Mayor Bloomberg told President Obama not to visit NYC because he would be a distraction.
But he has given approval to the annual NYC marathon, which attracts thousands of runners from around the world and requires hundreds of police to supervise.
The borough president of Manhattan Scott Stringer has called for the cancellation of the marathon.
Justin Wedes of Occupy Wall Street has an even better idea. How about directing the energy of he runners to bring relief supplies to the communities that are suffering?
This is the message Justin sent on the NYC Parent website to Scott Stringer:
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer calls on Mayor Bloomberg to cancel the #NYCMarathon http://ow.ly/eY98f
Patrick — our hurricane relief coalition is interested in working with orgs/the city to develop an alternative Sandy Marathon of relief support that will visit most affected neighborhoods and get support/aid to them. Could you put me in touch with any interested parties?
-justin
—
Justin Wedes
Educator & Activist
Co-principal, Paul Robeson Freedom School
Twitter: @FreedomSchoolBK
Facebook: facebook.com/Education4Liberation
Web: http://paulrobesonfreedomschool.org/
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Insanity. This reminds me of when New Orleans help Mardis Gras before all the bodies had even been uncovered in the Ninth Ward and most of the community had not returned. The argument was that public rituals prove resilience in the face of disaster but rituals should also convey collective respect and empathy for those who are suffering.
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“…rituals should also convey collective respect and empathy for those who are suffering.”
Very well stated. I agree. A large event at this time should serve a useful function or express community respect for the lives lost. A show of “resilience” can come later.
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Lance, I have to respectfully disagree with you. I’m a native New Orleanian and that Mardi Gras was incredibly important for our psyche. I don’t know a single person here who wasn’t overjoyed by it. Shared rituals remind us that we are still a community and that we have love. People returned for it and got to see each other again. I remember the love, the hugs, the stories. There is no doubt that it was the best thing we could have done. In fact, we were lucky that we had something to rally around. Do you remember the second line after Katrina? it was a life saver.
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I am thoroughly convinced that Bloomberg is abysmally ignorant to put the PR wants of this city above the needs of its citizens struggling after the hurricane. (As if his handling of the schools wasn’t enough of a clue…)
Many people in Staten Island are homeless, but by all means, Mr. Mayor, let’s bring a contingent of runners and the press and spectators they attract to the Verrazano for a running contest. I think there are far better ways to burn calories in a disaster zone, no offense to those who’ve painstakingly trained. It is not time for fitness competitions. It’s time for people to come to the aid of their fellow citizens and for their mayor to focus his attention on the greater public good.
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Cancel the marathon! Manhattan has 2 hospitals that are shut down (Bellevue & NYU) & perhaps elsewhere. They’re still searching & finding bodies (children).
People have been without homes, heat, water, food, medications, transportation.
The marathon group donated $1M yet have generators maintaining a marathon tent. The generators for the tent could heat 400 homes.
Also, when you hear the number of customers without power, the number is misleading. One apartment building with 1000 residents = 1 customer.
They are saying lower Manhattan will have power by Saturday & the problem will disappear. Really? What about the outer boroughs where power isn’t expected until November 10th.
Health departments are talking about the pollutants in the flood water. Things like paint thinner, pesticides. Toxins are in the water because the water flooded homes & businesses and poisons entered the flood waters.
Remember after 9-11 and they said the air was safe, no risk?
They should be spending money & time working on protecting residents & repairing schools so children can learn in a school that’s not toxic due to the hurricane.
Someone suggested runners run up stairs to bring food, water, and medicine to residents too old, weak, or immobile to up & down steps in buildings without power.
FWIW — perhaps Bloomberg endorsed Obama because he wants to see climate control legislation.
Or perhaps he wants to take the focus off of overbuilding in NYC during his terms. When the water comes on land — it has to go somewhere. When there are building everywhere (including underground) the water has no place to go other than further inland, into homes & businesses.
Cancel the marathon & save lives. I doubt runners coming from outside NYC are aware of the devastation, health & safety risks in NYC due to Sandy.
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I can see both sides of the argument. I get the sports, normalcy, and importance to the community, etc. But – how much does/will it cost NYC and during this time is it really worth it to redeploy the resources and personal necessary for this race along with the increased security and police presence. I mean- does Mike really want to be remembered for this bone-headed decision?
I agree with Justin regarding his suggestion of an alternative event. It has better optics, draws attention to the problem and also garners the positive PR that Mike so desperately seeks. But hey- I’m just one of those pesky teachers; not a career politician or media – I’ll leave it at that.
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Diane,
People in Staten Island, which is the borough with the greatest loss of life, is getting very little assistance compared to lower Manhattan. Some areas are not getting food or water. Those people are desperate. When Bloomberg said yesterday that temps in the low 50s is not cold, I wanted to slap him through the TV since this is the same man who had a window-sized air conditioner installed in his SUV so the interior can remain cool during the summer when it’s parked outside City Hall. But the marathon will go on. I suppose if people from around the world and other parts of the US are already here, then maybe it should. But I worry for the people in our city who need the assistance of the police department. Looting is on the rise.
