Hey its all about entitlement. Somebody else will do this for me cause I'm entitled...and if its not done NOW I'm gonna whine.

You don't have to contribute these days just take as much as you can get!

Totally agree on getting out and cleaning your own sidewalk. The streets however should have been hanndled by the city.

Paving, repairing, and otherwise repairing infrastructure is one of the few reasons we need to have governement. Unfortunately New York's governement is hostage to a union that is more about lining their own pockets and pouting when they don't get what they want than doing what is necessary for the city.

I hope all the union members who sat on their can and piddled along to give the city a black eye in a time of need take a good long look in the mirror this morning and realize how many innocent victims they have harmed. And then if they truly get it, maybe they'll be smart enough to resign from the union or at least force a change in leadership.

In chicago, we're required to shovel our section of the sidewalk.

Same in New York. When I lived there, the homeowner was responsible for clearing the sidewalk. Tickets were issued for non-compliance.

As far as the streets go, we paid taxes so that the sanitation dept. would clear the streets.

Pathetic people. We (DC residents) received a nearly a couple feet of snow a number of times last winter. Guess what, when the plows couldn't make it (because there was too much snow) we shoveled the streets. Yes it sucked, but if you want to get out, you have to do it yourself.

Now there is complaining that a city can't get remove snow from clogged streets. Sometimes S happens. Get over it. The city is responsible for keeping the roads clear, but when mother nature has other ideas. There is nothing you can do, but get a shovel.

how many would own a snow shovel?,i probably wouldn`t if i lived in the big apple.just like making fun of people in england for not being able to deal with snow.might be funny at first glance but people are the way they are for a reason,i would probably behave the same way.

Rick: Have you ever been to NYC? The roads in the residential area are narrow and there is NO PARKING. Everyone is responsible for cleaning their sidewalks, so that is a non issue. The issue is plowing the streets. It was not done in a timely manner and bad things happened. I do not know the circumstances behind why it was not done on time, but I am not going to sit here and call people lazy for needing access to the roadway for work or emergencies. This is NY and they have the equipment to move snow. They have been through 9/11, so you think their emergency response system would be light years ahead of anyone else in the country. So, before you start judging a commuter city like NYC that relies on mass transit more than personal vehicles take sometime to think about the logistics and then maybe you will look at things a little different or maybe, you wont because of your innate bias.

GET REAL

Correct: these lazy arrogant fools voted democrap. Don't worry Harry and Barry will send those rich white bankers to shovel for you! Get real and don't eatthe yellow snow, it's not dem. kool-aid.

Well I'm tired of people who read a small internet news story and conclude that a city of 6 million are all whiners. I love how NYC bashing is a sport in this country - mostly by ignorant southerners and midwesterners who have never been there! I certainly haven't heard any whining in the streets beyond a few stated facts of where the plows have missed. People here simply deal with it and go about their day.

Rick, if the "NC" stands for North Carolina you have nothing to say about snow response in NY. Talk about whiners, I've seen a whole state paralyzed for over a week due to a half inch of snow and they close schools when it gets cold out - with or without a storm!

lee Bloomberg is an Independent.

You pay taxes for the city to clear the streets but you are responsible for shoveling your own sidewalk/driveways.

Hey hillbilly, we DO clean our own sidewalks, you jerk. Don't you have some inbreeding to do?

When it's 6 inches - np. When it's 18 inches . . . ever see the Abbott and Costello flick where they're digging for buried treassure? Each digging their own hole and tossing the dirt into the other person's hole? No one gets anywhere. There is no unused space for snow to be piled in NYC. Most snow removal is handled by the sun melting it, the rest has to be loaded into trucks and dumped into the Hudson. That's a long way for most NYC residents to be carrying snow a shovel full at a time.

This not-so-rare NY snow event highlights the rational reason why greedy, unionized workers should have their "lifetime" jobs taken over by private contractors as has been done in a number of major cities. Then these workers can holler about something real while they file unemployment. Too bad, as they've had their chances and blown them.

reason why greedy, unionized workers should have their "lifetime" jobs taken over by private contractors

I couldn't agree more. Union workers (yes, I have lots of experience with them versus private contractors in city development) are the laziest people I have ever met in my life. I pray that before my time is over I see unions get their due and get wiped out. They had a purpose, they achieved their goals, and now they are worse than the corporations they were created to fight.

