- Hurricane Sandy <http://reason.com/tags/hurricane-sandy> - Natural Disasters <http://reason.com/tags/natural-disasters> - FEMA <http://reason.com/tags/fema>
- - - - inShare<http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/hurricane-sandy-a-tale-of-two-headlines> - <http://www.reddit.com/submit> - Email<http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/hurricane-sandy-a-tale-of-two-headlines/email> - Hurricane Sandy: A Tale of Two Headlines<http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/hurricane-sandy-a-tale-of-two-headlines> Jesse Walker <http://reason.com/people/jesse-walker/all>|Nov. 14, 2012 10:35 am [image: Sandy was here.]As Sandy <http://reason.com/tags/hurricane-sandy> moved up the Atlantic coast, *The New York Times* summed up the conventional wisdom about the hurricane and the feds in an editorial headlined "A Big Storm Requires Big Government<http://reason.com/blog/2012/10/30/new-york-times-a-big-storm-requires-big>." It wasn't long before that story started coming apart<http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/02/worm-beginning-to-turn-on-big-apples-lov>, and at this point it may be safe to say that the narrative has completely reversed. Here's *The Brooklyn Bureau*, reporting under the rather different headline "Grassroots Groups Have Taken Over Sandy Relief<http://www.bkbureau.org/node/3746/> ": In the days after the deluge, as Gerritsen residents began the process of sifting through their possessions to find what was salvageable, the relief effort got underway. But as has been the case in other stricken communities, the effort was led less by government agencies than by members of the community themselves — in this case, members of "the Vollies," Gerritsen Beach's volunteer fire station, the last volunteer fire department remaining in the borough and a symbol of the proud but increasingly frustrated self-reliance that has come to typify post-Sandy aid efforts. Twelve days after the storm, the Vollies headquarters in the hard-hit "old section" of Gerritsen nearer the ocean is a hive of donated food and clothes, volunteers from all over, lists of electricians and plumbers hastily scrawled on pages from legal pads and taped to a wall. A food truck, normally resident in Midtown, has been dispatched by the mayor's office to serve free meals. National Guard troops based at nearby Floyd Bennett Field sort through a mountain of clothing. Amid the maelstrom, Assistant Fire Chief Doreen Garson is a nonstop ball of energy, directing volunteers, "Right now," she says, "we're acting as our own little city."... [image: Better than FEMA.]By comparison, there has been less visible support from city and federal agencies. In particular, the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- which has already been lambasted in the media for shutting down<http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121107/tottenville/staten-island-fema-disaster-center-shuts-doors-due-weather> many of its aid centers for two days "due to weather" when a nor'easter swept through last week, and for being outperformed<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/nyregion/where-fema-fell-short-occupy-sandy-was-there.html> by a bunch of ragged veterans of Occupy Wall Street -- gets little praise from the storm survivors thronging the Vollies hall. The *Times* piece didn't just praise FEMA <http://reason.com/tags/fema>; it singled out the agency's "war room," the place "where officials gather to decide where rescuers should go, where drinking water should be shipped." Turns out that those aren't areas where central planning works well, no matter how much the phrase "war room" excites the editorialists of *The New York Times*. Jesse Walker <[email protected]> is a senior editor at *Reason** magazine*. Follow Jesse Walker on twitter @notjessewalker<http://twitter.com/@notjessewalker> - SHARE<http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/hurricane-sandy-a-tale-of-two-headlines/email> - PRINT<http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/hurricane-sandy-a-tale-of-two-headlines/print> VIEW COMMENTS (29) | LEAVE A COMMENT<http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/hurricane-sandy-a-tale-of-two-headlines#commentform> LEAVE A COMMENT You are currently logged in as Bruce Majors for Congress (DC)<http://reason.com/users/manage/189>. Not you? Sign out <http://reason.com/users/logout>. Video: Ladies, We're Scre… *Kennedy & Anth…* | 11.14.2012 <http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/video-ladies-were-screwed-why-obamas-re>State Legislators in Rhod… *Mike Riggs *| 11.14.2012 <http://reason.com/blog/2012/11/14/state-legislators-in-rhode-island-and-ma>HIT & RUN HOME <http://reason.com/blog> VIEW HIT & RUN ARCHIVES » <http://reason.com/blog/weekly> On Wednesday, November 14, 2012, plainolamerican wrote: > With millions still struggling to get power in the wake of Hurricane > Sandy, non-union work crews from Alabama have been turned away by New > Jersey. The reason? Their non-union status. > > On Nov 14, 8:23 am, Travis <[email protected] <javascript:;>> wrote: > > ** > > DCG posted: " [caption id="attachment_71120" align="aligncenter" > > width="500"] Senseless beating/Photo courtesy of WTSP News 10[/caption] > > Florida electrical worker attacked while in New York helping restore > power > > for Sandy victims NY Daily News: A Florida electrical w" Respond to > this > > post by replying above this line > > New post on *Fellowship of the Minds* > > <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/dcgere/> Volunteer beat > up > > trying to help Sandy > > victims< > http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/volunteer-beat-up-f...> > > by > > DCG <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/dcgere/> > > > > <http://fellowshipofminds.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/beatean-wtsp-new.. > .> > > > > Senseless beating/Photo courtesy of WTSP News 10 > > Florida electrical worker attacked while in New York helping restore > power > > for Sandy victims > > > > NY Daily News< > http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/man-n-y-sandy-victims-attacked-...>: > > A Florida electrical worker who came to New York to help after Hurricane > > Sandy *was beaten to a pulp in the neighborhood where he was trying to > > restore power*. > > > > John Applewhite, a 34-year-old lineman for Lakeland Electric, *was > attacked > > as he got out of his utility truck outside a restaurant* in East > Hempstead, > > N.Y. on Friday, police said. > > > > *Applewhite had just finished working a 13-hour shift* and was getting > > dinner with coworkers when another man got out of a black BMW and > > approached him, he said. “He met me halfway between my truck and his > > vehicle and just as I got within arm’s reach, he decked me,” Applewhite > > told WTSP< > http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/282443/250/Lakeland-Elect.. > .>in > > Tampa. > > > > Applewhite was flown back to Florida Saturday with *a black eye, broken > jaw > > and several fractures. He’s confined to a hospital bed and awaiting > > surgery. *“They’re going to put a plate in my face and wire my jaw,” he > > said from Lakeland Regional Medical Center. “At least three surgeons will > > do work on me.” > > > > Applewhite, who was in New York with 24 coworkers, says he has no idea > why > > he was targeted, and that his attacker fled the scene. “I didn’t know > what > > his intentions were,” Applewhite told > > WFTV< > http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/lakeland-man-beaten-ny-after-help...>. > > “I didn’t know if I was going to be robbed or if he was just upset. He > was > > in a nice car, so I kind of let my guard down. It’s unfortunate, it > really > > is.” > > > > Applewhite’s family is furious his act of generosity was met with > cruelty. > > “I was devastated when I got the call,” sister Mary Anne said. “John is > > such a sweet person and he certainly didn’t deserve this.” > > > > Police are reviewing surveillance video and searching for Applewhite’s > > attacker. > > > > What is wrong with people? This guy is trying to help them out and he > gets > > beat up for nothing? It is truly frightening the lack of humanity in our > > country. > > > > DCG > > > > *DCG <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/author/dcgere/>* | > November > > 14, 2012 at 3:30 am | Tags: Hurricane > > Sandy<http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=hurricane-sandy>, > > John Applewhite< > http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?tag=john-applewhite>| > > Categories: > > crime <http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/?cat=34945349> | URL: > http://wp.me/pKuKY-iuZ > > > > Comment< > http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/volunteer-beat-up-f...> > > See all comments< > http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/volunteer-beat-up-f...> > > > > Unsubscribe or change your email settings at Manage > > Subscriptions< > https://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=16c852fa80c6a4109f03a115cc25d3d2...>. > > > > *Trouble clicking?* Copy and paste this URL into your browser: > http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/volunteer-beat-up-f... > > Thanks for flying with WordPress.com <http://wordpress.com> > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
