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This is not how it used to work. IIRC, during the Katrina era, FEMA had to be invited in by the actual State to set up relief efforts, then they took over operations but many things have changed since then.Were those provided by FEMA or the city? Either way I'd think FEMA just provides the device and the locality decides what to do with it.
It's the least I can do and I hope it lifts some spirits.
You're a champ.
Sorry I didn't mean to imply FEMA only - it may well be the city - it's just wrong on so many levels.I understand the want and need to move forward - but when some people get get food and are still in need for rescuing, you are going to close down a bridge for a race. Have huge tents with power, etc etc. How about using those tents for the workers that need a break and some hot food, etc etc.This is not how it used to work. IIRC, during the Katrina era, FEMA had to be invited in by the actual State to set up relief efforts, then they took over operations but many things have changed since then.Were those provided by FEMA or the city? Either way I'd think FEMA just provides the device and the locality decides what to do with it.
Yeah, I see both sides of the marathon coin. On the one side, you have the keep it going because it could help lift the spirits and it will bring in good revenue to help the city. They could even set up donation booths. On the other hand, it's way too soon. People are still trying to dig out. There's some unaccounted for. Getting around is still a mess. Mass power outages (though it sounds like a lot will be restored over the next 36 hours).They really should put it off. Either a few weeks or months. Why not have it in the spring if later in the month is too cold?Sorry I didn't mean to imply FEMA only - it may well be the city - it's just wrong on so many levels.I understand the want and need to move forward - but when some people get get food and are still in need for rescuing, you are going to close down a bridge for a race. Have huge tents with power, etc etc. How about using those tents for the workers that need a break and some hot food, etc etc.This is not how it used to work. IIRC, during the Katrina era, FEMA had to be invited in by the actual State to set up relief efforts, then they took over operations but many things have changed since then.Were those provided by FEMA or the city? Either way I'd think FEMA just provides the device and the locality decides what to do with it.
Just can't believe they are doing this on schedule when people are still digging out.
Hell the Steelers decided to fly in on game day instead of having people scurry to try and find them somewhere else to stay, since their hotel they were supposed to stay is still a mess. Not sure how I feel about the Ginats playing, although there area is "not as bad" in Jersey...
Just for clarification, it is essentially impossible to postpone a major marathon. Handling the logistics of street closings, transportation to the start/finish, etc. is a full-time for somebody every year. You can't just move it around on a few week's notice. The only realistic options are to run it as scheduled or to cancel it altogether. That's especially true for the NY marathon, which is probably the single most complicated marathon in the world, even in a normal year. I doubt that anybody who signed up for New York would have been surprised if it had been cancelled.
Move it a couple weeks. I understand there are issues but guess what everyone up there has issues that are not a minor inconveinence.... I heard somebody on the radio argue "well a lot of money collected from the race goes to charity", the host reply was " YOU can still donate the same money without running it". I think the big thing is you have all the extra police and emts/medical staff on duty for this race, when people are currently in need of their services.This turned out way worse than people thought. I was lucky to be in an area that was minimally affected but that doesn't mean I'm blind to the tragedy that has happened, like many people seem to be.Yeah, I see both sides of the marathon coin. On the one side, you have the keep it going because it could help lift the spirits and it will bring in good revenue to help the city. They could even set up donation booths. On the other hand, it's way too soon. People are still trying to dig out. There's some unaccounted for. Getting around is still a mess. Mass power outages (though it sounds like a lot will be restored over the next 36 hours).They really should put it off. Either a few weeks or months. Why not have it in the spring if later in the month is too cold?Sorry I didn't mean to imply FEMA only - it may well be the city - it's just wrong on so many levels.I understand the want and need to move forward - but when some people get get food and are still in need for rescuing, you are going to close down a bridge for a race. Have huge tents with power, etc etc. How about using those tents for the workers that need a break and some hot food, etc etc.This is not how it used to work. IIRC, during the Katrina era, FEMA had to be invited in by the actual State to set up relief efforts, then they took over operations but many things have changed since then.Were those provided by FEMA or the city? Either way I'd think FEMA just provides the device and the locality decides what to do with it.
Just can't believe they are doing this on schedule when people are still digging out.
Hell the Steelers decided to fly in on game day instead of having people scurry to try and find them somewhere else to stay, since their hotel they were supposed to stay is still a mess. Not sure how I feel about the Ginats playing, although there area is "not as bad" in Jersey...
I don't believe this to be true. Sure it's "tough" to postpone it, but not impossible.
