In the wake of devastation from Superstorm Sandy, New York City council speaker Christine Quinn proposed an ambitious new plan to protect New Yorkers from future storms. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, however, was quick to shut the plan down.
The Daily News reports on the plan that Quinn outlined on Tuesday while speaking before the Association for a Better New York. The $20 billion plan, which Quinn wants to see feds fund, calls for the relocating of power lines underground, storm barriers, and more emergency provisions.
The quick dismissal may have come as a shock to Quinn as Mayor Bloomberg has always been a loud supporter of Quinn and her potential mayoral candidacy.
Just hours after Quinn presenting her ideas, Mayor Bloomberg said, “I don't know where the money would come from.”
“It would take billions and billions of dollars,” Bloomberg continued. “Before the federal government would get involved, you’d be doing it from the Florida Keys to the northern edge of Maine ... People just can't do that.”
Quinn was quick to respond to Bloomberg’s dismissal by saying, “The federal government appreciates the needs of localities when they are hit by storms. And I believe that the federal government and President Obama understand the unique significance of New York City as the financial capital of the world.”
As part of the plan, Quinn wanted to see emergency phone networks, generators at gas stations, and stricter rules for waterproofing boilers and electrical equipment.
Quinn also announced plans to pursue legislation forcing Con Ed to bury power lines in the parts of Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island that currently have overhead wires. Con Ed said they would consider the proposals, but insisted that no plan is completely weatherproof.
Comments