…is no Rudy Giuliani:
Michael Bloomberg must have hoped that Sandy would be his own 9/11. A population in shock turned to the mayor in their hour of need. He dominated the airwaves; he issued decrees. He seized the occasion to speak out on the big issues: climate change, endorsing a president. He worked to project an air of authority and calm: the Marathon would go on.
It must have looked for a while as if he had done a Rudy and resuscitated a tired mayoralty, relaunching a national career. Perhaps a cabinet appointment in a second Obama administration, perhaps another shot at an independent presidential campaign.
It is looking less that way by the hour. As the true dimensions of the damage in New York gradually appear, as the death toll mounts and as chaos at the gas stations and devastation in Staten Island undercut the narrative that the city has responded effectively to the challenge, Mayor Bloomberg looks more like the hapless officials of New Orleans than Rudy Giuliani or Chris Christie. The decision to divert badly needed resources to the Marathon looks callow. Big talk about climate change fails to impress; surely if the Mayor was so concerned about climate change he could have invested more time in flood preparations. It’s not the fault of conservative GOP climate skeptics that New York did so little to prepare for the rising sea levels that so trouble the mayor.
Actually, he is starting to look more like a Nagin.
[Update a while later]
The “Stop The Marathon” Facebook page is up. It really is amazing that Bloomberg is doing this when people are suffering on Staten Island, which is always the forgotten borough..
So how’s that Bloomberg endorsement working out for you, Mr. President? It would be pretty funny if, between this and reticence to go to the polls by disaffected Democrats, the Democrats lose in New York and New Jersey. Not to mention Connecticut.
[Update a couple minutes later]
[Another update]
Cries for help replaced by a loss of words.
But the marathon must go on.
[Update a couple minutes later]
“The city of New York right now is talking about getting water out of the Battery Tunnel and preparing for a marathon,” U.S. Rep. Rep. Michael Grimm said. “We’re pulling bodies out of the water. You see the disconnect here?”
Hey, get with the program. There’s a marathon to run.
[Update]
It gets even more insane: “If you’re not familiar with SI the Verazzano Bridge is the only ground connection to rest of city. It’s CLOSED for the marathon.”
Maybe they should just secede and join New Jersey.
[Another update]
“I want to go home, but there is no home.”
Thirty years from now, the horror stories of the evil Republican mayor will be required reading in the New York school system.
Rand is just mad because the mayor has endorsed President Obama. As such his reputation must now be destroyed 🙂
So you endorse the notion of running the NYC marathon this weekend?
Leland,
You know this really shows how much America has changed. In the old days folks would say the Mayor and New York had real MOXY to go ahead with the race dispute the devastation. It would be seen as a sign of the New York spirit not to let a “mere storm” stop them. I could just see Bugs Bunny, the ultimate New Yorker boasting, “Is that all you got to throw at me?” “You think that will make me stop the race?” And Americans would be cheering the city on.
But now folks like Rand and you just shake their head and say, gee, how insensitive they are.
It shows that NASAs risk aversion is likely more than just NASA and is more than simply being adverse to risk. It is about being over sensitive to criticism in general.
That is such a monstrously bizarre analogy that I have no idea where to begin. This isn’t about risk aversion (and no, no one is “risk adverse”). It is about priorities and resource deployment when one of your boroughs has just been cast into the Third World overnight.
It would be considered moxy if people had food, temporary shelter, and gas.
How hard is it to get MREs, tents, honeybuckets, and gas tankers?
I started to write a response, but to respond would require an fundamental understanding of what is or isn’t a risk.
Hey Matula, let me guess; you think you teach business risk, right?
Yep, America has changed and you folks are proof. No wonder we couldn’t do Project Apollo today.
