During Saturday’s storm, Midland Avenue was an obstacle course of downed tree limbs. Driving down the avenue last night was like driving through a ghost town — the street was eerily still and dark, with home after home without power. One Midland Avenue resident Rick Muller has had enough. Muller, like others frustrated with PSE&G, shares an email to the CFO of PSE&G along with some board members:
My name is Rick Muller. I am a resident of Montclair, NJ. Also, I am the Chief Operating Officer of a large hedge fund in New York. I have been staying in a hotel with my wife and 2 year old daughter since Saturday because of a power failure in our area. I understand power will go out but the lack of speed PSE&G has shown to get the job done is unacceptable. In fact, I have not seen one PSE&G truck on my block. I have tried calling the company that you sit on the Board for and can’t get through. I have reached out to Caroline Dorsa but have not heard back. The mayor and several council members (included in this email) are frustrated with the lack of response from PSE&G. I am one person but I will use every strength of energy I have to right this broken ship at PSE&G.
Muller, who also emailed Senator Gill, Rep Pascrell and the Governor on the matter and asked for a meeting with senior representatives from PSE&G., says his end goal is for PSE&G to spend money on an aging power system.
“I know a comparison to BP is a little of a stretch but the regulators forced them to suspend a dividend payment and I don’t think it is a bad idea to have that here with PSE&G. Using the outstanding shares on their 10k, the quarterly dividend payment is 173 million dollars,” says Muller. “Now I know seniors, including my own parents, rely on these dividend to make end meets but they will lose that money if the power goes out again. Finally, there are a lot of family who have been displaced by this storm and it is tough on them. We deserve more than a generic message from PSE&G. I want people to know that there are Montclair residents out their fighting for the community.”
Definite food for thought – the existing infrastructure is only going to grow older and more decrepit. The money is going to have to come from somewhere – why not the shareholders for a change?
I believe that we should publicize the option for electricity customers to change their power source. It won’t completely cut PSE&G out of the loop as they still own – and charge for – the delivery network. But this will hopefully hurt them in their shareholders, a particularly tender part of the anatomy of the “person” our SCOTUS claims corporations to be.
It’s not the same as a complete abandonment of an underperforming vendor, but it is as close as we can come in the case of a company that owns a major portion of the civil infrastructure.
…Andrew
@johnq, because PSE&G is essentially a monopoly so they can continue to make their shareholders happy at the expense of their customers because their customers don’t have much of a choice.
Don’t like the idea of a monopolized power source at all. Mucho peligroso.
Gee, this sounds like a rich damn crybaby who is far too used to the world of servants and instant gratification and special treatment. I understand the frustration, but there has been a HUGE disaster that has severely overwhelmed any preparedness that could be reasonable. Most of a million people lost power!
And hey, he runs a HEDGE fund. He has never had to provide any kind of physical, hands on service of this sort! He acts like he provides better than this — but actually, he has never provided anything like this.
And to suggest that the problem here is old infrastructure?! That is just stupid. No, it is an ungodly number of trees and huge tree branches crashing down on electrical wires. New or old, those wires are coming down, the age of the infrastructure has nothing to do with it!
I am not one to jump to defend a company, would generally be the opposite. But I’m not unreasonable about it; this is a very different situation. And a CEO worth his salt ought to know that rather than just demand special treatment!
Look, I suggest you quit demanding special treatment for you. My 92 year old, blind mother has been out of power, out of heat, out of an oven to make dinner, out of hot water, and out of even a radio to turn on or TV to turn on to keep her company, and all her food in the freezer and refrigerator has now gone bad. She isn’t rich enough to go to a swanky hotel, like you. So, just wait your turn! Her turn finally came late last night. Maybe you will get service again today or tomorrow. Quit being so self-centered and demanding you be first in line.
On the one hand:
… the lack of speed… unacceptable… I have tried calling the company… I have reached out to… I will use every strength of energy I have to right this broken ship…
On the other hand:
…I decided to make the best of a crappy situation… I called my friend to invite her family over… We laughed and drank wine and I felt incredibly blessed…
“Also, I am the Chief Operating Officer of a large hedge fund in New York.”
Completely and utterly irrelevant to the complaint at hand. Whining like that just makes you sound like you think you are better than everyone else.
