Growing up in India, power cuts were as common as sneezes.
While holidaying in the summer at my grandmother’s house, I made an amusing sight for others as I discovered new ways to cool myself when the power was off. Imagine a 5-year-old running at breakneck speed from one end of the room to the other yelling “breeze, breeze,” as the air around stirred and hit her face! My grandma would laughingly say that someone like me should be in America, a land where power cuts are as unthinkable as, say, aliens landing. Or so she had heard.
Even today, one of the common comments I hear when I visit family and friends in India is about America’s efficiency in creating and sustaining an advanced infrastructure, something that India is struggling to emulate. But last week’s CL&P fiasco, which left a good majority of the people in the state without power, made the U.S.A. look more like an Indian village.
More than the downed trees and power lines that blocked access for emergency workers to reach people’s homes, what’s stunning is CL&P’s lackadaisical responses to the media and elected officials. In India, people call it a “chalta hai” attitude, which works like this: No power? Oh well, what can you do? It is what it is.
But since when was accountability not a part of the American story? We’re talking about an economy that was built on the foundations of cutting-edge innovation and business processes. America is not known for tolerating incompetence and entertaining excuses.
In a world where the U.S. is struggling to retain its position as an economic powerhouse, the image of people — especially the elderly — freezing under piles of blankets to stay warm in their houses is incongruous and ridiculous. That people have to do their laundry and take a hot shower at neighbors' homes is simply not the America we should settle for. And all this for nearly 10 full days!
We are known for our ability to anticipate, not just respond. Our technology processes are sophisticated enough to plan for and execute smart solutions during crisis.
Electricity rates in Connecticut are among the highest in the nation. Have the power company’s profits climbed at the expense of its ability to service customers at such times? I don’t think we should rest until we get to the bottom of this.
I know for a fact many around Connecticut helped out those that were elderly, sick, and needed a hot meal, a shower and warmth and those that did this feel really good about themselves for helping out!
My Uncle buried the telco lines and others lines in the province of Drenthe, The Netherlands. He passed many years ago. He had a successful company and they would dig a hole usually 50cm or so on the side of the road usually, place in the lines, usually over building (larger lines then necessary), and rebuild the pavers or cover up the lines, and move on. Here in CT, I wanted my gas line put in, and I was told that Yankee Gas wanted 7-8K for the job and it would take 3 days because of work rules, etc. My contractor did it in a TOTAL of 4 hours, and had to wait 3 hours for Yankee to actually get the pipe in the ground. That is part of the reason it can't be done. Our soldiers might do it but the unions that run these things hold sway, and would say you are taking our jobs or require them to join the union and so on.
I keep saying unions by there very nature can not advocate excellence; they promote mediocrity! Crap I am in trouble again. Ohhhh welp! PS: I have heard the same thing about the equipment anecdotally from several others.
I do believe that bonuses that will be paid, (yes I do know how things work), should be paid to the CSR's and linemen.. but the union would not agree to that, so just the non union people should get bonuses and not the fat cats at the top.
@Kathy and Tim.... We are becoming very quickly an entitlement society. I saw it at the shelter, however I continued to help when I did not have to. It is the attitude we can do it OURSELVES that matters.
Competition, a purely capitalistic construct, is good for everyone because it requires all to be on there "A" game, or vanish as a footnote to business history.
I am certain there are facts beyond what I have included in my comments. But according to all the news reports, one fact we can be certain of is that the Jet Blue passengers were kept on the plane without food, water, or working lavatory facilities for more than 7 hours. Were the passengers kept on board the plane for more than 7 hours because Bradley officials felt they did not need to work out a solution to help those passengers? In other words, was it Jet Blue's problem? If I recall correctly, a police officer went on board the Jet Blue plane to calm down the situation. Could someone explain to me how the officer was able to get on the plane without mobile stairs? It is interesting that the Governor went to Bradley that night to hand out blankets. Why all the attention to 1,500 passengers? Did it have something to do with the Jet Blue incident? I don't know.