After examining the House of Representatives’ hearing regarding aid for World Trade Center rescue workers and the WTC Insurance Fund it appears that there are two sides at war over this issue. On one side, we have the usual proponents of how the WTC Insurance Fund has been run that I’ve been discussing over the last several weeks. Christine LaSala has demonstrated compassion for workers beyond being able to spend $100 million, of the $1 billion Congress granted the WTC Insurance Fund, on outside attorneys that are fighting the claims of the rescue workers. Worse yet, we have Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of our city, who has sided with LaSala and how the WTC Insurance Fund has been run. Of course, being Mayor he has the power to institute changes on behalf of the rescue workers, but has chosen to remain cloaked behind a defense of the WTC Insurance Fund that centers upon protecting the city from lawsuits.



Last time, I spoke about Darrell Issa (R-CA) who made comments at these hearings that basically stated that the health of the rescue workers was New York State’s problem and that the federal government had done enough by creating the WTC Insurance Fund. A statement incredibly offensive to New Yorkers, but indicative of how time has managed to make so many people forget how many others made sacrifices on and after 9/11. Beyond those three, a new player has emerged towing the line of defending the city against lawsuits. Michael Cardozo, the New York City Corporation Counsel, who is essentially the city’s top legal officer has stated “This is ten thousand individual people with very different and complex facts that all have to be sorted out." He has snidely adds “I would certainly prefer to be able not to fight with the people who came out heroically to help clean up Ground Zero. I’m charged, of course, with a duty, and the city must defend itself." Of course while he is performing that duty, thousands that were healthy pre 9/11 are now suffering while these cases are “sorted out." And again, that’s a big part of the problem, since the legal process is a slow one and people are only getting worse as the WTC Insurance Fund sits untapped except when used for the city’s defense.

On the other side, New Yorkers are fortunate to have Representative Jerrold Nadler whose efforts got this case in front of the House in the first place. And while we haven’t seen immediate results, having the issue back in the public eye is preferable to the backroom dealings of Bloomberg and LaSala and the WTC Insurance Fund. We also have Ken Feinberg who ran the Victim’s Compensation Fund for those died in the plane crashes and the towers. He has volunteered and been championed by many to resume such a title and use the WTC Insurance Fund, not as a defense for the city, but as a VCF for WTC rescue workers. The tireless efforts of the law firm Napoli & Bern have raised New Yorkers’ awareness of how their fellow neighbors have been mistreated by the system and the WTC Insurance Fund. Ironically enough, Darrell Issa and his heartless statements may end up doing more harm than good. By generating as much outrage (and subsequent press coverage) as he did there are many more citizens now wondering why these hearings are being held and why the heroes who helped clean up Ground Zero are not being compensated by the WTC Insurance Fund for illnesses and death. As this continues to play out, slowly unfortunately, we’re starting to see the transparent loyalties of both sides in dealing with the WTC Insurance Fund.

LaSala, Bloomberg, and Cardozo are most concerned with using the WTC Insurance Fund as a defense for the city from lawsuits. Nadler (as well as State Senators Schumer and Clinton), Napoli & Bern, and Feinberg have the interest of the people at heart; not using federal taxpayer dollars as a mechanism for the city to protect itself.