Why is it considered “whining” because he runs a hedge fund? The point is that he has lots of responsibility/accountability at his job and expects the same of PSE&G. That is who he is. I am a mom, I also have responsibility/accountability in my job, so I will write my email to PSE&G from that perspective. I think it’s great that he is calling PSE&G out, we all should. Mr. Muller keep at it and thank you.
We are still without power here in my house (not on Midland but cold and dark just the same), so WHERE ARE THE POWER RESTORING CREWS??? Any sightings?
Whatever my level of responsibility, at whatever position I could conceivably held, any letter which identifies its author as an executive “at a large hedge fun” would always, always, always be automatically discarded or deleted.
Really, you found this guy’s whingeing newsworthy? How slow are things in your offices today?
PSE&G deserves all our complaints, and needs to be forced to divert some of their profits and dividends to upgrading infrastructure. That said, using one’s title as a an indicator of special legitimacy is something only someone who’s too impressed with themselves would do.
Does he really think that the CFO of PSE&G (and our reps, unless he starts making big campaign contributions) is going to go “Oh, a Hedgefunder! I’d better listen!”
Still I think we all need to join him in organizing to hold PSE&G more accountable for infrastructure maintenance, which shouldn’t come at the cost of mowing down street trees in Glen Ridge, or any other town for that matter.
Mr Muller might have a legitimate complaint if the lack of power were confined to only his street, or only Montclair, or even only PSE&G’s service territory. Yet that is not the case.
Over two-hundred thousand people in the tri-state area, within the service territories of several different utility providers, remain in the dark and in the cold. The magnitude of the damage was such that it cannot be completely repaired within one or two days, regardless of how much a self-important hedge fund CEO huffs and puffs about having to take shelter in a hotel (note to Mr Muller: Poor YOU!).
I assume that Mr Muller drove to his hotel, and if he did, I am sure that he witnessed the scenes of devastation that I observed traveling around the area the past two days; it seems not a street, and nary a block, was spared damage of some sort.
In fact, as of last night, Broad Street in Bloomfield was still blocked by Brookdale Gardens because of a large tree down on the power lines. I don’t know what’s taking so long with that; perhaps they need specialized equipment that is not immediately available, or perhaps the crews have simply been triaged to other jobs first and haven’t gotten to it yet. Having seen a number of PSE&G and tree service trucks out and about, I assume they are working their way down the list to that spot.
And the absence of PSE&G trucks on one’s block does not mean that are doing nothing. In some cases there has been significant infrastructure damage that simply must take higher priority. They cannot be everywhere at once.
If you have survived the storm with your loved ones safe and alive, and with no significant damage to your house and property, then count your blessings and suck it up. And if you are of means to afford a self-imposed exile in a hotel, well, then shut the fudge up.
I understand the frustration, but does he think that PSE&G is not trying to fix the problem? That they are intentionally ignoring his street? I’m not always a fan of PSE&G, but certainly in this situation they are tring to get the power on as fast as they can. (Coincidentally, as I see 5 PSE&G trucks drive by my front window at this very moment.) And unfortunately, in any emergency some people get taken care of earlier and some later. It’s not personal.
Mise-en-scene
A well-appointed suite at West Orange’s RESIDENCE INN.
A man in his 40′s, dressed in khakis and a golf shirt, sits at a desk with his laptop open. He calls out:
Katherine, come in here and listen to this letter I just dashed off to those cretins at PSE&G. I had to type it myself! I wish you’d agreed to let me bring Heather to the room with us. I need a secretary to get all of this done!
Oh Rick, she’ll be fine in her own place.
I’m not so sure. I may have to go over and check on her later. But anyway, listen to this! I really let him have it! I told him that this is UNACCEPTABLE!
Did you mention that you are the CEO of a large hedge fund?
Of course! That was my third sentence.
Good. They need to know who they’re dealing with!
Absolutely! I also noted that I’m willing to let Mater and Pater’s dividend go down the drain if this happens again.
That doesn’t mean they’ll come to live with us, does it?
Oh God no! Anyway, where would they stay? Inge the au pair has the third floor. I suppose they could go in the basement, but the stairs would be rough on Mater.
Oh Rick! I just want to go home! Now I know how those Katrina people felt!
I know, I know. But it’s getting late. Get your coat on and let’s go next door to The Manor. I’m famished!
FADE>>>>
You left out, “khakis and loafers with no socks.”
