Jul 20, 2006 6:45 pm US/Eastern
Bloomberg Said Blackout May Continue For Days
by Brendan Keefe
QUEENS (CBS) ―
-
-
File Photo: A Heat Wave Early This Week Literally Caused Con Ed Lines To Fry In Queens
CBS
Mayor Bloomberg came to Queens on the fourth night without electricity to address the power outages plaguing Queens.
The mayor held a news conference, promising all the resources of his office to provide necessary assistance to the area. He said he had been in near constant contact with top Con Ed management to ensure the utility was doing all it could to repair the power outages.
"They do not know how many people do not have power, and there's no ways for them to know, other than you reporting it, them driving down he streets tonight, which they're doing tonight on every street to look and guess if there's lights on," Bloomberg said.
Edward Vecchio, who is struggling with low voltage, said, "He's clueless to what's going on. Because I'll have a lightbulb burning, and they're gonna pass my house. I have no refrigerator, no oven, I'm in an unliveable situation."
The mayor warned that the outages could continue for days.
The powerless residents were kept 100 yards away from Mayor Bloomberg.
When asked if he was satisfied to see the mayor, James Scandalios answered, "Yes. I want to see what he says, but I'm not allowed near him. Is that right? We're effected by what the Mayor says, but we're not allowed to go there."
Just four hours before the Queens news conference, the Mayor said other commitments like a jobs program graduation in Manhattan were more important than crossing the East River.
"Me being out there is nice, and I'd like to do it, but more important than a photo op, I'm trying to make sure we get the resources that the city can provide," the mayor said.
So at the conference, Bloomberg was questioned about his seeming change of opinion. "Mr. Mayor, just a few hours ago you told us you were too busy, didn't have time to come to Queens, now you're here, what changed?"
His answer was, "I don't think I said that. I think I said I have other responsibilities."
Kenneth Rocca, who has no electricity, said, "Now, all of a sudden, you have time to fit it in your schedule? You couldn't fit it in before? But now you fit it in when everyone's starting to complain and wanting you here so bad?"
There is still no word from Con Ed on when power may come back, even though thousands of residents in northwest Queens have been suffering.
Police have been directing traffic since the traffic signals don't work.
Bloomberg also vowed to get answers once the situation had been resolved.
According to Con Ed, there are still 1,800 outages, which translates to thousands of people. Officials said they would be surveying the area street by street to see which homes and businesses were still in the dark, and will restore power as quickly as possible.
Con Ed, however, could not provide CBS 2 News with an estimate on when power would come back on.
Bloomberg said he had been told by Con Ed that some sort of unique problem was occurring in Queens that prevented crews from restoring electricity.
Utility executives told the mayor that their first priority would be to get power restored, and then to assess the nature of the unique problem to try to ensure similar prolonged outages did not occur in the future.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Blaze In The Bronx Engulfs Several Houses 21 mins ago 
Airlines Hit Flyers With New Regulations On Miles 25 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Comments