Courtesy of Pam Martens.
Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro Has Harsh Words for American Red Cross; Help Arrives Soon After
For three days, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has held multiple press conferences characterizing deaths from Hurricane Sandy as stepping on a downed power wire or being crushed by a fallen tree. All the while, as we reported three days ago, the facts proved unequivocally that the vast majority of deaths resulted from drowning.
Yesterday, the New York Times made the sensible decision to stop believing what was coming out of the Mayor’s press conferences and called the medical examiner. This is what the Times then reported:
“Three days after the storm hit New York, it is becoming clear how most victims died. ‘The majority of them drowned,’ said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office.”
As of early this morning, there are now a reported 21 deaths from the hurricane on Staten Island, more than 50 percent of the New York City total of 40.
The mischaracterization of deaths by the Mayor likely led to the lack of media attention to the devastation and suffering on Staten Island; and that likely led to the feeble response in food, water, dry clothing and other necessities from relief programs. The area, which lost hundreds of homes from a giant storm surge is still without power and heat. In some homes, everything is wet and muddy, including clothing. The people there, which includes many infants and elderly, say they are freezing at night. Many of the streets are still impassible, making it impossible to travel by car for food and water.
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