It is going to take a long time, to make everything whole once again. This was a MEGA-STORM and PSE&G have only so many employees. I drove around today and I saw many, YES… MANY PSE&G crews working. Itwas not a section of one town, it was every section of several towns. (Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair and parts of East Orange.
Anyone who cannot understand this is:
A) Stupid
B) Full of himself (only)
C) a demanding SOB
D) a Child
Oh god another cry baby. You’re not the only one without power. You staying in a hotel is your choice. There ARE people who have no power and are at home not a some fancy hotel or controlling “a large hedge fund in New York”
Please you are truly the disease that is eating Montclair alive. Good Day
So…whiny, spoiled, effective / ineffective hedge-fund-CFO-y-ness notwithstanding, has anyone ever wondered about or calculated the costs/benefits of taking the whole wiry mess underground? I’m no electrical engineer, so forgive my naivete here.
I was driving my kid home from school today and the topic came up. We were stumped as to why Verizon can run fiber-optic lines underground without much fuss, but the electrical utilities are still above ground and prone to the destructive forces of weather.
If my electrician can put wires in a tube and run them underground from my basement to power my garage, why can’t PSE&G do the same? Are we talking apples and oranges here?
Electricians, please advise…
croiagusanam, that was priceless! Although I do imagine him staying in a very glitzy Manhattan hotel.
Funny, cro, but the hedgies tend to like the Motel 6 in Secaucus.
I’ll be curious to see if latebloomer’s question gets any answers.
By the way, a PSE&G technician that I spoke with this past summer told me that the fact that Montclair’s power lines run primarily in the back of our homes significantly increases the man-hours that are required to make repairs. He wasn’t complaining; he was very matter-of-fact about it.
“By the way, a PSE&G technician that I spoke with this past summer told me that the fact that Montclair’s power lines run primarily in the back of our homes significantly increases the man-hours that are required to make repairs. He wasn’t complaining; he was very matter-of-fact about it.”
It probably makes failure from tree debris more likely too.
As for underground wires, it is and is not like underground wiring from a pole to a building. That’s something like “is a log cabin like a skyscraper?” Yes and no.
Whether it would be a good idea, though, I couldn’t say. They’d be less vulnerable to damage from trees, but more vulnerable to damage from water accumulation. They’d also be tougher to repair on the occasions that they were damaged, and it might be more difficult to locate the failures.
I couldn’t say whether this all nets out in favor of burying the lines or not. I do know that I was strongly recommended to bury power and fiber lines for a building we wired anew in Clifton, but these run to poles with the incoming lines in the air. It seemed a little odd to me, esp. as the run has no trees in the immediate vicinity.
…Andrew
Some people are making money in this mess.
A life-long friend, who sells cars & trucks
has sold 8 new and 4 used cars, since the
storm ended. Their cars were crushed and
they needed a new car NOW!
Folks with no electric were eating out.
Electricians were busy, too, at private homes
and business locations. Odd how it all plays out.
and don’t forget the tree guys!
This man is obviously very important. He simply must have a generator so that he can operate this large hedge fund come hail or high winds. I’m going to write a letter to the CEO of his company asking why he has not been provided with said generator. It’s an outrage.
If he is such a master of the universe why didn’t he have a backup generator wired into his house. What an arrogant dufus.
Rick Muller,
All your thoughts were well verbalized and accurate. What reduced it in importance was your sense of self importance as the COO of hedge fund. There are thousands of hedge funds. No one gives a shit. So you clear trades ? I know many on the street who also clear trades who are only high school educated. Save the self importance and arrogance. This will help you immeasurably in your future life as no one is impressed. Remember, there is always someone who can out do you in size and importance. You have a lot to learn and do hope this event can be turned into a positive one, by you.
Best regards,
Jake
While it is certainly to be expected that there might be some outages when a storm like this comes so early in the season, the fact is that outages and even lengthy outages, are now a regular occurrence, – this is something that was unheard of in this area 20 years ago.
The reason is obvious: [I wrote this on Baristanet in the summer:]
The reality is that PSE&G has cut way back on tree-trimming & line maintenance, upgrading & replacement, and pocketed the savings for themselves – all while the state has mostly stood back & nodded.
While PSE&G is certainly deserving of the scorn being heaped on it, ultimately, the blame falls on the regulatory authorities that have allowed PSE&G to cut tree-trimming by 80% and line replacement by 50%.
Power to the people!
Power to the people!
Power to the people!
Power to the people, right on!
