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Venditto: 'LIPA Has Totally Failed Us'

Town Supervisor speaks out at LIPA protest Saturday in Massapequa.

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto was on hand Saturday as LIPA protesters filled Marjorie Post Park in Massapequa.

Their anger at the utility was clear as some residents have been without power since Hurricane Sandy struck Oct. 29.

Venditto's frustration stems from a lack of communication with LIPA. His words were simple and searing.

"LIPA has totally failed us," the supervisor said.  

The protest came on the same day that Massapequa Park Mayor James Altadonna reported that full power had finally been restored to the village.

It was little consolation to those still in the dark. There are still 64,000 LIPA customers without power in Nassau, including more than 20,000 in the Town of Oyster Bay.

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EyesOfTheWorld November 11, 2012 at 12:43 am
Don't worry....Obama will save you.
Robert G. Schaffrath November 11, 2012 at 12:43 am
I am one of the 20,000. Took a bike ride around my area and we still have lines down. Several transformers have red lights lit meaning the primary is active but fuses have blown. I do not see there being a high priority to fix those.
Elle917 November 11, 2012 at 12:43 am
If anyone one of us ever miscommunicated to customers or repeatedly missed deadlines to restore service like LIPA management has, we'd be fired immediately.
From my view, LIPA needs new management with vision, principles, intelligence and talent. Not people like CEO Michael Hervey who hide behind excuses, ignore customer needs and lack the skills to do advanced preparedness and response for future crises like Sandy. This type protest is a great idea. To hold LIPA accountable, you can also sign the petition at: http://www.signon.org/sign/hold-lipa-accountable?source=homepage Long Islanders deserve better LIPA management - remember, you are paying for these services that you are not getting after days in the dark. Don't be silent on this issue, speak out to the right people and be heard!
Courtney Smith November 11, 2012 at 12:48 am
We all agree that LIPA has failed us. Can we move on from wasting time talking about it and come up with a solution to the crisis. We can discuss the failures after power has been restored to Long Island. Nassau and Suffolk counties should have allocated the funds to bring in as many crews as necessary to speed up the restoration and supply power to all those left in the dark. Our politicians spent plenty of time bashing LIPA management and reporting to the public about the magnitude of the failures, but I could not find any information with regard to finding and implementing a proactive solution to the problem. Our extraordinary tax rates do not include allocation for emergency funding?
Marc Rosen November 11, 2012 at 01:08 am
That day of reckoning is definitely coming. I'm already filing a report with the Governor's office on which entities have failed Long Island's disabled populations, and in how many ways they did so, in most cases, deliberately. LIPA is at the top of that list (though certainly not the only entity there). Cuomo already fired the Chief of the Office of Emergency Management for corruption, within just a day or two of Sandy's wake. LIPA WILL get theirs.
Louis November 11, 2012 at 02:19 am
just gotten my power back at Plainview, but is still upset at LIPA. between Irene from last year and Sandy this year, do we still need more proof?
Donna Olsen November 11, 2012 at 03:06 am
I would like to know when the power is going to be restored at the shopping center on sunrise highway where Petco,Burlington coat and staples is located . Not to mention weight Watchets and party city.
Concerned Long Islander November 11, 2012 at 04:00 am
LIPA has to fall. Let PSE&G run our electricity. They served Jersey well. Sure, LIPA runs the electricity and it's their fault. I believe our Town should have gone to the State (who oversees LIPA) to insist out-of-state agencies be permitted to clear the way for thousands to get power restored instead of waiting at the mercy of the incompetents at LIPA. It seems to me, there was a lot of incompetents in their own way, at the Town & LIPA level. Cuomo spoke strong but did little to get the situation resolved. If LIPA is not replaced, there's something smelly going on between the gov't and LIPA.... just as there was when LILCO become LIPA--run by the same incompetents--different name, but same people! This was inevitable. We all noticed the leaning power lines for decades...and nothing was ever done. LIPA should have restored our infrastructure when the times were good, back in the Clinton days. Money was easy then and there was plenty around to make repairs. Instead, LIPA just raised the rates time and again. THEY MUST ANSWER TO US and THEY MUST ALL BE FIRED---from the top!
Pat Martin November 11, 2012 at 12:38 pm
mega-kudos to the Town of Oyster Bay workers. I live in Nassau Shores and since the first day after the hurricane TOB crews were blanketing the Shores. They took our debris, our garbage, trees, etc. I just wish they ran the power authority. As a resident I say thank you TOB sanitation
LAKETAJO November 11, 2012 at 01:30 pm
an absolute disgrace!!
jan jones November 11, 2012 at 02:23 pm
:And no crews in site. They also restored those who lost it for a second time after the nor'easter when they said that people who have not had power at all would get it back first. LIPA cant ever seem to tell the truth.
YV November 11, 2012 at 03:24 pm
HEY CALL LIPA TODAY...AFTER 43 MINUTES THEY ANSWER......"TODAY HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE POWER..........GOOD LUCK!!".....JOKE OF THE DAY....
Concerned Long Islander November 11, 2012 at 04:19 pm
LIPA was caught with its pants down. If heads don't roll and if PSE&G doesn't "take over" our electric, then there's more to this fiasco than just LIPA's incompetence. Get busy on it local AND STATE gov't. WE WANT ANSWERS!
Sal November 11, 2012 at 04:50 pm
