C'mon, common sense MUST prevail somewhere... firefighters are trained for those situations, police as well but to a lesser extent. MSD sheets are kept at close hand on modern buildings... only an IDIOT would enter unprotected...
On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 8:53 PM, reallyconservative <[email protected] > wrote: > Not true. Apparently there were a ton of toxins (including asbestos > and benzene) in that rubble. And the workers were told not to concern > themselves with it and to go about their business. That's > negligence. The city (or the leaders of the first responders) should > have made sure all of them wore protective masks before digging in > that rubble. > > On Mar 20, 10:34 pm, THE ANNOINTED ONE <[email protected]> wrote: > > Why in the hell would ANYONE get a settlement unless they were suing > > al-Qaeda ??? The only "fault" or action lies with them..... > > > > Talk about drinkin' kool-aid !!!!!!! > > > > On Mar 20, 1:12 pm, dick thompson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Originally published 12:05 a.m., March 20, 2010, updated > 12:30 > > > a.m., March 20, 2010 > > > > > Judge rejects settlement for 9/11 rescuers > > > > > ASSOCIATED PRESS > > > > > NEW YORK | A federal judge on Friday rejected a legal settlement that > > > would have given at least $575 million to people sickened by ash and > > > dust from the World Trade Center, saying the deal shortchanged 10,000 > > > ground zero workers whom he called heroes. > > > > > "In my judgment, this settlement is not enough," said U.S. District > > > Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who delivered his pronouncement to a stunned > > > gallery at a federal courthouse in Manhattan. > > > > > Rising from his chair, the 76-year-old jurist said he feared police > > > officers, firefighters and other laborers who cleared rubble after the > > > Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks were being pushed into signing a deal few > > > of them understood. > > > > > Under the terms of the settlement, workers had been given just 90 days > > > to say yes or no to a deal that would have assigned them payments based > > > on a point system that Hellerstein said was complicated enough to make > a > > > Talmudic scholar's head spin. > > > > > "I will not preside over a settlement that is based on fear or > > > ignorance," he said. > > > > > Of the proposed settlement of $575 million to $657 million, workers > > > stood to get amounts ranging from a few thousand dollars to more than > $1 > > > million. > > > > > Hellerstein said the deal should be richer. Too much of it would be > > > eaten up by legal fees, he said. > > > > > A third or more of the money set aside for the workers was expected to > > > go to their lawyers. Some plaintiffs had agreed at the start of the > case > > > to give as much as 40 percent of any judgment to cover fees and > > > expenses. That might have meant $200 million or more going to > attorneys. > > > > > Hellerstein, who presides over all federal court litigation related to > > > the terror attacks, ripped into the agreement after hearing several > > > ground zero responders speak tearfully of their illnesses and after > > > receiving letters and phone calls from others expressing confusion > about > > > the deal. > > > > > He said he was speaking "from the heart" out of great compassion for > the > > > thousands of men and women who spent time at ground zero. > > > > > It wasn't immediately clear whether the judge's actions would kill the > > > settlement entirely. > > > > > The deal had taken years to negotiate and was announced March 11, with > > > about two months to go until the first trials. > > > > > A spokeswoman for the law partnership that negotiated the settlement on > > > behalf of the workers said she had no comment on the judge's remarks. > > > > > Christine LaSala, president of the WTC Captive Insurance Co., a special > > > insurance entity created by Congress to represent the city in the > > > lawsuit, said the judge "has now made it more difficult, if not > > > impossible, for the people bringing these claims to obtain compensation > > > and a settlement." > > > > > She said the lawyers would confer with city officials and "try to find > a > > > way forward." > > > > > New York City's chief lawyer, Michael Cardozo, said, "We have great > > > respect for Judge Hellerstein and will consider his comments, but his > > > reaction to the settlement will make it extremely difficult to resolve > > > these cases." > > > > > Hellerstein laid out a number of proposed fixes for what he saw as > > > deficiencies in the settlement and told the two sides to resume > > > negotiations. > > > > > He rejected the idea that a third or more of the money should go to the > > > plaintiffs' lawyers and said the legal fees should be paid by the WTC > > > Captive, not the workers. > > > > > Hellerstein said workers should have ample opportunities to ask > > > questions and get answers about the settlement, and he offered to go on > > > a mini-speaking tour to get information to the plaintiffs. > > > > > "I will make myself available in union halls, fire department houses, > > > police precincts and schools," Hellerstein said. > > > > > He said more money should be set aside for people who later develop > > > cancer that may be linked to ground zero toxins. He said he wanted to > > > retain ultimate control over which workers were entitled to have claims > > > paid. > > > > > Hellerstein acknowledged that he felt a personal connection to the > case, > > > calling it "the greatest burden in my life," but insisted that his > > > unusual intervention was legally and morally necessary, given the > > > importance of the Sept. 11 attacks to the country. > > > > > "This is no ego trip for me. This is work," he said. > > > > > Hellerstein spoke after several ground zero recovery workers had risen > > > in court to describe a litany of health problems they believe are > linked > > > to inhaling the ash and dust left by the collapse of the World Trade > > > Center. > > > > > The settlement rejected by the judge would have created a pool of at > > > least $575 million for sick workers. That amount could rise to as much > > > as $657 million if enough people accept the deal. Injured workers would > > > get a payment in exchange for dropping their suits against New York > City > > > and the dozens of construction contractors it hired to handle the > cleanup. > > > > > Money for the settlement would be funded with nearly $1 billion in > > > federal taxpayer money that has already been appropriated. > > > > > The deal covers a broad list of ailments suspected of being linked to > > > trade center dust, including asthma, chronic coughing and interstitial > > > lung disease, which involves scarring of lung tissue. Some types of > > > cancer are also covered. > > > > > For the plaintiffs with relatively minor ailments, payments would have > > > ranged from $3,250 to $9,760. William Groner, an attorney on the team > > > that negotiated the settlement, estimated that 40 percent to 60 percent > > > of the workers would fall into that category. > > > > > The rest were to have divided the remaining millions in the pot, with a > > > handful of the sickest getting $1 million or more. The amount they got > > > would have been based on a complicated scoring system that ranks each > > > illness by severity. > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to politicalforum+ > unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE > ME" as the subject. > -- Mark M. Kahle, , www.filacoffee.com -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to politicalforum+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.
