A Fallen Hero - Video Inside

Outraged First Responders Announce Thursday Press Conference

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayR...STORY=/www/story/03-19-2009/0004991554&EDATE=

NEW YORK , March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the City's Uniformed Services outraged by the City of New York's attempt to dismiss their claims for injuries suffered at the World Trade Center site following 9/11 have scheduled a press conference to be held on the steps of City Hall in lower Manhattan on Thursday, March 19, at noon. Famed Civil Rights attorney and public advocate Norman Siegel will speak, along with Jack McDonald, who is the President of the Uniformed Fire Fighters Association and other notable police officers and firefighters. Also appearing will be Marc Jay Bern, one of the Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel for the pending actions in the Federal Court.

The Bloomberg administration is attempting to have a United States Federal judge dismiss all claims of illness and injury sustained by uniformed services personnel as a result of their exposure to toxic materials during the rescue and recovery efforts after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks. The City's filing is directed specifically against the claims of New York's first responders, i.e., police officers (NYPD and Port Authority Police), firefighters and emergency medical technicians employed by the FDNY, on claims that the basic workplace protections mandated by New York's Labor Laws and extended to NYPD and FDNY members by the General Municipal Law do not extend to the uniformed services personnel who were stationed at the World Trade Center site for rescue, recovery and debris removal operations following the 9/11 attacks. Simply put, the City contends that the statutes requiring that those performing debris removal be provided with personal protective equipment, including respirators, simply do not apply to FDNY and NYPD members who worked at the World Trade Center Site.

The bid for dismissal comes shortly after the Court hearing the cases began a new effort to resolve them. Less than one week earlier, the Honorable Alvin K. Hellerstein, the judge presiding over more than 10,000 World Trade Center cases, announced an aggressive plan for the trials of the most critically injured first responders, paving the way toward a global settlement. In his decision, Judge Hellerstein wrote that "a basis for settlement or valuation by trial should prompt resolution of all such severe cases." A March 2, 2009 editorial in the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS praised Hellerstein's new program as "a magnificent exercise in case management and a powerful mechanism for forcing settlements" after over seven years of court battles.

The City's latest effort to deprive injured police and firefighters of compensation also comes less than a year after a federal appeals court denied its earlier motion to dismiss all of the World Trade Center responders' claims. Judge Hellerstein, who first denied that motion, admonished the defendants not to engage "in endless stratagems of motions and delays," warning that "the availability of a billion dollar fund authorized by Congress should not serve as an encouragement to lengthen and complicate these proceedings."

In February 2003, Congress appropriated $1 billion to the City to insure injury claims arising from debris removal. In announcing the passage of the legislation, Mayor Bloomberg explained, "This legislation is necessary for the City to expedite the payment of claims relating to this effort." To date, not one of the approximately 10,000 World Trade Center respiratory claims has settled; however, City attorneys Patton Boggs have been paid in excess of $100 million in legal fees, taken from the $1 billion dollar federal fund.

The First Responders find these arguments a callous and morally reprehensible attempt to deprive them of basic workplace protections and worse, to question the validity of their debilitating and - in some cases - life threatening illnesses. The motions seek to deprive them of their right to the same workplace protections afforded not only to persons employed on construction and demolition sites, but also to any person "lawfully frequenting" such worksites under, among other things, section 200 of the State Labor Law and the General Municipal Law provisions that extend the right to seek redress for injuries to the uniformed services.

In the days and weeks after 9/11, FDNY firefighters, NYPD and Port Authority police officers and emergency medical technicians responded valiantly and without regard for their own personal safety to rescue and recover as many of their fellow citizens and brother firefighters and police officers as they could find. Seven and a half years later, that very dangerous work in an environment fraught with toxic gases and particulate matter has rendered thousands of those first responders desperately ill and in many cases unable to work.

For more information contact:
Marc Jay Bern, Esq.
Worby Groner Edelman & Napoli Bern, LLP
350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 7413
New York, New York 10118
Phone: (646) 381-7040

This release was issued through WebWire(R). For more information visit http://www.webwire.com.
 
WTC-FUND 'VAMPIRE' $TAYS ON

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly...ionalnews/wtc_fund_vampire_tays_on_161861.htm

By SUSAN EDELMAN

March 29, 2009 -- Christine LaSala, who announced she was quitting last year as head of the city's $1 billion fund for World Trade Center claims, quietly stayed at the helm -- but with a cut to her $350,000 pay, The Post has learned.

LaSala, president and CEO of WTC Captive Insurance Co., withdrew her resignation several months later after "voluntarily" slashing her salary to $234,500 in 2007, a spokeswoman said.

"She's like a vampire," a stunned congressional staffer said.

LaSala, 58, who also gets health coverage for herself and a daughter, according to her spokeswoman, remained "with the support" of the WTC Captive's board of directors, composed of city officials and others appointed by Mayor Bloomberg.

Under LaSala's leadership, the insurance fund has spent more than $191 million on lawyers and overhead since 2004 to fight 9,000 claims by 9/11 responders seeking compensation for illnesses blamed on toxic exposure. It has paid $320,000 to five workers for orthopedic injuries.

"I guess it's to be expected that an insurance company that never pays insurance claims would have a CEO who resigns but never leaves," Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan) told The Post.

Maloney said she wants to ask LaSala -- who's set to testify before Congress for the first time Tuesday -- how the fund "can give its executives exorbitant salaries and gold-plated health insurance while the sick workers they're fighting have neither."

LaSala's pay cut took effect in January 2007, two months after The Post revealed her $350,000 salary. That far exceeded the salary of the city's highest-paid employee, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, who makes $250,000.

WTC Captive manages $1 billion that Congress gave the city to pay claims from the Ground Zero cleanup. The fund dipped to $941 million as of Dec. 31.

Until recently, interest on bond investments covered the expenses. The fund lost $14 million on investments in the last half of 2008, but still came out ahead $700,000 for the year, records show.
 
9/11 dust victim's sister Leona Hull to pitch for health bill

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/03/30/2009-03-30_911_dust_victims_sister_leona_hull_to_pi.html

BY Joe Kemp
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, March 30th 2009, 4:00 AM

It's been two months since the city medical examiner ruled Leon Heyward died as a result of toxins he breathed in at Ground Zero.

Now Leona Hull, Heyward's sister, hopes his story will help others who are sick as a result of 9/11.

After reading about Heyward in the Daily News, Rep. Carolyn Maloney asked Hull to go to Washington for tomorrow's committee hearing on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

The bill, if passed, will offer medical help and compensation for everyone affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center.

"It's not just about my brother anymore," Hull said. "I'm hoping this can open up doors for other people whose loved ones are sick due to Sept. 11."

Heyward, a father of two, was across the street when the towers went down on 9/11.

He had just clocked in for his shift as an inspector for the Consumer Affairs Department. After he saw the second plane hit, Heyward was told by his supervisor to stay where he was. When the buildings collapsed, he was covered in dust.

He went on to help evacuate handicapped co-workers from his nearby office.

"The final years of Leon's life were one long struggle toget proper care - and just to get by. It was a blessingthat Leon had help from his sister, but he should havehad much more help from his government," said Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens).

After years of suffering seizures and delusions, Heyward, 45, died in October. In January, the city medical examiner blamed his death on the 9/11 dust.