Snowplows were sabotaged by a bloated, inefficient, government staffed with overpaid, lazy workers.

New York City is one of the highest taxed areas on the planet and they cannot perform basic city services.

Those unplowed streets they keep showing are lined with parked cars on both sides of the street. My question is where do they put the snow in that case. Seems to me that cars will be buried if they try that. I think people in New York are expecting the impossible. People whine about budgets and deficits and then when they cant get services they whine some more.

robian

reason why greedy, unionized workers should have their "lifetime" jobs taken over by private contractors

I couldn't agree more. Union workers (yes, I have lots of experience with them versus private contractors in city development) are the laziest people I have ever met in my life. I pray that before my time is over I see unions get their due and get wiped out. They had a purpose, they achieved their goals, and now they are worse than the corporations they were created to fight.

More true every day. My best friend quit his 1st state job (road crew, cutting grass and such), when he was admonished by his super, for getting back in his tractor 5 minutes early, from his mandated hour lunch.

Most blue collar unions have already given back their gifts. Many steelworkers now get as little as TWO paid holidays a year for instance.

I know with my state job (and I should hush, but I never do, it a fault..lol) the state issued credit card I have is NEVER (cough cough) abused. My state issued vehicle is NEVER (cough cough) used for private reasons. and so on and so on.

If you can/could look up some of my posts from months ago, the list of PERKS for civil servants CAN be just sickening to the common folk. I mean really, unless you're a civil servant, who else gets up to 24 paid holidays a year ? (most from 12-16).

I treasure my friend that quit that job for the reason of "showed too much initiative" as far as his super was concerned.

Shoot, locally the city workers even get their frickn' birthday off paid !

Hey Rick, first I want to let you know that you are a low brow Moron with a single digit IQ. Secondly, I am Disabled, can barely walk and in extreme pain 24/7, so I cannot clean anything, and have a contractor take care of it for me. Third, just what some fool, from a Redneck backwards ass state like North Carolina know about snow, you parasites down there get a half inch, and they close the city down. So Moron Rick, jam a snow shovel up your ass!

Thank you FringeDivision for your response to Rick. Exactly what I would have said, but now you saved me having to type it.

This is just what Gov't looks like when you really pay attention to it.

Wasteful & Inefficient.

It's just usually is not right in front of your eyes.

As much as I dislike the Nanny State, here is a job that everyone agrees Gov't should be in charge of: keeping roads clear. And they can't even do that.

It amazes me that with all the traffic in NYC, the roads are not double decker there. The lower level would always be snow free, and you could nearly double the lane miles. It wouldn't be cheap, but what is in NY? The savings in lost time and inefficiency of moving products would more than exceed the initial cost.

The but then, Gov't would actually solve the traffic problem - and we can't have that.

But just think - one of the most liberal places in the US, with plenty of tax revenue and a plenty big enough Gov't - can't even handle a basic snow removal operation even when they knew it was coming in advance.

Ryan in Texas

Wow.

Worst blizzard in a while and they are just supposed to have it all clear? No, it's much easier to believe an accusation from a republican (ok, Independent) mayor that the evil unions are at fault, before an investigation or proof has been provided. And budget cuts couldn't have ANYTHING to do with this.

You fail.

Bloomberg and Schwartzeneger are Republicans?

Funny, they act more like liberals.

I guess it never snowed 20 inches in NYC before?

And the weatherman didn't predict this one for about a week?

Face it, your Gov't failed you again.

UMMM, BLOOMBERG IS GOP. Moron....

lee-936758

GET REAL

Correct: these lazy arrogant fools voted democrap. Don't worry Harry and Barry will send those rich white bankers to shovel for you! Get real and don't eatthe yellow snow, it's not dem. kool-aid.

Actually, Bloomberg was a democrat who switch to republican, then became an independent. But independent isn't a part affiliation, so I apply his last party affiliation. Republican. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg

Basically, he's been a republican since 2001. Which was a @!$%#ty year to pledge allegiance to the Grandstanding Obstructionist Party.

CBS News reported that the unions SLOWLY responded because they were mad at the mayor because of low pay raises.

I used to live in NYC. I moved cross country to LA when it snowed like this back in 1993.

