Those nifty generators are instead being used for the not-so-dire task of lighting up a media tent 24/7 and that's why people are just angry. There were murmurs of criticism about the New York City Marathon on Wednesday, which reached a crescendo yesterday when officials decided to go ahead with the marathon even though parts of Staten Island and Queens were in distress, and even though residents and elected officials raised concerns about the diverting of and lack of resources in the city.   

Today we have the tangible reality of what resource envy looks like. And it starts with generators and a New York Post cover story. "The three diesel-powered generators crank out 800 kilowatts — enough to power 400 homes in ravaged areas like Staten Island, the Rockaways and downtown Manhattan," reported The Post's team of Tara Palemeri, Larry Celona, and Doug Auer.  "And a third 'backup' unit sits idle, in case one of the generators fails," they add. This abundance of power with a palpable lack of it just a short walk away, is not unlike letting a starving soul have a whiff of your Thanksgiving dinner and not inviting them to the feast. Case in point, a resident from Manhattan's East Village: 

Giant generators being used in to power media tent in central park while we in east village have no water, electricity, phone, food or heat!

— Marlene McCarty (@mmcc1999) November 2, 2012

In fact, here are the latest tweets when you search up generators and Central Park: 

Residents in Staten Island, one of hardest hit areas of New York City,  as Dashiell Bennett reported this morning, have called the city and Red Cross's relief efforts there a "disgrace." We don't want to be there when they hear this story. 

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Alexander Abad-Santos