"Turning Heroes into Victims"
"Turning Heroes into Victims"
by Jerry McNerney
Turning heroes into victims: How our government is failing our first-responders
by Jerry McNerney
In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, much was made of the heroic efforts of the people who risked their lives to rescue others. The press rightly lionized the New York City police and firefighters for their dedication in the face of terrifying odds.
But a report out this week shows how short-lived the gratitude of our government and Congress can be.
The largest study to date of rescue workers at the World Trade Center shows that 70% of them developed breathing problems while they were working in the ruins. The surprise was that many of them are still suffering years later.
Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, co-author of the study at Mount Sinai Medical Center, said rescuers breathed in asbestos and other carcinogens, and said he did not know what the future health risks might be for these people. One 34-year-old policeman has already died. The medical examiner noted material found in his lungs as the cause of death. Six other families claim similar deaths
Despite the inherent danger of the work they were doing, workers at the World Trade Center site could have been better protected. During the week following the attack, the Environmental Protection Agency issued news releases reassuring the public that the air in Lower Manhattan was safe to breathe. Two years later, an EPA Inspector declared the agency "did not have sufficient data and analyses to make such a blanket statement."
Lawmakers pushed through $52 million in federal funding for health treatment of the ground zero workers the first treatment money provided by the Bush Administration. This is key because almost 40% of these workers have no insurance, according to study authors. Others could lose their insurance: for example union workers who lose their coverage if they become too sick to work.
While the treatment of first-responders in New York is bad enough, it is not an isolated event. President Bush is fond of standing in front of audiences and calling our military troops heroes just as he did in New York. But the administration has been just as stingy in funding benefits for troops who return home with injuries that will impact them for the rest of their lives.
National Guard troops called up for duty abroad, receive no ongoing treatment from the federal government after they are released from the hospital. Their families receive no compensation for lost wages, while on duty or afterwards. Meanwhile, our Congressman, Rep. Richard Pombo, was the deciding vote against funding for research into better artificial arms and legs for soldiers who have lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Remembering those who have sacrificed for our country is important. But we owe our troops and our first responders more. The least we can do is provide these defenders of our freedom and safety the good care they deserve.
Jerry McNerney is a candidate for Congress in the 11th Congressional District. McNerney was a national security consultant at Sandia National Labratories at Kirtland Air Force Base from 1977-1984. His son, Michael, volunteered for the military in response to September 11th.
http://weblog.jerrymcnerney.com/2006/09/turning_heroes_.html