Bloomberg and Schwartzeneger are Republicans?

Funny, they act more like liberals.

I completely agree. Arnie started out strong by overturning Gray Davis' decision to issue drivers licenses to illegal aliens. It was all downhill after that.

EXCEPT.... for one thing that Arnie did. He managed to get a NO PARTY PRIMARY SYSTEM passed in this state. It takes effect in 2012.

Well I'm tired of people who read a small internet news story and conclude that a city of 6 million are all whiners.

Where did you get this number? It's way off. The population of NYC is about 8.4 million.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/census/popdiv.shtml

Anyone who is found to have been intentionally derelict in their duties should be fired, period. If they were acting under orders, anyone involved in giving those orders should be fired, period. If you are a public worker, you don't just have a job, you have a duty to look out for those you serve. Those involved EPICALLY FAILED at their job and duty!!

It's a sad statement about the state of our nation that anytime someone fails to perform their job or duty, there are always people willing to defend them, be it the S.C. governor going on walkabout, a U.S. Army Private disclosing Classified documents or these losers who are responsible for clearing New York City's streets. This dereliction of duty probably contributed to storm casualties. THERE IS NO EXCUSE for that!!!

Oh, that will be a good response for Bloomberg. LOL

Rick, you're just begging for the bigots on here to blast you! Personally, I love dry humor.

ugh

I doubt anybody is trying to compare a disaster like Katrina to a snowstorm, which for most (not all) was no more than an inconvenience.

But in both cases, the authorities fell down on the job, and made excuses to cover their asses.

tired of hearing about katrina. It's been five years already. quit your own damn whining.

I agree completely o'really-1470447. I can't recall ever hearing a peep out of those people in Iowa all those times they got flooded. Instead of expecting somebody else to do something, they put on their work-boots and got to it. Unlike the people of New Orleans - who it seemed wanted everybody else to take care of it for them - with a few exceptions. But everybody wants to blame Bush for it - and conveniently ignore the fact that he ignored the Democrat Mayor and Democrat Governor and broke the then law by sending in FEMA BEFORE they - the mayor and governor - asked for help.

Sorry, I have no pitty for New Orleans. When Katrina hit and for a short time thereafter I did.

Then a few weeks after the storm I started hearing radio calls on the scanner to have the local PD come out and remove people from shelters that had been set up by volunteers and church organizations. The volunteers and churches were out of money and had no more means to continue to prop these people up, but they wouldn't leave and they wouldn't get off their butts and do anything to help themselves. They sat around like a bunch of parasites whining that they weren't getting any more hand outs.

And before anyone whines abhout Bush this or that, you should read TP's post because he's on the money. Bush put assistance in place before the storm and it was ready to go as soon as the storm passed. He didn't have any way to know that the dimwit mayor was going to tell everybody to run for shelter rather than get the hell out. On top of that, the mayor had many resources at his disposal that could have been used to get people out prior to the storm that went unused because he didn't have a clue and didn't have access to buy a clue.

It's nice to see so many posts I agree with in a row. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. They were given fair warning to get out. They were told the levees could fail. It's not the governments fault they didn't listen. You can use all the excuses you want about not having the means to leave. They had PLENTY of time to figure it out. Don't come crying afterward when you chose to ignore the warnings. Deal with it.

Rick -

People's taxes fund the sanitation dept. to clean the streets of snow, why should the people do it?!?!?!

The sidewalks are a different story though, you should be responsible for your own.

Katrina came at the end of the month, Gov't assistance checks go out at the beginning. If they left their houses, how would they get their checks?

Dependency on Gov't never helped anyone.

You don't live on a safety net. You use it in an emergency and then get off it so the next person can use it.

2/3 of Federal spending is Entitlements.

2/3 of State spending is Education and Social Services.

We are taking in record level tax revenue, but our Gov't is spending at even greater record levels.

40% of all Federal Spending is Borrowed.

The closer you look at our Gov'ts performance, the worse it looks.

Ryan - The gov't isn't perfect, but it's not like the private sector solves all problems. in fact, last i checked, the financial crisis was borne of de-regulation and GOP greed.

i bet when the gov't had a surplus (under, ahem, Clinton) you said we should all get it refunded. if only we had that money now.... i'm sure there's a chuch sermon you should be at right about now.

