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Thread: A Fallen Hero - Video Inside

  1. #551
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    Congress must finally fulfill America's obligation to the forgotten victims of September 11th

    http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/...mericas_o.html

    Saturday, February 7th 2009, 4:00 AM

    A new study by researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center confirms the terrible truth about the long-term damage suffered by many rescue and recovery workers who responded to the World Trade Center.

    The serious ill effects caused by breathing the toxic cloud that draped The Pile are, to this day, persistent and chronic among thousands of brave men and women who pitched in heroically after the terror attack.

    Tests on more than 3,160 cops, construction workers and others found that more than 24% showed abnormal lung function between 2004 and 2007, down only slightly from the 28% who exhibited reduced lung function in similar examinations from 2002 to 2004.

    The findings reinforce a second truth: Congress must find the will and the wherewithal to provide health care, monitoring and compensation to all those who remain sickened by exposure to WTC dust.

    As it happened, New York Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler, Pete King and Michael McMahon last week reintroduced legislation to do just that. The same bill died without action last fall, despite the welcome support of Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

    The measure would provide $10.9 billion over 10 years to address a health crisis that extends into every state and nearly every congressional district because so many Americans rushed to New York to give aid.

    The bill would provide medical care for lung, gastrointestinal and other diseases caused by WTC exposure; track the health of patients over time, and, importantly, reopen the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund as a necessary alternative to litigation.

    For more than seven years, Congress and the departed Bush administration refused to uphold America's obligation to the 9/11 brigade. Among the stumbling blocks is the wrongheaded notion that city taxpayers must shoulder a share of the expense.

    Maloney and her colleagues have attempted to sell the legislation by including a provision that would require the city to foot a whopping $500 million of the costs. Mayor Bloomberg has rightly balked.

    City Hall is already paying for a set of 9/11 health programs. And, lest anyone miss the point, New York's budget is so busted that the mayor has proposed raising taxes amid serious talk of laying off thousands of public workers.

    Washington must accept its responsibility. The U.S. was attacked on 9/11; New York City just happened to be the primary target. The ill and injured went to the service of their country, and their country owes them.

    We have been blessed that America has been spared a second major attack. But there is no doubt terrorists are out there plotting. Should, God forbid, they succeed, would-be responders should not have to worry about being abandoned by the government. Right now, that's the horrible lesson they can draw.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  2. #552
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    It's important to remember who forgot them because it wasn't us.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  3. #553
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    Bill Aiding 9/11 First Responders Has Both Parties' Support

    http://www.qgazette.com/news/2009/02...tures/007.html

    BY JOHN TOSCANO
    2/11/2009

    A new bill has been introduced in Congress to deal with the health crisis that resulted from the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

    As part of a continuing effort by Congressmember Carolyn Maloney, the new 9/11 Health and Compensation Act has bipartisan support and could also have the backing of President Barack Obama, who signaled his strong support for the 9/11 cleanup victims during his campaign last year.

    Major support for the bill came last Thursday when Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan issued a report showing that more than 24 percent of 3,160 responders to the 9/11 attack and who are participating in a long-term health study continue to have abnormal lung function even seven years after the terrorist attack, according to Maloney and her colleague, Congressmember Jerrold Nadler (D- Manhattan).

    Addressing herself to those in the Mount Sinai study, Maloney pointed out, "They are waiting for the care and compensation they deserve."

    Maloney continued, "The Mount Sinai report shows yet again why we must pass the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act which demonstrates with stark clarity why we must act immediately to solve the health crisis caused by 9/11."

    More than 400,000 people are believed to have been exposed to toxins from the WTC site, the lawmakers said. Nearly 16,000 responders and at least 2,700 community members are currently sick and receiving treatment. Although most of these people live in the New York-New Jersey area, at least 10,000 people who came from different parts of the U.S. to volunteer for the cleanup were also afflicted.