"I'm praying in my heart that they will pass this," Hull said. "It's the right thing to do."
 
Pols: 9/11 workers likely to get health help

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-uswtc0401,0,4011563.story

(Gold9472: I could cry)

BY TOM BRUNE | [email protected]
3:57 PM EDT, March 31, 2009

WASHINGTON -- Sponsors of a bill to compensate and cover health care costs of ailing 9/11 responders and recovery workers predicted Tuesday the House would pass the long-pending legislation this year.

New York Democratic Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney, of Manhattan, key sponsors of the measure, said the bill's ultimate fate lies in the Senate, where Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has promised to introduce a companion bill.

"We have a really good chance of passing this," Nadler said.

Added Maloney, "We're going to get it done. We're going to pass this bill."

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) said some Republicans would join Democrats in voting for the bill. Nadler said if Congress passes a bill President Barack Obama has said he would sign it.

Nadler and Maloney made their predictions to two busloads of retired police, firefighters and other workers harmed by their work on the pile or nearby who had come down for a hearing on the bill. They are among the thousands of 9/11 responders whose ailments did not become apparent until after the 911 Victims Compensation Fund closed in 2003.

Nadler and Maloney have proposed a $11-billion fund to both cover health costs and provide compensation. The bill also would limit the liability of the city and the contractors and subcontractors that took part in the recovery and clean up at Ground Zero.

Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) and Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) also expressed optimism and support for the bill after the hearing and in the pep talk to the 9/11 workers.
 
It's too late: GOP tells 9/11's sick that it's been too long since the attack for compensation

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/03/31/2009-03-31_its_too_late_gop_tells_911s_sick_that_it-1.html

BY Michael Mcauliff
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Updated Tuesday, March 31st 2009, 4:00 PM

WASHINGTON -- Two busloads of Sept. 11 workers made what's become an annual pilgrimage to Washington Tuesday, pleading for Congress to help the thousands of rescuers and responders left to battle 9/11-induced illness on their own.

About 80 former rescue workers and family appealed at a hearing for lawmakers to reopen the Sept. 11 Victims' Compensation Fund to aide some 11,000 people who have gotten ill since the fund closed in 2005 from their work at Ground Zero, and have since sued the city and contractors.

They got skepticism from some GOP lawmakers, but won support from the former boss of the expired compensation fund, Ken Feinberg, who said the massive effort should be restarted to end the expensive, time-consuming litigation.

"The only reason they're litigating is because the 9/11 fund compensated their brethren, but could not compensate them before it expired," said Feinberg. "They would have met all the criteria and they would have been compensated."

Legislation sponsored by Manhattan Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, who chaired the Judiciary subcommittee hearing, would reopen the fund for 22 years, allowing people with slower developing ailments like cancer to be compensated for sacrificing themselves on Sept. 11, 2001.

Some Republicans objected that the time frame was too long, and suggested it would be subject to abuse. They also feared creating a semi-permanent fund for victims of the terror attacks would open a precedent that would require similar funds.

The Rev. Bill Minson, a Santa Monica, Calif., preacher who ministered to 9/11 heroes, said setting a precedent for the government to help in major disasters - manmade or natural - was fine.

"The federal government has to be at least prepared to respond when massive numbers of people are suffering," said Minson, who started volunteering at Ground Zero on Sept. 13.

"The Republicans need to think about what they (the workers) have done," Minson said.

"These guys are sick and there's not debating it," said Anne Marie Bauman, 44, whose former NYPD officer husband, Christopher, couldn't make the trip today because of the heart ailments he's suffered since 9/11.

A number of witnesses at the hearing, including contracters and city lawyer Michael Cardozo, said reponing the fund would be the quickest, and probably the cheapest, route to ending lawsuits and easing suffering. Cardozo said the problem with suits is that it pits one set of heroes -- the city and contractors who also sacrificed on 9/11 -- against another.

Bauman said the issue is simple, though.

"There's no one else to help people who deserve it, without the government," said Bauman.
 
Justice may come for 9/11 victims

http://talkradionews.com/2009/03/justice-may-come-for-911-victims/

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Posted by Staff on March 31, 2009

“In a September 2006 peer-reviewed study conducted by the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program, of 9,550 World Trade Center responders, almost 70 percent had a new or worsened respiratory symptom that developed during or after their time working at Ground Zero. Furthermore, another study documented that, on average, a New York City firefighter who responded to the World Trade Center has experienced a loss of 12 years of lung capacity…. The pain and suffering of the living victims of 9/11 is real and cannot be ignored. We, as a nation, must do more,” stated Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

Today at a joint subcommittee hearing under the House Judiciary Committee, witnesses testified and spoke in support of H.R. 847, the “James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009.” Under the Act, responders, area residents, workers, and students who were exposed to the catastrophe of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers on 9/11 would be provided comprehensive medical treatment. It would also reopen the Victim Compensation Fund so that people can be compensated for their economic losses.

Barbara Burnette who is a former New York City Police Detective retired from the force after 18.5 years of service due to injuries she developed while working for 23 days in total at the World Trade Center site. Burnette was not provided with any respirator or other protection for her lungs and throat and now has been diagnosed with interstitial lung disease, more specifically, hypersensitivity pneumonitis with fibrosis in her lungs. During the time the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 was in mode, Burnette was not sick and the fund was closed to all applicants in December 2003. “Along with thousands of other rescue, recovery and construction workers, I have filed an individual lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, seeking redress for my respiratory injuries…. My case is now in its fourth year. It has been a long road, and I can’t tell you that I can see an end,” she said.

Over 2,000 rescue workers were compensated with funds from the Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 at a cost to the taxpayer of about $1 billion of the $7 billion spent, stated Kenneth R. Feinberg, the former Special Master of the Federal September 11th Compensation Fund of 2001. “I had enough problems determining eligibility and compensating 5,300 people back in 2001. Whether or not a fund like this should be reopened and the eligibility criteria expanded to include additional types of injury, that is up to the Congress to decide…. It is really an interesting dilemma for the Congress to consider whether it is appropriate to deal with this unfairness of not compensating some of these rescue workers,” expressed Feinberg.

James Melius, an MD and Administrator for the New York State Laborers’ Health and Safety Trust Fund said that the New York State Workers’ Compensation system is difficult to navigate through and is even worse for World Trade Center related illnesses. “The difficulties there are that these are complicated conditions. Our knowledge of them is evolving over time. We don’t know the prognosis for people. It’s more difficult to provide a proper assessment,” concluded Melius. According to information given by Melius, in New York City, uniformed services workers are, for the most part, not covered under the N.Y.S. Workers’ Compensation system but rather have a line of duty disability retirement system managed by New York City. So if a fire fighter, police officer, or other uniformed worker can no longer perform their duties because of an injury or illness incurred on the job, they can apply for disability retirement which allows them to leave with significant retirement benefits, but if a work-related illness becomes apparent after retirement, no additional benefits, including medical care, are provided.

“In the nearly eight years after 9/11, we have done enough talking. Now it is time to pass H.R. 847, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act,” concluded Nadler.
 
Maloney Statement on Today's 9/11 Health and Compensation Hearing

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2009
Contact: Joe Soldevere, (646) 831-1649

WASHINGTON-- Rep. Carolyn Maloney offered the following statement about today's hearing before the Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009. This legislation would address the health crisis caused by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 by providing medical monitoring and treatment for those exposed to toxins released by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, and providing compensation for economic losses due to illnesses or injuries caused by the attacks.

