I disagree slightly with Charles Krauthammer in the matter of the First Responders bill. Charles says:
It’s not a question of cost, it’s a question of the absence of hearings, the absence of oversight, and also the absence of scientific evidence conclusively showing a link between the illnesses and the activity at the 9/11 site.
That is certainly an important sub-question. The big question, though, is why, at a time of looming fiscal crisis, Congress is still allowing the Trial Lawyers Association to use the public treasury as a personal ATM.
Yet more news from our nation’s legislature. Another trial lawyers’ scam against the public fisc, in fact. It sometimes seems as though the entire business of Washington, D.C. consists of lawyers looting the Treasury. Here they are at it again.
This is the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, advertised as, quote, “giving federal medical benefits to first-responders sick from Ground Zero dust.” I think we all know now by instinct that any congressional bill whose title contains a person’s name is deeply suspect. This one is a ripoff in so many ways I don’t have time to enumerate them all.
You can start with the eponymous James Zadroga. Who he? Well, he was a New York City police detective who spent some time at the World Trade Center site in Manhattan following 9/11. He developed a cough, so in 2004 the Police Department put him on permanent disability status. With Zadroga’s twelve years’ service, that means benefits around ninety thousand a year, inflation-proofed, all medical expenses covered free of charge. For life, Officer Zadroga being 33 years old at this point. This kind of thing is routine in big-city police departments, one of the reasons that the finances of our states are in such an unholy mess.
That same year, 2004, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund also gave him a cash award. At this point Zadroga was set up very nicely for life, with all the medical attention he could want, all paid for by other people — i.e. by you and me — and a handsome income for doing no work at all. Fair enough, you may say: he was a first responder, and I won’t argue the point.
Then in 2006 James Zadroga died. What did he die from? According to an autopsy report signed off on by New York City’s two chief medical examiners, he died after injecting himself with ground-up prescription drugs in solution — nothing to do with 9/11 at all.
Once the Trial Lawyers Association see a big pile of taxpayer gold glittering on the horizon, though, there is no stopping them. Obviously they goofed by not stuffing those Chief Examiners’ pockets with cash before they wrote their report, but they came back with this James Zadroga Act.
Now look: We should all be grateful to those first responders who showed up at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the Flight 93 crash site. Face this fact, though: We live in a nation where any widespread sympathetic emotion will be milked for cold cash by unscrupulous attorneys. These first responders all belong to well-funded public-sector unions with extravagant benefit packages. There are people here in New York City retired on disability from the Fire Department, nothing to do with 9/11, pulling down $200,000 retirement packages in their fities, with full medical coverage on top. Nobody’s going short of anything here. The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund added cream on the pie, as James Zadroga’s own case illustrates.
The James Zadroga Act is a trial lawyer’s scam, just like the Pigford rackets. Oh, would you like to know how many people will get payouts from the James Zadroga Act? Answer: at least 71,000. You didn’t know there were that many first responders, did you? That’s a major-league baseball stadium full of first responders, all with their hands out. Twenty-four of them are from Wyoming, which is a long way from Ground Zero. We know this because we heard it from Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming, who has been leading opposition to this shameful scheme.
Well, on Thursday this week the Senate filibustered down the James Zadroga Bill. Good for them. You can tell it was good by all the lefty scam artists who were bleating about it: Both New York’s lefty senators, Schumer and Gillibrand, and the egregious Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and of course New York’s whiniest, Michael Bloomberg.
Oh, and James Zadroga’s father Joseph. Waking from his dreams of an endless supply of taxpayer money sluicing in through his mailbox, the outraged Mr. Zadroga said the Senate vote made him, quote, “embarrassed for his country.” Fiddlesticks. Citizens who do their duty in our police and fire services are already very amply rewarded, so much so their rewards are helping put our nation in fiscal peril.
The real embarrassment here is that a raft of trial lawyers should play on public sympathies to enrich themselves from the public fisc. That’s the embarrassment, Mr. Zadroga — and Senator Schumer, and Mayor Bloomberg, and all the rest of you who think our public resources are infinite, or who have been bought and paid for by the Trial Lawyers’ Association.
Does anyone wonder why the Republicans (who obviously know the truth about Zagroda) have not bothered to inject the truth into the debate over this bill?
BECAUSE THEY ARE SPINELESS.
Go Tom Coburn; too bad you are surrounded by weak sisters.