Dear Hedge Fund Man, We are truly trying to restore everyone’s power, but we ask your patience due to the magnitude of the problem. We will get to you. In the meantime, guess it just sucks to be you. Sincerely, PSE & G.
Dear Mr. Muller
There are people without power all over the area. Brookdale Gardens, one of Bloomfield’s large apartment complex’s has been without heat and hot water since Saturday. The residents there don’t have the resources to stay in a comfortable hotel for the duration.
Please explain why you think that your discomfort should weigh more than all of those people. What does your job have to do with any of this?
There are several homes without power on my specific block – and on neighboring streets there are major trees down and power is out as well. On my block, a cut through street for Bloomfield, Glen Ridge and Montclair the tree that blocked the road was moved by a group of neighbors.
Take the energy that you have invested in complaining and use it to help the rest of the community. Do you know if Montclair’s Senior Housing complexes have heat and hot water? Have you helped any of your elderly neighbors?
this is outrage!!!! A COO of a very large hedge fund should certainly have a stock broker powering up the generator and stoking the fire in their lifeless house while they are staying at the Ritz eating bon bons and getting a deep tissue massage. That being said, PSE+G is cramping a lot of people’s style. The humidor in my cigar room is still down, the temperature control in my wine cellar is defunct, and my fire wood has not been delivered for the season. When will this end?
“Electric crews work to restore power to the largest numbers of customers first, taking into account “priority” customers, such as hospitals, police stations, fire stations, water and sewer facilities, schools, and communications facilities (TV, radio, and telephone). At the same time, the utility restores power to homes and businesses, starting with the circuits serving the largest number of customers.”
This message from PSEG via e-mail. Sorry but I don’t know anyone on the board and Caroline Dorsa is not on my list of facebook friends
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=288540&ticker=PEG:US
From CNN –
“By early Wednesday, about 178,000 people in New Jersey and 573,000 others in Connecticut remained without power, according to the states’ utility companies.
In Massachusetts, about 228,000 were in the dark while thousands also lost power in New Hampshire, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, according to power companies in those states.
Elsewhere, about 63,000 customers were without power in Pennsylvania and 105,000 were affected in New York.”
Sounds like ALL the power companies suck.
I agree with other posters that omitting the Hedge Fund manager portion of his letter would have been appropriate. I also agree with one poster above that THIS problem is not infrastructure. I’ve lived in Montclair for 25 years and this is the 1st power outage I’ve experienced that lasted more than 36 hours.
But, I do have a problem with the way that PSE&G is informing the public. The message on power restoration is very generic and could be much more specific. I’m sure that PSE&G has a chart somewhere that identifies each and every problem along with each and every home that will regain power upon fixing that problem. They also have a priority list for fixing those problems and an estimate for how long it will take to fix each one.
So, put it online. Waiting to see if I am/am not part of the 95% of power restored customers by Thursday is not good enough.
I am the Chief Operating Officer of a hedge fund that is hedging against Rick Muller’s power being restored. I am making money hand over fist! Who knew making money off of other people’s misery was so much fun?
Why do I have a mental picture of Dan Ackroyd in Trading Places? Something isn’t quite right here. No successful financial executive, particularly on a board so chock full of admirers of Wall St / Hedge Fund types, would ever call attention to themselves. Never, ever. What would be the point? It’s like calling in an airstrike on your own position. Not satisfied with a lack of power? Why not invite a torrent of derision as well.
Six guys from PSEG just came thru my backyard clearing tree limbs from the power lines. Progress!
Having, unsurprisingly, never heard of Mr. Muller, I just Googled the name and, surprisingly, the most prominent individual with that moniker is a Berkeley physicist and major proponent of climate change. Go figure..
Mr. Muller. There is a small park in downtown Manhattan that has warm food, electricity and tents for shelter. Best of all, there is no charge to set up residence there.
Comments like the above are why I still visit Baristanet. Well done, folks.
DC Traveler:
Sounds like ALL the power companies suck
While I only know the specifics related to PSE&G, there is every reason to believe that the same phenomenon has occurred with power companies throughout the country – it is part of a much bigger problem – our government, at almost every level, is not being run to benefit the citizenry, our government is being run to generate political and financial benefit for the few at the expense of the many.
“our government, at almost every level, is not being run to benefit the citizenry, our government is being run to generate political and financial benefit for the few at the expense of the many.”