Venditto is almost as much to blame as LIPA in his Oyster Bay towns. It took him 4 to 5 days for him and his handpicked cronies to come up with anything resembling assistance to his constituency. This is another example of this consumate politician defraying any blame to LIPA without an inkling of his own government being prepared. His show yesterday was 12 days in the making to protect his future votes for him and his cronies. What a disgrace.
Cosmo November 11, 2012 at 05:06 pm
Take note that Supervisor Venditto was our only elected official who cared enough to attend the rally Saturday.
Massapequa Hockey November 11, 2012 at 06:20 pm
While I agree with Venditto that LIPA HAS FAILED miserably, he should look in the mirror to see how he is running the town into the ground.
Gary Bettan November 11, 2012 at 07:50 pm
LIPA – The Buck Stops Here! Send a $1.00 check to LIPA and send your protest message!
LIPA claims that 90% of homes have been restored, but we all know that is a lie. Their systems are so antiquated they have no actual idea how many homes are without power. To understand just how negligent LIPA is and how outdated their systems are, read this article in Newsday. http://www.newsday.com/long-island/why-lipa-failed-utility-ignored-warnings-it-wasn-t-ready-for-major-storm-1.4203976 The governor and our local politicians had the chance to provide meaningful oversight of LIPA after its miserable response to hurricane Irene last year. The politicians gave us nothing but hot air. We needed action and now we demand reliable electricity! It is time for the homeowners on Long Island to band together in protest and have our voices heard! The Buck Stops Here! I propose that for the remainder of calendar year 2012 LIPA customers refuse to pay our LIPA bills in full. I propose we send LIPA a check for exactly ONE DOLLAR. By paying just one dollar we send a message to LIPA that is louder and stronger then any petition or letter righting campaign. If enough of us send only a buck, I am confident that we will not only force change in LIPA, we will get the attention of local politicians as well. To learn more about the protest join our facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/224943150969118/ Gary B
Plainview resident November 11, 2012 at 08:58 pm
This is a little off topic but after being in the dark for 12 nights and 13 days I got a little surprise from my next door neighbors today. I spent many days cleaning up my yard after Sandy and the Nor"Easter It happened to be warmer working in my yard then staying in my house. Anyway, my neighbors came back yesterday after the power was restored. Today, I went in my backyard to find about six huge branches that must have fallen into their yard thrown over the fence all over my side of the fence. They broke the fence in the process. I am totally disgusted and would like to give them a piece of my mind, but don't want to stoop to their level. Really how low can people go!!!!
Harry Hudson November 11, 2012 at 10:26 pm
The only thing worse than LIPA's management of the restoration efforts has been the unending string of phony,do nothing politicians climbing all over each other to point fingers at the utility. As bad as they have been, at least the LIPA people are out there trying to get something done. None of these politicians have contributed anything to helping this mess, all they have done is once again try to capitalize on other people's hardship to further their own corrupt ambitions.
ResidentX November 13, 2012 at 02:14 pm
Read about Class Action against LIPA
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/long-island-now-1.1732330/reports-class-action-to-be-filed-against-lipa-1.4217065.
Carol DiStasio November 13, 2012 at 05:08 pm
LIPA is a total disgrace and failure, it took 2 weeks for me to have power restored. POLTICANS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEED TO INVESTIGATE THEIR FAILURE AND COME UP WITH A SOLUTION! We cannot wait a moment longer.
MG November 14, 2012 at 03:53 pm
1) Nothing changed from Irene to Sandy - no checking lines - substations - or tree trimming - or replacing old poles /line
2) ZERO pooling or coordination of TOB - LIPA and Nassau County - the TOB cleaned our neighborhood in one day - BUT would not clean Wash Ave becasue it is a county road !!!! so it meant nothing - imagaine if these bozoos pooled their equipment and resources - !!!
Note Article
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Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
LT June 16, 2013 at 09:52 am
when you say elite do you mean the hard working people who have money? it's a matter of labels. youRead More call them elite..they call themselves hard workers. yes, some inherit money. but most of us work for it.
Michael Taustine June 16, 2013 at 09:01 pm
No, it has nothing to do with how hard you work. It's just that the elite one percenters are treatedRead More differently when they run afoul of the laws in this country. No one has been jailed for the corporate malfeasance that resulted in the financial crash of '08, in spite of the rules that were ignored or broken. Too big to fail is the order of the day. Meanwhile, petty frauds committed by poor and middle class are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Two Americas. The rule of law, unevenly applied, whether by race, or class, or economic station will result in the unraveling of society. We may well be seeing the beginnings of that now, as we've entered a new gilded age, where new robber barons are allowed to run roughshod over the lower classes. The very ideals of America are at stake, and we are letting them slide away.
Jack coyote June 12, 2013 at 03:24 pm
Will the new Massapequa station platform be covered end-to-end as it is now? If it will only beRead More partially covered, like Seaford station, there are going to be a lot of cold, wet, unhappy commuters.
Patrick O'Hara June 12, 2013 at 04:14 pm
Mr. Coyote, The design plans only call for a canopy over certain parts of the station platform, likeRead More almost all of the other stations along the branch. The canopies will be primarily over the staircases, elevator, waiting room, and one other small section on the middle section of the platform between the elevator and east escalator.
mj June 12, 2013 at 01:43 pm
Also blocks along Alhambra Road including Granada and Sutton. It rained the other day and was up toRead More the front lawn on one house that is still being renovated from Sandy!!!! Horrible if those owners saw this.