|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 1, 2012 16:10:49 GMT -6
The good news is the subways will probably be back in time to get completely taken out of service again.
|
|
|
Post by Ardbeg... innit on Nov 1, 2012 18:36:28 GMT -6
Don't look now, but we've got a possible nor'easter headed our way for the middle of next week.
Its always the crazy ones that have an available and willing twin sister
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 1, 2012 18:43:35 GMT -6
In this case, it's hard to tell which one is The Evil Twin.
|
|
|
Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 1, 2012 18:45:36 GMT -6
Don't be so niggardly. They can BOTH be the evil twins.
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 1, 2012 20:19:05 GMT -6
Kinda like The Doublemint Girls.
|
|
|
Post by Tex on Nov 2, 2012 8:11:29 GMT -6
Just saw on the news that a group of linemen from Alabama showed up in New Jersey to help restore power and were told to go home because they were non-union. Incredible.
|
|
|
Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 2, 2012 8:47:52 GMT -6
So how are the preparations for the marathon coming along?
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 2, 2012 9:44:14 GMT -6
Much more quickly than it should be. I'm really pissed off that Bloomberg didn't cancel the thing.
|
|
|
Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 2, 2012 9:55:46 GMT -6
Apparently so are a lot of people.
|
|
|
Post by Tex on Nov 2, 2012 9:59:37 GMT -6
Bloomberg might have figured it would boost morale to have it go on as scheduled, but it does divert resources from fixing storm related problems and use emergency personnel when they have been all hands on deck for days on end.
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 2, 2012 10:25:17 GMT -6
Apparently so are a lot of people. I know. And I can't blame them. He apparently made that decision because the city would lose too much money by either cancelling or rescheduling.
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 2, 2012 10:26:47 GMT -6
Bloomberg might have figured it would boost morale to have it go on as scheduled, but it does divert resources from fixing storm related problems and use emergency personnel when they have been all hands on deck for days on end. He has sworn up and down that this is not the case. I can't see how that's true, but I can't prove that it isn't -- at least not yet anyway. We'll see.
|
|
|
Post by Irish Stu on Nov 2, 2012 11:34:25 GMT -6
The difference between the British and American outlooks and psyches is interesting. Whilst I fully understand Beeb's standpoint and certainly wouldn't presume to question or disagree with him, if this was happening in London there would be no question of cancelling the marathon, unless we absolutely had to. We'd think it important to show that we can't be beaten and that life will go on as normal wherever possible.
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 2, 2012 12:37:45 GMT -6
I guess the issue at hand here is the fact that the focus is not appearing to be 100% on the victims of the storm because many people are going unattended to. E.g., promised hand-outs of food not taking place, slow return of service for electricity & subways, Red Cross & FEMA responsiveness, etc.
|
|
|
Post by Tex on Nov 2, 2012 12:48:59 GMT -6
If they don't need any help from non-union workers, it can't be that bad.
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 2, 2012 12:58:10 GMT -6
You're talking about New Jersey, correct?
|
|
|
Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 2, 2012 13:00:05 GMT -6
The difference between the British and American outlooks and psyches is interesting. Whilst I fully understand Beeb's standpoint and certainly wouldn't presume to question or disagree with him, if this was happening in London there would be no question of cancelling the marathon, unless we absolutely had to. We'd think it important to show that we can't be beaten and that life will go on as normal wherever possible.Simon, I can see both sides of this issue, and both have good points to make. I think it boils down to timing. You don't try to "show you can't be beaten" when there are still wounds to dress and fires to put out. Once a certain amount of stability has been reached, then pride can profitably kick in. I suspect most differences of opinion on this topic focus on if that that level of stability has been reached or not yet. Personally, not being there, I wouldn't hazard an opinion one way or the other.
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 2, 2012 13:22:31 GMT -6
Just saw on the news that a group of linemen from Alabama showed up in New Jersey to help restore power and were told to go home because they were non-union. Incredible. Bullshit. Nice try.
|
|
|
Post by Tex on Nov 2, 2012 13:22:47 GMT -6
You're talking about New Jersey, correct? And wherever else such policies hold sway. This was a really stupid move, IMHO. The crews who go provide relief efforts after storms volunteer to do so. They are there for a few weeks fixing the grid - not passing out anti-union pamphlets. 95% of the linemen with any hurricane experience are from the south and most are non-union. So some guys volunteer to come help, drive 1100 miles in a bucket truck, eat shitty food, live in a rat hole and spend long days in bad conditions and weather colder than they are accustomed to, then they are told to hit the road Jack. This story is all over the South. Who wants to volunteer for this abuse? The union crews will get all of the electric back on, but it will damn sure take a lot longer.
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 2, 2012 13:28:08 GMT -6
You're talking about New Jersey, correct? And wherever else such policies hold sway. This was a really stupid move, IMHO. The crews who go provide relief efforts after storms volunteer to do so. They are there for a few weeks fixing the grid - not passing out anti-union pamphlets. 95% of the linemen with any hurricane experience are from the south and most are non-union. So some guys volunteer to come help, drive 1100 miles in a bucket truck, eat shitty food, live in a rat hole and spend long days in bad conditions and weather colder than they are accustomed to, then they are told to hit the road Jack.
