The "James Zadroga* 9/11 Health and Compensation Act" is that one Christmas present America is not going to receive this year.
The bill was designed to provide aid for the workers who helped clean up the mess following the 9/11 attacks in New York City, and so thanks to their valiant efforts were given cancer and other lovely medical problems. Many worked without respirators and ate their food out in the open air where dozens of chemicals were still floating around from the collapsed buildings. Of course, this situation was not helped by a particularly stupid remark by a former Governor of my state, Christine Whitman, who somehow managed to become EPA commissioner. She decided, pretty much all on her own, that the air was safe. Which we now know it wasn't. Plus EPA documents about the air quality around Ground Zero were edited by the Bush Administration as part of their usual Communist-like governing philosophy: "if we believe it and make everybody else believe it by force, it will be true." (And don't think the municipal government of New York is completely innocent here either.) So there are a lot of sick people who in an act of great patriotism have been essentially double-crossed by their own government. Is that not worth $7.4 billion?
Actually no, if you listen to the Republicans. It isn't. Apparently, the United States of America, the richest country on the planet, does not have the money to pay for its heroes, or the terrible deal we gave them. Merry Christmas, I suppose.
I guess the first place to begin here is to try to find out why Senate Republicans felt the need to block this bill. The reason is actually pretty cynical party politics. You see, for the last week or so the Senate has been in a deadlock with the Republicans blocked any legislation until a certain tax provision has been passed. That tax provision being the extension of the Bush tax cuts for everybody, including citizens making over a million dollars per year. So they won't do anything until the Democrats have caved on that issue... which they have. Obama gave up last week, abandoning a major campaign pledge which would have severely taxed the wealthy. But we need the official vote now! (I also suspect that this is all tactic in which the Republicans hope to block every legislation until the new congress comes in next year.)
Of course, its not like the Democrats are the helpless victims here simply out to do good by their nation in passing this important piece of legislation. One has to notice that isn't a coincidence that this particular political timebomb had to drop right when the Republicans were digging themselves into a trench over the tax issue. Democratic leaders had to see that by throwing this bill now they could put the Republicans in an impossible situation: either give up their protest, or screw over our nation's heroes. Glad to see that this political maneuvering has made our country a more terrible place to live in. Neither side won, we all lost.
I hear that when the Republicans take the House of Representatives next year that this bill is going to be even harder to pass. I'm not entirely sure why Republicans would not this bill to pass, unless they truly are pure evil.
So Republicans, make this bill happen as soon as possible. Or else you're evil. That's how this going to work. There are 60,000 people who need your help, are you really going to let this bullshit get in the way of doing your job?
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* Named for James Zadroga, a NYPD detective who took part in the clean-up/rescue efforts at Ground Zero following the attacks. As you might recall, for weeks after the towers fell, responders searched all across the WTC remains for any sign of survivors, with very little to show for it tragically. Some very saved, but most were gone, with nothing remaining but dust. He would late die of respiratory illness, though not because of material inhaled during the 9/11 cleanup. Actually it was due to some prescription drugs he was taking. Even if Zadroga is not a good example of why this bill is needed, there have been ninety-eight other deaths of 9/11 workers that have been linked to the toxins in the air.
Does Christine Whitman sleep well at night, I wonder?
Blue, I'm gonna tell you something here, and it's quite possible if you consider everything that's happened over the last decade or two.
ReplyDeleteA civil war is bound to happen, in some way, shape or form. Political is likely, as well as a national civil war. This nation will fall due to its weak politics, I do not see this country lasting long, unless one day, the Democrats AND Republicans reform their parties.
The Democrats are as useful as a century old man. They do nothing to force their legislature that they want to pass with no changes, through. Take the Health Care reform for example, the Republicans tore this legislature up. It made it into a peice of legislature that did basically nothing new. Yeah maybe a few additions here and there, but in general, nothing changed.
The Republicans, however, aren't much better. They may force somethings that are pro-Republican every now and then through because the Democrats are pansies and can't hold their own; but Republicans are also falling apart. the Tea Partiers are going to be the death of the Rebublicans because they are an actual threat to the Republican view, being far more right-wing than most Republicans.
At this point I'm probably rambling and making no sense towards my original point, but please think about this. This country isn't long for this world if it keeps going in the direction it's going.