Sandy Victims BEG Obama for Help *** Abandoned (VIDEO) *** RED TAPE: Marathon Generators/Food/Supplies STILL unused *** Union Kicks-Out Non-union Electrical Volunteers *** 1.9 M Still Dark *** Marine Relief (One Week Late)

Oh Linda, this is so tragic! And I understand that there's another nor'easter on track to hit the same victims in NY and NJ again!! God help them...

This is just insane! FEMA NOT prepared, Red Cross serving hot chocolate and cookies, Marathon supplies still unused, FEMA out of water, since Sat., until Monday (TODAY), Bloomburg kept out National Guard, (because they carry guns). Am wondering who got the Marines through? Bureaucracy at it's worst. It is time do get rid of FEMA, as Romney said, as did Ron Paul. From what I saw on TV, private companies filled worked overtime to fill the gaps FEMA could not. Putting water in Beer Cans, getting warm clothing and gas for generators (to those who had them).
Obama, Bloomberg, Christy should ALL be ashamed! Haven't heard from Christy since he thanked Obama... thanked him for what? Oh, no red tape, I forgot.

Politicians only talk while private citizens meet the needs.

There was a video of Chuck Schermer visiting the storm victims, and after a lady begged him for help, he half hugged her and patronized her by saying "I know how you feel, sweetheart". NO, he doesn't know - he went home to his mansion. And calling her SWEETHEART, that is SO condescending!

I think about the woman who lives in the projects, scared to death, afraid to leave her apt. She was on this AM crying how afraid she is, alone in the dark in a nasty building with feces in the hall. Why wouldn't the guard be used at least to make them feel safe? To cart water upstairs for the old?

they are the poor, Char - just look and listen. FEMA is a huge waste of money and The American Red Cross has lost it's way... and the promise of lifting RED TAPE is nothing but sound bites for the media and the brain-off voters.
Why haven't we heard more from Christy?

But the Libs are for the poor... Isnt that what they preach? Look, how they came down on BUsh and blamed him for Katrina..Obama dont have time for these people, most of them probably wont be able to get to the polls anyway, so he cant get a vote... Look again, where he is... he is out campaigning... I think he would of looked better had he been in there as a hands on president, but we cant expect him to get his hands dirty... Motto: If they arent worth a vote, forget them.... throw them to the curb...

Seriously, you would think the projects would be the first place they would go. Those are the people who don't have reserves or credit cards to fall back on to leave or buy help. So sad, they really have a case, I guess. Often I think that whining goes on when people should help themselves, but that is not now, and not these people. The poor are the truly needy in this case, and the least prepared to help themselves.

Unfortunately for many, it doesn't appear to me that NY/FEMA and/or the various powers that be were as prepared as they made it sound.

My heart does go out to these people BUT..

We cannot depend on government to solve our problems - especially in an emergency. Please. please learn form this and stock up and needed goods and supplies. I know it is difficult to do in the city but not impossible. Make arrangements with churches and neighbors because this PROVES government is not the answer. AND NUMBER 1 - ARM YOURSELF!

http://wallstreetonparade.com/2012/11/the-marines-have-landed-the-role-of-government-and-tomorrows-election/

Any of you actually live here in NJ or NY? This is one of the most densely populated areas of the world with 8 million people in NJ and more than that number in NYC alone. The storm affected huge numbers, far more than can reasonably be handled by any government agency, let alone some private corporation. Complain all you want about how bad FEMA is and how unprepared they were, Nobody, and I mean Nobody can or ever will be fully prepared for this kind of catastrophe. It's simply impossible to do so. I would challenge you to even find me one company that would willing to put the massive amount of materials and equipment needed for such an operation on hold, sitting idle and not making them a dime (without making the govt pay them to do it, which you know damned well that they would). That company would have that equipment sitting somewhere, not in use in order to ensure it was ready and available at a moments notice, and could quickly muster up the manpower needed for a disaster of this magnitude. That company doesn't exist, and it never will.

So let's pretend that they do. Who will pay for their services? Should we expect each individual affected to try to negotiate with this mythical contractor on a case by case basis, or should the State step in and do the negotiations for them? Should we allow them to charge whatever the market will bear, or have the costs regulated to ensure that people aren't gouged?

