Politics & Government

Fuming in the Snow!

Locals and pols pile on Mayor Bloomberg for the city's response to the snowstorm.

It's freezing outside, but local politicians and residents are heated about the city's response to the snowstorm.

In the days following the "snowpocalypse," train service in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill was still spotty, cars were still underneath a mountain of snow, and many side streets still had not been plowed.

And people were none too happy about it.

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"I cleaned out all the snow yesterday, then the plow came back by and pushed all this snow up again," said Taha Wyatt, who was shoveling snow off of his car parked on Vanderbilt Avenue. "Generally, Brooklyn gets the shaft."

Many were irked at the lack of snowplows, but others also complained that the plows pushed snow against cars.

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"I put the snow in the street, the plow packed it right back up!" said an exasperated Charles Pigott, who was shoveling his wife's car out from the snow.

The storm, which dumped 24 inches in Brooklyn the day after Christmas, had politicians even more outraged.

"Snowplow removal has been abysmal — not only in Fort Greene but in Clinton Hill," said Councilwoman Letitia James. "I got stranded cars, there are side streets that are impassable…there was late deployment, late notification, and a bad management plan."

James and a gaggle of other politicians are planning a hearing next month on the response to the storm.

Borough President Marty Markowitz has also encouraged Brooklynites to call 311 to document snow-related problems all over the borough.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg has pleaded for patience after initially appearing somewhat nonchalant about the public outcry.

"It takes longer to dig out and tow than to plow," Bloomberg said at a Tuesday press conference. "Until we can dig those out, plows can't do anything."

Pigott was already looking to end of the week for relief from the blizzard.

"It's supposed to get up to 45 degrees this weekend, that will help," Pigott said, adding, "We hope!"


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