A little ditty from John and Paul:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuZ1FqPy4og
[portion of comment removed by moderator] I have important things to do too but would never write such a stupid email!
Deadeye, I thought the same thing!
Winthrop and Mortimer!!
hey muller, in all honesty, you’re probably a large COO (read morbidly obese) of a small hedge fund the way the industry standards have become. stop whining and get a generator, you “heavy” hitter
I would like to sincerely apologize if my email came off as pretentious, snotty or any of the other hurtful things people have said. The reason I included my title in the email was simple, stock price. My rationale was that the executives get paid in stock and stock options. Investment firms through trading based on research can move stock prices. I figured there was a better chance that the email would get read if I included that fact. My email to them just wasn’t about my situation it was about the town. PSE&G reached out to me last night and wants to schedule some time to talk and go over the issues. I welcome that but I rather have this conversation after everyone has there power restored. This email to PSE&G was not meant to be a hedge fund guy crying even though a lot of you took it that way. It was about a father frustated with the system. Once again I apologize that my email came across the way it did.
also, hedgefundhitter is correct. i am obese but i am trying to lose weight.
I agree with Workydaddy. I have been saying the same thing about underground wires and cables for years! Just the other day, John Gambling concurred. I think the REAL reason this hasn’t been done (and Carl’s email backs this up) is the PSE&G refuses to spend money on improving/updating its infrastructure. This is why we have turn of the century–the 20th century–equipment and service. If the cable companies can do this, why not the electric company? Your underground TV cables are protected from the elements, so why not the electrical wires?
Not to mention that it’s more aesthetically appealing. In fact, much of the new construction going on today installs buried wires and cables.
I would be very interested to hear what an electrician and/or electric employee has to say on this matter.
hey rickm, thanks for the apology, but it’s a little too late pal. instead of complaining over email, you should have fired up the chopper and flown to pse&g headquarters and complained in person. pretty easy to hide behind a competer screen there.
portion of comment removed by moderator
Going to remind folks to refrain from personal attacks.
Is Montclair the new berkeley of the east coast? When are they goign to pick up the debris from the storm? I can’t get my Porsche out of the driveway
I heard a report on 1010 WINS the other day that the cost of burying all these cables underground would be about $1M/mile. Not sure how accurate that is but the expense and disruption would be enormous.
I think Mr Mullers email was a personal attack, no?
Re: underground wires – actually, I have Verizon Fios and the wires are not underground. I found that out when Hurricane Irene hit and a branch pulled the wire down. I’m guessing, in our lifetimes, this will never happen because it’s too big a job and too big an expense. And everyone will be up in arms if and when PSE&G should show up with back hoes to dig up yards and take down trees (my back yard has a utility pole surrounded by hemlocks and pines) and then dig trenches for the wires. It’s just too massive an undertaking.
“If the cable companies can do this, why not the electric company? Your underground TV cables are protected from the elements, so why not the electrical wires?”
The CATV lines – both Comcast and FIOS – on my block are just as aerial as the power lines. FWIW, the wiring in the neighborhood around our office in Clifton is the same (except it is Optimum Online instead of Comcast {8^).
However, I am reminded that power lines are already underground in some parts of town. When we’d our office at the corner of Valley and Lorraine, for example, a transformer fire under the intersection made it very clear that there is underground wiring there *laugh*.
…Andrew
Re: cost of underground wires. What is the damage from this storm costing in man hours and equipment? Not just this storm, but the previous ones?
BTW, the Home Depot on 46 West in – I think – Totowa has 8KW portable generators available at about $1300. We’re holding off to see if we can make a standby generator – one that is permanently connected – work.
[Though...the portable is terribly tempting now as we're still powerless.]
…Andrew
exiled in monmouth county. does anyone know if mountain terrace (south side of street) and highland ave have power restored? BTW I will not judge for those who do, do not matter and
I have taken these few days to reflect on all I have for which to be grateful. Peace out.
I’m guessing the cost of storm clean up is not even a fraction of having to replace all the wires in the entire state. They would need to be replace and put in pipes and the ground would need to be torn up and then returned to normal on just about every street in every city.
Cost of burying power lines: $6.7 bazillion.
Permanent nat gas fueled generator that automatically comes on, and powers the whole house, costs ~$10,000 +/-.
rickm, thank you for clarifying the spirit behind your original email. I, in turn, apologize for thinking that you were an arrogant, self-entitled hedge fund CEO.