John-638398...An FYI....In NYC the sidewalks belong to the city, however whoever owns the building is required to maintain it. That includes shoveling it clear within 12 hours after it has stopped snowing and includes keeping it in good repair. If it gets cracked and may become a tripping hazard, the City (Sidewalk Police) will issue a summons to the building owner to repair it within 7 days.

Reports are that a full 10% of Sanitation workers called in "sick" the day of the snowstorm.....some 500 workers....

After IKE hit Houston, I was without power for almost three weeks. We didn't cry, complain or even get much help from FEMA (they said our our budget surplus would help carry us thru)...We bought generators, and did our best. We weren't even on the front page a couple weeks later and we still have people rebuilding (just like new orleans) .... but since it isn't Louisianna, it didn't matter... same will go here in New York.... unions have a stranglehold and it will be swept under the rug.... unless we rename the state New Louisianna.... then the govt will rush in and fix it all...

How were those people supposed to leave? They didn't own cars because they were poor. The airports were closed, the Greyhound bus service was shut down days before the hurricane hit and all the roads were closed. Never let the truth about circumstances have an effect on your self-righteous opinion, do you?

Had I been the mayor of the city I would have called in the school bus drivers and evacuated the people of the city in school buses. Never mind if it was legal or not, it would have gotten the people out of the flood zone and out of harm's way.

Your contempt for the victims of the worst natural disaster that's ever hit the country is completely inappropriate. Blaming the victims for not helping themselves is foolish. There was nowhere for them to go and no way to escape. Ryan's claim that they couldn't get their government checks if they left is ridiculous. There was no delivery of mail for weeks, in some areas for months.

What has a blizzard in NY to do with Katrina anyway?

Katrina was a cakewalk, compared to this snowstorm.

Snowstorms are snowstorms. That's about it. Nothing too great or amazing. Then again living in a seasonally flooded area you get use to the flooding and prepare for it.

North Dakota has gotten more than enough snow and is going to get a second system :D by the end of the weekend. Interstates are closed. There was a 100-car west of Fargo.

Your contempt for the victims of the worst natural disaster that's ever hit the country is completely inappropriate. Blaming the victims for not helping themselves is foolish

I don't have contempt for them. I just don't believe it is the government's fault with what happened. I think it's foolish to blame the government when they gave them warning about what could happen and they ignored it.

Blaming victims for not helping themselves is foolish? But blaming the government for not helping them after they told them to leave is what? Genius?

Personally, I am sick to death hearing about that little rain storm they called Katrina, it wasn't even a Class four storm, it's been five years, get over it! You Rednecks down South, close you're entire state when you just get a rare dusting of snow, you have 50 car pile ups, you don't come out of your homes for days, for what, a 1/2"snow storm, but when the Greatest City in the World(New York) is dumped on by a couple of feet of snow, where the city streets are impassable, and it brings everything to a hault, what do the hardest workers in the world do? New Yorkers go out, and get the job done, unlike you Rednecks down south, if you had just one Blizzard like we get, you all wouldn't come out of your homes until the spring.

I agree 100%

All I can say is tacky. Since NY is pretty much at a stand still. Who is going to be able to get to the city to celebrate the New Year eve? Personally I think they should have cancelled the festivities this year and used all that money to get the city cleaned up. I bet the only clear street are the ones leading to Times Square.

As for you people who say New Yorkers need to suck it up and stop whining. A blizzard is just as much a devastating natural event as a hurricane. Even if people wanted to shovel where would they put the snow? Not a lot of open space in NY to move the snow to.

good point debbie,my brother lived in gander newfoundland and even there he said that he and the guy next door kept filiing each others driveway.

I don't think a blizzard is as devasting as a hurricane. The snow melts and provides a fresh water resource to replenish lakes and streams. A hurricane doesn't fade away as easily.

with proper construction and not living below sea level a big snow storm is more of a problem,maybe not in seattle where it will probably melt but in wisconsin that first snow fall might be there till spring.strong winds just seem to blow away.

When a huricaine knocks out the power you end up hot and uncomfortable (excluding the infrequent situation when your whole city is underwater and you're trapped on a roof top - when heat exposure is life threatening.) When a blizzard knocks out the power, people freeze to death. Blizzards may not do the financial damage a hurricaine does, but they are considerably more miserable to endure and I have endured both and know.