I'm with Mr. Derbyshire here. I'm in the Army National Guard, have been deployed to Afghanistan, and will likely go back. And I'm starting to think that it's time the country sat down and had a good long talk about just how much DO we owe our service members? I'm not sure at all that men and women who retire from active-duty Army (or National Guard) service after 20 years should be getting pensions immediately.
I'm also not sure I should be getting family health-care coverage for just $200 a month through the government. Believe me, I APPRECIATE what the country is granting me, but is it wise in a time of such dire financial challenge, to be so generous? And, of course, granted that I'd like to see the National Endowment for the Arts, and research grants, and suchlike done away with first. And see every third bureaucrat in state and federal governments fired, as well.
Like that will ever happen. More likely, we'll just see the military get their benefits hosed, because our lobbying organizations aren't as well funded as the public-sector unions.
Somedays I agree with Mr. Derbyshire on another point: We Are Doomed.
Derb quotes the number covered by this bill at 71,000. Last night Fox said it would cover 109,000. Look at that number, 109,000. Come on folk, there just could NOT have been 109,000 first responders, and not one wore a respirator or dust mask?? This is insane. Thank heaven's Tom Coburn is trying to slow this gravy train.
Gee - so all those "first responders" had job descriptions that began with "you will never be in any danger, your job is completely safe, no risk exposure at all"?
They knew, and were told, constantly: "You may very well die from this, because it's your job. This is so the people who pay you don't have to. If you don't want that, sign this resignation and give back your check".
This is why military next-of-kin can't sue for KIA: it was his job (or, as we say in civil law, "an obvious, necessary and completely foreseeable consequence of his own choice of employment").
What's great about this whole column is the usual lack of facts. But then again why let facts get the way of a good story. First, as a 9/11 responder who managed not to get sick, lets clear up the farce of a $200,000 pension. I'm a 23 year EMS veteran of the FDNY. If I left tomorrow, my pension would be approximately $41,000 per year, taxed. If I was to be injured in the line of duty, it would go up to a wopping $65,000 state tax free but still federally taxed. So much for a $200,000 pension. Health benefits are paid for by retirees.
As to 9/11 Zadroga bill, it is intended to cover the costs of treatment that your health benefits don't cover. But hey, everyone ran out and hugged cops, firefighters and EMS post 9/11. But ten years on? Who are these people and why should you care? We're just the fools who ran in while you ran out.
But, since you're making sure we beg for health coverage, maybe next time me and my brothers and sisters will need to slow down and consider the ramifications to ourselves and our families. Perhaps running in without thinking about those ramifications may not be such a good idea if the people you serve are going to leave you holding on to your own ass when the chips are down.
BTW: up until this issue I was a registered Republican. Now I'd rather my hands fall off if I ever vote that way again. I'd rather vote for a dead animal.
As was noted, what (if anything) do trial lawyers get out of the bill?
May I ask, are the "first responders" all public employees whose job it was to do that sort of thing? Or, does the term more broadly include others (public servants or not) who happened to be in the vicinity and voluntarily offered assistance?
As for the number covered, however many thousands of them, perhaps that includes not just the persons there, but their dependents?
Yes, I realize I could look all this up, but why should I work harder than a typical Senator when it comes to reading bills?
Actually, anyone familiar with New York Workers' Compensation laws can tell you how necessary this bill is. You cannot sue your employer for injuries sustained on the job. You must go in front of the WCB to get approval for every medical procedure. Since it is hard to prove the cause of respiratory and heart diseases, even though it is popping up in droves of otherwise healthy 30-something First Responders, most are not getting approval for completely necessary procedures due to their exposure to toxins at Ground Zero. Also, nobody with a brain would call what they were exposed to an ordinary risk of their job.
This bill, just like the Pigford fraud, is just another way Democrats shamelessly pay off various constituencies with seemingly "feel good" legislation that is inoculated from attack because its wrapped in such "compassionate" packages.
Nothing is done to confirm that those applying for benefits have any relationship to the actual event. To require proof, as in Pigford, is to evoke those most painful attacks of being "heartless" or "racist". Better to let another few billion go than to jeopardize one's political standing. That Republicans cannot, in this day and age, come up with a reasonable media response to this corruption (ala Colburn's clearly rational statement) is just another indictment of the party.
Republicans; not conservative and just as overwhelmingly political as Democrats. And they wonder why it takes an Obama debacle to get them re-elected.