And while the sense of frustration you have felt is quite understandable, I still think you were a bit too strident in your criticism, and a bit unreasonable in your expectations for the restoration of service, given the magnitude of the disaster. Watching the news in the hotel, or even walking out the door, should have put things into perspective.
I suppose what really gnawed at me was the strident tone in light of the fact that you and your family were fortunate to obtain a hotel room, an amenity unavailable to most who lost power, either because they can’t afford it or there just aren’t enough hotel rooms to go around.
And to be perfectly blunt, when I read and hear such comments, I just cannot help wonder if our country has become a nation of wimps incapable of withstanding the slightest bit of adversity, especially when one considers the daily living conditions for most people in the world, let alone some of the horrific natural disasters we have witnessed around the globe these past few years.
I heard of a local couple that spent $25K on a generator for their house. I guess it’s the kind that comes on automatically when it senses current dropping and picks up the conversation with nary a blip. Sweeeeet!
I have a generator that will keep my Verizon box, router, TV, fridge some lights and an air condtioner but not heating – we’ll rely on firewood and down comforters for that.
I can also climb underneath a pile of my cats to keep warm too, that is if my wife hasn’t beaten me to it!
Pork -
Yes, it was a major disaster, but a large part of that major disaster, and a large part of why it will take so long to get everyone up and running, is because the utilities have been allowed to roll back tree trimming and maintenance. An 80% reduction in tree trimming is bad enough in year one, but over time the effect compounds. Had trees and branches been trimmed the way it was done 25 years ago, before the reductions, the same storm would have resulted in far less damage, and more resources would have been available to repair the damage that did occur.
This is not a new problem – municipal officials throughout NJ have been discussing this and trying to get the state to do something about this since the last millennium – for the most part those expressions of concern have fallen on deaf ears, and now the chickens are starting to come home to roost.
Tree damage and power outages due to inadequate tree trimming and lack of maintenance is not an act of God, it is an act of greedy corporations and complicit regulators.
Thanks for the post Carl. After reading through some of the comments again I think I should give more of a back story on how all of this came about. The power on Midland Ave and Brunswick Place goes down a lot. This year we were knocked out a day in July after a thunderstorm and some houses had issues during Irene. The power box on the poles are old and some of the wiring might date back the revolutionary war (joke). So the power goes out on Saturday. A lot of trees fell down and with the snow caused issues and I understand that. Driving through town on Sunday at various points of the day I do not see one PSE&G truck on Watchung, Midland, Park and parts of Grove. I email our council members to get their take on the situation. They confirm in their areas that they do not see any PSE&G trucks. This has been over 24 hours since the power went out. The council members expressed frustration over the issues and how they have very little control over what PSE&G does with the town. They were honest with me and the same time that irked me that we were all the mercy of PSE&G. Monday comes along and were seeing that trucks are finally come into town. PSE&G says they are bringing in over 90 crews from out of state to help out. Well it takes time for these crews to get here. They don’t put their trucks on a plane and land at Newark Int’l. It could take a day or two for them to get here depending on where they are coming from. I am wondering why if a Company has all this free cash that they can give out to shareholders why can’t they simply hire more workers. I am not saying hire the same amount they brought in from the outside but perhaps a portion just in case of emergencies like this. To Carl’s point, Yes this was a good size storm we are going to get these types of storms 3 to 4 times a year. Are we simply just going to suck it up or is PSE&G going to be proactive about and make some changes. To be clear, while this storm significant, trees falling on power lines is not as bad as power lines melting (similar to NY a few years back). Crews were not working 20 below temperatures either. The point is that there will be more powerful storms that hit this area. So Tuesday comes and I finally get through to an actual human being at PSE&G. Just like others the past few days, I could not get into their high call volume center because it was flooded with calls. Just a note, if your high call volume center can’t take all those calls then you might want to make some changes to it. So I talk to the representative on Tuesday. I asked him some basic questions. Has a crew been assigned ot our area? No. Is the estimate time still on target? It is still on but it is just an estimate. Is there any other information available to you? No. So the call was a waste of time. So to Porkroll’s comment and I am going to sit here and be a wimp and just accept that losing power is the status quo? Am I going to open a bottle of wine with my friends while families in our town with kids are sitting in the cold? No. I am going to bat for the town. So what happens in return? I get called a fat COO. I take flack that I got a hotel room. Yeah I am fortunate that I can afford a hotel room. I could have stayed in that room and did nothing and wait for my power to come back on. But instead I went after PSE&G to get the power back on. I saw our politicians struggling so I jumped in and helped. I used my position, that I worked my ass off to get, to help Montclair. Do people realize that we have a ton of people in our community that work at hedge funds and investment banks? I am starting to see why none of them have put their names out there to help. Why would they have if they are going to get ripped up by the community. I know Baristanet does not reflect everyone’s views in the community but it is unnerving to see some of these comments. It reminds me of the movie PCU. Protesters protesting the protest. You can bet that the people PSE&G are happy about some of these posts. It takes the focus off of them and on to me. I am not looking for thank you, I am looking to get Montclair’s power back on and improve the service that PSE&G offers our community.
