Disaster recovery, Socialist style!

The inevitable has happened in New Jersey. In the heat of the moment on Tuesday volunteers and work crews from as far away as Arkansas and Alabama showed up in New York and New Jersey to get the power back on. They came with trucks and chain saws, burly guys with wire strapped to their backs ready to kick some hurricane ass. Well, cooler heads have prevailed and we are back to business as usual.

Crews from Decatur Utilities and Joe Wheeler out of Trinity headed up there this week, but Derrick Moore, one of the Decatur workers, said they were told by crews in New Jersey that they can't do any work there since they're not union employees.
The crews that are in Roanoke, Virginia say they are just watching and waiting even though they originally received a call asking for help from Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
The crews were told to stand down. In fact, Moore said the crew from Trinity is already headed back home.
Understandably, Moore said they're frustrated being told "thanks, but no thanks."

See ya!

Because really, the most important thing when 600,000 people don't have power and gas stations can't pump gas is union rules. Right?

Well no. The MOST important thing is... wait for it... the New York MARATHON!!

These should be pumping gas somewhere.

Nice tent!

"[T]hose urging the city to halt the run believe that the thousands of Marathon volunteers could direct their efforts towards post-Sandy relief and cleanup, "and they also argue that the event will divert thousands of police from important hurricane-related duties." But despite petitions circulating, work started up again yesterday on the Marathon route.
A tipster, who wishes to remain anonymous, told us there were lots of workers in and out of the park today, who had "started before the storm and then came back starting yesterday." Trailers are lined up from around 71st to 66th Streets on Central Park West, a food truck was set up today, and "generators have been sitting there at least a week." The tents that were taken down prior to the storm have also been set back up, and there is a stage set up near 73rd Street.
Considering all the volunteer help and NYPD attention that's already being diverted to the Marathon, the added sight of generators and food being channeled to the event is probably going to strike some New Yorkers as a little misplaced—we're thinking of the ones who are currently lined up waiting for the National Guard to ration out MREs and bottles of water."

Say, couldn't these guys stay in the nice tent instead of clogging up the high school for another two weeks?

 The marathon staging area is Staten Island. Which is a disaster zone.

Downside, lost the house. Upside, got a NEW BOAT!

Meanwhile there's people on Staten Island still lining up for gas too, because many gas stations have gas in the tanks but don't have power yet. Because there's not enough crews. Because the crews are non-union, or they're working on the friggin' marathon.

Isn't socialism wonderful? Isn't Mayor Bloomberg a wonderful socialist?

Incidentally,  a reader from New Yawk (who shall remain nameless) informs me that strange people have been showing up in his 'way upstate neighborhood siphoning gas and stealing stuff off people's porches. He has no power yet. Another reader from a bit further north says he has no problems at all and there's no lines at the local gas station. We're talking less than 70 road miles from Battery Park here. An hour and a half drive from the flood zone there's no disturbance at all. Plenty of whatever you need.

Bottom line, the clusterfuck that is FEMA can't move PLENTIFUL fuel and material 70 miles down the biggest, best road network in the USA to reach the affected coastal zone that's no more than a mile wide at its worst.

The Phantom

Update! From a commenter at Small Dead Animals this link:  http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/02/ala-utility-florida-crewman-blame-electrical-union-for-interfering-with-hurricane-sandy-relief-video/

Crews from out of state are not being allowed to work by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The power companies invited them, the power companies want them, the -union- is telling them the crews have to join the union and get paid the union rate or they can't work.

Can we say this is a serious emergency? No. If these shitheads are still playing this game, its not at all serious. So much for Barry's "no red tape" promise, eh?

Just imagine for a second if something bad happened. Like an earthquake. Headlines would read "Two Million New Yorkers Dead From Abject Stupidity."