10/31/2012
By Ivan Pereira
President Barack Obama on Wednesday acknowledged that rebuilding the tri-state area wouldn’t happen in a New York minute, but he reassured that there would not be any red tape during the process.
The president, who spent the afternoon touring Hurricane Sandy damage in New Jersey with Gov. Chris Christie, said numerous resources from the federal level are available to help with repair efforts.
He even suggested that military aircraft from as far as California would be used to bring in equipment to fix heavily damaged infrastructure.
“I want to make sure that everyone has realistic expectations, but what I want to assure you is that the federal government will be working as fast as possible with state and local governments,” Obama said.
Obama said restoring electricity was a top priority.
“We are here for you and we will not forget, we will follow up to make sure you get all the help you need until you rebuild,” he said.
Although Christie has been a strong advocate for Gov. Mitt Romney during the election season, the outspoken Republican governor had nothing but praise for Obama’s response to the storm.
“It’s been a great working relationship. I cannot thank the president enough for his personal concern,” Christie said.
The Commander-in-Chief also put aside politics and commended the governor for his handling of the storm.
“He has put his heart and soul to making sure New Jersey bounces back,” Obama said.
Perhaps the city could set up some sort of ride-share website and forbid cars with fewer than four occupants over the working water crossings.