Today’s hearing focused on the history of the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) established by Congress to provide compensation to survivors of persons killed, or to those who were injured, in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The hearing also looked at the current problems arising from injuries sustained by first responders, construction workers, local residents, and other individuals who sustained injuries that did not become manifest until after the deadline for seeking compensation from the VCF.

“Thousands lost their lives on 9/11, but thousands more lost their health --and with it their ability to provide for themselves and their families. The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which Congressmen Nadler, King, McMahon and I introduced with the support of the entire New York Congressional delegation, would reopen the federal Victim Compensation Fund to help those who lost their livelihoods as a result of the 9/11 attacks.

“Reopening the VCF would give thousands of 9/11 responders, lower Manhattan residents, and others a way to recoup their economic losses without having to resort to litigation.

“As it stands now, more than 10,000 people are suing the City of New York and its contractors for damages stemming from the 9/11 attacks. There is a better way. The original VCF, set up in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, allowed family members to get economic relief quickly, without the drawn-out, painful process that so often accompanies litigation.

“Passing our bill would give those who did not get VCF awards the first time around the compensation they need --and hopefully some closure to the trauma they’re still experiencing seven years after the towers fell.

“We have a moral obligation to care for those who were harmed by the terrorist attacks on our country. This is truly the least we can do as a grateful nation.

“I'm grateful to Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren and my Manhattan colleague and neighbor Jerrold Nadler for co-chairing today's hearing, and I'm extremely optimistic that with the support of Chairman Conyers and Speaker Pelosi, the House will at last have the opportunity to pass our bill and resolve these last remaining gaps in our response to the 9/11 attacks.”

Facts on 9/11 Health Issues and H.R. 847:

--Thousands of first responders and others exposed to the toxins of Ground Zero are now sick and need our help. These include New York firefighters, EMTs and police, construction workers, clean-up workers, residents, area workers, and schoolchildren, among others.

--Although most of these people live in the New York/New Jersey area, at least 10,000 people came from around the country to help in the aftermath of the attacks. They hail from all 50 states and nearly every congressional district. Many are sick and others are very concerned about their health. (Please click here for a map of Registry enrollments nationwide and in each congressional district.)

--Illnesses include respiratory and gastrointestinal system conditions such as asthma, interstitial lung disease, chronic cough and gastroesophageal reflux disease, and mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

--More than 400,000 people are believed to have been exposed to toxins from the World Trade Center site.

--Nearly 16,000 responders and at least 2,700 community members are currently sick and receiving treatment. More than 40,000 responders are currently in medical monitoring. 71,000 individuals are enrolled in the WTC Health Registry.

--Those who suffered economic losses as a result of their WTC-related illnesses need and deserve compensation, but have no alternative to the current litigation system.

--The WTC contractors and the City of New York are being sued by over 10,000 people who are sick because of Ground Zero toxins. They face great financial losses because they were asked to help at Ground Zero in the country’s time of need.

H.R. 847 Would Address the 9/11 Health Crisis by:

--Providing medical monitoring and treatment to WTC responders and community members (area workers, residents, students and others) who were exposed to toxins released at Ground Zero.

--Building on the existing monitoring and treatment program by delivering expert medical treatment for these unique exposures at Centers of Excellence.

--Providing for research into WTC-related health conditions.

--Reopening the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund to provide compensation for economic losses and harm as an alternative to the current litigation system.

--Providing liability protections for the WTC contractors and the City of New York.
 
New hope for 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-uswtc0112604611mar31,0,7065318.story

BY TOM BRUNE | [email protected]
10:23 PM EDT, March 31, 2009

WASHINGTON - Sponsors of a bill to reopen the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund for thousands of ailing Ground Zero first responders and workers predicted Tuesday that the House would pass the long-sought legislation this year.

But it was unclear Tuesday how the bill would fare in the Senate, where aides say there may be resistance to its $11-billion price tag and its promise of compensation that the Congressional Budget Office estimated to be an average of $350,000 each for 18,000 workers and residents near Ground Zero.

Democratic Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Carolyn Maloney of Manhattan expressed optimism about House passage as they spoke to two busloads of former police officers, firefighters and workers who came down from Long Island and New York City for yesterday's House hearing on the bill.

"We have a really good chance of passing this for the first time," said Nadler.

Nadler said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) supports the bill. Another supporter, Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), said some Republicans would vote for it.

King said the House could pass it as soon as May or June. But Maloney said in a statement later she hoped for passage "by the eighth anniversary of the attacks" on Sept. 11, 2009.

Noting that President Barack Obama said he supported the bill when running for president last year, Nadler and Maloney said the bill's fate would then lie in the Senate.

They said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said he would introduce a companion bill as its original backer, Hillary Rodham Clinton, has left the Senate.

Schumer, who came in for some barbed comments at the hearing for not pushing the bill, issued a statement saying he'll ask Clinton's replacement, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, to share responsibility for the bill.

"We're very concerned about the health of the 9/11 workers, and we're working with Senator Gillibrand on the best way to help them," it said.

Thousands of workers connected to Ground Zero became ill after the Victims' Compensation Fund for 9/11 workers stopped taking claims in 2003 and they now seek compensation and health care costs.

About 11,000 of them are suing the city and contractors, witnesses said. A $1-billion fund Congress set up has spent $350,000 on claims - and $200 million to challenge the claims.

The bill, which would reopen the fund and limit contractors' liability, would send an important signal so that workers and contractors will not be reluctant to respond to any future attacks or disasters, backers of the legislation said.

The bill also represents the best hope for those who are ailing and for the city, both of which are tied up in lengthy litigation, said New York City Corporation Counsel Michael Cordozo. There will be no winners in the litigation, he said.
 
A Tribute To John Feal

Yesterday, John Feal, along with several other 9/11 First Responders went down to Washington D.C. to attend the hearing on the James Zadroga 9/11 Health And Compensation Act. From what I understand, he was singled out by the Congressmen, and applauded for his efforts. I want to say congratulations John. Just to give people an idea of how much you've fought for the responders, here's a little tribute to you (that barely covers your fight). Thank you for doing the right thing. I am very proud to say that you are my friend.

_____________________________________________________________

The EPA is a “bunch of brainiacs and bookworms who just look at numbers but don’t look at people’s pain,” said John Feal, a construction worker who lost half a foot in an accident while working in “the pit” at Ground Zero. “The people [downtown] and in Brooklyn pay taxes and deserve to know their tax money is going to protect their health.”

John Feal - [NYMetro, 12/13/2005]

John Feal, Valenti's friend and the founder of the Feal Good Foundation, an advocacy group for 9/11 first responders suffering from ground zero-related illnesses, called the workers' compensation ruling encouraging, but added that more must be done to help those who have gotten sick. "Individually, that's great," said Feal, a demolition supervisor who lost part of his foot when it was crushed by an eight-ton beam during the recovery effort at ground zero. "What stinks is that so many others in his position that have 9/11 illnesses still have problems getting [their compensation], or may never get theirs. Vito won a battle, but it's still a long war."

