The calendar tells me the current year is 2007. I hope your experience is similar.
From today's Newsday:
The White House today pledged to pay for medical coverage for every first responder suffering health problems from service at Ground Zero, making the promise as President George W. Bush prepared to meet with the grieving family of a fallen 9/11 cop in New York....
The White House announced yesterday it will put $25 million for 9/11 health care in its 2008 budget next week but Bush spokesman Tony Snow went further this morning, saying that all first-responders will get the treatment they need, either from insurance or federal aid.
"The president is going to be dealing with a grieving young man and his family. The one thing we can assure him from a policy point of view is that we will plug the gaps in any coverage, and anybody who needs treatment will get it, period," Snow said aboard Air Force One on the way to New York.
It's prompt action like that that's made this administration so beloved. Enjoy also the update to the story:
But to Borja, the meeting wasn't about grief and gauzy remembrances. He went in with a direct message for President George W. Bush Wednesday -- a little quieter than the shouts of protesters who say Bush's 9/11 funding is woefully inadequate -- but not so different in the end.
Don't just cover the "heroes and heroines" who got sick after 9/11, Borja said he told Bush. Cover everybody who got sick, whether first responder or neighbor, rescue worker or child. He came away optimistic.
"What I heard is that there will be more support," Borja said later. "I felt the dedication, and I felt the motivation and the appreciation as well the president has for my father, my family and myself for coming this far."
Whew.
Bets on what the final allocation of funds will be for what is pretty much Hillary RC's proposal...?
And if Dubya stays true to form, he'll promise to allocate a few million to the first responders, then forget all about it and end up giving the money to one of his brothers.
Posted by: TRex | January 31, 2007 at 10:45 PM
The president is going to be dealing with a grieving young man and his family.
"Dealing with a grieving young man?" Like he dealt with Cindy Sheehan? Or Osama? Or is he just going to play cards. Or maybe the young man has a cool new tractor Georgie can ride? WTF?
Posted by: iamcoyote | February 01, 2007 at 11:24 AM
TRex is correct, IMO.
Much will be promised, nothing will be delivered.
See also: Katrina, Hurricane
Posted by: Gentlewoman | February 01, 2007 at 04:48 PM
Poor deluded girl.
[/Adam West's Batman]
Posted by: watertiger | February 02, 2007 at 02:00 PM
A friend of mine in NYC says that many of the people who are sick are actually financial services people who returned to work shortly after September 11th. He said that some of the most wealthy, powerful executives in the country are sick and dying, and they either don't realise it or haven't gone after the government about it. He called it weird.
Your guess is as good as mine.
Posted by: Interrobang | February 05, 2007 at 08:10 AM