After Sept. 11, 2001, unions flexed the muscle between their ears and just like that, volunteers were turned away from NYC - particularly non-union volunteers. When altogether, it was/is *our* fight, not something that is "an event production" for the politico-producers to pick and choose which unions and bench warmers will be in the cast.
Now, just like the days and weeks after 9-11, we find that a different and extremely-"liberal" mayor of NYC wants to have his marathon, about which Forbes has a column that instead, the race should be canceled; but the mayor needs volunteers.
Unfortunately, the unions are already rejecting non-union volunteer utility repair crews, so what the mayor apparently wants is *union volunteers,* because certainly he would not ban non-union utility repair crews but allow non-union volunteers for his marathon?!
It all begs the question - hypothetically speaking, of course:
If NYC was inundated by a surge of the ocean, caused by a hurricane, and all around the city, across all the bridges, there were 2 - 5 miles of non-union volunteers backed up at the bridges, with everything that the residents of the damaged areas need --- just compile their wish lists this very moment and add police and fire rescue and utility repair and medical help --- would the "enlightened liberals" and "working unions" of the city, please permit all those non-union volunteers ... to help?
Unfortunately, it turns out again, that the leftists are more afraid of losing control and power over what *they* want politically, than they are afraid of their neighbors being barred from the many things of need.
Volunteers will be handing out bottled water and power bars to runners who are warming themselves in heated tents powered by generators running on scarce gasoline, while people in actual need are left empty handed.
(2) This whole anti-gouging nonsense in NJ is obviously stupid and illogical and is causing shortages and public safety issues. Let the market work.
(3) Bloomberg and Cuomo are crowing about global warming and endorsing Obama over imaginary global warming when there is actual work they should be doing.
(4) Unions are a cancer. They delayed 9/11 relief efforts and they are holding up rebuilding in NJ and NY. Unions are a legalized form of organized crime and they should be held accountable now and especially when this is all over.
Unions (AKA communists) and their ilk in powerful positions are what create these problems. I’m sure if regular victims were in earshot of any of this garbage, they’d be ripping a new 1 on the “union” thugs. Regardless of their political affiliation. (Unfortunately, many people cover their eyes and ears to what their political affiliation and their voting means in the real world.)