City Councilman David Greenfield decried what he termed as “two New Yorks, one for the rich and powerful people in Manhattan who got their snow cleared, and the other for the regular folks in the outer-boroughs who were ignored.” Greenfield has been working since Sunday evening advocating for more resources for Southern Brooklyn communities that have seen very little snow cleared from most streets. Greenfield is frustrated that Brooklyn’s needs have, once again, been all but ignored by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“I was shocked last night to see a dozen plows parked in the sanitation garage in Boro Park (CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS OF PARKED TRUCKS) when most of the streets in my community were not even plowed a single time,” Greenfield proclaimed. “I personally went to the garage this morning and was informed that these trucks would not be dispatched because there were not enough employees to drive them.” Greenfield attributes the lack of manpower to Mayor Bloomberg’s personnel reductions at the Department of Sanitation, which left the Department short 400 sanitation workers.
“Why in the world does the city buy trucks and not hire people to drive them? That’s insane,” Greenfield said. Greenfield even offered to find volunteers with the appropriate licensing to drive the snow plows, but his offer was rebuffed.
Greenfield has been speaking non-stop with multiple officials in the Mayor’s office, the Office of Emergency Management and the Sanitation Department to demand that more resources are directed to his community. Specifically, Greenfield has asked for more manpower to operate the idle plows in his community and more tow trucks to move cars and buses that are stuck on some streets, preventing street clearing. Greenfield learned this afternoon that five tow-trucks were sent today, for the very first time, to Brooklyn Community Boards 12 and 14 – an area that has a total population of nearly 500,000 people. “It’s outrageous that we had to wait 30 hours to get tow trucks into our community. I am certain that Midtown Manhattan had these trucks both during and immediately after the storm.”
Greenfield’s office, which has been open yesterday and today from 9am – 6pm despite the storm, was inundated with nearly 1,000 phone calls from constituents who are furious at the Mayor for not clearing their streets. This is especially difficult for many of the Councilman’s Orthodox Jewish constituents whose yeshiva children are not enjoying the same winter break that public school children are enjoying.
“I have had constituents tell me that they are losing several days’ wages because of the fact that their yeshiva children, who would normally be in school, are home. Others have told me that they fear they may be fired because mass transit to my district, including the B, N, Q trains and most buses, remain out of service and they cannot get to work. I guess this is the Mayor’s new economic plan – take away jobs from people in Brooklyn who are snowed in and give them to the folks in Manhattan who are not,” concluded Greenfield.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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13 Responses
Lets face it, the people that pay the highest taxes and contribute the most to the city are the folks in Manhattan. A large portion of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx pay very little or no taxes, utilize the food stamp programs and all Government subsidized programs, so yes they come second. Its kind of like the story of the Titanic. Second class citizens come second. Its been like that for donkey years and its not going to change. I didn’t hear Greenfield or any other NY politicians decry the situation in New Orleans by Katrina. Wonder why the eerie silence when it comes to black folks? Double standard
as of 7:40 pm thusday close to 40 haurs after the snow stopped, NOT ONE street in crown heights has been cleaned.
impeach bloomberg.
I like Greenfield, but creating class warfare doesn’t work in the general election and it’s no more successful here. There are plenty of wealthy people who live in brooklyn, so why pretend this has anything to do with it.
if you really want to see something, than check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja-AyWZ6fQY
Bloomberg is concerned with the people who have an alternate lifestyle more than he cares about the Jewish communities of Brooklyn. He is a typical heartless secular Jew who abides by the laws and ideals of liberalism. Yashrus is the last thing he is worried about. You try having billions of dollars and no Torah; see how your judgement fares!
I’ve tried (unsuccessfully) locating an email address for Councilman Greenfield, as I wanted to thank him for being my spokesman regarding this fiasco. It is now 48 hours after the initial snow fell, and our streets have not yet been plowed even once. This is not a matter of sanitation being understaffed, this is a matter of neglecting certain areas of the city. We should take the city to court, and demand a reduction in our city taxes for as long as we did not get basic city services.
On my street the gutters are still soo deep-the entire gutter-not just the sides…are higher then my tire!!!!!!!!!not 1 plower came down my street yet!!!!sik city!!!!!!
Tonight, Nachum Segal on his radion show (on 620am) let people call in and comment on the snow storm. A woman started griping about how Manhattan is all cleared and Brooklyn has not been plowed. He didn’t let her finish her sentence. He basicly said what you are saying is not true, and while it may be true Brooklyn has not been plowed, with his own eyes he sees Manhattan is no better. So, who is mistaken? Who is creating q rift where there is none?
The Bronx is the poorest urban county in America but its streets got plowed.
@ #2:
“as of 7:40 pm thusday close to 40 haurs after the snow stopped, NOT ONE street in crown heights has been cleaned.”
Not true, Eastern Pkwy was plowed.
But other then that you’re right.
To poster number one. Your an idiot. Greenfield is not and was not in a position to say anything good or bad about Katrina. Greenfield was not even an elected official.
Stop with yout stupid racist degrading remark and maybe bury yourself in a pile of snow. there is plenty of it for you.
R.I.P
David,
what about the ppl who lost out on days of work?? maybe the city should set up a compensation fund for the lost wages!!
This is all bureaucracy at work. Spending money on trucks (and parking space) but leaving them unattended. I encountered many Sanitation workers (at work) that are stuck in their plows for nearly two days, they’re getting paid for sitting there. They’re not only getting paid, they’re getting paid overtime – for doing nothing! How long should it take for a tow truck to pull out these trucks so that the streets should be cleaned?
As I was walking down the streets in Brooklyn today, my belief in the private sector strengthened by no measure. I was walking in carved paths throughout, save the city property and streets. I saw people tripping and falling on the gutters but rarely on sidewalks. I believe that a sign stating “Your Tax Money at Work” should be hanging from each of these trucks…