The danage to the North Shore was minor to mild. But in many areas of the South Shore it was pure devistation. Homes, businesses and livlihoods are now gone. Amd the coastal sections of New Jersey where Sandy made land fall are in worse shape.
I learned from a few freinds that work in supermarkets not to touch the frozen foods for at least a month. The food thawed out and the district managers said to refreeze and sell it. The stores have to comply and are putting people's health at risk.
There are several hundred thousand still without power here on Long Island. Crews from outvof state are doing a bang up job and can teach the LIPA crews a thing or two about how to get things done. But more people are needed to complete the job. It is that over wealming.
In the November 11th edition of Newsday it was reported that one of the problems with the restoration is that the union, local 1049 of the IBEW demands that the out of state workers join it (which LIPA workers are members of) and then get garnished union dues and other fees as:
22.5% of each person gross salary goes to the IBEW annuity fund,
$9.75 an hour to the union;s health and welfare,
3% of the gross salary to the craft divisoinskill improvement fund,
3% of the gross salary the National Electrical Benefit Fund,
and lesser amounts to other funds
Barry Moline the executive director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association asked the union why are they doing this to the visiting workers and was told by the union "We want them (meaning the imported workers) to get a taste of the union so that when they go back home, they will want the union." Which is a slap in the face of the out of state crews.
I am sure that Barry would agree with me in that is no way to entice someone into joining a union, especially with over 25% of their salary going to the union and it's funds. Gotta love Long Island....Not.
This has hampered the restoration efforts for the out of state crews have to wait for the applications to be processed before they can work. Meanwhile people are going without power and heat. Gotta love Long Island....Not.
Some crews got so sick of the union B.S. they packed up and went home. Can't say that I blame them. I am no fan of unions anyway.
When this is over I promise that our electric rates here on Long Island which rank as the highest in the nation will only skyrocket even higher. With the increase in taxes, oil and now power no one will be able to live here any longer except for the wealthy. Gotta love Long Island...Not.
We are still dealing with what I feel is a contrived gas shortage.
In 1973 there was the famous OPEC oil embargo where the Arab nations refused to sell oil to the US. The oil companies stopped or slowed down the release of gasoline and oil which created shortages. Gas lines where found everywhere. A few weeks later they put into place the odd/even rationing.
TV news crews went out over the Atlantic by helicopter and filmed tankers lined up as far as the eye can see all waiting to come in. A relative was on one owned b Getty and said they were not allowed to pull in and off load. They has to stay at sea for weeks fully laden with oil just waiting to pull in.
It was not until the price of gas hit over a dollar (I wish we paid that now) then there was more than enough to go around. We never recovered from that since and the prices kept going up. It was learned shortly after the gas started to flow again we got less than 10% of our oil from the mid-east. So it was that the shortage of 1973 was a way for the oil companies to screw over the country.
Washington never did anything about it.
Today after Sandy we are faced with a similar problem only this time the excuse is there is no power to pump the fuel off the tankers and into the trucks. Which I don't believe. The prices here are climbing and at some stations they are price gouging. There was a report that one station raised the price by $0.60 in the middle of pumping. Several others have also inflated their prices as well. There was a report of a station that was already charging over $5.50 for a gallon.
The county executive and other officials said they will go after these crooks. So they file law suits which can take up to 5 years to settle. So much for government enforcement. Welcome to New York.
I am willing to wager that once the price gets over $6 we will see the flow of gas return to normal. The Washington should wake up and put an end to this today. But all we get is lip service from the county executive and the governor. So far Obama has yet to say anything except he is there with us. Gimme a break.
On FOX TV News the other day, the anchor read off a tweet and it said that if we were a third world country, Washington would give us billions upon billions of dollars to re-build with and fly in troops, supplies and equipment to expedite the recovery. So far the only thins has been a few FEMA trucks handing out some MRE's and water plus organizing donation drop offs..
At least Cumo fired Emergency Management Crew Chief Steven Khur for having Suffolk workers clear a tree from his house instead of taking care of the citizens. Now if the governor can go after the oil companies instead of yapping on TV.
On day last week about 3PM I saw a tanker dropping off gas at the Shell Station located on Shore Road and Soundview Drive in port Washington. I was the second car in line after the tanker. How sweet it is or at least I thought. The station staff said that the station had no gas. When asked about the tanker they said what tanker? I used to work in service stations and as soon as the tanker starts it's drop, there is gas to sell.
A Port Washington police officer came out of the station having a good laugh with the staff of the station. He then went into his patrol car and started to chase people away saying that there is no gas at that location. I asked him then what is sitting at the station, the space shuttle? I was sent on my way.
I went back there a little later and they still were not pumping and got on line. And once again I was chased off and this time the cop said they station will not be open until 9AM the next day.
I contacted the Town of North Hemstead 311 hot line and that was a total waste. All I got was lip service and they told me to contact consumer affairs and the DA's office. I was never able to get through to the consumer affairs office in Mineola for during their canned taped speech the phone kept on disconnecting. I called the District Attorney's office and that too was a waste of time and they just tried to patronize me. Then I was referred to the NY Attorney General's Office and like the other offices, was a waste of time and effort.
I even wrote to a few news websites giving thema news tip which they never followed up on. Even the County Executive website I made a complaint and no action is forth coming. Gotta really love Long Island....Not.
That following day I went there at 8AM and like before the police were chasing people away saying that the station is closed and will not open. So I went to a deli and grabbed a quick cup of coffee and went back. Sure enough there was a long line and the station was pumping. I got on line and was able to fill up. But the station was cash only. I have to wonder how much went south if you know what I mean. Gotta love Long Island...not.
I was down a 1/4 of a tank and wanted to top off and found out that they BP Station on Port Blvd in Port Washington had a tanker there. Again I flew to the station and was lucky enough to be number 3 on the line. There was a Port Washington polcie officer therer and he directed the trcuk to back up after he made the delivery. Once the truck left like in the previous incidnet everyone on the line was told that there was no gas. Yep ya' gotta Love Long Island...NOT.
I have to ask, WTF is going on?
OK I have to sympathize with law enforcement for it is crazy out there. The lines are horrendous and they have better things to do instead of tying up four plus officers for each station. So I can understand why they chase people away and get short tempered. It is not their fault. I put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the governor and Washington who has done nothing to relieve this problem.
And that one station on Valley Road and Harbor Road? Is still selling to landscapers only. Gotta love Long Island...Not.
Anyway, it has been 8 months since I was terminated and still nothing on the horizon. Still plugging along in any case and keeping my fingers crossed that I can land a job in the Keys.
'till next time.
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