I think people should prioritize a little better. Accept the fact that things may shut down because of bad weather. Anyone that wasted a 911 call to complain about snow on their street should be fined out the wazoo, along with those who were illegally parked so the plows couldn't do their job. And get rid of the damn union workers and find someone who would appreciate a job.

Jeremy, make sure when they get rid of the union workers they get their lifetime pensions and health benefits. They definitely earned it! <sarcarsm>

Debbie-1144654. A blizzard is just as much a devastating natural event as a hurricane.

You obviously haven't been though both, or even considered the basics of either. If you did absolutely nothing....a blizzard's results (lots of snow) would simply melt and no one would even know it happened with the exception of the occasional collapsing sports dome or Walmart roof.. Hurricanes destroy things and leave their marks for sometimes as long as a decade or more (ask Andrew survivors). Blizzards drop fluffy snow on your street that eventually........melts. Blizzards cause inconveneinces, and sometimes prevent people from modern day movement in vehicles, Hurricanes cause destruction to property and humans. Please, try to understand the difference.

None of these care anything about the horror or the devastation a hurricane brings. Our house was without power for six weeks after Hurricane Andrew. Without our purchase of a generator, we wouldn't have been able to cook, sleep, or shower in warm water for all that time.

We were lucky. We had little damage to our house. Some houses were completely destroyed by the Andrew.

Weather can be a killer.

The failure of Michigan road commissions is also astounding. Basically the govts don't have money and they sure as heck aren't going to waste it on clearing or keeping roads safe. Look at our last snow storm that started on a Sunday, took til the following Friday for streets and shoulders to actually be safe. God help you if you needed to pull off because a lot of roads only had the dividing line salted. That was it. Michigan is atrocious.

The unions are doing a great job, doing what they do best - not working, regardless of who they hurt or the damage done. Let's give them another big pay increase and better benefits, maybe then they might be happy enough to do their job.

There is no chance that will help - in the union mentality, more is never enough

So the people on Social Security don't get a raise, for the second year, but many, many workers got raises. Very frustrating, as I'm trying to live on my Social Security Disability, which is very difficult. Hard to have any sympathy for union workers, or protected government workers, even tenured teachers (that's another story). Great break for them, though!

I guess not raising the SS payments for people who need it (I'm on disability, and there's unfortunately no way I can work any longer) makes some people feel good. Not me, unfortunately. And are they really saying the cost of living has been stable? That really distresses me, because groceries, gas, water, electricities, and gasoline for my car and more have all gone up. Oh, yes, but they say there hasn't been any rise in the cost of living. It always makes me angry when I hear of others getting raises, and then not doing their jobs as well as they could. When I last worked I was 58 (worked most of my life) and I gave it 100%. Why doesn't everyone? So sad that people have such a poor work ethic.

Here's to fewer people working with a poor attitude and ethic, and an increase for those of us who desperately need the Social Security.

Kirigami......The Government metrics used to calculate inflation in regards to Cost Of Living Adjustments.....do NOT include energy prices or food prices. The 2 things where prices went through the roof !!....That's how they get "away" with stiffing the SS recipients....

How ridiculous is that! Thanks for the info.

Let's see your proof.

I gotta say that I believe it happened over there . By all? No. But everyone knows the lazy just there ta show up kinda guys on the job that would "jump" at the chance to do nothing. People are lowly, pathetic, corrupt and evil by nature. Even the Bible is based on the premise that sin has always existed and is ingrained in man for eternity. So you speak of retaliation? Noooo. Say it aint so.

Fact is this country is trash. I'm not calling it a name. I am simply making the observation from what I have seen from greatness as I grew to the last decade. Tit for tat is prevalent in politics and the motive is there. But we wont know until we know will we?

@o'really-1470447

Can't speak for your brother, but...

Most snow plow services contract to clear snow. They're paid upfront, and get paid whether it snows or not. They actually lose money when it snows.

... seems he's going about it all wrong.

Tim,

I don't know where you're from, but my town uses their county employees to clear snow. They get paid a ton of overtime when it snows.

My brother got rid of his contracts. Too much liability when someone falls. He now clears driveways for McMansion owners.

