NJ Governor praises Obama; big union keeps volunteers out

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is under fire for being ‘too effusive’ in thanking President Obama for the disaster response in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.  The closeness of the election seems to be making everybody twitchy about partisanship at present. Rupert Murdoch has even criticized him for calling Bloomberg’s decision to cancel the NY marathon a good decision.

In any disaster, it is a leadership function of a President to visit the areas involved and show concern or the appearance of it for the victims, thank those who are actually doing something to help, and to offer support.  It is standard for the Governor involved to show him around and a courtesy to thank him.  It is a bit over the top to criticise this.

Meanwhile Newsbusters is reporting that even some of the left wing media are mentioning angry residents criticising the responses as sluggish.  More disturbing though, are reports of unions in parts of New Jersey refusing to allow non-union volunteers from other states assist in repairing the electrical system: 

… Utility crews from several states East of the Mississippi River hit the road this week to volunteer their time and talents in Northeastern states hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. But crews from Alabama got the shock of their lives when other workers in a coastal New Jersey town told them they couldn’t lend a hand without a union card. 

Derrick Moore, who works for Decatur Utilities in Decatur, Ala., told WAFF-TV in Huntsville that crews in Seaside Heights, N.J. turned him and his crewmates away, saying they couldn’t do any work there because they’re not union employees.  As a result, crews from Decatur and Huntsville left the Jersey shore and headed to Long Island to pitch in. … 

… Electric repair work for public utilities in New Jersey is dominated by the International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers, a unit of the politically powerful AFL-CIO.  Many parts of coastal New Jersey are projected to be without electric power for at least seven to 10 more days.

Unlike here where power supply is heavily controlled or owned by government, The US has numerous suppliers and these appear to have reciprocal arrangements for assisting each other in these events.  This makes sense and demonstrates the way mutual cooperation works within the free enterprise system.

Big union though, is demonstrating the opposite.  Rather than working together with interstate counterparts to restore services as quickly as possible, these outfits are claiming some sort of ownership rights over residents and the grid, insisting it be a case of union, or no power.  This is where collectivism leads.