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Subscribe to RSSIn his second visit to areas destroyed by last month’s Hurricane Sandy, President Obama said federal officials, led by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, would be devising a “game plan” with state authorities to see the storm recovery through to its end.
“There's got to be a plan for rebuilding. And that plan's going to have to be coordinated, and there's going to need resources,” Obama said, standing in Staten Island’s hard-hit New Dorp Beach and surrounded by New York officials like Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.
Obama said Donovan was particularly fit for the job because he formerly served as the commissioner of New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development and has held several other positions in the Empire State.
“We thought it'd be good to have a New Yorker who's going to be the point person,” Obama said.
The president also shared the story of a family he met at a FEMA recovery center he toured earlier in the day, who endured personal tragedy but found comfort in the kindness of a police officer who went above and beyond his responsibilities. The Moore family, Obama said, lost two young sons in the hurricane, but they were grateful for a police officer who stayed with them during their ordeal.
“When they knew that their sons were missing, Lt. [Kevin] Gallagher made a point of staying with them and doing everything he could so that, ultimately, they knew what had happened with their boys and were able to recover their bodies and has been with them as a source of support ever since,” Obama said.
“That's not in the job description of Lt. Gallagher. He did that because that's what so many of our first responders do. They go above and beyond the call of duty to respond to people in need."
Cuomo echoed Obama’s praise for the residents’ resilience, telling Obama, “We are New Yorkers, Mr. President. We are tough, and we are resilient, and we will overcome, and we will be the better for it.”
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This is how a true leader reacts...
You put the right man, at the right time on the right job to get things done for the victims!
Instead of swiping 5K worth of campaign funds to make a Wal-Mart run for unsolicited canned tuna!
Which would be worse, Feisty---to know that your donation to the Romney campaign was wasted on false TV ads or on unnecessary canned goods to prop op Mitt's photo-op?
That's a tough one Steeler Fan!
They are both equally dishonest...
How come we can't get NO Dancing Arabian Horses from Heckuva Job "Brownie"?
Nevermind, that'ld be a GIFT from the President to his Constituents!
You Betcha!
Occupy SoggyBottom
Donovan...the right choice...he is no 'Michael Heckuva Brown'
Yep...just in time...3 weeks later... Just in the nick of time for these poor people...
JK;
Apparently you don't get the part about a strategy being planned first before the actual work can begin. The Pres can do little else at this point...the storm has already done the damage; you can't see that? Or, you simply ain't tryin to see it? If Pres Obama were to sh!t gold bricks some of you would complain that they should have been platinum! Wake up from the hatred and smell the new coffee known as peace! We are trying to rebuild a damaged nation here; if you ain't on board, you can always jump overboard! I seriously doubt you'd be missed!
Right on...
My friend spent two hours in a tent in Rockaway Beach, serving as a satellite FEMA office this morning...they are still a little overwhelmed and folks are getting more frustrated.
Disasters have the one saving grace of being truly bipartisan in their consequences...
mother nature does have a tendancy to not discriminate.
Caesar ... one of the few times I agree with you ....
really...bipartisan? how about coping with the Benghazi tragedy? Has the GOP been capable of bipartisanship?
Pigotry
WTF does this have to do with natural disasters? Take off your distorted perception spectacles.
We are usually so well supported in our society that it comes as a huge shock when all of that is stripped away. Our hearts ache for these people but we are also learning a lesson about how vulnerable we all are to climate change. We need to let our representatives know that we see coastal devastations, like the drought out here in the West, as a permanent problem that they need to address in an organized way. There is no "bouncing back," only bandaids and splints right now.
<Insert Republican Rant About President's "Photo Op" Today In New York Here>
@Noid,
Ha! Yep. You gotta know it's coming.
The shame here, is that Gov. Christie and Pres. Obama showed us what real leadership and bipartisanship look like.
Unfortunately, Christie seems to be one of the few modern-day Republicans who are actually willing to work for the betterment of the Country instead of (what they seem to perceive as) the benefit of their Party.
