Anger Grows at Planned NYC Marathon

[EZEtoGRU]

Mayor Bloomberg is insistent that this Sunday's NYC marathon proceed. I have been surprised with his position on this given the continued dire situation many New Yorkers continue to face after Hurricane Sandy. It seems there is mounting criticism over his decision.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2012/11/02/nyc-marathon-runner-penny-krakoff-will-boycott-own-race-volunteer-instead-urges-others-to-join-her_n_2064625.html?icid=hp_front_top_art

[operalover21]

A fireman in Staten Island put it best ... "Marathon" We're still pulling bodies out of the water down here." Unbelievable. There is no way the Marathon should go ahead and divert resources (including police and generators) from people in need.

 

And guess where the starting line is? Staten Island.

[adriano46]

Nurse Nellie Bloomberg finally shows how cracked he really is in the brain.

[jjkrkwood]

Nurse Nellie Bloomberg finally shows how cracked he really is in the brain.

 

His excuse and reasoning is that "life goes on", and the Marathon will prove to the world how resillient New Yorkers are. Do you really think he believes that crock of shit ??? And considering how "cash strapped" he constantly claims the city is when validating the rising cost of consumer services including transportation, it kinda leaves you scratching your head and asking yourself if he lives in the same world we do ? Even IF money is not an issue, why not put that money into a "relief effort" for those in need instead of some spectacle that only has limited appeal ?

[jjkrkwood]

Breaking News: Bloomberg caves to pressure and CANCELS NYC Marathon...

[MsGuy]

For me, it's a balancing act.

 

It's important to the City to get blood pumping through the economic arteries as soon as possible. NYC is not just a finantial district; tourism and entertainment, of which sports are a not insignificant subset, are hugh sources of emplyment in NY. Would folks be squawking as loudly if the Mayor were encouraging Broadway theaters and the Museums to get open ASAP?

 

On the other hand, there's a massive recovery effort going on; you don't want to be diverting too many resources from efforts to dig out from under the wreakage. But a lot of the resources necessary for recovery are highly specialized for their tasks; canceling the Marathon ain't gonna help Edison get the power back on even one day sooner, but hospital, police, sanitation and the like will have to divert some effort to the marathon.

 

The balancing is in how much to dedicate to the race and how much is too much. One city councilcritter allowed as how it would be outrageous if even a single ambulance or a single policeman were diverted to the race. Really??

 

Maybe not canceling the marathon will require too much in the way of scarce resources, maybe not. It's not a question that can be reasonably decided in the abstract.

[+ Lucky]

Nurse Nellie Bloomberg finally shows how cracked he really is in the brain.

 

Through his donations and through his widespread advocacy, Mayor Bloomberg has done far more for gay rights than you ever will, so I suggest that your disrespect indicates that it is not the mayor's brain that is cracked.

[Kevin Slater]

The Times now reports that it's cancelled, which I think is appropriate.

 

Kevin Slater

[jjkrkwood]

Through his donations and through his widespread advocacy, Mayor Bloomberg has done far more for gay rights than you ever will, so I suggest that your disrespect indicates that it is not the mayor's brain that is cracked.

 

Lucky, YOU need to learn to let others have their opinions. The world does not need to agree with you in order to be allowed a voice. The one guilty of disrespect is YOU, and its time you had a reality check. And there is no need for your glib condescending response. We all get where you are coming from. Enough already !

[operalover21]

Through his donations and through his widespread advocacy, Mayor Bloomberg has done far more for gay rights than you ever will, so I suggest that your disrespect indicates that it is not the mayor's brain that is cracked.

 

Someone who only thinks with his penis, apparently. Gay rights is not the most important issue that mankind faces. Food, shelter, life, and health are far more important -- something that neither you nor the moron Bloomberg seemed to really get.

[operalover21]

For me, it's a balancing act.

 

It's important to the City to get blood pumping through the economic arteries as soon as possible. NYC is not just a finantial district; tourism and entertainment, of which sports are a not insignificant subset, are hugh sources of emplyment in NY. Would folks be squawking as loudly if the Mayor were encouraging Broadway theaters and the Museums to get open ASAP?

 

On the other hand, there's a massive recovery effort going on; you don't want to be diverting too many resources from efforts to dig out from under the wreakage. But a lot of the resources necessary for recovery are highly specialized for their tasks; canceling the Marathon ain't gonna help Edison get the power back on even one day sooner, but hospital, police, sanitation and the like will have to divert some effort to the marathon.