Actually, anyone familiar with New York Workers' Compensation laws can tell you how necessary this bill is. You cannot sue your employer for injuries sustained on the job. You must go in front of the WCB to get approval for every medical procedure. Since it is hard to prove the cause of respiratory and heart diseases, even though it is popping up in droves of otherwise healthy 30-something First Responders, most are not getting approval for completely necessary procedures due to their exposure to toxins at Ground Zero. Also, nobody with a brain would call what they were exposed to an ordinary risk of their job.
"Nobody believes you"
I guess I should be what? Offended? Hurt? Outraged?
No, more like bored and very unsuprised that I got the response I did. Based on your previous post, clearly you know all the answers are as smug as every other little master of the universe secure in your own little world. I expected as much.
As to points; what? From you? Seriously, get out from your parents basement and get a life. Points from the likes of you, or lack thereof are not something I'm bound to lose sleep over.
And being called a liar by a little wee man, safe behind a computer screen is not going to particularly ruin my day. I've been called far worse by far better.
My only mistake, if there was one, was coming into a forum like this with the expectation of an open discussion. Alas, a debate with a wee troll the likes of you was not on the agenda. Frankly, it becomes boring rather quickly.
In the end, Merry Christmas to all, including JohnG, and don't worry I'll not be back here to post any opinion lest I offend.
The Trial Lawyers Relief act is what this. I just deleted hotair from my bookmarks because that site supports immediate passage of this thing. I'm getting pretty tired of not only GOP officeholders but allegedly conservative bloggers immediately throwing their principles overboard to keep power. Why bother elect Republicans if they just rubber stamp this stuff?
After reading articles and comments on many websites, I'm amazed at the complete ignorance of many people who don't have a clue.
NYC police and firefighters were not the only first responders. Construction workers, Salvation Army and Red Cross personnel from all over the US responded to this disaster. I was one of them. As a member of management for a large engineering and construction firm, I was not a member of any union. I developed asthma, RADS, and other illnesses following my time at Ground Zero. In 2004, I was diagnosed with cancer. In 2006, I became disabled. My COBRA ran out after 18 months, and no insurance company will cover me now. Fortunately, I'm also a veteran, and can receive treatment at the VA. While less expensive than most other hospitals and clinics, it still costs, and it all comes out of my pocket. I've burned through my savings and 401k to keep up with medical expenses. I subsist soley on Social Security disability payments. I am currently taking 33 prescription medications, and my doctor says we really cannot eliminate any of them. Last week, I was diagnosed with another cancer, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which is incurable.
And some of you out there still believe that 9/11 was a "windfall" for first responders? I'll trade you places.
Do you think those of us against the bill, are somehow un appreciative of your actions, or your service? Do you think we just dont care about you?
Why is it, that unless we go along with lifetime healthcare WITHOUT documented proof of your actions being the cause of your illness, without any true debate, without the media discussing ALL the facts behind the death of the bill's namesake, we are somehow lacking in empathy?
This nation's tax-payers are being asked to pay for a bill WITHOUT proving its merits. This should be a slam dunk. You would think that Democrats would want a PARADE of debate on this bill, that there would be Doctors lined up around the block to tell us why this bill is a must.
That didnt happen. It has been nothing but "Pay up, your you are an unfeeling jerk." Some of us are tired of having the guilt gun pointed at our heads whenever misfortune strikes.
You might not believe that I care, but it is not my job, or anyone else's to prove that we care through our dollars.
I will certainly offer my thoughts and prayers, and I hope you understand that had this bill been properly vetted, it would be a done deal. It wasn't, so it aint.
Kudos Derb, well written bit. I'm a bit behind in Radio D listening so I hadn't caught this one yet. I'd been discussing this with an outraged liberal family member who had gotten the story from Jon Stewart. I was moderate in my response but something in me, I think my inner Derb, was saying I would vote against this. Now I know why!
These comments from people who claim they were there are a bit funny. If I posted anonymously, I could just as easily claim to be a first responder who had so far bilked the system of millions of dollars and faked my illness, etc., and you'd have to give me the same benefit of the doubt we owe these other commenters, because I'm providing precisely as much evidence as they are.