Uh, Michigan... so I know snow. Snow removal services clear drives, parking lots, etc., which I assume is what your relative does. If he doesn't do contracts, he's a fool. There isn't any liability shared by the snow removal service; that ALL falls back on the property owner, always has, always will. Sorry to call your bluff.

If this in fact a Union issue shouldn't they be charged with murder? Should the union be sent packing like Reagan did with PATCO (Air Traffic Controllers union)?

Unions and the thugs running unions are going to destroy this great country. We need to outlaw unions and their strong arm tactics.

I've been calling unions a cancer on society, I rest my case.

i don`t believe all unions are a like simply because of those sitting across the table that they bargain against.my wife belongs to a gov. union,i briefly belonged to a trade union,not the same beast at all.

I haven't seen a good union. And for everyone who says "If it weren't for unions, wages wouldn't be what they are, conditions wouldn't be as safe.....blah blah blah....", there are now labor laws to handle all that stuff. The only thing unions do is run the wages up and force companies to other countries. Sorry dobie, unions have already destroyed this country.

The article clearly states that the mayor has opened an investigation, and that at this point, the charges of sabotage are merely rumors. Yet you're ready to charge the supervisors with murder? Theft? Felony theft? Put them in prison?

Way to rush to judgement, guys. Don't bother waiting for the facts.

hey get rid of them all! there are plenty of mexicos finest living in nyc! they will work hard for much much less! you won't even have to give them pensions. maybe even get some smart landscaping bussiness to loan you a few! oh sorry they already have them on snow clean-up. well anyway this should be a US call for all mexicos finest to come to nyc because they need to get a job done more cheaper! good luck ny you need it.

Oh come on, Mayor Mike immediately sprang into action and told everybody to "go see a Broadway show."

you are joking right,why would he ban salt from restaurants.i have a cousin who has a strange disease that it think is called addisions,he needs to eat a large amount of salt.back to the story and it is probably good that all are not out shovelling,think of the heart attacks.which would not so much be caused from the salt they springle on themselves but the salt in their food before they get it.years ago around here and down through new england people lived on salt fish during winter.

Nope - he wasn't joking. Bloomberg also wants to put an extra tax on soda.

Where is Obama in all this? Shouldn't he have sent in FEMA by now?!?

Send FEMA for what? People aren't starving, and very few are dieing because of it. What do you want FEMA to do.

toolboy...Bloomberg needed all that salt to melt the snow.....see, worked good didn't it....Killed 2 birds with one stone......High Blood pressure and snow covered roads !!!

If the city is responsible for the streets, don't you think things would move quicker if everything else stopped long enough for them to do their job? All the morons calling 911 because there's snow on their street.... The other morons that illegally park, stopping plows from doing their job efficiently.....

New Yorkers are such wusses.

I like the anti-gun crusades.

This comment is so rude. "Jewish money?" You've got to be kidding. How discriminatory is that? Rude, Rude, Rude.

Yes Yes!!!! global warming.....oh no its starting to snow...run run for your life's, buy up the store, stock pile snow balls for ammo...yeah haw.

Right, global warming means it's going to immediately stop snowing. The temperatures are doing to soar and stay that way year-round. Note my sarcasm.

Trevor- if you don't own a home in NYC, you don't own a shovel....that makes up most of NYC....and the taxes that are paid to have our streets cleaned in a snowstorm are enormous.....the union decided to screw the people and stage a work slowdown and now the people must pay them back by removing them from their jobs and their bloated pensions.

I think Bloomberg is really screwed. He has promised an investigation to see if there was a slow down. If he finds no "evidence" the public will never support him again, and if he does find it he'll need to take drastic action which will kill his union support. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

He NEVER had a chance at president, even before this.

"I think Bloomberg is really screwed"

Sure hope you're right.

NY guy, you still have a responsiblity to clean your streets for walkers. I walked all over that city when i was there. I loved it, got to see things probably miss if in a cab or wait I did take the subway, had too. But still, shovels start working. We have to even if we rent too, or the landlord does. Work out a deal like we do, reduce rent I'll clean it. Have a blower, shovels and two kids that need to leave the wii behind and work. Have to do it at our restaurant too.

