Mayor Bloomberg Apologizes for Snow Screw-Ups
Mayor Bloomberg finally issued a mea culpa today for the snow fiasco that has crippled the city – but vowed not to sack the sanitation chief for the screw up.
“We did not do as good a job as we wanted to do, or as the city has the right to accept,” he admitted during a staged press conference in a Bronx hardware store.
Bloomberg, however, said the time to grill sanitation bosses on what went wrong is not at hand – that comes once all the streets are cleared.
“The time to worry about that is after we’ve gotten every street open and that’s what we’ll do,” he said.
Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty predicted all streets would be plowed within 24 hours.
“Most [streets] will be done by 7 o’clock tonight,but I’m not gonna mark them complete until tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.
”I expect we will have all the streets in New York City plowed. Will somebody find a street I missed? Maybe,“ he added.
”Will somebody find a street where people shovel their car out and then say we didn’t plow it? That always happens after a storm but I think we worked hard. We didn’t meet everybody’s expectations.“
The mayor staunchly defended Doherty – and vowed not to ask him to step down.
”This is the best Sanitation Commissioner this city has ever had,“ Bloomberg said, adding the ”city is lucky to have him.“
Despite the blankets of white still on borough sidestreets, while most Manhattan streets are snow-free, Bloomberg insisted he is no Upper East Side snob.
”I care about all parts of this city,“ he insisted.
Since most of the primary streets are in Manhattan, they were bound to get plowed first and many of the roads in Staten Island and other places made it more difficult to clear snow there, he explained.
”It’s not that we don’t care – it’s just that we have to do as much good as we can with limited resources,“ he said.
The Sanitation Department is operating with the same manpower and equipment as in similar storms that socked the city with 20 plus inches of snow, according to Bloomberg.
And he refused to grade his administration on how they handled the storm clean up.
”I cannot tell you for sure why it was a lot worse this time than the other times…could we do a better job? We are going to find out,“ he said.
Bloomberg also lauded Newark Mayor Cory Booker for his city’s cleanup – which included Booker shoveling out constituents – but said he didn’t pick one up himself.
”I have not been out with a snow shovel but I have been answering emails,” said Bloomberg, admitting some were from disgruntled New Yorkers.
Union St
The whole Union St is still at a stand still – no sign of any sanitation has come our way !
What’s up with the plows ? I know we’re a narrow street , is that why we don’t count ???
Please , we can’t afford another emergency catastrophe Chas V’Sholom !
Pathetic
He isn’t firing Doherty..as if Doherty has a say..Maybe he should fire himself????
if they would have started cleaning the streets on sunday than there would be no cars stranded!!!!!
really??!!
Thats not reassuring! they should firing! this big of a mess up he should be firing him!!!
Remember the queen
SOUNDS LIKE: The English queen who when told the people were so poor they did not have bread, responded with “Let them eat cake!” No buses, or trains? “LEt them go see a Broadway show!” Isnt this guy arrogant and self centered! S/b so rich cannot understand the plain people.
To late!!!!!
to late!!!!!
it wont fix all the damage he did:((((((
and it won’t bring back the life of that baby that passed away…. and who knows how many other cases like that.
To #5
NO U IDIOT IT WAS THE QUEEN OF FRANCE BEFORE THR RVOLUTION!
French Queen
It was a French queen the said “let them eat cake”. Marie Antionette, during the French Revolution.
Ariyeh Leib Segall
Mismanagement of the resources available —
Delegation to stupid goyim — Who could not care less !!!!!
Patrol cars, Plows, Buses & Ambulances abandoned on the streets for days — what an embarassment !!!!
Those who left this equipment on the street should be left without their pay for that period of time !!!!
As a taxpayer I refuse to pay for such nonsense..!!!!!
Disregard for human life — as well as loss of business !!!!
Shame – Shame – Shame on You – The buck stops with you Mayor !!!
Bastile Day
Yeah #7 – it’s time for Bastile Day in NYC.
Very angry
Michael the problem is that your guys were not plowing the streets Sunday night and early Monday morning when the snow was piling up!
The sanitation department woke up late Monday morning after countless of cars got stuck in the middle of streets. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN IN 2006!
Mayor Boomberg, start cleaning up the snow early so that it does not pile up to 2 feet – it ain’t rocket science!
to #7 the BRIT
your probaly a BRIT!!! your right it was french but it sounds more like a BRIT!!!
Junior R. Staten Island
The problem is that you, major Bloomberg gave sanitation plenty perks,but their greed is alway in demand for more. Mr.Bloomberg take notice of your other employees who also work very hard for u, example DCAS.Then maybe sanitation worker would not take advantage of u.I’m sure you are still major of N.Y. so take action,show them who’s boss .