You know I remember the Blizzard in 1967 that shut Chicago down. My dad and the other WWII vets didn’t whine or wait for the city to come help. When the snow stopped they simply got out the shovels and dug out the neighborhood. I remember him giving me a shovel and saying, here, your part of this too. While we shoveled he reminisced with a neighbor about the snow in the Battle of the Budge both had been in, my dad in the 7th Amour and the neighbor in the 101st. When the plows showed up there wasn’t much left to plow…
Now when there is a storm in Chicago I read about folks nearly freezing to death in cars on Lake Shore Drive waiting for someone from the government to come help them…
I also remember an earlier time in Steven’s Point Wisconsin when a big storm knocked a bunch of trees down. The locals just got out the chainsaws and went to work making firewood. They didn’t wait for the government to show up.
Yes, America has indeed changed.
And you folks talk about independence and having a smaller government…
Why should any of the city’s resources go to those without food and shelter when there is a party to be thrown? Its not like the coastline looks like post tsunami Japan…
Bur those party goers bring in hundreds of millions in revenue to the city. I guess now us taxpayers will have to make up the difference….
A smaller government wouldn’t be able to block the Verrazano Bridge for a party. The ranting analogies would make sense it the city parked a snow plow in front of the neighborhood, not plowing snow and blocking traffic in and out of the neighborhood; and the mayor was on TV touting about how he sent a snow plow to help the neighborhood.
OK, Tom, you’re right.
Having a marathon was just like going to the moon, and we should have totally done it between finding bodies.
Rand,
You do know that in 1989 they had the last two games of World Series in the Bay Area (The Bay Bridge series since both teams were from the area) while they were still recovering bodies from the Loma Prieta earthquake and while large numbers driven from their homes were still seeking shelter.
Looks like the Bay Area has the Moxy NYC used to have. No wonder the future is coming out of Silicon Valley and NYC importance is mostly a legacy of the past greatness (Wall Street).
All this talk about “moxy” [sic] remains irrelevant and idiotic.
Rand,
I guess it would be to someone without it. Maybe you need to reread your Heinlein. or Ayn Rand.
“Rand is just mad because the mayor has endorsed President Obama.”
You don’t think it had anything to do with meddling with every single aspect of the lives of the people in that city by imposing every brainless product of a do-gooder pop culture on them? Or completely redefining the proper function of government to be the “adult” to supervise every living action of the masses of children constituting the electorate?
No, Rand has been reaming Bloomberg for years in these pages because he anticipated that one day he would endorse Obama. Yeah, that’s the ticket…
Thomas, as is often the case, is determined to double down on the idiocy.
FWIW, I would have written exactly the same thing if he had endorsed Romney. Not that there was ever a chance in hell that he was going to do that.
So why aren’t you attacking Gov. Christie for allowing the NFL to hold their game in Jersey City?
Its taking lots of resources as well. Lots of scarce gas is wasted as fans drive to the stadium, much of the area outside the stadium is still without power, including the hotel the Steelers were going to stay, yet the stadium, thanks to generators, will be brightly lite. And lets not forget the huge number of police that provide security at every game. Really every argument you used against the Marathon could be used against this game as well.
So why aren’t you on Republican Governor Christie’s case? Oh wait, he’s endorsed Governor Romney…
Rand,
FYI
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/mike-freeman/20790975/decisions-to-hold-giants-steelers-marathon-are-wrong
[[[Imagine a stadium lit up with electricity just a few miles from millions of people still huddling in the dark. Isn’t that just as arrogant as the marathon organizers? Tens of thousands using gas that remains a precious resource?
Chris Christie, the heroic governor of New Jersey, reassured NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that no resources would be used for the game that would be used for ordinary citizens. That’s just nonsense. That’s impossible.
Christie signed an executive order mandating gas rationing for 12 counties that will begin Saturday at noon. Excellent. So in New Jersey there’s going to be gas rationing but tens of thousands in thousands of cars will be wasting gas driving to the game.]]]
Again the same arguments used against the Marathon apply here. So why aren’t you criticizing the Governor? Especially as the game won’t be bringing anywhere near the revenue to Jersey City as the runners would to New York…
Were the football players going to be running through the devastated neighborhoods?
