Not Such a Lindsay Moment After All
Eric Gioia, whose week has been fairly consumed with servicing his beleaguered constituents in Western Queens and the media, says he spent the morning walking around his district in Woodside and Sunnyside and "didn't speak to one person" who had their power fully restored.
Interestingly, despite the excruciating way that the problem is playing out - it may have claimed its first fatality over the weekend - the issue of who to blame has remained scrupulously un-politicized.
The criticism so far from Queens Democrats has largely spared Mike Bloomberg, who first played down the problem, and has since taken a soft line on Con Ed.
Here's Gioia's assessment of the mayor's performance, for example: "I'm happy he's in Queens everyday now, which is a good thing. The past few days the city has responded really strongly. But it's clear that he response was inadequate and slow at first. I blame Con Ed for that. Con Ed deceived each of us into believing this was not as serious as it was."
-- Josh Benson
Don't worry, Josh. History won't lie -- and will recall this as a collossal failure on Bloomberg's part.
Part of what's alarming is that, apart of stern press conferences, the City's lackadaisical response continues.
"Not such a Lindsay moment after all"
Um.. I don't know who you've been talking with, but its not any New Yorker I know, most of whom have seen night after night on the local news that City Hall dramatically failed an entire city neighborhood that easily could have been their own.
Who was in charge of telling the Mayor the lights were out? Who gave him the green light that there was enough light?
People have lost some level of confidence in the city, you can't pretend that's not true. Four days without a trip to Queens? Are you kidding us? Forget about a "Lindsay moment, how about simply asking, where is "the I give a damn about Queen's moment" ?
Let us all wait until the people of Queens catch their breath, get their lives back in order and begin to talk to their local council people and start writing letters to newspapers and answering pollsters.
Then we will see who had a Lindsay moment or not.
The only reason this hasn't been heralded as Bloomberg's "Katrina time lapse" is because, for some self indulgent reason, the city's three newspapers have given this media mogel a pass. If the paper's did their job, and spoke on behalf of the people of New York, then the editorial pages would have been screaming "Where is Mike?" starting last tuesday.
And we all know it. You too Politicker.
And that goes double for the Daily Politic. Smith is too afraid to even bring it up over there. He can't bring himself to type the word "Bloomberg" this morning.
How embarrassing.
Gioia is disgusting. He acts like he has been praying someone dies so he can get some press. What a complete ass. Why do you guys cover this guy ?
media moguls murdoch, zuckerman, sulzberger, etc stick with bloomberg. they golf together and plot together. it's how they can screw the little guy. and the observer's arthur carter is a wannabe. read his glowing fawning bloomberg editorials and you would think he has a high school crush on him.
Bloomberg isn't in Queens every day -- he isn't there today. There are still 2600 people without power -- and the best Con Ed can do is an arrogant, defensive whine -- we're working as fast as we can. They don't know where the customers are and haven't a clue how long it will be before all the lights are back on. They've increased the amount of money individuals can get for spoiled food -- but businesses are out of luck. Has anyone heard Con Ed say a simple: I'm sorry? They have a lot to be sorry for -- minimizing the problem, moving slowly, being unprepared for a crisis, ignoring complaints, lying to people, lack of curiosity as the complaints began pouring in.
Of course there's plenty of blame to go around -- it took the city long enough to recognize a real problem, and it took forever for 311 to figure out that this was an actual emergency for them to deal with.
i live in woodside and i'm glad that eric gioia and joe crowley have been standing up for us. seems like no one else has. eric personally delivered water to my building when it was out of power and has been doing a great job.
For anyone that thought Bloomberg gives a flying bodily function about anything outside of Manhattan below 96th Street, this should be a wakup call. And sadly it won't be. The press are scared to death, since Bloomberg's company can crush careers.
It's all fine and good to badmouth Con Ed. But a number of issues are laid bare by this.
Specifically, the current power grid is an outdated jalopy that in summer months of heavy AC usage is always on the precipice of a disaster. Nothing's changed since the last blackout. And also, the green "don't build power plants anywhere!" mindset is going to at some point cause a major problem with power in this city. We have to generate more power or it will get worse. The current facilities are inadequate. And yet we've allowed a few kooks to wishfully think this is no big deal.
And even worse-what happens with either a Cat.3 hurricane or another terrorist strike? The emeregncy preapredness may be as bad as New Orleans. Scary.
stu loeser stop posting. get to queens and get some power there. you guys know you were late on the ball and now you're apologizing for con-ed. disgusting
where is the reporter that is going to call this administration to account. point by point: what is the timeline of bloombrownie's knowledge of this crisis, his slow response time, and the creampuff crapola he was focusing on instead of the life or death situation in queens
you're doing a heck of a job, burkie!
This guy takes the cake. Is there a corporate lackey or flunkie he wouldn't back? Republicans is managers is illshit. We need someone to step up and tell the truth
This guy takes the cake. Is there a corporate lackey or flunkie he wouldn't back? Republicans is managers is illshit. We need someone to step up and tell the truth
Some people in Woodside got power back. Many more are still without power. Those people still go to work each day after restless nights in un-air-conditioned apartments. We arrive tired, and our clothes are wrinkled and unwashed and we're sometimes unwashed (no hot water). Then we go on the internet, since we don't have it at home. I blame Con Ed. Before you start badmouthing politicians who have been out in their districts every day since this whole mess started last week, why don't you come visit Woodside?
Gioia has been out there fighting for his district, and yes, he's tried to get the press to focus on the issues, this is the only way to make ConEd do what they are supposed to do. Instead of slogging him for that, you should be thankful that he's standing up for his constituents.
When Eric Gioia delivered the water, was his name attached to it, or his picture on it, or a camera crew with him to photograph the moment? The man is a media whore who is obsessed with his next political move. He can't decide which pair of underwear to put on in the morning without thinking politically. He has taken the entire blackout and turned it into a publicity stunt. Next he'll use the Investigations Committee in this issue.
the true point here seems to be about the confluence between the mayor and con-ed. now i know that the mayor is so squeaky clean independent, and takes no contributions. but financial intrest is not the only kind of interest.
what boards did the mayor sit on? what initiatives does he have with burke? are they golfing buddies? hamptons homies? bermuda pals?
yo eric keep up the great work!!! thanks for speaking out don't sweat the haters we love you woodside loves you!!
I don't understand why everyone on this blog is so nasty all the time. Let's blame the local politicians for getting on tv to complain that their neighborhoods have been without power for a week? They should be quiet about this? It seems to me that if I lived in Queens I would want people like Gioia to speak up. Good for him for standing up for his constituents.
Eric is fighting so hard? So where's my power? I bet he has electric..
Ask the mayor. I bet he has electricity too.
Where are the other "elected public servants" like Assemblywoman Marge Markey and Senator George Onorato?
They represent places like Woodside and Sunnyside.
They totally abandoned their constituents...they have been AWOL. Disgraceful!
While Gioia is a press whore,
he was at least around.
Even with Gioia out there holding press conferences since last tuesday it took days for the press to properly cover this blackout. There are lots of people who did not step up to the plate on this one (besides the obvious Con Ed). Gioia did. Give him some credit for that.
The job is public servant: bang the drum, speak the truth, work hard, advocate for your district, help serve the City. For my money, Gioia's one of the best there is.
"While Gioia is a press whore,
he was at least around."
Of course he was around, he is a press whore.
5:16pm, that's ridiculous. Sticking up for his constituents and making sure they have the resources they need is Gioia's job, just as it is every elected official's. Gianaris gets it, that's why he's out there with him everytime. Nolan & Vallone & Crowley, too.