Hey Bob, name me one Governor of any state who wouldn't do what Christie did. Oh, wait. I do remember one from Louisiana who waited four days after a cat 4 hit before asking for help and thus authorizing FEMA to come in. Never mind.
@Talk,
Of course it was a Democratic Governor.
I get that.
What I don't get is the "our side vs. their side" mentality that continues to come from the Right when there is work to be done for US.
I liked your first reply, you didn't have to change it but, this alteration is good too.
@Talk,
Thank you.
btw Is it me, or did something happen to this thread for a minute? Went POOF
As a Long Islander, I have to say, FEMA was here quickly. Besides giving out food, they helped explaining how to get the help we all needed.
Once the rebuilding starts, will Obama take credit for creating the jobs?
commonamerican1 ..... you are VERY common and really what a crappy thing to say. I'm sure you're already blaming him for the unemployment claims in the area due to the storm. Give it a REST for 5 minutes and put yourself in the situation of the people that have been personally affected by the storm.
common: Now it doesn't matter. See, the GOP has to understand, the President isn't going to be running for an election anymore. All the President cares about is doing what is best for the nation. Scoring political points with a rabid ultra-conservative theocratic base is what the GOP cares about. They fail to understand, they lost, their message lost, get over it.
dirp,
"isn't going to be running for an election anymore"? SO that is what was occupying his time for the last year...imagine that...
...and during that year; Osama bin-Laden was killed; among other things. What a President? He can play golf and still do a great job of running the country!
Right on...
So let me get this straight....
Last year Minot, ND goes through the worst flooding in the history of the state...... FEMA comes out and does their thing and then leaves.... NYC gets a little bit of flooding (sorry until I see one photo of a house with more than the 6 feet of water that I had on the main level of my house -- it is just a little flooding).... and we need Barry to oversee this? Seriously?
Oh wait....thats right... Here in ND we take care of our own stuff and in NYC (much like New Orleans) they need everyone else to do things for them....
On a side note how awesome is it that in the days leading up to the storm hitting the East coast FEMA was selling the trailers they loan to people for as low as $3800 (the trailers were bought with taxpayer dollars for $25,000 a piece) and now need to buy more trailers..... gotta love the federal government....
Right Larry, according to your own comments YOU held out YOUR hand for and acccepted a $35K check!
Nothing better than a hypocritical mooch like yourself sucking off the gubment tit!
You evil gubment haters crack me up... lol
Get off your lazy ass and GOOGLE them...
PS: Why are you posting under TWO accounts?
Larry - Let me see if I can explain this in every simple terms.
NY and NJ were hit by a HUGE storm that effect over 8 million people. (How many are in Minot?) So, see, the scope of the disaster was a wee bit larger than Minot felt. And, since NY is a major hub of commerce in the US - as well as one of its most populated states (again, how many in Minot?) and there were 100 deaths, it becomes a national disaster.
It totally washed away portions of both NJ and NY - not just standing water. It shut down all transportation for days, as well as shutting down the stock market and millions were without power for over a week. (How many in Minot again).
Can you wrap your head around the slight difference now????
Oh, and it's President Barack Obama - not Barry!
BTW - before you being a good Christian and all try to deny it, here is what you said;
Larry, Minot N.D
@Larry,
FEMA comes out and does their thing and then leaves
So you got help from FEMA?
Here in ND we take care of our own stuff
After you got help from FEMA?
Got "Keep Your Government Hands Off My Medicare"?
Never denied getting help from the government. Also never denied getting a loan to rebuild my house. Ive also never said people shouldnt get help in situations like this.
What I have argued is that people need to get their assistance and then rebuild for themselves.
Why are so many people waiting on Barry to do something. Get off your lazy asses and rebuild your house yourself. Hire the contractors needed gut what needs to be gutted and move on.....
Is that what is going to happen? Nope.... these people are going to use this storm as a crutch for the rest of their lives.....
Im so sick of you people using any little thing as a crutch..... Man the h#ll up and take care of your own situation.
If you need help get it but then rebuild yourselves...... I did it while raising a family and holding down a 60hr a week job..... If I can do it I know these people have the ability to. Do they have the WANT to do it? Thats the next question.
