Lights in lower Manhattan, misery in outer regions
A woman waits in line for free gasoline distributed by the National Guard at the Armory in the Staten Island borough of New York City, Nov. 3, 2012. / Getty
Updated November 4, 2012, 12:30 AM ET
NEW YORK The lights were back on Saturday in lower Manhattan, prompting screams of sweet relief from residents who had been plunged into darkness for nearly five days by Superstorm Sandy. But that joy contrasted with deepening resentment in the city's outer boroughs and suburbs over a continued lack of power and maddening gas shortages.
Adding to the misery of those without power, heat or gasoline were dipping temperatures. Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged older residents without heat to move to shelters and said 25,000 blankets were being distributed across the city.
"We're New Yorkers, and we're going to get through it," the mayor said. "But I don't want anyone to think we're out of the woods."
Bloomberg also said that resolving gas shortages could take days. Lines snaked around gas stations for many blocks all over the stricken region, including northern New Jersey, where Gov. Chris Christie imposed rationing that recalled the worst days of fuel shortages of the 1970s.
The New York City mayor also criticized the Long Island Power Authority pertaining to the outages in the Rockaways, CBS Station WCBS New York reported.
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Perhaps nowhere was the scene more confused than at a refueling station in Brooklyn, where the National Guard gave out free gas — an effort to alleviate the situation. There, a mass of honking cars, desperate drivers and people on foot, carrying containers from empty bleach bottles to five-gallon Poland Spring water jugs, was just the latest testament to the misery unleashed by Sandy.
"It's chaos; it's pandemonium out here," said Chris Damon, who had been waiting for 3.5 hours at the site and had circled the block five times. "It seems like nobody has any answers."
Added Damon: "I feel like a victim of Hurricane Katrina. I never thought it could happen here in New York, but it's happened."
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Damon, 42, had already been displaced to Brooklyn from his home in Queens, where he still lacked power, as did millions outside Manhattan — from Staten Island, the hardest-hit borough, to Westchester County and other suburban areas.
Domingo Isasi, waiting in a gas line on Staten Island, minced no words about the divide he perceived between Manhattan and the outer boroughs.
"The priorities are showing, simply by the fact that Manhattan got their power back," he said, adding that Staten Islanders are used to being lower on the list. "We're the bastard kids who keep getting slapped in the head and told to shut up," he said.
At a gas giveaway station in Queens, the scene was calmer but not happier. More than 400 cars stretched for more than a dozen blocks, with one tanker filling cars one at a time. A police car pulled alongside a car about 250th in line, and officers told the driver they hoped there would still be gas by the time he got there.
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The 5,000-gallon trucks from the Defense Department had been dispatched to five locations around the New York City metropolitan area. "Do not panic. I know there is anxiety about fuel," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
Hours later, after the long lines formed, state officials said the public should stay away from the refueling stations until emergency responders got their gas. National Guard Col. Richard Goldenberg added, however, that those who were already at the distribution sites would not be turned away.
Ten people were arrested at gas stations on Friday in various disputes over line jumping, police said. The police presence where there were gas lines was increased on Saturday. Still, there was one arrest for disorderly conduct at the armory in Brooklyn, where free gasoline was being distributed.
And fears about crime, especially at night in darkened neighborhoods, persisted. Officers in the Midland Beach section of Staten Island early Saturday saw a man in a Red Cross jacket checking the front doors of unoccupied houses and arrested him for burglary.
Gas rationing went into effect at noon in 12 counties of northern New Jersey, where police enforced rules to allow only motorists with odd-numbered license plates to refuel. Those with even-numbered plates would get their turn Sunday.
Jessica Tisdale, of Totowa, waited in her Mercedes SUV for 40 minutes at a gas station in Jersey City, but didn't quite understand the system and was ordered to pull away because of her even-numbered plate.
Sandy's devastation on Staten Island
"Is it the number or the letter?" she asked around 12:10 p.m. "I don't think it's fair. I've been in the line since before noon. ...There's no clarity." The officer who waved her out of line threw up his hands and shrugged.
At an Exxon station in Wall, N.J., Kathryn Davidson, who had an even-numbered plate, got gas anyway by beating the noon deadline.
"How are people supposed to know?" said Davidson, 53, who said it reminded her of the 1970s, when a similar plan was in place.
President Barack Obama visited the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for an update on recovery efforts and said: "There's nothing more important than us getting this right."
He cited the need to restore power; pump out water, particularly from electric substations; ensure that basic needs are addressed; remove debris; and get federal resources in place to help transportation systems come back on line.
New York City and nearby counties hit hard by Sandy have been approved for expanded federal aid for roads, public buildings and parks.
New York officials say the areas initially approved for federal disaster assistance funding have now been approved for additional aid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. New York City is eligible for the funding along with Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island and Westchester and Rockland counties north of the city.
The areas are now eligible for federal reimbursement for road systems, water control facilities, public buildings, public utilities, and parks.
More than 2.6 million people remained without power in several states after Sandy came ashore Monday night.
Good Samaritans bring relief to Staten Island
About 900,000 people still didn't have electricity in the New York metropolitan area, including about 550,000 on Long Island, Cuomo said. About 80 percent of New York City's subway service has been restored, he added.
The restoration of power beat the sunrise Saturday in the West Village, though just barely. Electricity arrived at 4:23 a.m., said Adam Greene, owner of Snack Taverna, a popular eatery.
"This morning, I took a really long, hot shower," he said.