    The ailing individuals include New York City firefighters and police officers, Emergency Medical Technician members, people from construction companies, cleanup personnel, local area residents and schoolchildren. Their illnesses include respiratory and gastrointestinal system ailments such as asthma, lung diseases, chronic cough and mental health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the lawmakers said.

    The new bill, titled H.R. 47, was introduced by Maloney (D- Queens/Manhattan), Nadler, and Congressmembers Michael McMahon (D- Staten Island) and Peter King (R- C, Long Island). It would provide medical monitoring and treatment for those who worked at Ground Zero, as well as compensation for economic losses due to illnesses or injuries caused by the 9/11 attacks, the lawmakers explained.

    Maloney said the previous version of the legislation was ready to be considered by the House last fall, but because of the financial crisis and other factors, it had to be delayed. It is hoped that its chances of being successful will be aided by its bipartisan sponsorship and support.

    Maloney stated, "Thousands lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks, but in the years that followed thousands more lost their health. This bill provides proper care to those who are suffering and demonstrates that America will not abandon its first responders and all those affected.

    "I thank [House] Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and my colleagues in the New York delegation for their dedication to fulfilling America's moral responsibility to care for those who were harmed by the terrorist attacks on our nation."

    The reintroduced legislation would build on existing monitoring and treatment programs by delivering expert medical treatment for these unique exposures at [Mount Sinai] Centers of Excellence, Maloney said, and also provide research into WTC-related health conditions.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  4. #554
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    9/11 health cases still months from trial

    http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/911-health-cases-still-months/story.aspx?guid={DE991A10-2E6F-4C29-96FA-30B2EA4637A5}&dist=msr_1

    Last update: 12:36 p.m. EST Feb. 22, 2009

    NEW YORK, Feb 22, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The sickest workers claiming ailments caused by the cleanup of the World Trade Center will be the first to have their cases heard in court, a U.S. judge says.

    The first 30 trials are to begin May 17, 2010, said U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein.

    "Their cases deserved to be tried first, for if they were to prevail, they have the greatest need for a monetary recovery," said Hellerstein, who is overseeing 9,090 individual lawsuits by construction workers, firefighters, police and others claiming injuries from the rescue and cleanup of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

    Settlements or verdicts in the first 30 cases will point the way for hundreds of other plaintiffs to settle their cases without enduring years of legal delays, Hellerstein said.

    The plaintiffs allege exposure to toxic materials caused their illnesses. They contend the city and World Trade Center contractors failed to protect them, the New York Post reported Sunday.

    More than $200 million of the $1 billion allocated by Congress to cover the claims has been lost in bond investments or has gone to pay administrative overhead and legal costs, the Post reported.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  5. #555
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    Judge Sets Date in 9/11 Health Lawsuits

    http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/0902...ealth_Lawsuits

    Created On: Sunday, 22 Feb 2009, 7:32 PM EST

    MYFOXNY.COM - On September 11, thousands of emergency workers rushed to the World Trade Center.

    Today, many of them could be sick as a result. Soon, they'll have the chance to make that case in court.

    Manhattan federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein said the first of some 30 trials will convene in May. He believes settlements or jury verdicts reached in the first 30 cases will point the way for hundreds of others to settle without dragging them through the courts for years to come.

    The plaintiffs, who include construction workers, firefighters and police, said they were not protected from the toxic smoke at ground zero.

    They believe the recovery and clean up effort made them sick.

    There are about 9,000 pending lawsuits related to 9/11 recovery.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  6. #556
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    Bill contains $70 million for 9/11 health programs

    http://www.silive.com/newsflash/inde...rylist=simetro

    2/25/2009, 1:00 a.m. EST
    The Associated Press

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress say a spending bill expected to come before the House includes $70 million in new funding for federal 9/11 health programs.

    The funding is expected to cover the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program's expenses for this fiscal year. That's according to a statement from New York Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Peter King, and Michael McMahon.

    The new money would be combined with $112 million carried over from past years.