Rand,
Nope, but they are soaking up resources just the same.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/mike-freeman/20790975/decisions-to-hold-giants-steelers-marathon-are-wrong
While people suffer in wake of Sandy, NFL game stubbornly proceeds
[[[Nice effort by the NFL and it’s sincere but it doesn’t counter some obvious and scary facts. Security for Giants games is extensive and those police could be used to patrol neighborhoods facing looting. The generators, police and medical staffs used for the game could be sent to numerous sites around the area.
Removing technology and personnel from what is a disaster area and sending them to a football game or race is a huge mistake. And that’s what is happening. That cannot be debated.]]]
And the players are NOT staying around to help, they will be on the next plane out.
Meanwhile, being stuck in NYC after paying thousands of dollars to travel there the runners are doing what the football players aren’t. They are helping.
http://www.news-record.com/blog/64298/entry/156783
New York City Marathon: Runners help on Staten Island
[[[Hundreds of runners wearing marathon shirts and backpacks full of supplies took the ferry to hard-hit Staten Island and ran to stricken neighborhoods to help. Thousands of others poured into Central Park to put in 26.2 miles after the last-minute cancellation of the world’s largest marathon because of Superstorm Sandy.]]]
Yes, many also exercised their rights and ran anyway in Central Park.
[[[“A lot of people just wanted to finish what they started,” said Lance Svendsen, who organized an alternative marathon called Run Anyway. By 8:45 a.m., his group had sent off five waves of runners from the marathon’s official finish line, which had not yet been taken down. “It is amazing. My guess is about 600 people have left so far.”]]]
[[[It was a throwback to the original New York City Marathon in 1970, which was run ragtag with 127 people and stayed completely within Central Park This time, some dropped off clothing and other supplies for storm victims.]]]
And they did so without using all the resources the NFL game is using. Or you believed were needed for the marathon….
But then I guess the NYC Road Runners just didn’t have the media contacts and money of the NFL has, so folks like you bought blindly into their arguments and rejected those of the marathon folks it could be done without impacting recovery, even helping it. And you condemned them without even bother looking for the compromise they created of limiting it to Central Park…
Really Rand. And you claim to be a Libertarian or to believe in some such individualist philosophy… While calling for the power of government to close down a private activity.
Wow. Quadrupling down on the stupidity.
So the government had zero involvement in the marathon until it decided to shut it down?
Rand,
Seems like you are the on quadrupling down on the stupidity, unless you honestly believe the numerous police, fire fighters, medics at the NJ Giant’s stadium work for the NFL and not the government.
As for the runners, since they had a marathon anyway without the involvement of NYC government maybe NYC government doesn’t be part of future ones.
So tell me Rand are you really as naive and uninformed as you act? Or are you practicing for your defense at the Mann Lawsuit?
OK, octupling down.
Yes, Rand I guess you are 🙂
Al,
You do know he became an Independent in 2007 don’t you?
Yes.
But the historians will gloss over inconvenient facts. The exact quote will be “Elected as a Republican.”
The entire Republican/Democrat/Dixiecrat/Civil War/Civil Rights fiasco is pretty much proof of that.
Interesting point
[[[Most of the hardest hit neighborhoods, including Hamden Avenue, were under evacuation orders. And while residents said they regretted the decision to ignore the order, many said they were surprised the damage was so significant. When Hurricane Irene swept through this area last year, it hardly left a mark.]]]
Which raises an interesting question. Should Staten Island even be rebuilt? Or converted into a park. When Hilo Hawaii was devastated by a tsunami in 1960 they decided instead of rebuilding on the ocean to turn the area into a park. Unless of course that want to take the Galveston route and raise the entire Borough 15 feet and build a seawall around it.
That also might be a lesson some of the coastal areas might want to take a look at as well.
Have you ever been to Staten Island?
Have you ever been to Galveston? Or Hilo?