 

The balancing is in how much to dedicate to the race and how much is too much. One city councilcritter allowed as how it would be outrageous if even a single ambulance or a single policeman were diverted to the race. Really??

 

Maybe not canceling the marathon will require too much in the way of scarce resources, maybe not. It's not a question that can be reasonably decided in the abstract.

 

They're using hundreds of police and generators for the marathon. That's abstract? You don't think those resources couldn't be better used in Staten Island where people are without power or food? Really?

 

As for money, the marathoners have been in the city for at least a week pumping money into the economy. Canceling on Sunday will cause little economic harm.

[+ FreshFluff]

Cancelled, really? Why not just postpone it for 2 weeks?

[adriano46]

The sentiments expressed by jjkrkwood and operalover21 mirror my own here.

 

I live in one of the worst areas that has been destroyed. I watched people on day 5 without electricity, without heat, some even without water and food shortages, and now without gasoline and saw lines - some over 2 miles - of people trying to get 5- or 10 gallons of gas to run generators. Trees are down everywhere; houses have been damaged (or destroyed). So many friends who had homes near the water are homeless, many lost everything. And one only has to see what has happened on Staten Island and some parts of Brooklyn, Lower Manhatten and New Jersey and you think just because Mayor Bloomberg supports Gay Rights he is a genius or that should make us all line up like little minions and follow him over a cliff? Sorry, I do not think so. I applaud the New Yorkers who loudly protested the idiocy of running this race.

 

And keep in mind, when Mayor Giuliani had the Marathon run after 9.11 -- it was 2 months AFTER 9.11 -- here we have not even reached a week after this disaster.

[+ Lucky]

The sentiments expressed by jjkrkwood and operalover21 mirror my own here.

 

I live in one of the worst areas that has been destroyed. I watched people on day 5 without electricity, without heat, some even without water and food shortages, and now without gasoline and saw lines - some over 2 miles - of people trying to get 5- or 10 gallons of gas to run generators. Trees are down everywhere; houses have been damaged (or destroyed). So many friends who had homes near the water are homeless, many lost everything. And one only has to see what has happened on Staten Island and some parts of Brooklyn, Lower Manhatten and New Jersey and you think just because Mayor Bloomberg supports Gay Rights he is a genius or that should make us all line up like little minions and follow him over a cliff? Sorry, I do not think so. I applaud the New Yorkers who loudly protested the idiocy of running this race.

 

And keep in mind, when Mayor Giuliani had the Marathon run after 9.11 -- it was 2 months AFTER 9.11 -- here we have not even reached a week after this disaster.

 

At least now you write like a grown man, rather than your previous remark: "Nurse Nellie Bloomberg finally shows how cracked he really is in the brain."

[operalover21]

The sentiments expressed by jjkrkwood and operalover21 mirror my own here.

 

I live in one of the worst areas that has been destroyed. I watched people on day 5 without electricity, without heat, some even without water and food shortages, and now without gasoline and saw lines - some over 2 miles - of people trying to get 5- or 10 gallons of gas to run generators. Trees are down everywhere; houses have been damaged (or destroyed). So many friends who had homes near the water are homeless, many lost everything. And one only has to see what has happened on Staten Island and some parts of Brooklyn, Lower Manhatten and New Jersey and you think just because Mayor Bloomberg supports Gay Rights he is a genius or that should make us all line up like little minions and follow him over a cliff? Sorry, I do not think so. I applaud the New Yorkers who loudly protested the idiocy of running this race.

 

And keep in mind, when Mayor Giuliani had the Marathon run after 9.11 -- it was 2 months AFTER 9.11 -- here we have not even reached a week after this disaster.

 

Adriano: so very sorry to hear about what happened to you and people that you know. I live in one of the areas that was not affected at all just a few miles from the worst hit area. It seems unfair but I certainly feel for those of my fellow New Yorkers who are suffering so much.

 

I think the marathoners should be deployed down to the hardest hit areas to help out in the clean-up efforts. That would be a good use of their time.

[operalover21]

At least now you write like a grown man, rather than your previous remark: "Nurse Nellie Bloomberg finally shows how cracked he really is in the brain."

 

 

Perhaps you should give it a try?

[+ Cash4Trash]

As far as I'm concerned the marathon should have taken place. An Andrew Sullivan reader states my position very well.

 

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/11/the-marathon-must-go-on-ctd-1.html

 

There is a great economic cost to cancelling and we can't afford that right now.