Well I guess you're right. It is impossible. I mean I read it on the internet and everything.
I'm as strong a union. Guy as anyone but it's stuff like this that shoots them in the foot. Guess what union boys, YOU AREN'T GETTING THE JOB DONE. Bottom line.
at "impossible"NYC is under a form of martial law right now. I'm sure this wide swath of power could encompass taking a Sunday in a few weeks or April and close down the roads to pull this off. Will the travel be more complicated and hotel bookings more of a burden? Certainly and all the runners couldn't race. But the major ones and local ones could. My office is underwater and I'm working out of the Marriott marquis right now. Full of euro runners. Nearly all oblivious to the situation they're in. But if Bloomberg and the state can unilaterally make all crossings HOV lanes, taxis can be put on a multi passenger Zone system, then surely this race can be staged. And outside of your point IK, a few other personal thoughts on thisThe ship has sailed as far as public sentiment. You run across literally NO ONE in town who supports this. The brain trust of this event are juiced in wine and cheeseheads that probably aren't even aware that chelsea is part if the city, never mind staten island. This event COULD have been what they are shouting from the hilltops it will be with a delay. A rebound from a bend but don't break moment. Now it feels like a unilateral slap in the face that no one supports. Hell I wouldn't WANT To run in This. People are mad and they don't know at what at this has become the lightening rod. Not saying its productive energy but it wouldn't shock me to see these runners pelted with fruit or eggs or what have you. I mean, to start in staten island is just so staggeringly stupid, it's crazy. It's a pure war zone on the south shore and to fire a starting gun and have this "celebration" while bodies are being plucked a mile away is appalling.
This was correct then, and is still correct. FEMA never serves as a first-response unit. FEMA will come in later and provide support if a city's or state's resources become overwhelmed. FEMA also has a significant role in post-disaster recovery funding.
100% correct. FEMA has no physical resources. It relies on the fact that a municipality has done its homework before a disaster strikes in identifying the community's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT analysis) and has identified the resources necessary to INITIALLY handle the recovery efforts.
That's about as fast as it will ever be. Local resources are the first line of assistance (in cases like Sandy, municipal shelters). After a major storm passes, another 36 hours or so is spent "triaging" damaged areas, identifying areas of especial need, and ensuring that routes of ingress/egress are available to deliver supplies.There is likely some more efficiency yet to be gained in the process, but not on the order of shaving 12-24 hours off. Nevertheless, your point about "every day counting" is well taken.
Well worth perusing these photos. The powered-up folks running extension cords out to the sidewalk for strangers to come and charge their phones ... that's a simple thing, but an immense help at times like this.
His mother was a mudder!
Seeing 50,000 people crammed onto a race track and running around it for several hours would be cool to see. Maybe a taxi driver with instincts for avoiding traffic would win the race.
This might have been a rumor, or a misunderstanding of some sort.http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15654094&postcount=4
You can keep saying that if you want to, but the fact is that no, they can't postpone it for the reasons that I explained. In addition, since you seem to need more convincing, a postponment pretty much destroys the travel plans for tens of thousands of people who suddenly need to scramble for flights and hotel rooms that may or may not be available, to say nothing of the fact that if you've trained for a marathon, you don't just put it off a month (marathon training doesn't work that way). The logistics of staging an event like this mean postponment isn't an option, but runners who are registered for the event would probably just as soon see the event cancelled than postponed too. Like I mentioned earlier, cancellation would have been a perfectly reasonable choice. Everybody who registers for a race does so knowing that there is a non-zero probability that it may be cancelled. Every once in a while a marthon is cancelled a couple of days before the race. Sometimes they get cancelled mid-race (this happened with the Green Bay marathon earlier this spring). I can't imagine that any runners would have seriously objected to a cancellation.The only reason why I'm posting about this at all is so those of you who are wondering "Why didn't they just postpone it a few weeks" understand now why that wasn't seriously considered.
When your "solution" involves the imposition of martial law, you've answered the question of why postponment isn't a realistic option.
I'm sure this wide swath of power could encompass taking a Sunday in a few weeks or April and close down the roads to pull this off.
Will the travel be more complicated and hotel bookings more of a burden? Certainly and all the runners couldn't race. But the major ones and local ones could.
My office is underwater and I'm working out of the Marriott marquis right now. Full of euro runners. Nearly all oblivious to the situation they're in.
But if Bloomberg and the state can unilaterally make all crossings HOV lanes, taxis can be put on a multi passenger Zone system, then surely this race can be staged.
