House Minority Leader Eric Cantor has indicated that he wants the government to pay for FEMA disaster relief by cutting spending elsewhere. Governor Chris Christie said that our people are suffering now and that relief should not be subject to political games.
Cantor and Christie are both right.
Republicans who want to stop the run away spending on Washington that is leading us to economic ruin only control one house of Congress. They only have leverage over the Senate and the President in the event of an emergency, like when the debt ceiling must be extended or when disaster relief must be provided.
Those in the liberal media, like the Neptune Nudniks, who are critical of Cantor and the Tea Party Republicans in the House have no interest in reforming Washington’s ways. They are part of the problem.
As a result of the debt ceiling agreement, the Democrats in the Senate and the President have already agreed to trillions in spending cuts to be identified by the end of the year by congressional super commission or huge cuts to the military budget and entitlements will be triggered.
Democrats in the Senate can avoid the “political games” and provide disaster relief by going along with Cantor and identifying cuts sufficient enough to cover the cost of relief now.
“Government Affairs Representative Roberta Sheridan’s communication is fantastic”
“People think I am making this crap up!” exclaimed Middletown Mayor Tony Fiore in frustration over JCP&L personnel giving the public information that contradicts what he has been told by JCP&L’s government affairs representative Roberta Sheridan.
“Sheridan is doing a great job,” said Fiore, “she told me at 10:30 this morning that there were still 1518 customers in the township without power and that 1264 of them would be restored today and 254 tomorrow. Linemen are telling people they won’t have power anytime soon. On the phone they’re telling people they will have power next week.”
Fiore asked that MMM post Sheridan’s email so that Middletown residents would have accurate information and would not think that he is a sewer truck:
we are working all over the township today……….waiting for the areas to be identified……..total of 1,518 customers out in all of the Township, today we are scheduled to bring 1, 264 back in power the remaining 254 tomorrow………..r
Roberta Sheridan
JCP&L
5093 Monmouth County customers are still without power as of noon on Friday.
Joan’s power at the Toll Bros Riviera in Freehold Township came on overnight, but she is not happy. “JCP&L’s performance and communications were dispicable. I hope the Governor does something about it,” said Joan.
132 customers are still without power in Highlands. Meals will be distributed to Highlands residents without power this after noon between 3:30 and 6:30 at the community center on Snug Harbor Ave. Mayor Frank Nolan will hold a public information meeting at the community center at 7PM.
Estimated Customers Out For
MONMOUTH County
As of Sep 2, 2011 11:56 AM
Gateway National Recreation Area advises that Gunnison Beach will be closed this weekend due to flooding. All other Sandy Hook beaches are open, but you must wear a swimsuit.
Yesterday 28 acres of Gunnison were under water.
The structure in the photo is the concession stand, which was knocked over in the storm.
Kyrillos and Handlin Appeal For Monmouth County Relief
Governor Chris Christie requested that President Obama declare all of New Jersey eligible for federal disaster relief as a result of Hurricane Irene. Obama responded by declaring a “major” disaster in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties.
Individuals affected by Hurricane Irene in those counties are eligible for grants and loans to cover temporary housing, home repairs, and other programs for individuals and businesses.
Governments and non-profits in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties can apply for cost sharing funding to repair or replace facilities damages by Irene.
Federal funding is available for hazard mitigation throughout the state.
FEMA said that damage assessments would continue throughout New Jersey and that other counties could become eligible for federal relief as the surveys are completed.
Senator Joe Kyrillos and Assemblywoman Amy Handlin both dispatched letters to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate urging that Monmouth County be added to the list of New Jersey counties eligble for federal funding.
“Last weekend’s storm wreaked havoc on the entire state, including Monmouth County, causing power outages, sever flooding and extensive property damage,” Kyrillos stated. “Public infrastructure such as roads and bridges were closed for days, families and businesses were without power and the extensive damage to trees, buildings and power lines will be a huge cost to the public. We need the same federal assistance that other New Jersey counties are receiving.
Published reports indicated that Monmouth Countysheltered 2,200 people in the Colts Neck, Holmdel and Wall high schools, and provided 4,500 meals. Governor Christie has also called on the President to declare that a major disaster area exists statewide in order to provide federal financial assistance to governments, residents and businesses.
“I urge in the strongest possible terms that the Administrator of FEMA add Monmouth County to the list of New Jersey’s disaster areas,” Kyrillos continued. “This is an accurate designation given what residents, business owners and municipalities endured during this devastating storm.”
“Hurricane Irene’s damage was not limited to five counties in New Jersey,” Handlin, R-Monmouth, said. “Communities in Monmouth County suffered extensive damage to their roads and infrastructure. And, it has been quite costly to area residents and businesses who have gone several days without power.”
County roads also sustained major damage, including a sinkhole on Hubbard Avenue in Middletown that took out a portion of the southbound lane near the Shadow Lake dam.
