Sometimes, the universe uses a sledgehammer

[womzilla]

And other times, it takes a little more work to connect the dots.

As people here have noted, yesterday evening there was a fire in a control room at the Chambers Street station on the 8th Avenue Subway line in lower Manhattan. Because of this fire, the local train--the C--will not be able to run for an undetermined period; the estimates are two to five years, though I have a gut feeling that it will be less than the lower bound of that estimate. This is not a crippling blow to New York's infrastructure, but it is a significant one; the Blue Line (as New Yorks do not call it) is the third-busiest group of trains in the MTA, carrying several hundred thousand passengers a day, and this fire has effectively wiped out express service along a route which runs nearly the entire length of Manhattan.

It has transpired that the fire was set by a homeless person trying to stay warm.

So while everyone was expecting a second massive terrorist attack, the biggest infrastructure damage it has suffered since September 11th was caused because New York doesn't manage to provide basic life services to its neediest.

Way to set priorities! Thanks for the clue-stick, world.

Comments

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

So while everyone was expecting a second massive terrorist attack, the biggest infrastructure damage it has suffered since September 11th was caused because New York doesn't manage to provide basic life services to its neediest.

...

I think I'm a worse human being for not thinking of it in those simple and obvious terms.

[wizwom.livejournal.com]

Sorry about NYC, man. I think you're right, we rebuilt an entire Elevated line in only 2 years.

Personally, I think the US should have Open Homes, where anyone can go at any time to live an indefinate period. This would be in lieu of social security, social security disability, and other programs based on paying in and giving payments to individuals. No needs test, no test of any sort excapt that you behave responsibly while there.

This would, of course, be coupled with engihborhood canttens, which anyone could go to for any meal of the day, again, no test, no questions asked, just behave politely.

And since the same places where people need the most help also have the lowest business tenancy rates, it would be easy to expand.

[ookpik.livejournal.com]

So while everyone was expecting a second massive terrorist attack, the biggest infrastructure damage it has suffered since September 11th was caused because New York doesn't manage to provide basic life services to its neediest.

Lovely. May I post this to metaquotes?

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

Clearly the answer will be to make sure the homeless don't have access to matches.

Well-said, Kevin.

[ezrael.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many people died during the blizzard? It's amazing this doesn't happen more often.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Yuppers. Well said!

[shelleybear.livejournal.com]

You weren't living in New York at the time, but years ago, Carol Bellamy was running for mayor against Ed Botch.
One of the planks of her platform was the RENOVATION of structurally sound buildings as cheap housing.
The total cost would have been about 1/3 to one half that of what mayor Crotch was proposing and would have generated twice the number of housing units for the poor and low income.
She was painted as being unrealistic.
I think that was when I gave up on New York City as being a positive entity.

By the way, are there still decals on the windows of abandoned buildings in the Bronx?

And on the opposite coast...

[al-qhadhulu.livejournal.com]

"A suicidal and deranged man purposely drove his automobile onto the train tracks in Glendale, California this morning, causing the crash and derailment of two commuter trains and a freight train, resulting in multiple injuries, trapped commuters. The death is rising. Emergency personnel are using plasma cutters to get at the victims." - MSNBC

[supergee.livejournal.com]

Thomas Sowell said there's enough usable space in NYC to house all the homeless four times over.

[shelleybear.livejournal.com]

That doesn't surprise me.
Just as it wouldn't surprise me to hear a conservative read this whole comment chain and insist that the poor couldn't possibly appreciate a place to live if it was given to them for free.

[womzilla.livejournal.com]

Of course. If it's posted to my LJ and not friends-locked (which I almost never do), it's for public consumption.