Wow. ricm, I don’t know what sounds more arrogant, this last comment or your initial email.
I don’t question your frustration, but the idea I should be pleased that you- you- took upon your broad shoulders to “… get Montclair’s power back on…” is odd. But forgive me if I think Gov. Christie is a more powerful advocate for those of us without power– meeting and pressuring the presidents of the state utilities by our Bully-In-Chief is going to do more than an email from you.
But this is the issue many of us have with you– you really thought your email- from YOU- would get them to move quicker. And that’s why folks have objected to you, and your email.
In truth, hearing about poor, elderly folks without electricity would make me more likely to do something, than a rich guy, who’s staying in a hotel.
Oh, well. No biggie. Hope your power comes on- mine was restored when I returned home this morning!! And I hope you continue to join us here. Another point-of-view is always fun.
This could be the worst storm in terms of damage that we’ve ever seen in our area. PSE&G have dispatched for crews from as far as Georgia. There is only so much they can do and to be honest to have power back at almost 85% at this point is not bad.
It stinks for everyone, I just can’t believe the the way some people are acting. Nasty, demanding, I mean c’mon already deal with it.
In times of adversity the true person in you comes out.
all fair points. I think my passion is coming off as arrogance and that was not my intention. i should have a disclaimer on all my posts. this has really been a good lesson for me. also, as hedgefundhitter said i do need to lose weight. i should focus on that.
In this troubled economy, were I the sort of person who invested in hedge funds, and the sort of person who actually had enough money to do so, I’d be terribly annoyed to learn that my hedge fund manager apparently has nothing better to do with his days (and time is money, after all, would be my money a-wastin’) than to post at undue length about his travails on Baristanet.
Get in your limo and somehow get in to the office and make me some more money, pal!
This has been quite instructive.
I’ve learned, for example, that a company that has “all of this cash lying around” should simply “hire more workers”.
Amen to that!
With corporate profits at all time highs, I gather that this logic extends to them as well. All of you companies with piles of cash, HIRE MORE WORKERS!!
Problem solved.
I also learned that rick did what he did for us! For me! For you! For all of us!
OK, he didn’t exactly die for our sins but pretty close!
He was called arrogant, elitist, fat, whinging — all of those things. But meanwhile he was only trying to go to bat for Montclair!
I think we’ve found our next Fourth of July Grand Marshall and maybe, just maybe, our next mayor!
How do you look in bike shorts, rick?
i got to tell you, my body is not built for bike shirts yet. in fact, if you thought my letter to pse&g was obscene, me in bike shorts would be downright offensive. cathar, yes i do take a limo into work everyday. it is called decamp or as us hedgies call it “decramp”. we should start an online petition to make me pay double on the bus seeing i am a fat coo.
Rick Muller: I don’t think anybody is calling you a fat COO because you emailed PSE&G. I think people are reacting to the fact that your email was published – as if you want some sort of pat on the back for complaining to a utility company. And, according to your last post, it seems like you actually do want a pat on the back. Yes, PSE&G needs to upgrade its infrastructure. Yes, they need to commit more to ongoing maintenance. But, your plight is not unique to your household. And your bitterness at the lack of applause seems petty. I’m sure your letter (or email) was not the only one sent this week. It is, however, the only one whose author is clamoring for recognition.
Good luck to you and yours during this inconvenient time.
Can we all agree this snarkfest has run it’s course?
ah, Cro, you’re so wicked!!
Well rick, few of us look like Brad Pitt.
Maybe more like Zazu Pitts.
However if you ARE going to seek the mayor’s position, you can forego the bike shorts but you MUST agree to grow a beard and pierce your ear.
that is a fair request.
Rick, I think it’s great that you did whatever you thought would be helpful to speed the restoration of Montclair’s power. It’s your harping on your profession and your perception of its influence that is grating. Perhaps the investment bankers and hedge fund guys that live in town are not necessarily the most important or influential citizens. But if they are, I propose we make a laundry list of things they/you could work on. Maybe with a good committee, we could get our taxes lowered, fix the potholes–what else would everyone like?
In all seriousness, I think the Concerned Citizens of Montclair, and Glenn Rogers (working on the Parking Authority mess), among others, exemply those Montclairions who have high-level business/finance experience and are willing to put it to work for the greater good, and I am grateful for them and their efforts.
Thanks Oliver. Apologies if i made it sound like i was bragging about my profession. I definately see how people got that impression at first glance.
We are one of the unlucky 5%. PSE&G did robo-call us this morning to apologize for not meeting their goal of getting us back on the grid by last night. Their new goal is now Friday night at midnight. I am sure they will be REALLY sorry if they miss that one.
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njgator, i hope the power comes back soon for you.
Oliver, you are one diplomatic man. If I were there, I would kiss you full on the lips. (Be thankful I’m not, because I am fugly.)
Thanks, Rick. And while I won’t engage in personal attacks, I hope you understand by now why your letter was more than a bit annoying to most. I don’t see why your hedge fund status entitles you to get your power back before say my 6 year old son who pronounced after living in the dark for 5 days and having to sleep in multiple layers in a 50 degree house “I am so tired of this, Mommy!”. Or if you want to throw around status, my neighbor across the street is also still in the dark today and he has won two Pulitzer Prizes! Maybe he deserves some heat too.
njgator, i think that was a little bit of a low blow. i think i explained my rationale behind the way the letter was worded and apologized for the way it read. it really sucks that you are without power and that your 6 year old has to sleep in a 50 degree house. i truly hope that the power gets back on asap and none of us have to go through this for a very long time.
rickm, I appreciate your effort to explain yourself, but you are tone deaf.
Right now across the land people have taken to the streets because they are angry, for good reason, at having been screwed by corporate America in general and by Wall Street in particular. Jon Corzine is one of the most widely loathed politicians in the state in part because he preached the evils of capitalism while engaging in its worst practices, most recently betting MF Global’s money that Europe would bail out Greece at taxpayer expense. Yet more proof that those who manage money in this country are completely devoid of morality, put the economy we all depend on at risk for their own personal lavish compensation, run firms that have little redeeming social value and need to have their wings clipped, but won’t, because they have the politicians on both sides in their pockets.
Into this situation you come announcing yourself as a top manager at a big hedge fund, demanding Service! and complaining, Corzine-like, that big corporations flush with cash won’t hire more workers so they can fix your power lines in a more timely fashion.
It’s no wonder we don’t love you for it.
Can someone please explain how those ‘portable’ generators work? I mean, would I roll it out of the garage, fire it up, then run 80 miles of extension cord and power strips thru my house and leave the back door propped open?
I understand those fancy systems ones that live in their own little house (you know, the ones that cost more than my first car) are hard-wired to the panel. But how does the cheaper option work??
The present reality is that there is nothing to be done. We just have to sit back and wait for repairs.
For those needing the comforting impression of control, I say go ahead and make phone calls, send emails or letters and demand meetings. At the margin it might redirect resources and speed up restoration of your service. Overall it will have no effect.
Rickm, I never called you “fat” or any other sort of name, so don’t try to tar me with that brush.
On the other hand, something in me doubts very much that you actually ever take DeCamp into Manhattan. But if you do, given your self-description (which you even seem a bit proud of), I trust they charge you double.
Wow, I cannot believe some of the hateful comments towards someone who is trying to help all of us in this community. The truth is that the squeeky wheel gets the grease and I’m glad someone is standing up to the PSE&G. We cannot sit around like sheep and “assume” they’re doing their best to get our power back on. Someone needs to be asking questions and asking them loudly, especially when our concerns are being ignored. I tried calling them myself to no avail, so thanks Mr. Muller for lighting some necessary fire under them.
It is a sad day when people can’t voice their opinion on community issues without commentary on each others career paths. Yes, you run the generator outside and run ext. cords everywhere, wear you ear plugs too!