Storm-ravaged Staten Islanders angry over stalled Sandy aid. "I think they're lucky we're not armed"

"Congress isn't exactly winning popularity contests anywhere in America, but in New York's storm-ravaged borough of Staten Island, its name is mud.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner declined to bring a $60.4 billion aid package for people hit by Superstorm Sandy to a vote on Tuesday night, sparking a backlash from both Republican and Democratic politicians from New York and New Jersey, who called the delay callous and a "betrayal." Boehner quickly announced that on Friday, Congress will vote on one urgent portion of the bill, which sends more than $9 billion to the government's flood insurance program. That program was expected to run out of money early next week as the victims of Sandy have been filing claims in droves.

But the rest of the $51 billion in aid won't be voted on until Jan 15, more than two months after the storm hit, and a longer wait period than survivors of past catastrophes like Hurricanes Ike, Katrina, Gustav, Andrew and others have faced.

In the meantime, some in Staten Island say they're tired of feeling like the government doesn't care.

"What do I think? I think they're lucky we're not armed," yelled Rose Mazz, 68, out of the window of the small storm-damaged home where she's lived for 24 years."

[link to news.yahoo.com]