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Hurricane Sandy victims still waiting on aid two months on as Congress approves $9.7 billion recovery bill

Many still displaced by superstorm and awaiting aid


Homes and lives destroyed after Hurricane Sandy, at the Rockaways, Queens
Homes and lives destroyed after Hurricane Sandy, at the Rockaways, Queens
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Many victims of Hurricane Sandy are still awaiting aid from the superstorm, which hit the east coast over two months ago killing at least 125 people in the US, including 60 in New York.

After intense pressure from both New York and New Jersey, it was announced on Friday the Congress has passed a $9.7 billion bill to help pay flood insurance claims to homeowners, renters and businesses damaged by Superstorm Sandy.

Despite this, Siobhan Dennehy, Director of Emerald Isle Immigration Centre in New York, told RTE’s Morning Ireland program how people in coastal areas and downtown Manhattan are still struggling in the aftermath.

“We heard this evening there is probably in the region of 28 residential buildings in downtown Manhattan that are still not fit to be occupied,” Dennehy told the program.

Read More: Irish government donate $322,000 to aid Sandy victims & New York Irish’s Christmas Day of Action - VIDEO

The community worker said that many homeowners were forced to abandon home repairs due to harsh weather conditions.

“We had very severe cold weather over the past couple of weeks.

“A lot of folks have probably pushed off into the Spring the whole idea of tackling some of those larger scale construction projects.”

Many of those displaced by the storm are still still living with friends and relations.

Dennehy said they were “trying to cope as best they could” and that many of those affected had issues with their insurers.

“Some people unfortunately discovering that they were underinsured or not insured at all.”

Read More: Irish Day of Action builds Santa’s toy workshop for children affected by Hurricane Sandy - VIDEO
 


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JimmieM You're placing blame in the wrong direction....The measure passed unanimously through the Senate, but 67 members of the House of Representatives voted "no" to assisting people who were left, powerless or homeless by the hurricane all 67 were Republicans.
Look it's like this...The Obama already got an A grade for helping you sandy victims out he even visited once, didn't he?....the history has been written......you'll get some more aid but be prepared to wait a bit. The Obama has nothing further to gain by helping these people...The woman who he picked to help him...turned out to be registered republican...to bad for her....no aid at all. That is the kind of guy he is.
The fascist takeover of the GOP is almost complete
To rebuild in the same place until the next storm? How smart. How typical NYC!Wonder where the money will enbd up!?
Forbes recently reported:The pork portions of the Senate bill were not earmarked to benefit Democratic members, non-Sandy related cash is actually set to provide billions for “storm events that occurred in 2012 along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coast within the boundaries of the North Atlantic and Mississippi Valley that were affected by Hurricanes Sandy and Isaac.” Why, you might ask, would the Senate be packing billions of taxpayer dollars for these areas of the country that are nowhere near the devastation brought about by superstorm Sandy into a bill designed to bring relief to those suffering from the storm that ripped the northeastern part of the nation? Each is not only a red state, but each of these states are represented by two Republican senators—with the exception of Louisiana with its one GOP senator. Why, you might ask, would the Senate be packing billions of taxpayer dollars for these areas of the country that are nowhere near the devastation brought about by superstorm Sandy into a bill designed to bring relief to those suffering from the storm that ripped the northeastern part of the nation? The answer can be found in a quick review of the states that are set to benefit from the Senate’s extra-special benevolence—states including Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana. What, you may ask, do these states far from New York and New Jersey have in common? Each is not only a red state, but each of these states are represented by two Republican senators—with the exception of Louisiana with its one GOP senator.And what happens when you buy off seven Republican senators with a package of goodies under the guise of storm relief supposedly meant to benefit two blue states?You get yourself a filibuster proof piece of legislation.
tom/peggy... Please tell us all about the 50% of "pork pay off's" you stated are within a $ 9.7 Billion dollar bill? You know 50% is a huge number, and who were the "political friends" you also mention who received the pork. Would love to know your specifics.
Irish Repuggnicks won't like any criticism of their fellas.
Perhaps if the Democrats had not loaded of the aid bill with 50% unrelated pork payoffs it would not have been delayed. Using other people's misery to payoff political friends disgraceful.
I volunteered in Breezy in the days after Sandy and saw the devastation firsthand, and anyone who lives on the east coast and still supports the GOP has got to be deranged. At our most vulnerable time, this party delayed funding in a way that has never been done before. This is not your father"s Republican Party; this is a party taken over by cracker extremists and the proof is in the way they "stuck it to the east coast" in their tile of need. Shameful!
 




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