Posted on 07/23/2006 3:38:29 PM PDT by John Lenin
A spokeswoman for Pataki, Joanna Rose, said the governor has spoken with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and has offered any assistance necessary. "We believe that it is (utility Consolidated Edison) that should make restitution to those who have suffered," she said.
Bloomberg said earlier that electricity had been restored to 13,000 of an estimated 25,000 Consolidated Edison customers who lost power during last week's heat wave and that Con Ed workers were laboring to restore power to the rest. "Are we satisfied with the progress?" he asked. "It is what it is."
Con Ed's CEO, Kevin Burke, said there was no way to estimate how long those still affected would be without power.
Speaking to reporters at an Office of Emergency Management staging site in Astoria, Bloomberg urged local residents to put aside their frustrations over the weeklong power failure and thank the workers trying to correct it.
"The Con Ed workers are working an enormous number of hours. I don't think anyone should be satisfied, but the city's response has been as good as it could be," he said.
But City Councilman Eric Gioia, D-Queens, said Burke should resign over his handling of the blackout.
"When the lights went out, that was just the tip of the iceberg," he told The Associated Press before a news conference in Woodside. "Since then, Con Ed has misled the public about the severity of the situation, failed to grasp that we are in a crisis and shown no plan to put the power back on and ensure the health and safety of people in Queens."
And state Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, another Queens Democrat, said Con Ed officials should be held criminally responsible because their early underestimates of the number of people affected by the blackout may have slowed the city's response.
"How can anyone believe anything Con Ed says?" he demanded. "I think what they did was criminal, and I hope to see some people who work at Con Ed in handcuffs before this is over."
Asked to respond to the criticism later Sunday, Burke said, "I am now focused exclusively on restoration."
He said the causes of the blackout would be investigated later.
Along Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, some businesses had lights while others didn't.
There was no electricity at Queens Mini Market, where employee Vijoy Pal estimated losses so far at $5,000. "We are losing, losing," he said.
Bliss Nail Salon had lights but was stuffy with no air conditioning. "I don't know why," said manager Amy Chung. "It's one week already. We lose a lot of customers."
Bloomberg said there was still no indication when all power would be re-established, or why the Queens area suffered the massive blackout while the rest of the city did not.
Con Ed earlier described the situation as unprecedented, with 10 of 22 main power feeders breaking down at the same time, at the height of the heat wave. The problem worsened when lower-voltage cables were apparently damaged by carrying excess voltage as Con Ed tried to keep the system up and running without the main feeders.
Bloomberg said the focus for now should be on getting the power back rather than Con Ed diverting resources to figure out what happened. Once everybody is back there will be time to go back and analyze, he said, adding, "Whether it was something that could have been prevented, I have no idea."
He said Con Ed promised a report within two weeks.
Crime has shown no significant change during the blackout, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. One burglary was reported overnight and area calls to 911 were at the same level as a year ago, he said, adding that 700 police officers had been added to patrols there.
City officials said that small businesses could apply to be reimbursed for up to $7,000 in perishable losses and that an emergency loan fund would be announced within a few days. They said that nine senior citizen centers with air conditioning and meals that are usually closed weekends would remain open Sunday and that no price gouging had been reported.
The Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other relief agencies served 20,000 meals on Saturday and planned to serve 22,000 on Sunday, said Red Cross official Scott Graham.
In my case, it would be a medical emergency. I have a sleep condition whereby I need electricity for a device that keeps me breathing.
I would have had to already check into a hotel somewhere so I could sleep.
I hate to say it, anyone who stays in New York is megshuga.
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I was stuck on the LIRR 1/4 mile west of Jamaica. Got home at three...it was cool.
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I heard that there were people who believed the official story...never met one before though.
Pussies...we had hundreds of people last WINTER without power due to an ice storm for in some cases weeks. While it may be hot in New York few if any of those folks have to worry about dying. Being without heat in the Dakota winter can easily be fatal. Somehow our people got by without whining for the government to help.
A terrorist branch.
I went without power for a week though hurricane Hugo, anybody who wants to give up electricity, be my guest. So you think it's a good idea for everybody to go back to wood and coal burning fireplaces ? How about go back to burning your garbage in the back yard ?
"Con Ed earlier described the situation as unprecedented, with 10 of 22 main power feeders breaking down at the same time"
It could be that they had a little help with our terroist friends. Just the kind of thing the government would keep a secret.
most everyone in Queens won't have charcoal grills or anything like the ability to do as you said.
We better get the Marines there with some generators and in a hurry or else the Queens blackout will be the next item on the "It's Bush's fault" list.
Could be hackers into Con Eds grid server.
100 years ago there weren't so many people and they were used to dealing without power. The whole society was set up for dealing without power, unlike today. This is not suburbia we're talking about either. Without power, the whole structure breaks down fast.
Are you saying that all 22,000+ people should go out and get dry ice? Where? The little cornor store?
I'm glad I'm not there.
You are able to get insured for losses if the electricity goes out and many businesses have insurance if they are not able to conduct business.
lol, heating oil, lol....
I would love to ask some of the enviromentalists over there if they like living this way.
No air conditioning? No TeeVee? Wow.
But that was before Global Warming, and therefore everyone survived.
Global Warming is here now, and we have to face the guilt that everyone who is PC should feel for adding CO2 to the atmosphere. And for raising the temperature in Queens to intolerable levels.
The little town where I was born finally got electricity in 1935. I didn't read by light from the fireplace like Old Honest Abe Lincum (golly, with 105/85 degree temperatures he had the fireplace going?). But reading by kerosene lantern was OK since I was young and had good eyes. The advent of gasoline mantle lamps was a major step forward. It probably saved my eyes so that at age (lots) I can still see two fleas fornicating at 100 yards.
Seriously, I feel for the people in Queens. A major city owned utility can come up with no answers to a week old power shutdown??
exactly.
anyone who stays in New York is megshuga.
And so, you moved to Kennedy Country, Massachussetes. :-)
How very, very, French.
I told people that morning there would be blackouts all over the tri state area later. I was right. 100 dgeree heat after a hot weekend and old infrasturture pushed to record capacity.
Not surprising.
talk about from the frying pan into the fire .... you escaped NY by moving to MA?
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