It's easy to say that there shouldn't be a FEMA, or that the Marines shouldn't be deployed to help when the need arises. I'll bet the tune changes pretty quickly when it's your own ass sitting on the ashes of where your home used to be or pumping the water out of your now ruined home while putting all your furniture on the streets to be carted away. Or renting the last car available in the whole county because yours is underwater. Think about it.

thanks Tom - all excellent points. The take-away is not only that FEMA should have learned from the past, cost millions of dollars each year yet still aren't prepared? Had a weeks notice of real possibility, they KNOW the population there, they should have known what went wrong with Katrina assistance.
No, I cannot imagine as never lived in a heavily populated area, but this still begs the answer to my main question - what about NO RED TAPE didn't anyone understand? Unions - NO to non-union volunteers, who arrived on THEIR OWN DIME? Bloomberg - NO to armed National Guard - is the news reporting this incorrect? And what about Christy NOW saying they need a new 'law' - what about common sense? Was the $ for union work MORE important than helping the helpless? National Guard would have made these people, at the least, feel safe at night and assist with cleanup during the day.

You are right, I don't know, but I DO know enough was not done - quick enough. Holding the Marathon and then defending it by Bloomberg? Crate after crate of water, apples & fruit, and other supplies? And, if true, the supplies and generators still have not been put to use?

Ok, Army Corp of Engineers - Check
Marines who didn't arrive until after a week - Check
Yes, that is what we pay taxes for, not for the RED TAPE!

Climate change - NOT man made- but nature - history has proven this over and over.
Except for the huge tasks, completed by OTHER govt. agencies, volunteers still are making the difference, govt. refuses to acknowledge. FEMA could easily be rolled into other agencies as there no info or proof they've done anything.
Katrina trailers were contaminated and unfit to live in
Volunteers going to help with Katrina were stopped and guns stolen
FEMA slowed down the assistance from volunteers
WalMart had trailer after trailer of supplies, water, clothing, blankest, etc. yet were stopped and held outside the devastated area... There were BEFORE FEMA reared it's ugly head and slowed things down.
News reporters were there to film the tragedy, but volunteers could not get through.
This may very well be over my head but common sense must prevail, and I agree with Romney, Ryan and Ron Paul - FEMA is another bureaucratic arm of federal govt which just wastes millions of tax dollars.

Tom B., Just want to point out, most of NY is up and running fine, so the number needing help is now a small percentage. Subtract those who are staying with family and friends, or have plenty of money to care for themselves, and you are left with the poor. That should be doable with so many to do it...

When you know a disaster is headed your way and you choose not to temporarly vacate the area, why would you expect assistance. Common sense dictates a withdrawl to a safer location. Having lost two homes in the past to natural disasters I know property can be replaced, lives can't.

I agree Yoshi, however, many had no place to go nor the means to leave the area. Weather shelters were overflowing right from the beginning.

In an area this heavily populated, you would think more resources were readily available. Remember also, there is a nuclear plant not far from this area and something happens to it, in an earthquake, so to speak - there would be virtually no way out for the poor.

Wonder if there are ANY contingency plans for a disaster of that magnitude. Obviously one week's notice wasn't enough to get basics...

From the article linked above:
"20 heaters, tens of thousands of Mylar “space” blankets, jackets, 106 crates of apples and peanuts, at least 14 pallets of bottled water and 22 five-gallon jugs of water."

Meanwhile not more than 5 minutes ago, I heard an interview with a guy in NYC (lost his home, and all he owned), said Red Cross had JUST dropped off 100 blankets (for how many 10's of thousands???) and they were not even worthy of being called blankets - per him, they are the size of bath towels.

well, a real drop in the bucket, as they say.

Didn't know so many were in assisted living housing in that area and understand they had no where to go outside that area.

Not really assisted living - just no way to get gas to leave, even if they still have a car (or ever had one) to go in. No way for the shelters to handle 60 to 80,000 people.

They have no food, no drinkable water, no clothes other than whats on their backs, no where to go, and no way to get there if they do.

At this point, many, if not most, of the streets are still impassable.

Add to that the cold, and standing water .......

Staten Island still has no help, and friends tell me that all FEMA is giving them is application forms for disaster loans