by Lionel Bascom — March 21st, 2007 — 1 comment
The mayor of New York has asked the Congress to reopen a special fund for the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg seeks to reopen the fund which was closed in 2003 in order to spare the city the possibility of losing billions of dollars in lawsuits. Bloomberg says federal intervention is needed for victims who may become ill for years to come.
“The mere fact that their injuries and illnesses have been slower to emerge should not disqualify them from getting the help that they need,'’ Bloomberg told the Senate.
Congress created the $7 billion September 11th Victim Compensation Fund soon after the attacks, and it immediately became the subject of intense debate among victims’ family members and politicians for the rules by which it distributed money.
The city believes there could be as many as 8,000 legal claims related to Ground Zero but attorneys already representing victims say the figure is closer to 10,000. The real truth of the matter is the fact that no one can predict how many potential victims may sue the city for illnesses related to the 9/11 attacks. That number is anybody’s guess.
6:48 PM in Uncategorized, World Trade Center, Ground Zero, The Attack, Related Stories, Freedom Tower News, Politics
Dr. Robin Herbert is an assistant professor of community and preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York and director of the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring program at the hospital. After listening to Dr. Herbert speak on this topic a week ago, I believe the estimate of first respondents with medical issues is over 20,000. That number does not include residents of the area, many of whom are children, who may have suffered from the toxicity from the settling dust.
These individuals will definitely need medical attention in the upcoming years, and I hope Congress will act to provide assistance to these innocent Americans. Priorities need consideration, and this matter is a priority.
Jeanne · March 21st, 2007 at 9:44 pm