But I think you should know how heartless the DoE is being. Today teachers are to report back to work. The fear is that it’s for useless PD which I hope is not the case. But many are without gas and transit is still running slowly and the crowds are huge.
So what did Walcott do??? Late last night, when most people are asleep or not checking their DoE email, he announced a 10am arrival time.. I am sure the majority of teachers did not see that notice. This late start time could have been announced yesterday or the day before. It made perfect sense given the overcrowding on highways, buses and trains. The lack of common courtesy and respect for teachers is so evident. I wonder if Walcott informed his own daughter??? Walcott does not act without the mayor’s permission since mayoral control. This was a deliberate slap in the face to teachers, many of whom have lost property, living without hot water and electricity, or stuck in their high-rise apartments. Many of whom cannot find enough gas to get them to and from work. There was nothing to “prepare” for. Teachers know how to conduct a lesson on a hurricane and its aftermath. I just hope the teachers who show up today are given the courtesy to decide for themselves what needs to be done since report cards are soon due, along with any other paperwork for the ending of the first marking period, parent-teacher conferences, and of course preparing their classroom for November which usually requires new bulletin boards.
I sincerely hope they take the time to find out if any other staff or members of their school community need assistance and what they can do to help. Common Core and testing be damned!!
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Apparently common sense has taken a vacation is in NYC. Teachers are to report to schools this Friday for what? It reminds me of when our dear chancellor in DC had teachers report on a Friday for a PD. Just a few days after DC received 32” of snow and roads were down to one lane in each direction. This appears to be an attempt to torture and toy with teachers.
BTW-I forgot about the AC in Mike’s SUV. It’s kind of ironic in light of his concerns about global warming and his endorsement of Obama and the subsequent article in Business Week regarding Global Warming.
It’s Global Warming, Stupid
By Paul M. Barrett on November 01, 2012
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-01/its-global-warming-stupid#r=hpt-ls
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Good Morning- I am an elementary school principal in a K- 6 building. Each time a crisis has occurred, and is on the news for hours and days at a time, I have instructed the children in my building to watch for the heroes. It has been my way, of trying to help them find the good in people. It has been my way of helping them cope with a crisis. We are in the midst of doing several service projects. We are collecting canned goods for the Lions’ needy fund; we are collecting pennies for paws for the SPCA. In the past, we have collected money for Doctors Sans Borders. We are ALL concerned about New York City because all of us have relatives either in Manhattan or Long Island. My students do not understand why the generators have been brought in for the Marathon. They do not understand why the generators aren’t being used to heat the homes of those in need. They do not understand why people are rummaging through the garbage for food. They do not understand that the Mayor has given his approval for the Marathon to go on as scheduled. They are asking why would anyone bring in more people to an area that has so much chaos. Should I tell them that the wealthy Mayor caters to the wealthy sponsors? Have any of the wealthy sponsors come forward with donations? Will the wealthy movie stars come forward with donations ? Will the wealthy be of service? When the children ask, I tell them just wait and see— keep you eyes open for heroes. As my elementary students gather to see what we all can do to be of service, a little hand goes up and the child says: ” I have alot of toys with batteries. I hear the people need batteries. I can take them out of my toys and send them.” I have plenty of other things to play with— when we go to the Bills games; we buy hand warmers and sock warmers— should be send those?” Out of the mouths of babes Mr. Mayor— out of the mouths of babes. Children are the true heroes– they see the big picture, they get it– why don’t you?
Marge
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Marge, I would love to work for a principal like you. Talk about a teachable moment. This is one for the books. Your students seem to have the one thing Mike lacks: common sense. May this be his Waterloo? What a way to wind down your third term and leave a positive and enduring legacy. On the other hand, I’m looking forward to Letterman, Leno and Kimmel’s take on this. I wonder why ING, the sponsor hasn’t cancelled the event? So many questions; but no answers.
One more disturbing aspect of this marathon is that residents who have rooms at hotels are being kicked out. One SI hotelier has not succumbed to the pressure. Thank goodness.
SI Hotel Owner Refuses To Evict Evacuees To Honor Marathon Runners’ Reservations
http://statenisland.ny1.com/content/top_stories/171675/si-hotel-owner-refuses-to-evict-evacuees-to-honor-marathon-runners–reservations
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Mark – Thank you very much for your kind comments. I really appreciate your taking the time. I get the feeling that both of us would like to work together, and in a sense, we are!! I appreciated your including the link to the SI hotel owner who refused to evict the homeless folks for the marathon runners. He ‘s a hero. I wonder how he would feel if some of our students wrote to him?? Mr. Richard Nicotra. It’s about doing the right thing. Nice job!! Thanks for telling me about him Mark!
Marge
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Excellent comment.
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Well, the mayor had to be “shamed” into cancelling the marathon. His aides, according to the NYTimes article, told him it was in “bad taste” and it would bring his legacy (or lack of) back to the days following the blizzard. Bloomberg therefore put his ego before the residents of this city. The Times also had pics of police putting up “No parking” signs. Can you imagine that!!! Insult during injury!! People know what and who this mayor is….and it’s not good.
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School gal — Let’s create a rubric evaluating the mayor’s performance shall we??
Marge
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That would be great. He already scored low with his handling of NYC schools.
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