The point is if those areas are going to be subject to destruction on this scale you could either keep pouring money in to fix them over and over, or eliminate the problem by better land use and engineering. Its no different then those towns along the Mississippi River that always flood. Waste federal dollars always rebuilding or eliminate the problem.
“Keep”
When was the last time Staten Island had to be rebuilt from Hurricane flooding?
So yesterday, Matula was telling us how destruction is good for the economy. Now he’s telling us that rebuilding is a waste of federal dollars. It’s becoming more obvious that he’s just craving attention and will say anything to get it.
Becoming MORE obvious?
Leland,
You don’t think raising the buildings so they don’t flood again is rebuilding? It fits in with what I said about not just replacing but improving. And they rebuilt in Hilo, they just rebuilt far enough from shore now to worrying about a future tsunami taking it out. Its called learning from experience…
You don’t think raising the buildings so they don’t flood again is rebuilding?
I think that’s a strawman and has nothing to do with my comment.
Becoming MORE obvious?
Well, perhaps moving that line is a higher hurdle. Good point.
“Should Staten Island even be rebuilt?”
No one questioned whether Arizona should be rebuilt after the 2002 fires. It had to be so people with respiratory diseases would have somewhere to go for relief.
If they don’t rebuild Staten Island, where will people with high cholesterol go?
MfK,
The question is which part should be rebuilt and how the parts impacted should be rebuilt to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
That used to be the difference between America and third world nations. Americans learned from experience and built stronger and smarter. Third World nations just rebuild the same way and then you have to beg for more help when the same thing happens again.
So I read at Instapundit a comparison to Nagin and Mardi Gras. What is missed is Nagin pushed to delay or cancel Mardi Gras, which occurred over 6 months after Katrina hit. Nagin’s public rational was because New Orleans was still recovering. Those who live there will be happy to tell you the inside stories, but bottom line, Mardi Gras happened on time, and the money from it helped reviving businesses. However, it was 6 months later, not 6 days later.
Why not simply employ some civil disobedience and block the marathon route? I would think that the inevitable pictures of hurricane survivors being carried away by the local gendarmes so a group of marathoners could run past them would be sufficient punishment for Nurse Bloomberg…
I suspect that the realization that this would indeed happen was what drove the cancellation
Michael,
Yes, that was the sense I got from the announcements from both the Mayor and the NYC Road Runners Club, the fear that a “Occupy Wall Street” type of protest would endanger the runners and staff. So basically they were terrorize into their action. Again, how sad.
I’m thinking of the scene in Animal House where a fake drum major leads the marching band off the official route of the parade and into a dead end. How much money would you need and how many people would you need to bribe to run the marathon off the official route and into some of the more devastated portions of Staten Island? More than the vast right wing conspiracy can muster, I expect.
Matula’s blatherings, here, are so outrageous and so off the wall and so disingenuous and so ridiculous and so idiotic and hateful that no more need be said.
Just heard on Fox that the Marathon has been canceled.
Gregg,
Yes, how sad. I guess the MOXY is really gone. Instead of future generations bragging that even a superstorm didn’t stop NYC instead it will be remembered of a more evidence of national decline…
BTW, it looks like the pressure from the politically correct folks will also cost the city hundreds of millions of dollars…
http://www.businessinsider.com/lets-look-at-all-the-ways-the-marathon-brings-money-to-nyc-2012-11
Look How Much Money The Marathon Brings To NYC
Rob Wile | Nov. 2, 2012, 2:47 PM
[[[The simplest reason for allowing Sunday’s New York City Marathon to proceed is that it brings in a lot of money.]]]
Not to mention the penalty NYC will now have to pay.
[[[David Carter, executive director of the University of Southern California’s Sports Business Institute, told us there was no way of knowing what kind of penalty the city would incur to ING if it canceled.
He added that too much time would have elapsed for any force majeure clause in the sponsorship deal to have been invoked.]]]
