A SICKENING SPECTACLE – AT 9:01 A.M. ET:  This story is a warning, a warning of what government agencies can do in their own interest, even in the face of a serious emergency.  From Fox, an exclusive about the New York blizzard:

Selfish Sanitation Department bosses from the snow-slammed outer boroughs ordered their drivers to snarl the blizzard cleanup to protest budget cuts -- a disastrous move that turned streets into a minefield for emergency-services vehicles, The Post has learned.

We've seen, in TV reports, how many ambulances have been stranded.  One baby died because of ambulance delays.

Miles of roads stretching from as north as Whitestone, Queens, to the south shore of Staten Island still remained treacherously unplowed last night because of the shameless job action, several sources and a city lawmaker said, which was over a raft of demotions, attrition and budget cuts.

"They sent a message to the rest of the city that these particular labor issues are more important," said City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens), who was visited yesterday by a group of guilt-ridden sanitation workers who confessed the shameless plot.

Halloran said he met with three plow workers from the Sanitation Department -- and two Department of Transportation supervisors who were on loan -- at his office after he was flooded with irate calls from constituents.

And...

New York's Strongest used a variety of tactics to drag out the plowing process -- and pad overtime checks -- which included keeping plows slightly higher than the roadways and skipping over streets along their routes, the sources said.

This story will grow, especially as we're likely to have more storms this winter.  Now let's see what Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who loves to lecture the public on its moral responsibilities, will do.

Bad snow days have destroyed the careers of many mayors in northern climates.  Mayor Mike prides himself on being a great manager.  So manage, Mike, manage.

December 30, 2010