This story is all over the South. Who wants to volunteer for this abuse? The union crews will get all of the electric back on, but it will damn sure take a lot longer.As I posted above, the story is simply not true.
|
|
|
Post by nolaflacav on Nov 2, 2012 13:32:56 GMT -6
Sorry, back on topic. We still have many impassable streets and roadways. It's going to be weeks of repair to get electric back and it's going to be quite an economic push for the construction industry here at the expense of the insurance industry. Gary, I would alter that comment just slightly to say at the partial expense of the insurance industry. I make this observation because Sandy like Katrina before her is almost more a water event than a wind event. That is crucial because flooding is never a covered under a property insurance policy. And the sad statistic I am seeing is that only about 15% of the people had a separate flood policy in place. The hit on insurance companies is going to be significant but I think we are going to see a lot of uninsured losses where folks are looking for government intervention.
|
|
|
Post by nolaflacav on Nov 2, 2012 13:34:26 GMT -6
Hey Beeb, I see a lot of Staten Island coverage but not much on City Island. I am guessing they really got pounded?
|
|
|
Post by nolaflacav on Nov 2, 2012 13:56:44 GMT -6
Yes I understand your explanation and you would know better. The storm didn't have much rain thankfully but is wind damage an "act of god"? That's what my insurance company told me when I inquired about a large tree taking down a retaining wall. and what kind of god does this anyway? Wind is a covered peril under the majority of insurance policies. In your example the home insurance policy would pay to remove the tree from the retaining wall and repair/replace the wall. It would not pay to replace the tree nor would it pay to cut up and haul the tree away. In your other example about your friend I would suggest these are the majority of people that are going to struggle if the do not have flood insurance. Although he can probably claim vehicle damage for anything caused by the boat!
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 2, 2012 13:59:13 GMT -6
Hey Beeb, I see a lot of Staten Island coverage but not much on City Island. I am guessing they really got pounded? Yep, they got hit pretty hard, too. Technically, City Island is part of the Bronx. I saw an interview on TV with the Bronx Borough President and he said that a number of long-time businesses no longer exist. They are a fishing community and were particularly hard-hit as many boats and piers were taken out.
|
|
|
Post by Tex on Nov 2, 2012 14:01:40 GMT -6
I wasn't there so I don't know any better than anyone else what was told the workers in NJ, but the Decatur employee who told the story this morning didn't equivocate and that is a strange story to make up out of whole cloth. My bet is that it did happen and:
1) The volunteer pool dried up in an hour. 2) The utilities in the northeast put a pencil to it and figured that many customers would be without juice for another week. 3) Decatur stood to lose big Federal $$ for the work it would have done. 4) Some wiser heads at the union figured that maybe the folks sitting at home in the cold and the dark weren't going to amuse themselves by singing all the good old union songs. An election is Tuesday. 5) The heat came down from all sides to squelch the story and smooth everything over.
JMHO.
|
|
|
Post by New Mama on Nov 2, 2012 14:33:13 GMT -6
If the damage is deemed flood and you don't have flood insurance you must hope for an official "disaster area' declaration from the Federal government. Then you can qualify for Federal relief and assistance. Lenders do not require flood insurance unless you are in a 100 year flood zone.
|
|
|
Post by nolaflacav on Nov 2, 2012 15:09:14 GMT -6
If the damage is deemed flood and you don't have flood insurance you must hope for an official "disaster area' declaration from the Federal government. Then you can qualify for Federal relief and assistance. Lenders do not require flood insurance unless you are in a 100 year flood zone. Correct. And to add on. What I am reading is that the majority of these areas are in non mandatory flood insurance areas. And you have to figure that probably in many of these older areas the long time residents have no mortgage. And they probably dropped their flood insurance at that time. Soooo... you wait for Federal assistance, dig into your own pocket, take out a loan, let the property go unrepaired, or abandon the property. Also a good portion of the assistance available may only be repayable loans and not direct hand outs.
|
|
|
Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 2, 2012 15:39:47 GMT -6
The difference between the British and American outlooks and psyches is interesting. Whilst I fully understand Beeb's standpoint and certainly wouldn't presume to question or disagree with him, if this was happening in London there would be no question of cancelling the marathon, unless we absolutely had to. We'd think it important to show that we can't be beaten and that life will go on as normal wherever possible. Simon, I can see both sides of this issue, and both have good points to make. I think it boils down to timing. You don't try to "show you can't be beaten" when there are still wounds to dress and fires to put out. Once a certain amount of stability has been reached, then pride can profitably kick in. I suspect most differences of opinion on this topic focus on if that that level of stability has been reached or not yet. Personally, not being there, I wouldn't hazard an opinion one way or the other.The mayor's office has just announced that the marathon has been cancelled. About time! Bloomberg did a total 180 on this based on a news conference I was listening to earlier this afternoon where he justified letting the marathon continue by saying, "Rudy (Giuliani) would've done the same thing". Families in Manhattan hotel rooms were displaced because the hotel was giving their room to marathon runners.
|
|
|
Post by Ardbeg... innit on Nov 5, 2012 20:43:07 GMT -6
Didn't know that hand cranked vibrators could text messages to Proboards... excellent adaptive use of archaic technology Sent from my SCH-I535 using proboards
|
|
|
Post by Tex on Nov 10, 2012 20:49:55 GMT -6
Got a similar story about electric linemen being kicked out of New York from my friend's little brother who is a lineman for Texas based Oncor. He said they sent crews to repair damage from Sandy and were told to go home, which they did. He also said the union lineman were slower than cold molasses.
|
|