And guess who will now have to make up the money lost to NYC? Most likely taxpayers, at very least the taxpayers in NYC if not the federal government…
And you wimps want to settle space…
I do not think that word means what you think it means.
Real moxy would be getting off their duffs and helping millions of people get past this difficult time. More people are going to die in the next few days.
Ken,
And this is the fault of the NYC Road Runners Club? Or because the folks failed to heed evacuation warnings or prepare for natural disaster. Or to use their own common sense when they heard the storm was coming at them and it was nasty?
You know this is the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. After President Kennedy made his speech on it and my Dad saw Chicago was in range of the missiles he didn’t waste any time. We left Chicago the early next morning for my grandfathers farm in northern Wisconsin. But then my dad never believed in waiting for the government to tell you what to do or to come to rescue you. Neither do I.
So your heart warming story is, “my dad ran for the hills”?
Leland,
He took his family to where he could care for them, instead of staying in the target zone and hoping the government would be able to do so. A lot of folks in NYC would have benefited if they did the same when the forecasters showed the storm was inbound. Actually I expect a lot did, but since they don’t need rescuing you don’t see them on the news reports.
Your dad ran away.
Actually I expect a lot did, but since they don’t need rescuing you don’t see them on the news reports.
You see them at every natural disaster. “We evacuated but now they won’t let us back to our homes”.
Leland,
Typical troll. But then I guess like the folk on Staten Island you would ignore the evacuation and be part of the problem, whining for the government to rescue you. Demanding that the police, fire fighters, Coast Guard and National Guard put their lives at risk to rescue you because you were too dumb to do the sensible thing or to plan ahead.
BTW when we left we took our elderly neighbor, a widow whose kids lived in California, with us. Having grown up on a farm like my grand parents had she greatly enjoyed the vacation.
The fault of the NYC Road Runners Club is not taking the lead themselves to change their own plans… you know, perhaps like your father or they could have stood up for disaster relief (donating the use of generators for example.)
They are under no obligation not to be selfish, not giving a hoot about others, but they have to live with the results of their actions.
Typical troll.
I’m not the one building strawmen and burning them down, Matula.
But then I guess like the folk on Staten Island you would ignore the evacuation and be part of the problem, whining for the government to rescue you.
I’ve been through TS Allison, Hurricanes Alecia, Rita, and Ike. I managed just fine without government assistance. I didn’t run away. In fact, after taking care of my family; I then assisted others, because I was there and capable of doing it. Many people do this. I and my wife are professionally trained on what to do.
Unsurprisingly, your guess is wrong.
Demanding that the police, fire fighters, Coast Guard and National Guard put their lives at risk to rescue you because you were too dumb to do the sensible thing or to plan ahead.
There’s a whole bunch of other people that put their lives at risk. They don’t run away either, because they are needed to help others.
I understand you are ignorant of this, and thus, you are correct. Ignorant people should run away, because it does put less strain on people who respond to disasters.
Leland,
The nice thing about being an anonymous troll you may claim anything with no way to check on it.
You know I have actually worked in law enforcement and search and rescue. And I learned there the less folks you need to take care of the easier it is to clean up after a mess. And the less folk you have drawing on resources. Think about it. If those folks had left when told, or when common sense told them to, then folks like you wouldn’t have to “take care” of them in the first place and the regions would have been able to move that much faster from search and rescue to clean up and recovery.
Ken,
Actually the club did. It was a joint statement that was issued the race after discussing the club discussed it with the Mayor…
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/02/new-york-city-marathon-bloomberg/1676883/
BTW Leland, there is also a difference between a nuclear bomb and a storm since you seem unaware of the differences. You might be able to sit out a storm if you are on high ground, have a strong building and adequate food/emergency supplies. But all of those will be of little help when one or more nukes go off.
When a nuke goes off, as Robert Heinlein (Expanded Universe) noted, the only rational strategy is to be somewhere else.