Governor Christie requested a federal disaster declaration for the entire state on Tuesday and on Wednesday President Obama approved the declaration, and relief, for Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic and Somerset counties.
“Governor Christie has shown tremendous leadership throughout this catastrophe and the federal government has been willing to work with New Jersey as we recover,” Handlin said. “Federal officials have indicated they could include more counties in the disaster declaration and I urge them to add Monmouth County because our local communities cannot fix the damage inflicted by Hurricane Irene on their own.”
This website consolidates the application process across several Federal agencies, including FEMA and the Small Business Administration. The website also reduces the number of forms you will ultimately have to fill out, shortens the time it takes to apply and allows you to check the progress of your applications online.
If you want to apply by phone rather than the Internet, you can call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362).
Joan (not her real name) from Freehold Township just called. She lives in the 55 and over Riviera development in Freehold Township.
Joan says that half of the development is still without power. She called JCP&L as was told, “You’re not a priority.” I don’t think that is what BPU President Lee Solomon had in mind when he advised JCP&L to have their people “tell the truth.”
Joan has evacuated to her son’s home in Camden County. Yet she is worried for her neighbors and friends, many of whom are invalids she says. “People are really suffering, their lives and health are at risk. Who can I call?”
I suggested calling the Freehold Township Police. “They’re too busy. We called for a man that needed medical attention and they said to take him to the emergency room. We called an ambulance and it never came.”
“Christie said on 101.5 to contact his office for anything, do you have his number?” I gave it to her.
Joan, who moved her from New York, says she has frequent power outages since she moved to Riviera. “JCP&L said they were aware of the problem, but nothing has improved. Their equipment is too old.”
Joan’s experience too common in the JCP&L service area. Her immediate emergency as well as her long term experience.
Power outages are an expected occurance in the JCP&L service areas. In the 17 years I have lived in a JCP&L service area I chalked it up to living on the ocean or or atop of a hill.
That is obviously not the case. Atlantic City Electric has only 92 active outages effecting only 148 customers.
JCP&L’s management and lack of infrastructure investment is the problem.
It was nice to wake up in air conditioning and not have to head off to Starbucks or McDonalds for power and Wifi.
I spent more time inside McDonalds this week since, well since ever. I would have had to work at a McDonalds to have spent more time inside one than I did this week. Perhaps it is an indication of the state of the economy. Perhaps it is a indication of McDonalds’ recruitment and training. Perhaps it is an indication of my prejudices. Perhaps all of the above. It seems to me that the people working at the McDonalds on Route 35 in Middletown and the one on Route 36 in Leonardo are decidedly more middle class than I expected. They are friendly, articulate, accommodating and industrious. No one asked me, “Would you like fries with that?” I learned what a McFlurry is.
Governor’s Conference Call
Last night I was invited to listen into a conference call Governor Christie held with his cabinet and elected officials throughout the State. Christie has been holding these calls at least daily since the days before Irene hit.
Despite the mixed reviews I had heard about these calls from several elected officials who had been on them during the week, I was impressed.
I am impressed with the quality of the team that Governor Christie has assembled to manage our State government. Over the course of my career I have participated in or been privy too several executive level conferences in both the private and public sector. In very large enterprises and small. Christie’s team stands out. They are extraordinarily competent and focused on getting the job done.
There was quite a bit of conversation about JCP&L. Monmouth County is not the only place suffering with JCP&L’s inadequate and disingenuous response to the storm. Mayor Timothy McDonough of Warren County’s Hope Township reported frustrations with JCP&L that are very similar to what we’ve experienced in Monmouth County.
BPU President Lee Solomon recounted a conversation with JCP&L executives who asked him what more he thought they should be doing. “Tell your people to tell the truth,” Soloman said, “if your people are talking to a mayor or councilman, tell them the truth. Don’t tell them what you think they want to hear or what you think will make them go away.” Imagine that.
Christie and Solomon said they’d be talking further about JCP&L after the call last night. Solomon said BPU was focused on getting all the power up and that JCP&L was on his radar for further work after the crisis has past.
Christie said that since Sunday the utilities have been restoring power at a rate of 8900 customers per hour. JCP&L has obviously been dragging down that average. Overnight last night they restored power at a rate of little over 1000 customers per hour just in Monmouth County.
The contrast between PSEG’s response to Irene and JCP&L’s response is like comparing the Yankees to the Mets. Sorry Governor.
PSEG vs. JCPL
As of early this morning, PSEG has 15,000 customerswithout power in their entire service area. There service area includes Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Union, Passaic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset Counties.
JCP&Lhas 19,314 customers without power just in Monmouth County. They have 13,834 customers without power in Morris County, 9934 in Sussex County, 5941 in Hunterdon County, 6732 in Somerset County, 3643 in Union County, 3324 in Essex, and 3124 in Warren. If I missed any…so did JCP&L.