Officer Zadroga spent over 400 hours at Ground Zero. Before 9/11, Zadroga was perfectly fit according to his physical. Afterward, he died of lung cancer and a heart enlarged to twice its size. While the NYC medical examiner said death was exacerbated by injection of prescription drugs, another ME disputes that on numerous valid grounds. [For example, cellulose in the lung could have come from furniture fumes as well as ground prescription.] Of particular note, a third party disinterested Michigan ME states that Zadroga's enlarged heart and no scarring evidences death from inhaled particles. According to his father, Zadroga took 14 legal medications after 9/11. There was no sign of illicit drugs. Do any of you commenters seriously believe that Zadroga was not made seriously, gravely ill due to the time he spent at Ground Zero? Are you actually contending that all of these courageous young healthy workers who ran into smoldering, toxic, and noxious buildings (while sane people were running out) should die destitute because 9/11 wasn't so bad -- that there is some other cause for their ailments and not 9/11? Zadroga who died at 34 a scammer? The facts are out there, folks. When civilians were allowed to approach Ground Zero long after, I went for a brief time and could still see and feel the dust in the air. You spinners should be ashamed of yourselves. The people who went from all states to rescue people in the 9/11 disaster deserve better. You quibbling re-writers of history and those who tag our heroes with conspiracy and greed labels should be more careful with how you abuse your First Amendment freedom. To Mr. Derbyshire, please detail your experiences and injuries serving this country as a soldier, fireman, policeman, medic, relief worker, or other public servant. Until then, as Jack Nicholson said, "I would prefer if you just said thank you" and meant it. As for the commenter who argues that soldiers "assume the risk", maybe we should propose dissolving the VA hospitals and let the wounded fend for themselves! [Of course, if people are trying to scam the system, weed them out and prosecute them. But don't hold our heroes hostage. The Coffman argument that the 9/11 workers should not be paid because it might come from reverting the rich to their slightly higher pre-Bush tax rate rather than spending cuts is politics at its absolute worst.] And before I forget. Thanks John G. Don't let the ankle biters diminish in any way the service you and other first responders performed and the debt we owe you.
Does anyone wonder why the Republicans (who obviously know the truth about Zagroda) have not bothered to inject the truth into the debate over this bill?
BECAUSE THEY ARE SPINELESS.
Go Tom Coburn; too bad you are surrounded by weak sisters.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm with Mr. Derbyshire here. I'm in the Army National Guard, have been deployed to Afghanistan, and will likely go back. And I'm starting to think that it's time the country sat down and had a good long talk about just how much DO we owe our service members? I'm not sure at all that men and women who retire from active-duty Army (or National Guard) service after 20 years should be getting pensions immediately.
I'm also not sure I should be getting family health-care coverage for just $200 a month through the government. Believe me, I APPRECIATE what the country is granting me, but is it wise in a time of such dire financial challenge, to be so generous? And, of course, granted that I'd like to see the National Endowment for the Arts, and research grants, and suchlike done away with first. And see every third bureaucrat in state and federal governments fired, as well.
Like that will ever happen. More likely, we'll just see the military get their benefits hosed, because our lobbying organizations aren't as well funded as the public-sector unions.
Somedays I agree with Mr. Derbyshire on another point: We Are Doomed.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDerb quotes the number covered by this bill at 71,000. Last night Fox said it would cover 109,000. Look at that number, 109,000. Come on folk, there just could NOT have been 109,000 first responders, and not one wore a respirator or dust mask?? This is insane. Thank heaven's Tom Coburn is trying to slow this gravy train.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo how are trial lawyers being compensated by this fund?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGee - so all those "first responders" had job descriptions that began with "you will never be in any danger, your job is completely safe, no risk exposure at all"?
They knew, and were told, constantly: "You may very well die from this, because it's your job. This is so the people who pay you don't have to. If you don't want that, sign this resignation and give back your check".
This is why military next-of-kin can't sue for KIA: it was his job (or, as we say in civil law, "an obvious, necessary and completely foreseeable consequence of his own choice of employment").
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat's great about this whole column is the usual lack of facts. But then again why let facts get the way of a good story. First, as a 9/11 responder who managed not to get sick, lets clear up the farce of a $200,000 pension. I'm a 23 year EMS veteran of the FDNY. If I left tomorrow, my pension would be approximately $41,000 per year, taxed. If I was to be injured in the line of duty, it would go up to a wopping $65,000 state tax free but still federally taxed. So much for a $200,000 pension. Health benefits are paid for by retirees.
As to 9/11 Zadroga bill, it is intended to cover the costs of treatment that your health benefits don't cover. But hey, everyone ran out and hugged cops, firefighters and EMS post 9/11. But ten years on? Who are these people and why should you care? We're just the fools who ran in while you ran out.
