$100? You kiddin' us? Queens victims tell Con Ed BY BRENDAN BROSH and ADAM LISBERG
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Con Edison is offering Queens residents affected by the 2006 blackout $17 million compensation - about $100 each - which many said Thursday isn't nearly enough.
"We lost, I can say, around $50,000," said Charlie Kourakos, owner of the Mezzo Mezzo restaurant on Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria, which lost power for 10 days. "It's ridiculous for them to even offer us a hundred bucks."
As the Daily News reported exclusively yesterday, the utility has told regulators it will pay the $17 million, swallow $40 million in repair costs and finally apologize for its actions.
"What's $100 going to do for me? My bill is like $2,000 a month," said Charlie Cinquemani, owner of the K&T Meat Market, which lost $30,000 worth of meat. "It's not going to help me pay my bills."
Con Ed raised its power rates 4.7% this month and plans to ask for another rate hike within the next few weeks.
"The settlement does not provide nearly enough for the people that suffered during the blackout," said Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Queens), who represents the area. "It's mere pennies next to the pain and suffering that people endured."
Waitress Vickie Papas, who couldn't work during the blackout, said she'll take the money.
"It's $100," Papas said. "I can't complain about that."
5 comments:
Oh please, Mike, you let your community get overloaded with illegal conversions, looked the other way when your district did not get upgrades that went to the waterfront slated for big development projects from your campaign donors, and hid for three days as the crisis unfolded.
Now you blame the hard working men and women of Con Ed for your mistakes - people who live in your district and who, unlike your campaign donors, suffered through the blackout.
This is a public utitlity, that means, the more money paid out, the more the working class slub has to pay for his service.
Why don't you charge developers hooking up to the grid a special fee to pay for the damage they do to the public.
Asshole.
Bloomberg wants to keep his Sanctuary City, but in doing that, it contributes to our power problems. How many people have illegal apartments in Queens and the outer boroughs? A lot of illegals can't afford rent, so they rent basement apartments. That contributes to our overuse of power. Remember, the city wanted Con Edison to de-regulate. They didn't want Con Ed to have a monopoly. As a result, Con Ed complied and proceeded to sell off power plants. Now there are problems. Years ago, the average citizen had a refrigerator and a television -- maybe a washing machine. Now, the average person has all that plus microwave, several computers, fax machines and copiers in their homes. No wonder -- all the technological comforts plus all the illegal apartments equal power outages. When is this city going to get it right? Start with the buildings department and get rid of all the illegal apartments. You'll have plenty of power then.
Over development woes are
all coming home to roost
and even little Marie Antoinette
(AKA Mayor Mike) can't remain aloof for much longer (especially now that speaker Quinn has been unmasked).
This is just the beginning folks!
Attention Mayor Bloomberg -- Keep kissing those developers and aiming toward yourr goal of millions more people in the next 20 years. People will be using candles again. Stop allowing developers to build 3 story structures where a 1 or 2 family house once stood. Our infrastructure can't take all the overdevelopment. Make the developers pay for the upgrading of our infrastructure. They build, take the money and run. The citizens are stuck with overcrowding of schools, parking concerns, flooding and higher taxes. How about planning out communities, so there is ample services for all?
Dear Mike. Keep up the good work. Despite the rants on the sight I think you are one of the best mayors NY had. Too bad there are term limits. You would win in a landslide again.
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