SeekingSanity.... I can call him whatever I d@mn well please.
This is still (whats left of) America. I will respect the OFFICE of the President. I do NOT have to respect the person holding the office.... At least not yet..... just wait though..... As soon as Dictator Obama gets his "wiggle room" he will try to make it that we have to kiss his feet....
I hope we impeach him for Bengazi.....
Awwww Poor Larry!
Trolling for a pat on his back, sorry little buddy, you aren't the only one in this country who puts in long hours while raising a family...
Sorry... NO PITY for YOU!
Well, I'm sick of YOU people talking out of your both sides of your mouth! MAN UP and have some damn convictions will you?
Remind me again who it was that FORCED you to cash the FEMA check? Have you paid it back yet?
PS: Why are you using two different accounts?
Larry - we didn't impeach Bush for 9/11 so it's doubtful we'll impeach President Obama for Benghazi.
You're just another desperate Republican who can't get over the fact that the majority of Americans aren't buying the pathetic hatred you're trying to sell.
The fact that you don't have the ability to comprehend the difference between a MASSIVE disaster like the one in NY & NJ and flooding in Minot, ND explains everything.
Yes, it's a free country so ignorants like you can say whatever you like without anyone stopping you from making a total fool of yourself - as you've done SOOOO well!
Feisty - what is really frightening is there are so many of these nutcases like Larry and jim out there who can't comprehend simple issues but are so filled with hatred they want to spout off about everything! It's truly sad the depths the Republican Party has sunk to!
Uh...to impeach the President doesn't he have to have committed a "high crime" or "misdemeanor"?
Seeking,
Thankfully, they are a dying breed, soon to be extinct! ;o)
@Larry,
Never denied getting help from the Government.
Yet, judging by the demeanor of your post, you would deny that help to others that might need it.
We heard that from Romney. Didn't work out so well for him.
I can call him whatever I d@mn well please.
I hope we impeach him for Benghazi...
Ah, now we see the core of your argument.
To quote an old joke: "What you mean 'we', white man?"
FORWARD!!!
Da Noid - well now there you go again, talking facts. Republicans don't want facts to interfere with their hatred! It is so sad they can't let go of the fact that the majority of Americans DID NOT want Romney as our President!
You'd think they'd be ready to move on, right?
Larry - President Obama doesn't want you to kiss his feet - then he'd have to bathe again quickly!
Oops.
Shoulda been: Yet, judging by the demeanor of your post...
Still figuring out the Italics thing.
@Veterans of this site,
Can anyone list a quick explanation of the symbols that come up while editing a post for a dinosaur who is still trying to cipher this "Internets" contraption?
Bali Bob: If you are in easy mode: the B puts your writing in in bold, kind of like saying look at this. You left click with your mouse to turn it on, but you have to remember to turn it off.
The I is for italics. Not to many people use it.
The " is to put a quotation in, like if you copy and paste.
the abc checks your spelling.
the little half circle with an arrow lets you undo and redo things.
Those are the basics.
Have fun, enjoy.
By the way, after each comment are exclamation points. If you find someone is advertising (e.g. their friend bought something really cheap, just go to xyz.com) you can report it. There are also ways of telling the editors that someone is being particularly inflammatory, or that a post is rather useless.
If you find that someone repeatedly just posts garbage you prefer to ignore, you can ignore an author and their posts won't show.
Again, have fun, enjoy, comment away.
One more thing. I've learned the hard way, if you leave the CAPS LOCK ON AND ALWAYS TYPE LIKE THIS, PEOPLE THINK YOU ARE SHOUTING. They tend to get upset and tell you not to shout.
Also, if you decide to criticize someone's spelling, punctuation or diction, please be sure that your's is perfect, otherwise the discussion starts to sound like your worst English class ever.
Hey, Larry, where did you go? Since you want the government to quit subsidizing things, you ready to close Minot Air Force Base yet?
North Dakota is one of the biggest pigs at the Federal teat. And Larry, you sure had YOUR hand out when the opportunity arose. An honest man would not have taken the money if you hate others for doing the same!
@dirp,
Thanks for your response! btw "worst English class ever" anecdote duly noted!