But, since you're making sure we beg for health coverage, maybe next time me and my brothers and sisters will need to slow down and consider the ramifications to ourselves and our families. Perhaps running in without thinking about those ramifications may not be such a good idea if the people you serve are going to leave you holding on to your own ass when the chips are down.
BTW: up until this issue I was a registered Republican. Now I'd rather my hands fall off if I ever vote that way again. I'd rather vote for a dead animal.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAs was noted, what (if anything) do trial lawyers get out of the bill?
May I ask, are the "first responders" all public employees whose job it was to do that sort of thing? Or, does the term more broadly include others (public servants or not) who happened to be in the vicinity and voluntarily offered assistance?
As for the number covered, however many thousands of them, perhaps that includes not just the persons there, but their dependents?
Yes, I realize I could look all this up, but why should I work harder than a typical Senator when it comes to reading bills?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseActually, anyone familiar with New York Workers' Compensation laws can tell you how necessary this bill is. You cannot sue your employer for injuries sustained on the job. You must go in front of the WCB to get approval for every medical procedure. Since it is hard to prove the cause of respiratory and heart diseases, even though it is popping up in droves of otherwise healthy 30-something First Responders, most are not getting approval for completely necessary procedures due to their exposure to toxins at Ground Zero. Also, nobody with a brain would call what they were exposed to an ordinary risk of their job.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis bill, just like the Pigford fraud, is just another way Democrats shamelessly pay off various constituencies with seemingly "feel good" legislation that is inoculated from attack because its wrapped in such "compassionate" packages.
Nothing is done to confirm that those applying for benefits have any relationship to the actual event. To require proof, as in Pigford, is to evoke those most painful attacks of being "heartless" or "racist". Better to let another few billion go than to jeopardize one's political standing. That Republicans cannot, in this day and age, come up with a reasonable media response to this corruption (ala Colburn's clearly rational statement) is just another indictment of the party.
Republicans; not conservative and just as overwhelmingly political as Democrats. And they wonder why it takes an Obama debacle to get them re-elected.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHey Anonymous, nobody believes you.
And no points for the typical "I was a Republican, but........"
Yep. That works.....
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseActually, anyone familiar with New York Workers' Compensation laws can tell you how necessary this bill is. You cannot sue your employer for injuries sustained on the job. You must go in front of the WCB to get approval for every medical procedure. Since it is hard to prove the cause of respiratory and heart diseases, even though it is popping up in droves of otherwise healthy 30-something First Responders, most are not getting approval for completely necessary procedures due to their exposure to toxins at Ground Zero. Also, nobody with a brain would call what they were exposed to an ordinary risk of their job.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHey JohnG:
"Nobody believes you"
I guess I should be what? Offended? Hurt? Outraged?
No, more like bored and very unsuprised that I got the response I did. Based on your previous post, clearly you know all the answers are as smug as every other little master of the universe secure in your own little world. I expected as much.
As to points; what? From you? Seriously, get out from your parents basement and get a life. Points from the likes of you, or lack thereof are not something I'm bound to lose sleep over.
And being called a liar by a little wee man, safe behind a computer screen is not going to particularly ruin my day. I've been called far worse by far better.
My only mistake, if there was one, was coming into a forum like this with the expectation of an open discussion. Alas, a debate with a wee troll the likes of you was not on the agenda. Frankly, it becomes boring rather quickly.
In the end, Merry Christmas to all, including JohnG, and don't worry I'll not be back here to post any opinion lest I offend.
Palin in 2012!!
Yep, that works.....
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe Trial Lawyers Relief act is what this. I just deleted hotair from my bookmarks because that site supports immediate passage of this thing. I'm getting pretty tired of not only GOP officeholders but allegedly conservative bloggers immediately throwing their principles overboard to keep power. Why bother elect Republicans if they just rubber stamp this stuff?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHey, come on back 'Anonymous, just bring facts with you next time. Merry Christmas back at ya.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGreat, great stuff Derb. Kudos.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAfter reading articles and comments on many websites, I'm amazed at the complete ignorance of many people who don't have a clue.