Greene said one woman had stopped in Saturday to drop off $10 for the staff, saying she regretted she didn't have enough cash to tip adequately during the blackout.
He joked that 28th Street, above which had power, was like "Checkpoint Charlie."
"You crossed 28th Street and people were living a comfortable life," Greene said. "Down here it was dark and cold."
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I think a better comparison is America and the native Americans!
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Israel had been lost. Just like the American Indians lost America.
Then we stepped in, with Britain, and created a state on such lost land. So - how would you like it if a foreign country gave away one of OUR states to the American Indians without our approval?
it's not up to you to take someone's land and make it into whatever YOU think we should have.
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So you are against Israel?
Interesting!
NY and NJ have NO GAS, NO WATER, NO HEAT, NO FOOD...and Obama went to a $2,500 Fund Raising Dinner with Beyonce and JayZ...In case you were wondering Obama slept very well in the Presidential Suite at the Ritz- Carlton... While you are waiting 8 hours for a few gallons of gas...Obama burnt 32,0000 Gallons of Fuel in Air Force One.. MEANWHILE....NEW YORKERS WILL DRINK SEWER WATER AND EAT OUT OF DUMPSTERS
FLASH! The National Media is NOT airing any of the despair or misery that is happening . Obama Transparency? There is a TOTAL MEDIA BLACKOUT The National Media does not want to show anything that will hurt Obama's chances for re-election.
There is widespread looting, shooting and stabbings in all five boroughs of NYC. People are freezing, drinking contaminated water and scavenging from dumpsters. I guarantee you will not see what is really happening. FEMA says "everything is great". Truth: Government response is poor, ridiculos delays, completely not prepared. We are suffering, Obama is smiling and saying he is responsible. Obama says vote for Revenge. I will, screw you Obama. Jack from Brooklyn, New York. Lifelong Democrat
Oh, the irony!
Perhaps you preferred Katrina's response?
By the way, why are you copying and pasting that post to EVERY story?
The true help, will come from volunteers, and indeed other states.
Too bad the utility unions wouldn't accept the non-union workers from other states. The power would likely be back on, by NOW!
Where?
Higher prices lead to great rationing.
The best way to get the most gasoline to the most people, is to lift the ban on raising prices. If you could charge 10 bucks a gallon (or 20, or 5 or whatever the market says is the price), only the people who really really needed it would buy some and then, they would only buy whatever they really needed. Price is a great rationing agent. The mayor wouldn't have to prevent people from coming into the city if they only had 2 per car, heck, people would fill those cars with people so they could split the cost of getting there! And they sure as heck wouldn't take any trips that weren't absolutely necessary!
What about the poor you say? This isn't fair to them. Well, if they knew that during the crisis the gas prices would likely skyrocket, they could buy what they needed ahead of time. Alternatively, they might stock up on gas they didn't need, but knew they could sell later. The poor could make money from the crisis. Is that so terrible? Maybe I am poor and need heat, but I don't need to go anywhere. I can fill a car with 20 gallons I don't need, but will sell for $1000 next week. Then, I can take that $1000 and either buy heat, or get to someplace that has heat. Win win. And the resource you sell for a higher price doesn't have to be gasoline, all scarce resources should be sold for high prices.
Low prices spread the resource inefficiently, high prices spread it efficiently.
Keep prices low and the folks who are waiting on line will buy all they can, instead of all they need. Why not? They spent their time in line. But, if it cost you $600 to fill up, you can be darn sure the people in the front of the line would buy only what they really needed leaving a lot more gas for the people at the back of the line. Then, more people would get access to the resource.
Higher prices means more supply and lower demand.
You would have tankers coming in from all over if they could make a large fortune once they got there. But, why would drive 1000 miles if you can't make a large profit to cover the additional costs of transportation to get the fuel to the people who need it? And again, people who filled cars they didn't need, would be selling those tankfuls too. You would have a lot larger supply. Individuals might fill up a car, drive it into the city, sell half the tank, and drive back out again. Think of all the ways gas would get to those that need it! Demand would decrease because at $1000 bucks a tank, you can be sure people will figure out alternatives real fast!
Things would return to normal a lot faster.
A larger supply would bring prices back down again, so the price gauging wouldn't be as bad as you thought it would, nor would it last as long. Perhaps only for the first two days the price would be sky high, but as people brought more and more supplies to the city, the prices would go back down. There may not even be lines if the prices were allowed to be set at equilibrium. (Matching the price to the supply and demand). But, keep the prices low (because it isn't "fair" and the crisis goes on and on. Supply stays low, demand stays high, but prices are artificially low.... That will only ever get you shortages.
The thing you seek the most causes the result you wanted the least.
During a crisis, people inherently want things to be fair. They want those that need things to get them the most. Instead, by preventing prices from rising, you cause more and more shortages to people who are desperate to get those things. You want necessities to be brought into the area by people BEFORE the crisis so that they could be distributed better after the crisis. (This same argument goes for blankets, heaters, clothes, whatever.) But, by preventing high prices you make is so no one bothers to get extra supplies. It just isn't financially sound to do so. Reselling goods at normal prices would cost the buyer too much to even try. But, if the buyer could triple the price, then sure, why not get some extra used clothes to sell?
We tend to think that high prices aren't "fair" to people who are hurting badly. But, is it more fair to make them do without all together? I am pretty sure that some folks right now would be very very happy to pay whatever to get their lights back on. Instead, we force them to be the recipient of our good intentions and suffer instead while they go without.
Think about it.
Empire - you must HATE Israel, then!