By Jove, I think I've got it!
FORWARD!!!
Larry, I take offense to your comments. We are rebuilding, just one problem with hiring contractors, there aren't enough of them. There is also a 3 month backlog on oil burners, so I guess we just sit in the cold and wait. We can't replace the electric that went under water because there aren't enough electricians to hire. How dare you assume that us New Yorkers are sitting back waiting for the government to help us. We are doing the best we can with the disaster that has hit us.
Helen: Larry hates anyone who is not him. I admire the work that all of you are doing to rebuild your lives. Ignore Larry. He had his hand out for money when Minot was flooded, and he lacks imagination to know that a town the size of Minot (about 42,000 people) and the surrounding area might have an easier time than the densely populated areas where you live.
Blessings to you. It has to be a struggle.
Larry - How high is the tallest building in Minot.....How many tunnels do have...Subways? Railroads? 2 tunnels each over a mile long and at least 11 feet high were flooded to the ceilings.....I'm sure you suffered as much damage there as NY did....Why don't you come to NY (or are you afraid of the "Big" city) and see what those people who suffered the loss of homes and communities are going through.....Then you can get on you high falutin' horse and say New Yorkers aren't doing anything.......
GNOP - we don't need no fact checkers....we just make up the facts.......
Paul: Minot is this little ol bitty town in the middle of nowhere. People drive, there is little public transit, and what keeps it alive is the Air Force base and currently, the oil boom in that region.
Minot looks best in your rear view mirror, but I daresay not all the people think like Larry does.
Hey Larry, why don't you take a visit to Staten Island? Whole swaths of housing and businesses burned to the ground or gone with the wind! Most people there don't have a home or businesses to go to, let alone power or other utilities. I don't think there are enough contractors to rebuild the area in the next year, even if they could get building supplies. Your little flooding issue pales in comparison to what these people experienced! On the grand scale of it all you replaced some drywall, they have the whole neighborhoods and infrastructure to rebuild!
Senator McCain missed a classified briefing on Benghazi, where he could have learned the truth about the tragedy. Instead, he chose to spew lies at a press conference and then lie some more about an "unnamed" staffer forgetting to tell him about the meeting. That's the GOPer way, uninformed lies, and hypocrisy!
PS. Why not Minot? Because freezins the reason!
Before they think of rebuilding...As a survivor of hurricane Ivan (a year before Katrina) who went without power for over a week and had to leave my home for 4 months to work maybe you could focus on the task ahead. Florida upgraded their building standards after Hurricane Hugo and many of the destroyed buildings couldn't be rebuilt to the previous standards. Much work is required in planning and doing the utility rebuild. So before folks think of things returning to normal (which they won't) maybe someone needs to look at changing where and why they are there. I know the insurance companies will, just like in Florida...rates doubled twice! Should the govt. continue to insure beach property?
Instead of rebuilding the Republican party, why don't we rebuild New Jersey, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the South Shore of Long Island. That would be a start in the right direction.
QUOTE: "So before folks think of things returning to normal (which they won't) maybe someone needs to look at changing where and why they are there."
Yes, my heart does ache for people who have lost their homes. I saw a pic of a beach house, where there was nothing left but one wall. It was tragic, but I thought "why was that big house built so close to the beach??" It looked like one of those 3-story, oversized McMansions. Nothing but a giant target for the hurricane. Probably built by some big franchise like Toll Brothers that puts up McMansions with flimsy materials in 2 months and then charges a fortune for 'Shore Real Estate".
An accident waiting to happen.
Every time I have been to the Shore, I always had to suppress a little twinge of unease about the vast, endless ocean being SO CLOSE.
My thoughts: don't build so close to the ocean, and if you must build vacation houses... make them more like tents or Yurts that can be taken down & secured before the hurricane. How about some research into modular, rebuild-able housing?
What I have argued is that people need to get their assistance and then rebuild for themselves.
QUOTE:Why are so many people waiting on Barry to do something. Get off your lazy asses and rebuild your house yourself. Hire the contractors needed gut what needs to be gutted and move on.....