A loyal MMM reader provided an antedotal contrast between PSEG and JCP&L:
My father was a construction super for PSE&G for 40 years. I am literally first person in my family who came to this country who not to work for PSE&G— great grandfather when it was a trolly car company, my grandfather, my father and uncles, etc. all worked for PSE&G. Every time there were events like this my father would be living in portable trailers at job sites for months at a time. He always said JCPL sucked and never invested in infrastructure since they were bought by First Energy out of Ohio. PSE&G would have to bail them out all the time. PSE&G is a New Jersey company with more than 100 year history here. Most of its employees all live here too. Note where First Energy’s executive’s live: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/about/leadership_team.html.
That story is consistent with the graphic that greets visitors to PSEG’s website:
Contrast that to the lunatic who says he’s a JCP&L lineman that has been harassing me and Mike Halfacre in the comments here and on facebook. I hope that rectum crater is not really a JCP&L lineman blogging during this crisis, but given the JCP&L response and the info he has given me to contact his union office, I wonder. I’ll be contacting his union and continuing to delete is his comments here.
Estimated Customers Out For
MONMOUTH County
As of Sep 1, 2011 6:29 AM
It’s been three hours since JCP&L’s Roberta Sheridan told Middletown Mayor Tony Fiore that “all available men” would be dispatched to the Monmouth County Bayshore for repairs to the Belford substation and the Stone Church substation.
There are no men at Belford. There is not a JCP&L truck in sight. There’s Comcast and Verizon trucks, but no JCP&L. There are tanker trucks moving up and down Route 36 filled with sewage. Apparently the trucks are not the only thing full of shit around here.
JCP&L's Belford Substation at 10:10 AM, August 31, 2011
An angry and frustrated Fiore told MMM that the Governor’s office called him this morning to check on if he had heard from JCP&L.
Maybe the circuts that have to be repaired are off sight. Or maybe JCP&L is placating the Governor’s office while bullshitting municipal elected officials.
Middletown Mayor Tony Fiore called at 7:22 AM to report that JCP&L Government Affairs Representative Roberta Sheridan had just called.
JCP&L is moving “all available men,” into the Bayshore of Monmouth County. That’s about 300 workers, per Fiore. Work will finally get started on the Belford substation which powers most of the Bayshore.
Multiple sources have told MMM that the Belford station was a problem. JCPL (not Sheridan) has been saying that the substation was underwater (it wasn’t) that its old (it is) and that they didn’t know when they would get to it.
Yesterday afternoon they hadn’t gotten to it. It wasn’t wet, but it was rusty….on the top, not the bottom. It’s elevated and the ground was dry all around it. This was not one of the underwater substations.
In an ironic and infuriating twist, while I was inspecting the Belford substation yesterday, Comcast workers, who now use the former JCP&L building adjacent to the substation were taking delivery of small generators. Well one or two of them were taking delivery while 9 or 10 watched.
The Stone Church substation off Sears Ave in Atlantic Highlands is the other problem for Northeast Monmouth residents and businesses. The misinformation being spread to area elected officials by JCPL about this substation is disgusting. One story was that trees fell on it and destroyed it. Another story was trees fell on it and it “burnt up.” ” Burnt up” could mean a fire or it could mean a blown transformer. Neither was the case. No members of the Highlands, Atlantic Highlands or Navesink Fire Companies knew of any calls to the substation in the last week. MMM went to the substation. No signs of a recent fire or the lingering smell of a blown transformer. The substation was not underwater. There were sounds of electricity though!
Stone Church Substation, August 30, 2011
Fiore said that Sheridan told him that the real problem with the Stone Church substation is topography with the lines going to and from the station. Trees on the lines and downed lines will cause further delays to electric customers being serviced by this station.
Fiore has been a bulldog of an advocate for Middletown residents and the entire Bayshore during the aftermath of Irene. During the Real Jersey Guys Radio Show yesterday afternoon, Fiore couldn’t get through on the call in lines so he sent a text informing us that he had gotten through to the Governor’s office about the Bayshore situation and asked that the Belford and Stone Church substations be made a priority. The head office said they would do so. Within an hour lights started coming on in Belford and Atlantic Highlands. Then Sheridan called first thing this morning.
Here’s a recording of the radio show, in case you didn’t have power and are listening to it next week sometime.
The show featured Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre and stories of his multi-year battle with JCP&L and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande reporting on the great works of Monmouth volunteers, law enforcement and genuinely finding the silver lining in the mutliple Irene clouds.
Gateway National Recreation Area advises that Gunnison Beach will be closed this weekend due to flooding. All other Sandy Hook beaches are open, but you must wear a swimsuit.
Yesterday afternoon they hadn’t gotten to it. It wasn’t wet, but it was rusty….on the top, not the bottom. It’s elevated and the ground was dry all around it. This was not one of the underwater substations.