But by all means practice your machismo and stay in the city when you see there is a high risk of a nuclear strike. It will leave more resources for those smart enough to know you don’t argue with a nuke 🙂
You certainly claim enough BS while also claiming not to be anonymous. Your arguments are still strawmen. At least you are admitting it now.
BTW, my father was serving in SAC when your father ran away. I’m well aware of the effects of nuclear weapons. I have a copy of the book. Not Heinlein’s book, but the DoD’s book. I’m not surprised your education comes from science fiction.
Leland,
Next you will probably claim he was a General. But then not knowing who you are you may claim anything.
My father served his country in combat and earned a purple heart. Google “Leo F. Matula (Army Serial Number 36958665)” and you will see the division report on it. He earned the right to make sure his family was safe. I am sure yours did like wise. Or did he just leave you all in a target area?
TM – your comments here are beyond repulsive. I’m really astonished you can type them out.
And you guys are supposed to be for business and free enterprise… I guess you have shown your true colors as closet big government types. Sorry ING and NY Road Runners, you are not allowed to have your event.
I imagine you will even demand that ING let NYC off the hook for the penalties the contract requires them to pay ING.
With business and free enterprise there’s a little thing called profits (otherwise it’s just an academic exercise.) Where is the profit in tieing up the only bridge and getting killed by a starving mob?
Hi Ken,
I heard about that only bridge…I looked at Google Maps and there are, 3 bridges indicated. Are the other two out of action because of the storm?
It’s not the only bridge to the island, but it’s the only bridge to the city. The others are to New Jersey.
Which reminds me. If you ever need to fly to NYC. Don’t fly to either NY airport. The one in NJ is much better and probably easier to get to where ever you’re going.
Ken,
Exactly when did it become the job of the NYC Road Runners Club, a private group, to take care of the victims of the storm? Isn’t that something government is supposed to do for those who don’t prepare? Or do you now feel its OK for the masses (think Occupy Wall Street as this is the same principle involved…) to order private entities around and take their property? And to force a private organization by threatening it with “civil disobedience” to donate its possessions to the needy?
Remember NYC only licenses the event and provides security for it under contract. The NYC Marathon itself is run by a private entity and funded with private funds, in this case ING which was the sponsor. Which means the supplies are the private property of the NYC Road Runners Club not the city of New York. Or were before the Politically Correct Lynch Mob demanded them 🙂
I feel sorry for the folks on Staten Island. But they were in an evacuation zone and were told to evacuate. The ones suffering and who died didn’t. And there have been public services announcements for years all over the nation telling folks they should prepare for natural disasters and terrorist attacks by having a week’s worth of supplies, flashlights, etc. available and secured. My guess is most of those suffering ignored those messages.
So What Happened to the Libertarian View that folks need to take responsibility for themselves and be prepared. And the Libertarian belief in private property rights? At times I wonder if I am the only real Libertarian here as most of you seem to throw the concepts under the bus at times like this. Maybe you need to read Farnham’s Freehold again. Or Robert Heinlien’s other writing on it in “Expanded Universe”.
TM warbles:
“Exactly when did it become the job of the NYC Road Runners Club, a private group, to take care of the victims of the storm?”
About 2000 years ago. And more recently, around 1787.
” Isn’t that something government is supposed to do for those who don’t prepare?”
Absolutely NOT.
Besides which, all you write is a strawman (how unusual for you).
The issue of course, is the fact that during a marathon people hand out water to the runners which they drink and splash all over themselves.
Water, I’m sure you forgot, which FEMA has run out of and cannot get to the people until Monday (that would be tomorrow), and which the “hurricane” stricken people desperately need.
Gregg covered this but it needs more emphasis.
When did it become the job of [any decent human] to take care of the victims of the storm?
Always.
Isn’t that something government is supposed to do?
The government has two primary responsibilities. 1) Defense of the nation. 2) Stay out of the way.
They can’t get either right, but want to wipe our noses for us instead.
