As I've noted, we're now approaching 4 years since Congress appropriated $1 billion to the WTC Insurance Fund, of which almost $100 million (10%) has been used to fight claims of those who were exposed to toxins and other health problems as they helped rebuild the area around Ground Zero. I've also noted that Michael Bloomberg, the face of New York City, has taken the stance that this $1 Billion WTC Insurance Fund footed by American taxpayers should first be used to defend the city and its contractors from potential litigation. Back in February 2007, Michael Bloomberg asked the mayorally appointed World Trade Center Health Panel to supposedly ?assess the sufficiency of state and federal resources to address ongoing health needs and to ensure maximum coordination between City agencies.? The panel made 15 recommendations that Michael Bloomberg initially accepted, yet the WTC Insurance Fund still hasn't paid anything to those who breathed toxic fumes and were exposed to dangerous air quality immediately after 9/11.



Among the panel's findings were that there has never been federal funding for NYPD rescue workers and that FDNY programs at Mt. Sinai are running out of money. Yet still, nearly $900 million sits in the coffers of the WTC Insurance Fund to fight the claims of those who aren't receiving this care they need. Beyond NYPD and FDNY there is no federal funding for the treatment of residents. All of these statements by Michael Bloomberg's appointed WTC Health Panel have argued about the lack of federal funding while the $1 billion that Congress appointed sits unused for health issues, but instead is paying the salaries of attorneys fighting these cases; something Michael Bloomberg believes is strongly necessary to protect the city and contractors from lawsuits. Maddeningly, this group has found that ?additional federal funding is needed to sustain the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's World Trade Center Health Registry and the Police Department's expanded monitoring of over 34,000 members who responded to the attacks and the subsequent recovery effort.

To this day, the NYPD, which represents the largest group of first responders, has not received any federal funding for monitoring or treatment.? It sounds repetitive, but again we realize the hypocrisy that Michael Bloomberg has stood by the position that the $1 billion WTC Insurance fund be used to protect the city against lawsuits while the NYPD has not received any federal funding for monitoring or treatment. And yet there is $1 billion in the WTC Insurance Fund sitting there, being run by the outgoing Christine LaSala, yet being overseen by Michael Bloomberg that is not helping those who most need it. The WTC Insurance Fund is being wasted on private sector bureaucrats such as Christine LaSala and attorneys highly compensated to fight these cases. Nonetheless, public figures such as Michael Bloomberg endorse using the WTC Insurance Fund in exactly this manner. What Michael Bloomberg, Christine LaSala, and others don't realize is that this isn't a legal issue between two companies that can drag on for years.