More than five years have passed since the gruesome event of 9/11 and the federal government still does not properly fund NYC's soaring health care costs attributed to the workers on the ground. Tens of thousands of rescue and cleanup workers suffered respiratory illnesses, costing the city nearly $400 million dollars in health care for these brave souls. They were told the air was safe to breathe and ultimately ended up sick because of it.
The White House pledged an additional $20 million late last year but it is still far below what is needed to provide adequate care. It is getting so bad that many treatment programs are running out of funds. Other groups never even received a dime.
From RawStory:
New York needs 150 million dollars in annual federal funds to treat lingering mental and physical ailments from the September 11 terror attacks, a city-appointed panel said.
The World Trade Center Health Panel, appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in September to assess the state and federal resources for 9/11 victims, said the health programs lack stable federal funding.
The New York Police Department has never received any federal funding for treatment or monitoring, the panel said in a report.
As the mess in the Middle East is costing American taxpayers hundreds of billions and the economy as a whole over one trillion dollars, it is time for the federal government to pay up and fully fund the programs that treat the heroes of 9/11. Mayor Bloomberg recently asked for more federal monies and I wholeheartedly agree with his request.
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