Ken,
So what are you doing for the storm victims?
I suspect ING and NYC will weigh a GBC lecturer’s business and legal advice accordingly.
Perhaps they should split the difference and divert the marathon through Staten Island — extra points to the runners for search and rescue/recovery!
Leland,
I expect the NYC Road Runners Club and ING have their own lawyers to deal with the matter after the Politically Correct Lynch Mob moves on to other things.
Is that sentence supposed to mean anything?
Leland,
It means you will probably see lawsuits for the damages resulting from caving in to the politically correct lynch mob. Tens of thousands of folks spent a lot of money traveling to NYC expecting a race. Not all are likely to go quietly into the night over it. Especially since the Mayor is on record saying they had to resources to conduct the race and the fear of protests stopped it.
Good luck getting a jury pool to support you.
Joel Hegardt, 50, of Gothenburg, Sweden, spent more than $5,000 traveling to New York, but said he understood when the race was canceled.
Sometimes trips get ruined due to weather. It’s not the first time, and there’s a mechanism for protecting oneself for this unfortunate event. It is called traveller’s insurance.
Leland,
You are assuming it would go to a jury trial. Plus folks are likely to look on it much differently by the time the trail even happened.
You’re assuming they will sue.
Given the large number of runners impacted, the large amount of money lost, the way it was handled, particularly the threats involved. Yes, I say there is a probably some will.
FYI
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/03/sports/runners-react-to-the-cancellation-of-the-new-york-city-marathon.html?ref=sports&_r=1&
Runners Express Shock, Anger and Relief After Months of Training
By JERÉ LONGMAN
Published: November 2, 2012
[[[“It’s a shock,” said Joel Caballero, 37, of Mexico City, who was checking into his Midtown hotel early Friday evening, having learned only minutes earlier that there would be no marathon. He and his wife, Alex, had spent about $7,000 for the trip. “I can’t believe it. I’m mad, sad, disappointed. I want to cry.” ]]]
[[[Joel Hegardt, 50, of Gothenburg, Sweden, spent more than $5,000 traveling to New York, but said he understood when the race was canceled. On Friday night, he and friends were scrambling trying to organize an unofficial race that could be the New York Aid Marathon, where runners could donate $100 each to the city’s recovery effort. ]]]
BTW I see Gov. Christie is allowing the NFL to have their game as scheduled on Sunday in Jersey City despite the destruction. I wonder if folks will complain about that….
Oh the humanity. They will never run again.
“BTW I see Gov. Christie is allowing the NFL to have their game as scheduled on Sunday in Jersey City despite the destruction. I wonder if folks will complain about that…”
If it diverts personnel and/or resources from the effort to relieve the storm-afflicted, you’ll hear me complain loudly.
Gregg,
FYI
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/mike-freeman/20790975/decisions-to-hold-giants-steelers-marathon-are-wrong
While people suffer in wake of Sandy, NFL game stubbornly proceeds
[[[Imagine a stadium lit up with electricity just a few miles from millions of people still huddling in the dark. Isn’t that just as arrogant as the marathon organizers? Tens of thousands using gas that remains a precious resource?
Chris Christie, the heroic governor of New Jersey, reassured NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that no resources would be used for the game that would be used for ordinary citizens. That’s just nonsense. That’s impossible.]]]
and
[[[Nice effort by the NFL and it’s sincere but it doesn’t counter some obvious and scary facts. Security for Giants games is extensive and those police could be used to patrol neighborhoods facing looting. The generators, police and medical staffs used for the game could be sent to numerous sites around the area.
Removing technology and personnel from what is a disaster area and sending them to a football game or race is a huge mistake. And that’s what is happening. That cannot be debated.]]]
I await your complaints to the NFL 🙂
Ok. Christie is an ass, in this case. Electricity, water, gasoline to get to the game, food, police security…all those things are better sent to the devastated areas.
Christie is totally wrong, and needs a kiss of the Clue Bat.