John Feal - [lilherald.com, 2/8/2007]

Feal said after he felt sorry for himself for about a year; then, after he realized other responders were worse off, he decided to create the FealGood Foundation. "People are suffering and dying and there is nothing I can do to save Joe Picurro and Father Stephen, but I can help ease the pain," he said.

Feal believes the recent $25 million pledge by President Bush to help rescue workers who have been sickened from the site is "political bread crumbs."

"They shouldn't have to suffer because the federal government remains idle," he said, adding, "And the lack of compassion that has trickled down from our leaders has become a snowball in society where 9/11 responders are being forgotten."

John Feal - [ocobserver.com, 2/11/2007]

Feal's foot was crushed from falling metal.

"I ended up getting wedged in and buried beneath the ground," Feal said.

John Feal - [wcbstv.com, 2/16/2007]

A letter between myself and Susan Edelman from the NYPost on 2/19/2007.

"Dear Jon,

Thanks so much for your kind note. I care very much about the WTC workers and hope that those sickened by their contribution get the care and financial help they desperately need.

John Feal has been a great ally.

Keep in touch.

Sue"

"We're not the little boys crying wolf anymore. It's a 'told you so.' This whole time we weren't just running around saying we're sick. We now have legitimate proof," said Long Island resident John Feal. "But the fact that it took five years is insulting. The federal government's lack of compassion in helping heroes is insulting."

Feal, who heads the not-for-profit Feal Good Foundation to call attention to the issue, is hoping this development helps the thousands of ongoing cases brought by rescue and construction workers against the city.

John Feal - [silive.com, 5/24/2007]

"I applaud the medical examiner for making this direct link, but its six years late and we need more doctors to come forward and say these brave souls are sick because of the aftermath of 9-11," responder John Feal said.

John Feal - [wcbstv.com, 5/28/2007]

John Feal on DemocracyNow 6/21/2007

Feal, 40, of Nesconset, briefly watched Whitman's testimony before becoming agitated by her "excuses." "There's not a word that comes out of her mouth that I believe," Feal said.

Feal was a demolition supervisor at Ground Zero from Sept. 12 to Sept. 17, 2001, when a steel beam fell on his left foot, and doctors had to amputate half of it, he said. He now runs the FeelGood Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group for 9/11 responders.

John Feal - [Newsday, 6/25/2007]

John Feal, creator of the FealGood Foundation, is the mastermind behind the First Responders Concert.

Feal was a construction worker who began demolition at the World Trade Center site on September 12. On September 17, an 8,000-pound steal beam fell on and crushed his left foot. He was hospitalized for 11 weeks and lost his foot.

“For a year, I was depressed and suicidal,” like many others who were injured at Ground Zero, Feal, explained. He tried to get worker's comp and appealed to the 9/11 relief fund, but he was turned down.

In 2003, he decided, “To stop feeling sorry for [him]self,” and devoted his life to making sure that 9/11 victims and their families received the care that they desperately need.

“It's time for people to help each other,” said Feal, who will also be donating a kidney to a man he met through his organization. “As a country, we took one on the chin and moved forward,” he explained, “but we cannot forget who we left behind.”

The FealGood Foundation, a non-profit organization Feal created to educate the public about the health effects of 9/11 First Responders, and gives 100 percent of their donations to First Responders to victims and their families, was born out of that determination to help others.

First Responders are anyone that was at Ground Zero, said Feal, “cops, firefighters, EMS, EMT, even civilians that were effected by 9/11 - we don't discriminate.

“This is no way for heroes to be treated,” he said of the men and women who worked tirelessly at Ground Zero - many even giving their lives.

Feal contacted Wasserman about the concert, he explained, as a way for the organization to “step it up a notch and make it bigger,” to help all who were affected. Along with other apparel, the foundation will also be selling limited edition Doo-Wop t-shirts on its web site, www.fealgoodfoundation.com.

“We're at 6 years, and its catastrophic now,” he explained of the problems 9/11 victims and their families deal with, and of the lack of help they receive. “Usually fundraising is a lot smaller,” he said about the organization. “We wanted to help on a bigger scale.”

Feal plans to hold another concert in December, and next year make them a more regular event.

John Feal - [queenscourier.com, 7/5/2007]

John Feal writes a letter posted on MichaelMoore.com, 7/12/2007

John Feal writes a letter to Rudy Giuliani posted on MichaelMoore.com, 8/10/2007

WTC responder spearheads three-way kidney transplant [Newsday, 8/30/2007]

The newspaper said victim advocates were skeptical that would be adequate to cover care for long-term illnesses of thousands of people and to compensate the roughly 150 families who blame the death of a relative on work at Ground Zero.

"If you do the math, it's not that handsome a settlement for the 9/11 responders," the newspaper quoted John Feal, a responder and Ground Zero activist, as saying.

John Feal - [Reuters, 10/16/2007]

"We didn't think we'd raise that much money. We were just so excited when we found out. We were blown away by how generous people were," said one student.

But when John Feal arrived, Giles became emotional. Feal lost a foot as a 9/11 responder at ground zero. He is the founder of Feal Good Foundation and has adopted Giles? case.

"We're going to show the federal government that while they sit idle that people like us that really have nothing after 9/11, can still make a difference and help," Feal said.

Those who came to the fundraiser brought a donation. In the end, the amount totaled $5,000. The sum brought Giles to tears, once again.

John Feal - [MSNBC, 10/27/2007]

Riordan and the group's founder John Feal attended the event Friday night in Barnegat.

Feal lauded the recent response to Giles' plight, an unfortunate situation which, he pointed out, is not unique among Sept. 11 responders. In the past two months, Feal estimated Riordan, an attorney specializing in workers' compensation, had added 66 cases to his load, including Giles'. Riordan has taken Giles' case pro bono.

John Feal - [pressofatlanticcity.com, 10/27/2007

The efforts received a big boost this week when a published report about his struggles caught the eye of John Feal, a 9/11 responder who heads the FealGood Foundation — a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading awareness about the disaster's long-term health effects on those who worked at the World Trade Center.

"In 2001, on Sept. 11, everybody was patriotic and everybody wanted to help. I hope I can resurface some of those feelings," Feal said. "You don't need a plane to hit a building to be compassionate."

Feal, who has helped dozens of other responders, began a massive public-relations campaign on Giles' behalf, including appearances on Star Jones' CourtTV show and CBS news.

He drummed up more than $2,000 in a few days, drawing donations from unlikely sources, including more than $100 from elementary school students in Purchase, N.Y.

"These were 10- and 11-year-olds doing what they can, and, meanwhile, our federal and state government sits by while more and more people die," Feal said.

As part of his foundation, Feal has advocated for the release of funding to help the estimated 30,000 responders suffering from 9/11-attack-related physical and mental illnesses.

"There are thousands of Charlie Gileses out there," he said.

In addition to raising money to save the Giles family home, Feal has found an attorney experienced with 9/11 workers' rights to handle Giles' government claims pro bono. While any government check is undoubtedly too far away to arrive in time for Tuesday's deadline, Feal said he hopes the attention drawn to Giles will spur more support for others in need.

"People like Charlie Giles can't move on because they don't have justice," he said. "The government needs to do more; that's the bottom line."

John Feal - [app.com, 10/28/2007]

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that all these healthy men who were working in their 30s are dying in their 40s now," said John Feal, head of the not-for-profit Feal Good Foundation, which advocates for 9/11 responders and their families. "In 10 years, we're going to outnumber the people who died [on Sept. 11]."