    The bill could come before the House as early as Wednesday.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  7. #557
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    Hey Washington D.C., Let's Get This Show On The Road!!!

    Jon Gold
    3/10/2009

    "I was just in the hospital for 8 days with respiratory & coronary problems. Then I come out to find out that the insurance carrier decided at the last minute to appeal my award from workmans comp that was just given to me after waiting 7 1/2 years."

    This was just told to me by 9/11 First Responder Charlie Giles. Charlie was an EMT that went into the North Tower to try and help people, and got caught when the building collapsed. He was pulled out of the rubble, and has had to deal with serious medical problems ever since.

    Charlie is but one of thousands with similar problems. It has almost been 8 years since that horrid day, and for the most part, the 9/11 First Responders and the people of New York living around Ground Zero have been neglected. Neglected by those who were more than willing to use their images to sell two wars, take away our civil liberties, and practically destroy this country.

    It is LONG past due that these individuals receive the help they so DESPERATELY need and deserve.

    On February 4th, 2009, Reps. Maloney, Nadler, King, and McMahon reintroduced the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. Since that time, it has been sitting in limbo, just waiting to be voted on.

    To our elected officials sitting in the House of Representatives. You could spend more money in Iraq or Afghanistan. You could spend more money on health care. You could spend more money bailing out the financial industry. You could do a lot of things, and in the past, you have shown us that when you want to, you can pass legislation faster than a speeding bullet.

    I am asking you now to put all of those other things aside, and spend some money on what's right, and to do it NOW. Give them the help that they need. It is long past due.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  8. #558
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    Local Hospital Checks Up On Sept. 11 Responders

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29627114/

    3/12/2009

    TAMPA - Like every first responder on Sept. 11, 2001, Ivan Castrillo breathed in the toxic air - a brew of jet fuel, asbestos, lead and concrete dust concocted by the collapse of the twin towers in Manhattan.

    For six months afterward he stood guard during rescue and recovery efforts as trucks and heavy equipment rumbled past and ash and dust swirled around him.

    It was a gray blizzard. "I went home on a daily basis covered in soot," said Castrillo, then a 16-year veteran of the New York Police Department. "My wife couldn't believe the smells I was bringing home."

    The shortness of breath, acid reflux and chest pain came later, after Castrillo, 44, retired from the department and moved with his wife, Evelyn, to Town 'N Country in northwest Hillsborough County.

    Two months ago, health professionals put his 9/11 history together with his symptoms. He is registered with a database of first responders being compiled by Logistics Health Inc., which manages the World Trade Center National Responder Health Program.

    The federally-funded program monitors and treats 9/11 responders who live outside the New York City and New Jersey metropolitan area.

    Estimates indicate about 1,000 responders live in the Tampa Bay area. Overall, almost 91,500 people, including firefighters, police officers, medical professionals and volunteers, were part of the rescue, recovery and cleanup.

    Many have reported respiratory and lung problems as well as post-traumatic stress disorder.

    On Monday, Castrillo was seen for the first time by Toni Belisle, clinic medical director for Occupational Health Service at University Community Hospital-Carrollwood. The hospital also has clinics in Pasco and Pinellas counties.

    Soon the hospital will forward reports from Castrillo's medical tests to Logistics Health, which then will refer him for federally paid medical treatment.

    "We feel a little bit more calm about it," Castrillo said. "Now I know somebody is going to do something about it."

    Castrillo is the fourth responder patient seen by University Community since February.

    "It's a wonderful opportunity," Belisle said. "It's been a slow trickle in. Even if we can get a small percent of everyone out there, it's helpful. They can get some questions answered and relieve some anxiety."

    For the past two years, Castrillo has had a string of emergency room visits for chest pains and difficulty breathing.

    He gave up his lawn service business. He tried part-time work as a truck driver, but after an hour he would be in agony from the waist up.

    "I know I want to work. That's the toughest part," Castrillo said. "I don't want to sit back and feel sorry for myself."

