Passing the Buck but not Passing the Bill

All we can legally do is kick them out of office, but if I had my way I'd be kicking them some other way. Use your imagination.

Who? Well, let's just say the House of Representatives and more precisely, Speaker of the House John Boehner. What a piece of crap. Instead of putting the $60 Billion Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill up for a vote before the end of the current session of Congress, Boehner decided it "wasn't a good time" for a vote.

As New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, took his party to task for allowing this vote to pass by the wayside, and require a new bill to be drawn up, further delaying desperately needed Federal Aid, I could not have been more proud of the Governor of my state. Calling it neither a Republican nor Democratic issue, Christie raked those responsible for the lack of action, over the coals. It was a passionate and spot-on speech.

In previous hurricane disasters, Congress voted for Federal Aid within a very short amount of time:
Hurricane Andrew: 31 Days
Hurricane Gustav/Ike: 17 Days
Hurricane Katrina: 10 Days
Hurricane Sandy: 66 Days and counting

As the day went on, the outrage for the apparent "could care less" attitude by the Speaker, had reached even his previously deaf ears. He finally agreed to a meeting with angry members of his party, including NY Rep. Peter King, a man you really don't want to piss off. As of now, they will vote on a small part of the Aid package on Friday, with the rest to be taken up when the new Congress begins their session later this month.

This is a disgrace of major proportions. While thousands of families in New York and New Jersey spent the holidays displaced, with no relief in sight, these members of Congress were warm and happy with their families. Work on rebuilding the Jersey Shore, where tourism is the main commerce, cannot get any traction without the much needed package. And still, they let the Bill flounder.

At this point, all we can do is to remember that once again, politicians put the desperate needs of the American people on the back burner and did nothing.
I for one, will not forget.

Please watch Governor Christie's speech and see what an elected official of the people should be...an official willing to do the business of the people without regard to party or whose toes he might be stepping on.

(Speech begins at the 1 minute mark. If it doesn't auto load, double click)

Watch live streaming video from governorchrischristie at livestream.com

Hurricane Sandy: It's Over...or is it?

Nearly thirty hours later, the power is back on.

While living without a computer, TV and lights was an inconvenience, life during and after Sandy was not that bad...for me. Heat, we have gas heat and that was not an issue. We had no loss of running water. Funny how the little things like flushing a toilet are so overlooked in everyday living, but become so important in a disaster such as this. We were very lucky.

The 8"-10" of rain never materialized. If it had, things might have been very different. Living three blocks from the river means you are always aware of problems with the weather. The winds were like nothing I had ever experienced. Hearing the roar of the gusts as they blew in through every possible point of entry in this old house, made me shudder to think of the sound of a tornado.

The power came on 3:52 this morning. Turning on the news, it was the first time I was able to see the devastation. The shore as I knew it is gone. The overhead shots of Seaside Heights looked as if the town, or what is left of it, was built in a desert. The streets have been replaced by tons of sand deposited as the flood water receded. Listening on the radio to Governor Christie's press conference yesterday, he talked about the Boardwalk, or what used to be the Boardwalk. I knew this place. I knew the sausage & pepper stand which was built right in middle of the Boardwalk. I knew the amusement pier, whose rides are now sitting in the Atlantic Ocean.

Now, in the scope of things the Boardwalk doesn't matter. Too many people have lost their lives and their homes, to think any differently. But it is about the memories. The Boardwalk will be rebuilt, but it won't be the same. It will be much more modern, it will feel different. And for the younger generations, it will be fine. They won't have the memories of spending the day being toasted on the beach and spending the nights strolling down a Boardwalk smelling of sausage & peppers, or fresh made zeppoles. It will just be different.

So now New Jersey and a bunch of other states start to rebuild. Some places will be starting from scratch. Me, I'm just fine.

And thankful.

If you can, please donate to either The United Way, The Red Cross or the Salvation Army. Time, blood, cash.

We can all do something.