BLACKOUT 2012: DAY 11 dvtv live broadcast 11.8.12

FOR THOUSANDS OF MANHATTAN RESIDENTS THIS IS THE ELEVENTH NIGHT OF THE BLACKOUT. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTS THAT 30 PER CENT OF THE CITY'S PROJECTS ARE WITHOUT HEAT. AT KNICKERBOCKER VILLAGE ON MONROE STREET EIGHT BUILDINGS REMAIN WITHOUT POWER. THERE IS OVER 20 FEET OF WATER IN THE BOILER ROOMS. SOME ARE ESTIMATING IT WILL TAKE UP TO THREE WEEKS - THREE WEEKS - BEFORE THE LIGHTS AND HEAT RETURN. HAVEN PLAZA ON AVENUE C REMAINS IN A BLACKOUT - NO POWER - NO HEAT - NO HOT WATER - NO WATER AT ALL FOR THE UPPER TWENTY FLOORS OF THE TWENTY-SIX-STORY HOUSING PROJECT. THE N.Y.C HOUSING AUTHORITY LACKS ENOUGH WORKERS - LACKS ENOUGH ENGINEERS - LACKS THE PUMPS NECESSARY TO EMPTY THE BASEMENTS - AND IN SOME CASES THEY EVEN LACK THE GASOLINE TO POWER THE PUMPS. CON EDISON WORKERS HAVE BEEN WAITING ALL WEEK TO GET INTO TO THESE BASEMENTS. BUT - EVEN WHEN THE BASEMENTS OF THESE BUILDINGS ARE EVENTUALLY PUMPED DRY THE EQUIPTMENT PROBABLY WON'T WORK. UNKNOWN DAMAGE TO THE BOILERS - THE TRANSFORMERS -- THE CABLES AND JUNCTION BOXES THAT SUPPLY ELECTRICITY TO THE BUILDINGS COULD CAUSE THESE BLACKOUTS TO LAST EVEN LONGER. JUST AS IT WAS A SURREAL SCENE DOWNTOWN LAST WEEK WITH ALL THE LIGHTS OUT - TONIGHT THE LOWER EAST SIDE REMAINS SURREAL - WITH BARS FULL OF HAPPY STUDENTS AND YUPPIES PARTYING ON ONE SIDE OF AVENUE C - JUST ACROSS THE STREET - ELDERLY AND DISABLED RESIDENTS REMAIN STRANDED IN THIER COLD DARK APARTMENTS FOR THE ELEVENTH NIGHT IN A ROW. AN UNPRECIDENTED CRISIS IN NEW YORK CITY. VOLUNTEERS TODAY CONTINUED TO CARRY WATER - BLANKETS - FOOD AND LIFE SAVING MEDICATION - UP TWELVE FLIGHTS - OR TWENTY FLIGHTS - OR TWENTY-SIX FLIGHTS OF STAIRS JUST TO KEEP THESE PEOPLE ALIVE. THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS CAME TO THE RESCUE OF THE SUBWAYS AND THE TUNNELS - WHY ARE THEY NOT PUMPING OUT THE BASEMENTS OF THESE BUILDINGS WHERE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LIVE? WHAT IS THE POINT OF DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY IF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE - FAMILIES - DISABLED - ELDERLY PEOPLE -ARE IGNORED - LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. THE VILLAGE VOICE FEATURED THE EFFORTS OF THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT IN BROOKLYN AND QUEENS TO BRING SUPPLIES TO SOME HOUSING PROJECTS. WHY THE OCCUPY PEOPLE - BECAUSE FEMA HASN'T SHOWN UP. THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY CAN'T MANAGE TO FIND THIER WAY TO SOME OF THE POORER NEIGHBORHOODS IN NEW YORK CITY. FEDERAL OFFICIALS CAN'T MANAGE TO TAKE THE SUBWAY TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM MOST. SO WHILE THE REST OF THE CITY AND THE MAYOR CONGRADULATE THEMSELVES ON HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO SURVIVE THE WORST HURRICANE TO HIT THE CITY IN DECADES - PERHAPS THEY SHOULD LOOK TO THE DARKENED BUILDINGS ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE - RED HOOK - THE ROCKAWAYS. PERHAPS THEY SHOULD PONDER WHAT IT TAKES TO CLIMB TWENTY FLIGHTS IN A PITCH BLACK STAIRWAY CARRYING WATER FOOD BLANKETS. FOR MOST OF US IT WAS A COUPLE DAYS ADVENTURE WHEN WE HAD TO WAIT ON LONG LINES AT GRISTEDE'S AND GO SOMEWHERE TO CHARGE OUR PHONES. FOR THOUSANDS OF OUR NEIGHBORS - THIS REMAINS A COLD - DARK - EMERGENCY FOR THE ELEVENTH NIGHT - WITH NO END IN SIGHT.