Editorial
Blackout Put Dent In Area's Economy

Sometimes we who live in Queens feel as if the rest of New York City exists on another planet. This was never more true than during the 10 days of the blackout that started Monday, July 17 and, for some of us, lasted until the following Tuesday, July 25. Other boroughs functioned in 2006, but life in Northwestern Queens existed on a level closer to 1750, if not earlier.

Especially hard hit by this involuntary experiment in time travel were the businesses that are the lifeblood of the area's economy. The long-term economic

impact of the power outage has yet to be

fully understood, but its effects are being felt even now-and will be for some time

come. Food stores and restaurants will never get back what they lost, in inventory

or in trade. Nor will the effects be felt only by business proprietors alone. Businesses fearing another sudden outage will not keep as much inventory on hand, especially if that inventory consists wholly

or in part of perishable goods. Smaller inventories mean higher prices. Area consumers will find themselves paying more for everything, from cold cuts to shoes. Higher prices will lead to a further drop in business. During the week that some businesses were closed, their employees, many of whom are paid by the hour, had no income at all. No income means no spending, either for necessities or on recreation. The city will face a concomitant loss in taxes collected on goods and services.

The blackout's impact will ultimately be felt across the city-most severely in Northwest Queens, of course, but sooner or later, everywhere. Business owners cannot be compelled to invest in Queens. A climate must be created to encourage investment and development, and given the events of the past two weeks, we salute our local chambers of commerce, business and economic development organizations and business improvement districts for their valiant efforts in doing just that. We call on all our readers to try to assist them however they can. We applaud those entities that are trying to help us all get out from under, such as the Commerce Bank branch on Ditmars Boulevard, which volunteered its facilities for use as a claim center. We also salute our local elected officials, both city and state, for standing up for us. They have shown where their loyalties lie and it behooves us to reciprocate; we trust that our readers, like us, will express their thanks and support, however they can.

Meanwhile, we call on Consolidated Edison to review its infrastructure maintenance practices to ensure to the best of the utility's ability that this does not happen again. We accept that anything mechanical can wear out and fail, but last year, the Northwestern Queens power grid experienced more than 70 failure incidents-the highest in New York City. There is no way this could be considered even remotely acceptable. Queens must and will rise above the calamity of the blackout of 2006, but immediate measures must be instituted to make sure that we remain with the rest of the city firmly grounded in the 21st century.