John Feal - [firerescue1.com, 11/30/2007]

John Feal, founder of the FealGood Foundation, said, "These people risked their lives without prejudice. There is no money in the world that is going to save their lives, but we can give them a little compassion and respect. We give them a safety and support system and give them hope."

Feal is a 9/11 first responder. He is one of the many injured at what he calls "The Pile." Feal has had to have his foot amputated and underwent months and months of therapy to recover from the ordeal. Like many 9/11 responders, he also suffers from breathing ailments as a result of his work at the site and can no longer work. Yet, in 2005, he started the FealGood Foundation to help those who are so much worse off than he is.

Although he may no longer be able to work a job, Feal has made it his daily duty to help other survivors and advocate on their behalf. He even donated a kidney to another first responder - a man he had never met - whose kidneys failed because of his 9/11 service.

"In 2001, on Sept. 11, everybody was patriotic and everybody wanted to help," Feal said. "You don't need a plane to hit a building to be compassionate."

John Feal - [examiner.gmnews.com, 12/6/2007]

John Feal, a demolition supervisor who lost part of a foot at ground zero, said, "I am sick and I am disgusted that we're out here in the cold begging for help."

John Feal - [Newsday, 1/27/2008]

"This isn't a political issue," said Feal, who has developed lung problems in addition to having 11 surgeries on his feet. "This is a moral and human issue. This is about people dying."

Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton), praised Feal for the work of the Feal Good Foundation, but added, "he ought not have to do that. ... The public sector has the resources and it has the obligation."

John Feal - [Newsday, 1/28/2008]

"We want to implore our new President to make 9/11 health care an issue," said John Feal, a Ground Zero volunteer whose foot was crushed by an 8-ton steel beam.

His FealGood Foundation, set up to draw attention to the health problems of Ground Zero workers, organized the trip after Congress cut health care funding by 77%.

Only $25 million has been budgeted for 2009, down from $108 million this year, he said.

"The bottom line is, human life has taken a backseat to economics," said Feal. "It's an insult.

John Feal - [NYDailyNews, 2/15/2008]

"We're not going to stand for being cut out of the budget by 77 percent,” said John Feal, founder of the Fealgood Foundation. “It's not adequate and it’s an insult.”

John Feal - [ny1.com, 2/25/2008]

The trip was co-organized by the FealGood Foundation, established by crippled first respondent John Feal to raise awareness about the health issues faced by the World Trade Center workers. Health advocacy group 9/11 Health Now, based in Babylon, N.Y., also helped plan the lobbying trip.

John Feal - [nyunews.com, 2/26/2008]

The bus ride was organized by the FealGood Foundation, a group founded by John Feal, a 9/11 volunteer whose foot was crushed by an 8-ton steel beam.

"This is like show and tell," Feal told the Daily News Monday. "For 6 1/2 years we've been neglected, denied and lied to."

John Feal - [NYDailyNews, 2/26/2008]

The rally was organized by the Fealgood Foundation and its founder, John Feal, 41, of Nesconset, who said a piece of steel crushed one of his feet when he was working on a demolition crew at the trade center. He said he faced foreclosure on his home after he was denied workers' compensation and Social Security benefits.

"I am one mad American," Feal told the crowd.

John Feal - Newsday, 2/26/2008]

Though the recent ruling is good news for Feal and his fellow responders, he wasn't completely content with the decision. Feal said in a phone interview that the decision was "a step in the right direction, but it was four to five years late." However, he added that he was "optimistic that by the end of the year, people will start getting compensated."

John Feal - [nyunews.com, 4/2/2008]

"This gives legitimate foundations a black eye," said John Feal, whose FealGood Foundation replaced Parisi's as a charity partner for the motorcycle run.

"As a foundation founder, I'm not surprised," he said. "As a 9/11 responder, I was irate."

John Feal - [NJHerald, 4/13/2008]

Activist John Feal said there's only one punishment for Whitman that fits the crime. "She should go to jail for manslaughter," he said.

John Feal - [NYDailyNews, 4/23/2008]

Here is an article in Newsday about "Save The Brave."

Sept. 11 First Responders to Visit W.Va. School

http://wvde.state.wv.us/news/1780/

Posted: October 21, 2008

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. – John Feal, founding president of the FealGood Foundation and a demolition expert who worked at Ground Zero following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, will bring his message to Upshur County students and residents on Friday, Oct. 24. Feal and up to seven other first responders will meet with students at Buchannon Upshur High School beginning at 8:30 a.m. The group will meet with the community later in the day.

Feal, like 70 percent of 9/11 workers, suffers from post-9/11 illnesses. One of his feet had to be amputated after being crushed by an eight-ton steel beam. He also suffers from a respiratory syndrome called World Trade Center Cough and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Feal agreed to visit West Virginia after some Buckhannon-Upshur High School students contacted him via e-mail after watching a documentary in health educator Mateal Poling’s class. The documentary, Save the Brave, chronicles the daily struggles of 9/11 Ground Zero workers in the seven years since the attacks. Greg Quibell, one of the men featured, died of his injuries the day before the film’s premiere in New York.

“You have no idea how excited they were when Feal replied -- me too,” Poling said. “It is hard to imagine that these kids were only first and second graders on 9/11, but thanks to Feal’s efforts, our students are starting to have a better understanding of the profound effects of that day.”

Feal said he is “humbled and honored to meet such amazing Americans.”

“They are a reflection of the teacher who has taught them well,” Feal said. “Your resolve and testament is what makes great future leaders of this country. We look forward to coming to the great state of West Virginia to share our stories and tell of the thousands that need our help.”

The FealGood Foundation’s primary mission, according to its Web site “is to spread awareness and educate the public about the catastrophic health effects on 9/11 first responders, as well as to provide assistance to relieve these great heroes of the financial burdens placed on them over the last five years.” The foundation also works to create a network of advocacy on 9/11 healthcare issues.

For more information, contact Mateal Poling or Mikaela Poling at (304) 472-2155 or by e-mail at [email protected]. The FealGood Foundation’s Web site is http://www.fealgoodfoundation.com.
 
Reopen 9/11 health fund, pols plead

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/04/23/2009-04-23_reopen_911_health_fund_pols_plead.html

By Michael Mcauliff
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Thursday, April 23rd 2009, 4:00 AM

WASHINGTON - The push to win long-term help for the heroes of 9/11 inched forward in Congress on Wednesday with an impassioned display meant to prod forgetful lawmakers to act.

Several New York legislators are trying to reopen the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund to aid thousands of responders and others who have gotten sick since the fund closed in 2005.

But their colleagues have balked at the potential cost, leaving the measure to languish without a vote.

In testimony meant to finally move the bill, New Yorkers admitted the cost is high, but said it pales next to the sacrifices made by people who answered the call on Sept. 11, 2001 - many of whom packed a House hearing room.

"The solutions ... are neither easy nor inexpensive, but they are part of our country's moral obligation," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens). "We must take care of the people who took care of us."

"There is really no reason to delay this any further," said Long Island Rep. Pete King, a Republican, who noted there are people ill from their 9/11 service in 431 of the 435 congressional districts.

"We are so close to the finishing line," he said. "I really think it would be outrageous and disgraceful not to get the job done."

Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are working on the measure in the Senate, where its future appears even less certain.
 
Kathleen, meet Martin: 9/11 hero has lesson for U.S. Health Sec'y Sibelius

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/05/04/2009-05-04_kathleen_meet_martin_911_hero_has_lesson_for_us_health_secy_sibelius.html

Monday, May 4th 2009, 4:00 AM

It was New York's great good fortune to see the smiling face of Fire Lt. Martin Fullam on his release from the hospital last week after a lung transplant.

"I'm the luckiest man in the world," Fullam said as he left New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia in Manhattan. While luck played a role in Fullam's survival, he is also a hero whose story reinforces the pressing need to establish a coordinated health program for 9/11 rescue and recovery workers.

Fullam, now 56, raced to Ground Zero that terrible day and worked 10-hour shifts for weeks at The Pile, inhaling toxic dust and destroying his lungs in the same way that so many others destroyed their lungs.

Robbed of 70% of his lung capacity by pulmonary fibrosis, he needed an oxygen tank to breathe. His only hope was a transplant and, miraculously, a lung became available.

The procedure is costly. Fullam had the benefit of a federal program for Trade Center responders that has operated hand-to-mouth for years.

At the same time, Fullam also suffers from an exceedingly rare autoimmune disorder that attacks muscles, called polymyositis. It shows up in five of every 100,000 people in the general population, but the Fire Department, with 12,000 members, has recorded six cases.

Doctors are certain pulmonary fibrosis is Trade Center-related. But not whether WTC exposure triggered polymyositis. The question demands research and answers.

Newly confirmed federal Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius ought to take a close look at Fullam's history. For it documents why the federal government must get fully behind health care for the forgotten victims of 9/11.

The effort needs proper funding as well as leadership by an expert who can monitor 9/11 health trends and treatment advances with an eye toward spotting emerging WTC-linked diseases. That person should be the indomitable Dr. John Howard.

As head of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Howard was the first federal official to recognize that WTC rescue and recovery workers were really and truly sick. Named by President George W. Bush as the nation's 9/11 health coordinator, he advocated forcefully for monitoring and treatment programs - and was fired for those efforts.

Howard was, and is, the best physician for the job.
 
$70 Million for 9/11 Health Care in President’s Budget

For Immediate Release: May 7, 2009

Contacts: Joe Soldevere (Maloney), 212-860-0606
Ilan Kayatsky (Nadler), 212-367-7350
Carol Danko (King), 202-225-7896
Lauren Amendolara (McMahon), 202-225-842

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Peter King (R-NY), and Michael McMahon (D-NY) today applauded the inclusion of $70,723,000 in funding for the World Trade Center Health Programs in President Obama’s budget for Fiscal Year 2010. The lawmakers are sponsors of the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (H.R. 847), which would provide more than $10 billion for critical health care and compensation for those sickened or injured in the aftermath of 9/11. The Members of Congress hope to pass the bill with President Obama’s support by the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

“It’s a new administration and a new day for 9/11 health programs. This $70 million in federal funding will keep the doors of 9/11 health clinics open until we pass comprehensive 9/11 health legislation, hopefully this summer,” said Rep. Maloney. “I thank President Obama for his continued support of the heroes and heroines of 9/11.”

“I want to thank President Obama for including this $70 million in funding for the WTC Health Programs,” said Rep. Nadler. “This $70 million will be put to immediate use for the significant health care needs of first responders, residents, workers and students who are suffering ill health effects as a result of exposure to post-9/11 toxins. Now let’s pass the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and ensure that sufficient funding will be available every year for these victims.”

“It’s been over seven years since the heroes of 9/11 were exposed to the toxins of the dust cloud, yet the health effects from exposure continue to develop,” said King. “The World Trade Center Health Programs are essential to monitoring the health of all who were exposed and I am pleased that the president has included 9/11 health funding in his budget.”

“President Obama’s inclusion of $70 million for 9/11 health programs shows the residents of New York City, and the citizens of this country at large, that we will indeed never forget,” said Rep. McMahon. “I applaud the President for his commitment to these heroes.”

Earlier this year, the House passed and President Obama signed into law the Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 1105), which contains $70 million in funding for FY 2009 for federal 9/11 health programs.
 
Dear Jonathan:

Thank you for contacting me with your support for H.R. 847, the proposed James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

As you may know, H.R. 847 would, if enacted, provide medical treatment and compensation to first responders, construction workers, local residents and others who became ill as a result of exposure to Ground Zero toxins after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The bill would re-open the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) in order to provide compensation to the responders and community members whose illnesses did not manifest until after the VCF deadline.

H.R. 847 was introduced by Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York on February 4, 2009 and was referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and the Judiciary. Although I am not a Member of either of these Committees, please know that I intend to support the bill should it come before the full House for a vote.

Again, thank you for contacting me with your views on this issue. If I can be of help to you or your family in the future, please let me know.

With kind regards, I am Sincerely,

Jim Gerlach
Member of Congress
 
New bills would aid 9/11 heroes
Legislation in Congress and City Council would help first responders by increasing medical coverage

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/12444633033980.xml&coll=1

BY PETER N. SPENCER
ADVANCE CITY HALL BUREAU
Monday, June 08, 2009

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The way Bay Terrace resident Gary White puts it, he didn't retire three years ago, he just switched careers from commanding officer of a Lower Manhattan detective squad to "professional patient."

His list of maladies includes severe asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, sleep apnea, pulmonary artery disorder and a stroke that resulted in temporary paralysis and permanent brain damage.

Physicians at several hospitals, including Staten Island University Hospital, traced the 54-year-old's medical condition to months of recovery efforts at "The Pile" at Ground Zero and the former Fresh Kills Landfill.

A panel of surgeons at the NYPD Medical Board didn't buy it, and twice refused him a line-of-duty disability pension. That designation would have granted White a bigger income and better benefits than the regular pension he now gets, including footing the cost of thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket expenses.

But legislation recently introduced in City Hall and Congress after more than a year of delay may help White and other officers who have fallen through the cracks of the confusing and incomplete medical care provided by the government for Sept. 11 illnesses.

"I don't understand. I am sick from 9/11. The doctors have said so. So why am I being denied?" White said.

White helped to create The 9/11 Police Aid Foundation, in part to lobby for the bills, which would provide full coverage and long-term funding for all responders. Those bills have stalled, mostly amid concerns over the costs.

"The bill before the Council will certainly increase the costs of medical coverage -- in fact, it is extremely difficult to estimate what those costs will be," said Joey Kara Koch, a member of the police and fire pension boards and special counsel to Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the issues of Sept. 11 illnesses, at a hearing for the Council bill in City Hall last week.

The bill, introduced last February by then-North Shore Councilman Michael McMahon, would provide full line-of-duty health coverage for a city employee with any of the designated Sept. 11 medical conditions as long as they meet eligibility requirements for the time spent at World Trade Center sites. All three Island Councilmen have signed on as sponsors.

NO SUPPORT FROM MAYOR
Beside the unknown costs, Ms. Koch said the Bloomberg administration does not support the bill because it "strips medical professionals of the ability" to make decisions.

