New York City auctioned off extra ventilators due to cost of maintenance: report

The Hill ^ | 04 07 2020 | J. Edward Moreno

[yesthatjallen]

New York City auctioned off hundreds of city-owned ventilators at least five years ago under Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, according to an investigation by ProPublica.

The city acquired the ventilators in 2006 under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, when a new strain of the flu was circulating in Asia, according to a report from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene obtained by the news outlet.

The city began acquiring ventilators and “stockpil[ing] a supply of face masks,” which were later auctioned off because the machines broke down and the health department "couldn't afford to maintain them," according to ProPublica.

Years later, the city has become the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), with 72,324 confirmed cases and at least 5,489 deaths throughout the five boroughs, the mayor reported Tuesday.

The 14-year-old report obtained by ProPublica shows the city was keenly aware of the consequences of a potential pandemic, almost predicting the exact scenario that played out this year, according to the investigative outlet.

“Since the pandemic will be widespread in the United States, the supplies from the federal Strategic National Stockpile may not be available and local caches will need to be relied upon,” the 2006 report said.

SNIP

On Friday de Blasio warned that New York City would run out of its supply of ventilators by Monday or Tuesday and that the city is in dire need of medical personnel. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) warned on Thursday that the state would run out of its stockpile of ventilators within the next six days if it didn't receive further assistance.

SNIP

[Ouchthatonehurt]

…but still Trump’s fault, right?

[Zhang Fei]

[The city acquired the ventilators in 2006 under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, when a new strain of the flu was circulating in Asia, according to a report from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene obtained by the news outlet. ]

---

Whatever you might say about Bloomberg, he was a competent executive. Glad he’s no longer in the running for Dem nominee.

[Steely Tom]

TRUMP’S FAULT! IMPEACH!

[griswold3]

you got it

[Steely Tom]

…but still Trump’s fault, right?

Whenever... WHENEVER... Democrats get caught behind the eight ball, they INSTANTLY go on the offensive, using their close allies the MSM to accuse Republicans of everything under the sun, every offense, every perfidy, every outrageous thing they can think of. The Monica Media of course jumps in with both feet and amplifies the accusations into a cacophony.

This accomplishes several things. It puts the Republicans on the defensive, it distracts attention from the search for the truth, it sets up an echo chamber effect among the approximately 40% of the population that are looking to blame the Right for every problem in the world, and... if and when the truth finally comes out... leaves open the possibility of the "both sides do it" excuse, even though only one side "did it."

Plus, there's no downside to it. Neither the MSM or the Democrats suffer any loss of credibility for using this tactic, and the next time they try it, they just run the same playbook all over again like it's never happened before.

[arthurus]

Why ventilators are the WRONG tool

[3RIVRS]

Same thing will happen with all the new ones all over the country. PM is expensive and time consuming when done right. We will end up trashing more than half of the ones we build for this outbreak.

[glock rocks]

Fum ducks

[shanover]

America had ten years at least to prepare. These guv scum and politi scum sicken me.

[Robert357]

It would be nice to see the mainstream media ask the NY Gov in his press briefings if it is true that NYC sold at auction ventilators and masks in storage for a pandemic, such and the one NY is experiencing?

Probably won’t happen, but it should.

[GingisK]

Why hasn’t anyone besides me asked, “Who bought them?”.

[DivineMomentsOfTruth]

Whenever... WHENEVER... Democrats get caught behind the eight ball, they INSTANTLY go on the offensive, using their close allies the MSM to accuse Republicans of everything under the sun, every offense, every perfidy, every outrageous thing they can think of. The Monica Media of course jumps in with both feet and amplifies the accusations into a cacophony. This accomplishes several things. It puts the Republicans on the defensive, it distracts attention from the search for the truth, it sets up an echo chamber effect among the approximately 40% of the population that are looking to blame the Right for every problem in the world, and... if and when the truth finally comes out... leaves open the possibility of the "both sides do it" excuse, even though only one side "did it." Plus, there's no downside to it. Neither the MSM or the Democrats suffer any loss of credibility for using this tactic, and the next time they try it, they just run the same playbook all over again like it's never happened before.

So TRUE!! Well Said!!!

[Ranxerox]

Tag

[End Times Sentinel]

So, NY has 5% of the population but 43% of the corona deaths, and Cuomo is doing a great job?

[\/\/ayne]

They break down in storage?

[Steely Tom]

So, NY has 5% of the population but 43% of the corona deaths, and Cuomo is doing a great job?

He's got the MSM on his side, and he alternates vicious attacks against PDJT with crying that he — and NY State — is being victimized.

This is a tried-and-true tactic, and it's working.

[yldstrk]

The truth comes out

[dfwgator]

Oh yeah, I’m sure CNN will get right on this story. /s

[DUMBGRUNT]

Their proposed solution was not to beef up the city’s stockpiles. Rather, they called for creating a technological fix, a dashboard that would “automate the presentation of data to decision-makers.”

... my brother in law will build you a whizzbang display, such a deal...