    No one had an explanation. A doctor did treat him for anxiety, Castrillo said, a diagnosis based on 20 years as a police officer and "the experience I went through on 9/11."

    He arrived at ground zero about 11 a.m. that Tuesday, just after the World Trade Center towers had fallen.

    It was so smoky no one could see more than a few feet. It was fairly quiet. People seemed dazed. There was much confusion.

    "Very surreal; it felt like you were in a bad disaster movie," Castrillo said.

    He rode in a van with other officers, looking for people who needed help.

    For the first three weeks, responders wore paper masks.

    He and other responders didn't think about a future of poor health.

    "We were thinking we had a job at hand, and we had to do it effectively," Castrillo said.

    For information or to register as a responder, call Logistics Health at 1-877-498-2911.
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  9. #559
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    CITY 'SLAP' AT 9/11 UNIFORMED HEROES

    http://www.nypost.com/seven/03152009...oes_159628.htm

    By SUSAN EDELMAN
    March 15, 2009

    The city has asked a judge to toss out 9/11 claims by 4,600 cops, firefighters, and paramedics, arguing the "uniformed" personnel are not entitled to workplace protection under state labor laws.

    The legal maneuver has infuriated Ground Zero responders, who called the city's move "a slap in the face."

    New York's Bravest and Finest fought smoldering fires at Ground Zero, dug for human remains and guarded the toxic disaster site for months, the city says. But they don't get the same protections as manual laborers, mechanics and other "working men," the city contends.

    "The uniformed plaintiffs do not fall within the class of employees entitled to the protections of the labor law," city lawyer James Tyrrell argues in a motion filed in Manhattan federal court.

    Uniformed workers make up half of about 9,000 city employees, construction workers and others who have filed suits against the city in the World Trade Center cleanup.

    If the city gets its way, NYPD and Port Authority cops, firefighters and EMTs would also be dismissed from claims against the city's WTC contractors.

    But a lawyer for the workers, Paul Napoli, said the city's motion would unfairly "deprive uniformed service workers of basic occupational safety and health under established New York law."

    "I'm furious," said ex-detective Mike Valentin, 45, who retired on disability from the NYPD in 2007 with severe lung disease and other ailments. He carries an oxygen tank, sleeps with a machine that helps him breathe, and was recently diagnosed with kidney disease.

    "There is a special place in hell reserved for Mike Bloomberg," said Valentin, a father of three who launched the 9/11 Police Aid Foundation to help other ill and struggling responders.

    "The callous indifference shown by the mayor enrages me. It's really sad that the city is protecting the contractors more than its unformed services."
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


  10. #560
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    Coalition Wants City To Honor 9/11 Health Claims

    http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stori...s/Default.aspx

    3/21/2009

    Members of the NYC Coalition of Uniformed Services came together Thursday to protest what they say is the city's effort to dismiss court claims regarding illness and injury suffered by 9/11 first responders.

    Coalition members say the Bloomberg administration wants a Federal Judge to dismiss claims filed by members of the FDNY, NYPD and Port Authority Police.

    They say the city argued uniformed personnel are not entitled to workplace protection under state labor laws.

    "I remember on 9/11 we came down here, all the firefighters, cops, everybody wanted to help out. Now what kind of message is they mayor sending when he doesn't want to help us when we need help," said Kenny Specht, a member of the FDNY.

    "It's difficult to hear that I possibly overperformed, did somebody else's job, and because I may have acted as a construction worker, out of necessity, my claim should be dismissed," said John McNamara, a member of the FDNY.

    In response, the city says its motion did not ask for the dismissal of a single plaintiff's case.

    The city added, "All the motion would do is simplify the issues for the court. The reaction to this motion highlights the need for legislation to reopen the federal Victim Compensation Fund, which the city supports, to provide compensation without the need for costly and divisive litigation."
    No One Knows Everything. Only Together May We Find The Truth JG


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