Now if the unions slow it down in protest, try unemployment line then and see how much money they get then for getting fired. And not sure what the unemployment rate is in the city but still Mayor hire them give them a shovel and point them to the streets.

The only New Yorker I want to see unemployed is Bloomberg.

If the union did stage a slow down, how would one prove it? Like someone is going to admit it. I've plowed snow before and there is no "standard speed", just a "safe speed". That's all these guys have to claim.

Yeah but they might have to put down their cell phones for a few minutes and make eye contact with their neighbors.

Shovel it to where? Most urban residential neighborhoods don't have a lot of "free" space... they would be shoveling the snow from their sidewalk either into the street or onto their neighbor's front door.

.....another guy who has never been to New York or knows anything about how people live here....

The thing is, NY residents pay huge tax dollars so the city will handle things like this. If the union workers had done their jobs it wouldn't have been nearly as bad.

Are they supposed to pay for the service then do it themselves anyway?

Valhalla Phil: I have let to see where it has been proven that they in fact have a slow down. It is being investigated, but just keep hating on the Unions, without having any proof of what happened. It fits your MO.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/sanit_filthy_snow_slow_mo_qH57MZwC53QKOJlekSSDJK

NYCguy, my sympathies are with you and the people of NY who got caught in this. You are cold, trapped and rightfully frustrated. Right now where I live, we are digging out from devastating mud and debris from the worse storm in ten years. Deaths have occurred and homes were lost. We would trade our mud for your snow any day but what it comes down to is that when Mother Nature vents, no one is safe from her wrath. But it also tests our survival skills. Hang in there NYC.

Maybe it is time to contract it out to NJ.

This is why unions are so evil. They wait to attack you when you are vulnerable. People have died over this disaster, the union needs to be sued into oblivion.

"Never waste a crisis"

"As much as I can get for as little as I can get away with"

Pick your favorite pro-Union slogan...

Neil, you forgot "Don't sh!t on your time and don't sweat on theirs.", "Unions keep the lazy man workin'.".

Discredit their members???? It wasn't the union leaders driving those plows, it was the members! The only members not fully culpable are the ones who came forward and confessed to the plot.

Phil not so easy to buck the union. Many good intentioned people are forced to fall in line. Easy to suggest "doing the right thing" when you are not the one under threat.

Tom, I agree. There are probably many people who would like to do the right thing. Unfortunately union peer pressure pressure prevents them from doing so.

I agree with you, where do they plow the snow when both sides of the streets are lined with parked cars?

In Chicago, in 1979, during the Jan. Blizzard, they had the same problem with cars parked on the streets, stalled in the middle of the street etc. What Chicago done, was toll cars, plowed the street and return the cars. The only problem back then was the union tow truck drives and the bosses, who would tell the city that they done work and never did. Then again It is politics as usual in Chicago, the the crooked Democrats at the Helm.

Nobody is blaming Bloomberg for the storm, they are blaming the city for dragging it's feet when they are paying taxes to have this handled.

In the end, Bloomberg is in bed with the unions, the unions caused this disaster to drag on to the point that people are dying, and both are screwed going forward.

I do not think the whiners of NYC are liberal or conservative I think they are just lazy SOB's who like to feel sorry for themselves. In the meantime a whole bunch of them are busting their collective butts trying to dig out of the mess. Don't think mother nature gives a damn about your political affiliation, If so would you ask her to drop me a note? I think she is an independent (which obviously NYC'er's are not)

Like we say in NY "eff you" with capital F.

You live in MN? Do you pay the sme level of Taxes we pay?

Why the hell do you think we live and put up with tourists like YOU?

We deserve much better because we pay high effing taxes and we don't care if other states have it worse.

eff you Bloomberg and eff the horse you rode in.

Have a nice day.

Then leave. You pay high effing taxes because there are a zillion other things NYC has to consider. Public Schools, for example, and your police officers. And, you get what you pay for: NY is consistently ranked quite high for public education and everyone knows about your boys in blue. So, forgive me if I could care less about the petulant whines of some self-entitled city-slicker when they get the same storm that we got the week before and handled much more efficiently because people listened to simple instruction.

So, go eff yourself. And go shovel your effing sidewalk and go move your effing car. Do you think that, being a New Yorker, you have an exclusivity to profanity as well?