Bill de Blasio
Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio traveled to Far Rockaway Sunday to discuss his long-term recovery plan for residents still struggling after Hurricane Sandy.
Nearly a year after the storm devastated much of the Rockaways and South Queens, as well as other parts of the city, de Blasio stressed that far too many residents are still struggling and need help from the government in a variety of different ways – among them “quality health care and good-paying jobs with community leaders outside the now-closed Peninsula Hospital.”
Peninsula Hospital was shut down by the state Department of Health last year, leaving just one hospital to service the entire Rockaway peninsula.
“Eleven months after Sandy, our challenge to rebuild and recover remains greater than ever,” de Blasio, who is running for the city’s top political spot against Republican candidate and former Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joe Lhota, said in a prepared statement. “Recovery must come faster in these neighborhoods, and I’m committed to listening to the needs of working families and vulnerable communities.
“I’m honored to tour Far Rockaway today with faith and community leaders and discuss the urgent need for storm recovery that includes good-paying, living wage jobs, affordable housing, and quality healthcare for all,” de Blasio continued.
The Democrat said he believes the next mayor will face three major challenges post-Sandy, including overseeing a transparent and effective rebuilding process to repair storm damage, improving the city’s disaster response system for future storms, and strengthening New York’s resilience to storm surges and extreme weather.
As part of the plan spelled out by the Democratic candidate, de Blasio said the city must work more effectively with community- and faith-based organizations to prepare for the next disaster – including formalizing a collaborative plan that integrates such organizations into the city’s emergency management plan and ensure training for the groups. Additionally, he said there needs to be better communication in order to distribute supplies through such groups.
Expanding natural storm barriers needs to be a priority for the city – including tidal wetlands and sand dunes – particularly in the Rockaways and other beach communities, de Blasio stressed.
“New York City will also renew our waterways – such as the Gowanus Canal, Newtown Creek and Jamaica Bay – to improve our water ecosystems and implement a five borough bioswales initiative to minimize the pressure on our water and sewer system,” de Blasio said in his plan.
The city’s infrastructure must be upgraded, and, while the city is rebuilding, buildings should meet new green energy and resiliency standards, the candidate continued.
Electrical systems should be modernized – including rebuilding schools with backup solar power systems, and efforts should be focused on placing people who lost work because of the storm at living wage jobs on both immediate recovery and long-term work upgrading the city, de Blasio said.
“However, nothing New York City does alone can stop the escalating damage of increasing climatic events if our nation and world does not limit the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change,” de Blasio said in the plan. “Bill de Blasio will help lead other mayors and grassroots organizations across the country to demand national politicians enact the legislation and policies needed to radically reduce carbon use nationwide over the coming decades to limit the causes, not just the consequences, of climate change.”
By Anna Gustafson
