census data, there were some 470,467 residents on Staten Island. I wonder how they crammed them into those 20 homes???
November 2nd, 2012 at 9:18 am
Here’s the lyrics from a song that some might find pertinent:
The water broke past the levee
My heart beats hard and heavy
There’s so much more to say
But I’m silent for now
I’m lost deep in the emotions
That hit me just like an ocean
That seemed to refreshing once
But it’s not for now
Because the marching bands will roll
I’ll find my city in my soul
Because I plan on growing old
On the avenue
My best friend’s house
Lies beneath the teardrops
God has bequeathed
To add to the pool of rage that I float for now
I never thought I would see
In my lifetime my memory
But fate has a way to show
Who’s the boss for now
Because the marching bands will roll
I’ll find my city in my soul
Because I plan on growing old O
n the avenue
And the parades will ride again
I’ll see my family and my friends
Because this cannot be the end
Of the avenue
It’s so hard to take this hurt
And hide it on a shelf
It’s just ’cause I never want
To be from somewhere else
I never ever will be
Deep in my darkest hour
Standing alone in the shower
I let my emotions go For now
Because the marching bands will roll
I’ll find my city in my soul
Because I plan on growing old
On the avenue
And the parades will ride again
I’ll see my family and my friends
Because this will not be the end
Of the avenue, alright
Yes, all the marching bands will roll
And the saints won the Superbowl
And there ain’t nowhere else to go
But the avenue On the avenue On the avenue
Cowboy Mouth (post Katrina)
Here’s the song itself: A beautiful paean to NOLA…
November 2nd, 2012 at 9:40 am
Andy, I said 20 PER BLOCK, as opposed to thousands per block in Manhattan. Which is why Manhattan gets priority. And again, most of those on SI were told to evacuate; with the exception of the very tip of Manhattan, those people were not.
November 2nd, 2012 at 9:45 am
TA,
You really don’t see that you’re coming off as an arrogant, condescending, self-serving piece of garbage, do you?
November 2nd, 2012 at 10:11 am
Weren’t the people in New Orleans told to evacuate?
November 2nd, 2012 at 10:37 am
Arriba -
A couple of things you should know:
I live in an outer borough, not Manhattan. I wait for services longer than those in Manhattan. I have friends and colleagues on Staten Island. Some have had extensive property damage. What’s more, they truly resent their neighbors who ignored the evacuation order and are now pulling resources that should never have been needed in the first place.
A lot of the people you are seeing on the national news are a comparatively few, isolated, extreme cases. Yes, I feel for them. They need help and they will get it. But many stayed behind against all warnings. Power losses and floods were expected. First responders went door to door advising people to leave. I’ve even heard that local officials were treated rudely by residents who accused them of being alarmists. Those folks are now saying they were ignored by the City. Meanwhile, old people in highrises and sick people in hospitals who are UNEXPECTEDLY without power, who were not in evacuation zones and have been stuck in apartments with no heat, water or electric for four days need help as well. There are many, many more of these people, and I believe they need help more urgently. The resources need to be used first where they can be of the greatest benefit to the greatest numbers.
So no, living where I live and seeing what my neighbors have been through this week, and what the city is doing to fix things, I think it’s the guy on his roof crying foul who told the first responders to f*#k off when asked to evacuate who comes off as an arrogant piece of garbage.
I really don’t care about the marathon. As I said, I’m on the fence. If they can pull it off without pulling help where it is urgently needed I think it could be a much needed morale boost, and that is something all of us here could surely use right about now.
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:23 am
Arriba, that’s a cool poem.
Here is a new one:
Hurricane Sandy hits New York
Prez let’s them starve ’cause he’s a dork
But the marathon race shall go on
And Barack Obama soon be gone
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:36 am
Let’s get this straight: Bloomberg begs the gub’ment to pay for a 4 billion dollar clean-up bill…
Then Bloom takes supplies for people in need to have a marathon….
Then Bloom asks people for donations to run in a marathon???
Someone’s double dipping if you ask me!
November 2nd, 2012 at 11:59 am
“I am personally on the fence about the marathon,”
I’m not.
They should gather all those spandex freaks and make em run up & down the stairs in the NYC high rises you’re concerned about.
Each with a 50 lb. back pack full of goodies.
Domestic energy policy…whatever.