NY Sanitation Bosses Targeted 'Political' Areas

The Sanitation bosses who sabotaged the blizzard cleanup targeted politically connected and well-heeled neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn to get their message across, the New York Post reported Friday.

Their motives emerged Thursday as the city's Department of Investigation admitted it began a probe earlier this week after hearing rumors of a coordinated job action.

New York Sanitation Department bosses reportedly ordered their drivers to snarl the blizzard cleanup to protest recent budget cuts.

Sources said several neighborhoods were on the workers' hit list -- including Borough Park and Dyker Heights in Brooklyn and Middle Village in Queens -- because residents there have more money and their politicians carry big sticks.

"It was more targeted than people actually think," said a labor source. "Borough Park was specifically targeted [because of] ... its ability to sort of gin up the pr machine."

The plan worked. Residents of those neighborhoods -- who, after three days, were still trying to dig out their cars -- are furious.

"It's hurting people for greed," seethed Barry Coogan, 60, who lives on 64th Road in Middle Village. "Whoever made those decisions should lose their jobs. Don't hurt the neighborhood so you can't get medical help."

In Brooklyn, Democratic Assemblyman Dov Hikin called the clean-up "an absolute disaster.""You have the most unbelievable anger I've ever seen," he said of his Borough Park constituents.The slowdown was confirmed by City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Queens), who met with a group of guilt-stricken plow drivers and supervisors who confessed to the plot.

Halloran provided The Post with two videos showing a plow driver in Queens driving his truck on a snow-covered road without plowing it.

The hostility stems from a series of labor and budget cuts that are culminating Friday with demotions -- and resulting salary declines -- for 100 supervisors.