NYC police and firefighters were not the only first responders. Construction workers, Salvation Army and Red Cross personnel from all over the US responded to this disaster. I was one of them. As a member of management for a large engineering and construction firm, I was not a member of any union. I developed asthma, RADS, and other illnesses following my time at Ground Zero. In 2004, I was diagnosed with cancer. In 2006, I became disabled. My COBRA ran out after 18 months, and no insurance company will cover me now. Fortunately, I'm also a veteran, and can receive treatment at the VA. While less expensive than most other hospitals and clinics, it still costs, and it all comes out of my pocket. I've burned through my savings and 401k to keep up with medical expenses. I subsist soley on Social Security disability payments. I am currently taking 33 prescription medications, and my doctor says we really cannot eliminate any of them. Last week, I was diagnosed with another cancer, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which is incurable.
And some of you out there still believe that 9/11 was a "windfall" for first responders? I'll trade you places.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@Robert J, what is the clue that we are missing?
Do you think those of us against the bill, are somehow un appreciative of your actions, or your service? Do you think we just dont care about you?
Why is it, that unless we go along with lifetime healthcare WITHOUT documented proof of your actions being the cause of your illness, without any true debate, without the media discussing ALL the facts behind the death of the bill's namesake, we are somehow lacking in empathy?
This nation's tax-payers are being asked to pay for a bill WITHOUT proving its merits. This should be a slam dunk. You would think that Democrats would want a PARADE of debate on this bill, that there would be Doctors lined up around the block to tell us why this bill is a must.
That didnt happen. It has been nothing but "Pay up, your you are an unfeeling jerk." Some of us are tired of having the guilt gun pointed at our heads whenever misfortune strikes.
You might not believe that I care, but it is not my job, or anyone else's to prove that we care through our dollars.
I will certainly offer my thoughts and prayers, and I hope you understand that had this bill been properly vetted, it would be a done deal. It wasn't, so it aint.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"And being called a liar by a little wee man, safe behind a computer screen is not going to particularly ruin my day."
This trolling, from someone who isn't even registered, just broke my irony-meter.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseKudos Derb, well written bit. I'm a bit behind in Radio D listening so I hadn't caught this one yet. I'd been discussing this with an outraged liberal family member who had gotten the story from Jon Stewart. I was moderate in my response but something in me, I think my inner Derb, was saying I would vote against this. Now I know why!
These comments from people who claim they were there are a bit funny. If I posted anonymously, I could just as easily claim to be a first responder who had so far bilked the system of millions of dollars and faked my illness, etc., and you'd have to give me the same benefit of the doubt we owe these other commenters, because I'm providing precisely as much evidence as they are.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOfficer Zadroga spent over 400 hours at Ground Zero. Before 9/11, Zadroga was perfectly fit according to his physical. Afterward, he died of lung cancer and a heart enlarged to twice its size. While the NYC medical examiner said death was exacerbated by injection of prescription drugs, another ME disputes that on numerous valid grounds. [For example, cellulose in the lung could have come from furniture fumes as well as ground prescription.] Of particular note, a third party disinterested Michigan ME states that Zadroga's enlarged heart and no scarring evidences death from inhaled particles. According to his father, Zadroga took 14 legal medications after 9/11. There was no sign of illicit drugs. Do any of you commenters seriously believe that Zadroga was not made seriously, gravely ill due to the time he spent at Ground Zero? Are you actually contending that all of these courageous young healthy workers who ran into smoldering, toxic, and noxious buildings (while sane people were running out) should die destitute because 9/11 wasn't so bad -- that there is some other cause for their ailments and not 9/11? Zadroga who died at 34 a scammer? The facts are out there, folks. When civilians were allowed to approach Ground Zero long after, I went for a brief time and could still see and feel the dust in the air. You spinners should be ashamed of yourselves. The people who went from all states to rescue people in the 9/11 disaster deserve better. You quibbling re-writers of history and those who tag our heroes with conspiracy and greed labels should be more careful with how you abuse your First Amendment freedom. To Mr. Derbyshire, please detail your experiences and injuries serving this country as a soldier, fireman, policeman, medic, relief worker, or other public servant. Until then, as Jack Nicholson said, "I would prefer if you just said thank you" and meant it. As for the commenter who argues that soldiers "assume the risk", maybe we should propose dissolving the VA hospitals and let the wounded fend for themselves! [Of course, if people are trying to scam the system, weed them out and prosecute them. But don't hold our heroes hostage. The Coffman argument that the 9/11 workers should not be paid because it might come from reverting the rich to their slightly higher pre-Bush tax rate rather than spending cuts is politics at its absolute worst.] And before I forget. Thanks John G. Don't let the ankle biters diminish in any way the service you and other first responders performed and the debt we owe you.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse