Crews from Decatur Utilities and Joe Wheeler out of Trinity headed up there this week, but Derrick Moore, one of the Decatur workers, said they were told by crews in New Jersey that they can't do any work there since they're not union employees.

The crews that are in Roanoke, Virginia say they are just watching and waiting even though they originally received a call asking for help from Seaside Heights, New Jersey.

The crews were told to stand down. In fact, Moore said the crew from Trinity is already headed back home.

Understandably, Moore said they're frustrated being told "thanks, but no thanks."

Let anyone work on the power lines is crazy. Union trained linemen know what they are doing and had to prove it and continue to with union rules....non-union guys from Bama... well who knows?

Unions have no better training than anyone else, perhaps even less as promotions in unions are based solely on longevity and not skill.

Have you ever wored with non-union lineman? I have and no, they are not as well trained and have not done the train ing that IBEW lineman do. There is no way that I would do storm work with someone who has not even been train and too stupid to know it is better to be a union lineman. It is far too dangerous.

We have very reliable electric lighting here in Alabama. We also go through a major storm (Cat 3,4,5) every eight or ten years with little ones (like Cat 1 Sandy) about every other year. After Katrina, we had power back in less than four days. We have the crews. You have the unions. Enjoy the dark.

As an Alabamian, I find myself very nearly stunned. We here have been praying for you since long before Sandy made landfall. We know that this is not something y'all commonly experience, so we knew that this would be particularly hard on you--that you would make serious errors out of inexperience. But this? This is beyond bizarre. As far as I am concerned, we're done. We sent help. You turned it away. When you freeze in the dark, it is on you and your Union Thug Commissars. I am flabbergasted.

Please do not assume this is how the people of NJ feel. Unions have bankrupted this state and the hard working residents are sick of their nonsense. They are a constant embarrassment to us.

I am deeply appreciative of your states crews and wish I could get them to my area.

The best of luck and many blessings to you. I was Posted at Fort Monmouth for a while and learned to love the Pine Barrens of Fort Dix (though not the ticks). I also went through Phase II survival training with a fellow from Bayonne. Great guy though y'all DO talk funny. Smile