And outside of your point IK, a few other personal thoughts on this
The ship has sailed as far as public sentiment. You run across literally NO ONE in town who supports this. The brain trust of this event are juiced in wine and cheeseheads that probably aren't even aware that chelsea is part if the city, never mind staten island.
This event COULD have been what they are shouting from the hilltops it will be with a delay. A rebound from a bend but don't break moment. Now it feels like a unilateral slap in the face that no one supports. Hell I wouldn't WANT To run in This. People are mad and they don't know at what at this has become the lightening rod.
Not saying its productive energy but it wouldn't shock me to see these runners pelted with fruit or eggs or what have you.
I mean, to start in staten island is just so staggeringly stupid, it's crazy. It's a pure war zone on the south shore and to fire a starting gun and have this "celebration" while bodies are being plucked a mile away is appalling.
The track could even take bets, with proceeds going to charity.
My point is, the city can, and does act unilaterally with reasonable windows of notice. Roads are closed for construction or film shoots with as little as 3 weeks notice. To you this is a Herculean feat.When your "solution" involves the imposition of martial law, you've answered the question of why postponment isn't a realistic option.
I'm sure this wide swath of power could encompass taking a Sunday in a few weeks or April and close down the roads to pull this off.
Will the travel be more complicated and hotel bookings more of a burden? Certainly and all the runners couldn't race. But the major ones and local ones could.
My office is underwater and I'm working out of the Marriott marquis right now. Full of euro runners. Nearly all oblivious to the situation they're in.
But if Bloomberg and the state can unilaterally make all crossings HOV lanes, taxis can be put on a multi passenger Zone system, then surely this race can be staged.
And outside of your point IK, a few other personal thoughts on this
The ship has sailed as far as public sentiment. You run across literally NO ONE in town who supports this. The brain trust of this event are juiced in wine and cheeseheads that probably aren't even aware that chelsea is part if the city, never mind staten island.
This event COULD have been what they are shouting from the hilltops it will be with a delay. A rebound from a bend but don't break moment. Now it feels like a unilateral slap in the face that no one supports. Hell I wouldn't WANT To run in This. People are mad and they don't know at what at this has become the lightening rod.
Not saying its productive energy but it wouldn't shock me to see these runners pelted with fruit or eggs or what have you.
I mean, to start in staten island is just so staggeringly stupid, it's crazy. It's a pure war zone on the south shore and to fire a starting gun and have this "celebration" while bodies are being plucked a mile away is appalling.
Nobody from Alabama or the area is cited noted this happening. Basically it's just a rumor that's useful to some people it seems.-QG
And you can keep arguing the point. It doesn't make you right. They're already scrambling for flights and hotel rooms. Professional marathoners train all the time. Marathons have been postponed (as well as cancelled) before. It's not unprecedented and it is an option. NYRR likes to bill themselves as swift and nimble and able to plan for anything from storms to security threats and they can certainly postpone this until spring.
I'm friends with Len Conticello, the guy responding to the facebook post about the generator. He lives in St. Augustine, FL and did a local drive to get supplies to fill a Penske truck and I think is driving up today. Thanks for the link.
Literally had tears running down my face. Every time I count humanity out, I see stuff like this. Just wish everyday could be this way.
Somehow that should not be allowed. I believe you but that shouldn't happen. Best wishes, thanks for the update/story, you actually sound mildly lucky compared to others.'Gawain said:
Ditto.
While you are correct about marathoners training all the time, most are using periodization techniques that have them peaking for a specific week. As far as moving it to spring, many are signed up for Boston or have other events in their racing calendar. Postponement isn't a realistic option, it should have been canceled.I heard this event is being televised on ESPN. If that's true, then I'm sure revenue was the driver behind this decision.
Don Boudreaux's letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer is on point:
If 47 people want batteries (when they are priced at $1 each), but there are only 8 batteries available, how should they be distributed?It seems to me that a pretty good way to distribute them is to raise the price until only 8 people want them at that price. We want to get the batteries to the people who need them most; and while willingness to pay isn't a perfect proxy for need, it seems at least as good as anything else I can think of.What are some better alternatives?
He's right, of course. If a store isn't allowed to raise its prices to the point where supply and demand intersect, hoarders will buy up the whole supply of batteries at the store's low price and then sell them on the black market to whoever is willing to pay the most.Why is a black market preferable to a legal market?
Give the batteries away for free to the 1st 8 people who ask for them.