But Frank Tramontano, research director for the Patrolman's Benevolent Association, said the NYPD's medical panel rarely grants line-of-duty benefits to officers who meet the state criteria for Sept. 11 illnesses. From January 2007 to December 2008, 59 police officers were approved for accidental disability under the state World Trade Center Disability Law; only three were provided line-of-duty benefits, according to PBA stats. Tramontano estimates some 10,000 PBA members -- about a third of the city's current police force -- may have applied for such benefits.

In total, more than 1,000 uniformed city employees were granted line-of-duty disability for post-Sept. 11 medical conditions, though it is unclear how many applied.

"We do not have a pre-approved list of illnesses. If something comes our way, we make the evaluation and follow the science that has been published," she said.

The problem, advocates and medical experts say, is that the science of post-9/11 illness is changing almost every year, as more and more people exhibit new symptoms.

The city and federal government have addressed the problem by providing free integrated physical and mental health care for eligible patients at designated World Trade Center Centers of Excellence across the city, including one at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton. But critics point out the coverage is limited. The centers do not treat illnesses that have yet to be recognized as Sept. 11-related -- cancer, for example -- and it is difficult for some of the most ill patients to travel to them.

ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL
Thus far, the 9/11 health centers have been funded through ad-hoc appropriations, and a non-responder program is funded entirely with city dollars. Members of Congress from New York presented a long-term solution with the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was finally introduced at a session in February. The bill would establish a permanent WTC Health Program within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to provide medical monitoring and treatment benefits to those who adversely affected by the attacks.

The bill stalled last year, but was re-introduced this February with strong support from House Democratic leaders and the bipartisan New York delegation.

James Oddo (R-North Shore) said the Council could be "fine-tuned" in a way that controls the costs. However, he stressed the "overriding concern" is the city meeting its obligation to those who sacrificed their health in the performance of their duties.

"If there are X number of officers who are genuinely impacted by exposure to Ground Zero, then we have a responsibility to take care of them, regardless of the fiscal impact," Oddo said.

"They were there for us. I haven't forgotten that," he added.

Peter N. Spencer covers City Hall for the Advance. He can be reached at [email protected].
 
Awards ceremony pays tribute to NYPD's Finest, including 9/11 heroes

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/06/10/2009-06-10_awards_honor_nypd_finest.html

6/10/2009

Awarded a medal of honor by the NYPD Tuesday, Detective Angel Cruz said he was just glad he was around to accept it.

And no wonder.

Cruz came within a quarter-inch of death two years ago after a vicious thug plunged a six-inch knife into his head in a Brooklyn subway station.

Though gravely wounded, Cruz shot and wounded the suspect, chased him down the stairs and held him at gunpoint.

"I feel blessed to even be here," said Cruz, one of 52 cops honored for bravery on the job and off-duty at an annual ceremony.

He returned to full duty in October 2007, and was promoted to detective last year.

For the first time, the NYPD awarded Distinguished Service Medals to 10 officers who died of illnesses caused by their work at Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills landfill after Sept. 11, 2001.

Mayor Bloomberg hung a medal around a young Garret Helmke's neck in recognition of his late father, Police Officer Robert Helmke, who died July 28, 2007, from 9/11 sickness.

Detective Richard Burt was also recognized for calm under fire with a Medal of Valor for his response when a gunman killed Councilman James Davis at City Hall July 23, 2003. From 40 feet away, Burt pulled out his Glock 9-mm. and fired six times, killing the gunman.

"It's something that makes you appreciate life," Burt said. "Going home, the small things of life."
 
9/11 heroes may get health care cuts while hospital fights government

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/06/16/2009-06-16_health_cuts_for_911_heroes.html

Tuesday, June 16th 2009, 4:00 AM

Nearly 2,000 sick 9/11 first responders could be left without medical care while a New Jersey hospital battles with the federal government for more money, the Daily News has learned.

The Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in ., says it expects to run out of federal funding next month.

It has requested more money, but the Office of Management and Budget in Washington has disputed the hospital is broke.

"The promise is that the check's in the mail," said Dr. James Melius, of the New York State Laborers' Health and Safety Fund. "But it's been in the mail now for two months."

A hospital spokesman confirmed that they're waiting for more funding but said he's hopeful the money will come in time.

An OMB spokesman didn't immediately return a call for comment.

But for Charles Giles, a former EMT worker who responded to the World Trade Center attacks, every day without knowing how he will get the medical care he needs is terrifying.

Giles, who takes 28 medications a day, has been treated at the institute for respiratory problems for the past two and a half years.

He said hospital officials told him they were no longer taking appointments past July. "If this place closes, I'm screwed," Giles, 41, told The News.
 
NY Reps. Express Concern About Funding Problems At 9/11 Health Clinics
-New Jersey Clinic Will Have Only $100K on Hand at Month’s End, May Stop Seeing Patients-

News Release: June 16, 2009

Contacts: Joe Soldevere (Maloney), 212-860-0606
Ilan Kayatsky (Nadler), 212-367-7350
Carol Danko (King), 202-225-7896
Lauren Amendolara (McMahon), 202-225-8420

Washington, D.C. – Today, New York Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Peter King, and Michael McMahon wrote to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Peter Orszag asking him to correct flawed accounting procedures and other obstacles put in place by the previous administration that are impeding the flow of funding to clinics operated by the World Trade Center Health Program (a full copy of the lawmakers’ letter is below). As a result of these difficulties, the WTC Health Program’s New Jersey clinic reports that it will only have $100,000 on hand by the end of June and may have to stop seeing patients by the end of next month.

In a recent letter to New York lawmakers, Director Orszag stated that the WTC Health Program has spent only 50% of the funds Congress has appropriated for 9/11 health care since 2003. Accordingly, OMB has yet to deliver fresh infusions of funding to the Program’s clinics. However, Reps. Maloney, Nadler, King, and McMahon have been informed that the Program’s actual expenditures are far higher than OMB’s figure, which was determined using accounting procedures put in place by the previous administration that do not adequately track the Program’s current expenses and future commitments.

“Unfortunately, the previous administration’s incompetence continues to haunt the World Trade Center Health Program, but I’m confident that the OMB will now take quick action to correct these problems,” said Rep. Maloney. “It’s vitally important that the New Jersey 9/11 health clinic and other Centers of Excellence remain open and delivering much-needed care to the heroes and heroines of 9/11. We look forward to working with the Obama Administration to solve this issue and to pass the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act by the eighth anniversary of the attacks.”

“It is very frustrating that we are still mired in the Bush administration’s legacy of an incompetent and piecemeal approach to 9/11 health care policy,” said Nadler. “What is important now is to correct that failed policy and ensure that the WTC Health Program has the tools it needs to efficiently treat the 9/11 first responders, area workers, students and residents who are in need of health care. We must make sure that the Centers of Excellence can afford to keep their doors open and continue providing quality care. I am hopeful that OMB Director Orszag will provide the Centers the funding they need. And, in the long term, it is essential that we pass the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.”

“It’s been over seven years since the heroes of 9/11 were exposed to the toxins of the dust cloud, yet the health effects from exposure continue to develop,” said King. “The World Trade Center Health Programs are essential to monitoring the health of all who were exposed.”

“It’s shameful that these funds were not being directed appropriately to program clinics serving our first responders,” said Rep. Michael E. McMahon. “For the past five years, we could have made great strides with caring for and treating those who have fallen ill after 9/11. We intend to resolve this problem as quickly as possible with the help of the Administration.”

