My sister-in-law, her husband and their four boys (all under 8) are at present living with us, refugees from their blacked out New Jersey home. Around us, where power was out mostly due to the great number of downed trees, is slowly being restored. We feel inordinately blessed and secure. I hope and pray anyone whose suffered is able to find assistance.
So right now I'm cooking for eight, reading crime books and watching to see what we can do to help once the immediate problems (broken gas lines, downed power cables) are addressed. I know my church has power and will be doing all it can. I actually trust the local politicians (from Staten Island, not citywide, ie. the mayor) to work hard to ensure the borough's not forgotten in the shadows of New Jersey and Manhattan.
It's going to be be a rough time and I suspect many of the destroyed houses will not be rebuilt. I also don't trust a mayor whose idea of an appropriate response to such devastation is to hold the NYC Marathon to do well by the borough. As NYC is a cesspit of corruption, I also don't hold out a lot of hope for FEMA money to be spent well if the city gets it hands on it.
These look to be parlous times for my beloved Rock. When the bridges were all closed Monday I was reminded I live on a island and can be trapped here. Coupled with the strain on resources caused by population (and the mayor wants another million people to come here), constricted transportation corridors and crumbling infrastructure, I can really see the day coming, sooner rather than later, when pack up and leave. I don't even know if I'll be sad on that day.
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