My complaints were sent to Christie directly. I just went to the NFL.com web page and made a quick check – didn’t see a “Contacts” link but I’ll keep looking. If you know of one publish it, please.
Gregg,
So I guess you agree that Rand should have also attacked Governor Christie on this issue instead of only focusing on his favorite target of Mayor Bloomberg 🙂
Here is the NFL contact website.
http://www.nfl.com/contact-us
I found it by google “NFL Contact US”. It brings up a comment box that goes to them.
A similar strategy found an email for the Giants.
giantsmail@giants.nfl.net
“So I guess you agree that Rand should have also attacked Governor Christie on this issue instead of only focusing on his favorite target of Mayor Bloomberg”
Spoken like a true leftist:
“You Vill ALL hew to Ze Pahrty Line!!!”
No Tom unlike you I don’t try to make everyone march to a single line of thinking. I’ve stated my opinion. Rand is welcome to his.
I know you really, deep down, know you’re wrong so don’t try to use me to prop up your crumbling mental infrastructure.
Thanks for the URL’s
Gregg,
Gee, now life long Republicans are leftist…
Sorry, I still think the Marathon should have gone on. Not only would it have shown NYC moxy, but unlike the NFL fans I suspect the runners would have contributed greatly to the rescue efforts, both via fund raising and making folks aware of the damage as cameras showed it to the world as they followed the runners.
So, did Al Gore’s house in Manhattan get flooded or not?
TM writes:
“Sorry, I still think the Marathon should have gone on.”
Don’t tell me that….go to Staten Island and tell the people shivering in the 20+ degree temps that you want that. Tell it to their faces. You talk a big moxy game but you don’t walk it.
Tell them that the generators and thousands of thermal blankets stacked up in Central Park (which that Ice-a-hole Bloomberg hasn’t gotten to the people who need them) would be better used by Marathoners.
As for you being a lifelong Republican? Well if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck looks like a duck…it’s a liberal.
Yeah, he claims to be a lifelong Republican, and then claims to voted for Harry Reid and still supports Reid.
Gregg,
I see those generators are a problem for you. FYI
http://newyorkcitymarathon.runnersworld.com/2012/11/the-truth-about-those-finish-line-generators.html
[[[“Let’s be very clear about those generators,” said Peter Ciaccia, the NYRR’s executive vice president of event development and broadcast production, on Saturday afternoon. “We don’t own them. We just rent them for the finish line. I can’t do anything about giving them to Staten Island or anyone else. All we can do is tell FEMA who we’re renting them from, and how they can get in touch with the company. We’ve done that, and we’re hoping that maybe we’ve streamlined the lines of communication.”]]]
So blame FEMA, not the club organizing the marathon, for not renting those generators for Staten Island. Assuming FEMA would even be able to rent them without a ton of red tape.
As for calling me a leftist, when you want to seize the private property of individuals for the “public good” without compensation. Well that speaks for itself who is a leftist.
“So blame FEMA, not the club organizing the marathon, for not renting those generators for Staten Island. Assuming FEMA would even be able to rent them without a ton of red tape.”
So who here has blamed the club? Now you are creating phantom opponents. sheesh.
And Red Tape is why Big Government sucks under these conditions (as well as most other conditions).
And what about Obama’s promise to cut red tape and generate instant responses – a promise he made directly to the people? What good is a callback within 15 minutes if the answer is: Sorry no can do. Red Tape.
Greg,
The NYC Road Runners are in charge of the event and owned, along with race sponsors, the supplies the Politically Correct Lynch Mob coveted. All NYC does is provide the event permit and security, which the mob caused the city to revoke.
So when the lynch mob attacked the race they basically attacked the private club running it.
And when the lynch mob demanded that the supplies owned by club and the firms sponsoring the race be donated to Staten Island they were basically advocating the uncompensated seizure of private property for the public good – the basic foundation of the socialist philosophy Rand and others here usually complain about.