Reps. Maloney, Nadler, King, and McMahon are the authors of H.R. 847, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which would make permanent existing 9/11 health programs and reopen the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.

The lawmakers also wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius last week asking to meet with her to discuss the WTC Health Program’s funding problems and restrictions preventing the Program from using federal funds for outreach, benefits counseling, and data evaluation.

###

June 16, 2009

Mr. Peter Orszag
Director, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
725 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20503

Dear Director Orszag:

Thank you for your recent response to our letter of March 26, 2009 regarding funding for the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program.

In your response, you claim that the WTC grantees have only spent 50 percent of the funds appropriated since 2003. We believe that this figure significantly underestimates the actual expenditures and spending commitments of the grantees and thus misrepresents the actual needs of these vital health programs.

These underestimates are due to a combination of factors related to the funding vehicles (i.e., grants) including delays in actual expenditures being reflected in the accounting systems used by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and OMB to track spending in these programs and the fact that these federal accounting systems do not always reflect spending commitments made by the grantees as part of providing medical care for these WTC responders. Within their institutions, the grantees must account for those spending commitments in order not to exceed the amount of funding available through their grants.

We have recently learned that these discrepancies, combined with unexplained delays in processing extensions to the current grants for the clinical centers, have resulted in the New Jersey center having to prepare to stop seeing patients next month due to the delays in extending their grant extension. They report that they will have only $100,000 in available funding left at the end of June, hardly enough to operate a busy medical clinic. This situation was apparently not reflected in the federal accounting systems. Other medical centers serving the WTC responders will soon find themselves in similar situations unless their grants are extended and adequate funding made available to them.

We recognize that the current mechanisms used to fund this program, which were designed by the previous administration, are not ideal and make oversight of the program more challenging. In our proposed legislation, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (H.R. 847), we have strived to correct that problem by funding the medical care for eligible responders and community residents through a more direct reimbursement system. Meanwhile, as our bill is being considered by Congress, we need to make sure that we continue to provide adequate funding for the badly needed medical care that these people deserve. We cannot continue the restrictive policies of the previous administration who sought to limit this program by unnecessarily restricting the available funding and support for these centers. These restrictions are described in our enclosed letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius.

We look forward to continuing to work with you and OMB on the WTC Health Program and providing care for the heroes and heroines of 9/11.

Sincerely,

CAROLYN B. MALONEY
JERROLD NADLER
PETER T. KING
MICHAEL E. McMAHON
Members of Congress

Joe Soldevere
Press Secretary
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney
(212) 860-0606 office
(646) 831-1649 cell
maloney.house.gov
 
$575G reprieve for 9/11 hospital

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/06/17/2009-06-17_575g_reprieve_for_911_hosp.html

BY Stephanie Gaskell
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, June 17th 2009, 4:00 AM

A New Jersey hospital that treats sick 9/11 first responders got a last-minute reprieve Tuesday when the feds vowed to send cash to keep it open through September.

The Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences Institute at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick had told its 1,800 patients it wasn't sure it could stay open past next month.

Federal funding had been held up over an accounting dispute, but late Tuesday the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said it was sending $575,000 to cover summer expenses.

John Feal, founder of the Fealgood Foundation, which pushes for health care for 9/11 workers, said the money isn't enough.

Feal said, "$575,000 is like putting a Band-Aid on a machine-gun wound.

"Funding for three months is a joke when 9/11 first responders will need treatment for the rest of their lives."
 
HR847 IS GETTING INTRODUCED INTO THE SENATE
GILLIBRAND, SCHUMER, LAUTENBERG, MENENDEZ TO INTRODUCE JAMES ZADROGA 9/11 HEALTH AND COMPENSATION ACT IN THE U.S. SENATE

Today at 8:07pm

First Time Comprehensive 9/11 Health Legislation Will Be Introduced In Senate

Mayor Bloomberg and Representatives Maloney, Nadler, King, and McMahon to Join Gillibrand to Help Provide Treatment for Community Members, First Responders Suffering From 9/11-Related Health Effects

Joseph Zadroga, Fire Lt. Marty Fullam, Others Affected by Rescue and Clean-Up Efforts to Tell Their Stories

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will be joined by Senators Charles E. Schumer, Frank R. Lautenberg, and Robert Menendez and Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Peter King and Michael McMahon, along with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and 9/11 first responders, construction workers, clean-up workers and community members who have suffered from the long term health effects of working at Ground Zero to introduce the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act – the first comprehensive 9/11 health legislation to ever be introduced in the U.S. Senate.

Thousands were lost on the morning of September 11, 2001, but today, thousands more – including first responders, area residents, workers, students and others – are sick and getting sicker from exposure to toxins released from the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers.

The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act would ensure proper monitoring and treatment for the innocent men, women and children that face life-threatening health effects due to the toxins released at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

WHO: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Senator Charles E. Schumer
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg
Senator Robert Menendez
Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Peter King, Michael E. McMahon
Joseph Zadroga, father of James Zadroga, the first known death from 9/11-related illness
Fire Lt. Marty Fullam
Ken George, city worker involved in clean-up efforts
Other First Responders, Construction Workers, Clean-Up Workers
New York City Area Residents

DATE: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
TIME: 10:00 AM
PLACE: 301 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.
 
Rivals Kirsten Gillibrand, Carolyn Maloney put aside differences to aide 9/11 victims

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/06/24/2009-06-24_gillibrand_maloney_put_aside_differences_to_aide_911_vict.html#ixzz0JMnnNgPC&D

By Michael Mcauliff
6/24/2009

WASHINGTON - Rival New York politicians are putting aside their distaste for one another in hopes of getting the U.S. Senate to embrace a major bill to help the ailing heroes of Sept. 11.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will team up on a 9/11 health bill Wednesday with Mayor Bloomberg and key members of the House, including Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan) and Pete King (R-Long Island) - who would both like to unseat the recently appointed senator in 2010.

The measure, which would re-open the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund, among other things, is similar to legislation pending in the House that's a cherished cause of Maloney and King.

"All of us must put our political interests aside," King said, explaining why he'd work with a woman he may challenge in the fall. "The health of our 9/11 first responders and workers is too important."

House lawmakers, often led by King and Maloney, have passed numerous 9/11 aide bills over the years, only to see many of them die in the Senate.

They were encouraged that Gillibrand also has the New York's senior senator, Chuck Schumer, on board, and well as Sens. Bob Menendez and Frank Lautenberg, of New Jersy.

"I'm glad that the senators from New York and New Jersey have come together to sponsor this relief for 9/11 responders, residents, workers and students who were exposed to the toxins at Ground Zero," said Maloney, who predicted the House would come through with its version before the next anniversary of the attacks.

So, in spite of the competing ambitions, the rivals climbed on board with Gillibrand.

"We have an undeniable moral obligation to help the heroes of 9/11 and all others exposed, and failure to do so may have long-lasting implications on future response efforts," Gillibrand said.

She even had praise for her competitors, and the woman she succeeded, Secretary of State Clinton.

"I commend my predecessor, Secretary Clinton, as well as my colleagues in both the Senate and the House, who invested tremendous effort over several years to get us to this point," Gillibrand said. "Today we are taking a major step toward fulfilling our obligation, but we have a lot of work left to do."
 
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