Is that what is going to happen? Nope.... these people are going to use this storm as a crutch for the rest of their lives.....
Im so sick of you people using any little thing as a crutch..... Man the h#ll up and take care of your own situation." END QUOTE
This guy is such a Jerk! It is hard to imagine what it is like for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Their house is destroyed, probably their car too, same with all the neighbors for miles around... what the heck were these people supposed to do?? No power, no way to get around, no way to get food, and on top of all that it is COLD because it is November. What are they doing about basic things like Toilets?? Also, imagine being without power while living in a 6th floor apartment. Plus, it has been very difficult for help to even get in, with the roads all full of debris & stuff.
It is just appalling! You betcha if it happened to YOU, you would need every bit of help someone could give you. It really boggles the mind how people are getting by with the entire infrastructure of society GONE. If I was a Christian, I would 'Pray"... instead, I just send money to the Red Cross.
@Shadow:
Yes, I happened to read his quote myself earlier today and could not believe that this FOOL was spared while so many others perished. WHOA!
The closest I can come to this was when a snow storm hit the mid-west and buried it under several feet of snow and ice. Power was out; nothing could move for a solid week. I could not pry my door open so we finally crawled out a second story window and jumped into a snow drift in front of my house. The American Red Cross tried to get in but could not for several days.
Those caught in the storm died frozen in their vehicles. I had little ones who needed milk and food but there were no stores open and no way to get there anyway; all roads were blocked by snow or shut down by the municipality and/or open to rescue vehicles only. I thought surely we were done!
As we lay there freezing to death, I heard the faint rumble of helicopters in the distance. My spouse said I was nuts but having served in a Marine Corp air-wing division; I knew the sound of a chopper anywhere!!! They were dropping supplies and medical items such as first-aid kits and there were heavy equipment movers bursting through! I had to make it two miles to the National Guard Armory to get help for my wife and babies; somehow I made it and THEY drove me back with food and supplies! WOW!
There was no rebuilding that we could have done ourselves! There was no arrogance of any kind! The first person out helped their neighbor dig out until we had formed a chain of people helping people and together; we survived...together we gave thanks! It was the blizzard of '78/'79 and it made the history books! The gov't helped us; they helped many and I was so glad that they were there!
That guy is an IDIOT who believes if you can't do everything alone or on your own THEN you are some kind of failure! This nation was built on people helping people and a guy like that needs to be stranded on an island by himself for a few years. See how he talks after that!!!
Right on...
BTW: The reason we had to jump out of the house was because the water mains froze and broke causing water to flow into the basement and onto the first level. Had we stayed, we would have frozen even more quickly! I built something similar to an igloo in that snow bank using blankets that we took with us; as a type of make-shift floor; and burned a spare tire from my car for heat; it lasted about a day and a half! When the tire burned out; so did the hope that we would survive! But we did in fact survive it!!!
As I read and examine some of the comments on here, I must say that I am still shocked at the level of hatred toward this admn. I thought America was much bigger and much better than all this racist BS! How can anybody hate anybody else based solely on their complexion? Are there really people out there who yet believe that blacks are somehow inferior to their white counterparts? REALLY??? What do we have to do before you all will know better than that? Blacks have excelled in every field of endeavor and yet you believe we are mere monkeys; SERIOUSLY? WOW! How dense?
Are we still singing that song, 'Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you?' Is that where we are after all we have suffered as a country of united states; which is suppose to mean, a united people? White people didn't act this way when Bill Clinton won reelection or when Dubya won twice; although the first time was quite suspicious in Dubya's case.
We haven't grown a single inch since the Civil War, have we? The Republicans keep crying that the election was somehow stolen from them. They are now saying some very cruel and evil things! Anything BUT; "We lost!" The level of vitriol toward this President is AMAZING to say the least. Soooo; there is much more here than meets the eye! We are going through a rough spell; everyone knows that. But we are no longer teetering on the brink of disaster so now the GOP wants to knit-pick at the President about 4 dead in Benghazi; yet overlook 4000 dead because of a LIE told by Dubya? Am I the only one who finds all of this a bit strange?
Right on...