Posted on 08/18/2006 12:32:17 PM PDT by SheLion
The mother of deceased Ground Zero worker James Zadroga described Mayor Bloomberg as a "cold, heartless person" for opposing a series of new laws that address the health battles of 9/11 rescuers.
"I don't think he realizes how the common people live - maybe for one month he should try and live on $500 a week," Linda Zadroga wrote in a letter to the Daily News.
"But when [you're] a billionaire, you have no concept of the so-called middle class. Well, one day he may have some tragedy in his family he will need to deal with, and then maybe he'll realize."
Zadroga was specifically angered by the mayor's pledge to donate $125 million of his personal fortune for a campaign to stop smoking worldwide, saying the billionaire should use that money instead to aid the 9/11 workers who helped the city.
"It is unrealistic that he could stop the world from smoking," wrote Zadroga, a smoker. "He gave so much money to other charities - why not accept [that] these people got sick from 9/11 and help [the] 9/11 fund?"
Her son NYPD Detective James Zadroga, 34, died in January of brain and respiratory complications, leaving behind his 4-year-old daughter, Tylerann.
On Monday, Gov. Pataki signed three bills aimed at covering the health costs of 9/11 responders - thousands of whom are suffering from debilitating illnesses as a result of their heroic actions nearly five years ago.
Bloomberg has voiced strong opposition to the legislation, saying he agrees with the intent of the laws but doesn't believe it's fair for Albany to impose costs on the city.
Asked to respond to Zadroga's letter, Stu Loeser, the mayor's press secretary, said, "While the mayor believes that this bill was flawed, that in no way discounts the respect he has for Detective Zadroga's heroic service to this city, or the sympathy the mayor feels to the Zadroga family for their loss."
The bills signed by the governor will ensure that Tylerann will receive 100% of her father's last salary as a pension benefit until she is 19. But Linda Zadroga told The News yesterday, "It's not about the money."
Zadroga said she wants Bloomberg to afford her son and all the other 9/11 workers the recognition they deserve.
"He's such a pompous ass, so cold-hearted," she said.
Mom's anguish
Here are excerpts from the e-mail Linda Zadroga, mother of 9/11 hero cop James Zadroga, sent to the Daily News:
"I read the article today about [Mayor] Bloomberg giving [$125 million] for the world to stop smoking."
"Well I don't think it could be done. He's still complaining about the bills passed for 9/11 victims; well maybe he should come down to reality and for one month live on $500 a week like my son did for four years.... "
"He lives in a mansion and after he leaves as mayor he would still be able to live in a mansion. He doesn't know the sacrifices the 9/11 workers suffered...."
"Well all I can say is Bloomberg is a cold, heartless person...."
"[My granddaughter] is 4 years old and has lost both her parents in a matter of three years, but Bloomberg doesn't seem to think about that in his perfect world."
Bloomberg timelessly proves that money does not equal common sense, or any sense for that matter.
It isn't Bloomberg's job to "care" for New Yorkers. Wait a minute...!
1. Instead of handing out MILLIONS ($14 billion, total) to families of victims who died in the towers, we should allotted for the families of the HEROES (police and fire) who perished and for the care for the GZ workers. We set a very bad precedent here.
2. It's Mike's money, Granny. He's free to spend it on anti-smoking or hookers 'n blow. I couldn't care which.
He is one of the most disgusting lawmakers of all time!
bump
Bloomberg opposed bonds to rebuild Yankee and Mets stadiums (originals included a retractable roof feature). He wasn't really influential in any decision. And with Yankee Stadium, Steinbrenner's company footed at least 80% of the costs (unheard of in other ballparks). IRC, Bloomberg was aloof up to the day that new Yankee Stadium broke ground, then he praised it as if it were his brainchild.
Guy is heartless probably cuz he' clueless. He makes Dinkins look smart.
I recall that there was some discussion about that fund because Rudy wanted to continue administering the fund after he left office. He lost that argument and the fund was turned over to the City. Where is that money. It was in the millions of dollars.
Lady, I am sorry for your loss.
But quit yer bitchin'. Your loss is not license to complain for the rest of your life.
You got your money from the State (actually, it will come from the City, but who's keeping track). What does that have to do with Mike Bloomberg's charitable activities.
The payoff to the families was in lieu of suing the airlines. If they had been sued they would have been out of business by now. Sad but true. Since we have no way to get the money back from the dead terrorists and their cohorts we are paying the bill.......left to us by X42's regime.
God almighty!
The madness of the battle against smoking is really exposed here.
Bloomberg is an idiot !!!!!!!
(He makes Dinkins look smart.)
Sorry, but the only politician in the same league as Dinkins is Jimmy Carter. It's a low blow to compare anyone else to Dinkins. I had the misfortune to live in NYC during the Dinkins administration. It was about to dissolve into civil war before Giuliani was elected.
Lived in Jersey during Dinkins. I agree with the civil war analogy but Bloomberg comes close. Dinkins made people remember Mayor Beam fondly.
I know it was a payoff, but it was still the wrong decision.
1. The airlines are going broke, laying off employees and cutting payrolls anyway. The payoff didn't accomplish a thing.
2. We should have let the legal system sort this out. Maybe suing an airline because of the actions of terrorists would have finally ended our tort system?
3. Now we've opened up the floodgates. We've set a very bad precedent (as bad a precedent as our tort system). Remember that some families of the OKC bombing victims and other TERRORIST acts were coming forward and bitching after that. What about the next attack?
Besides, if the airlines were out of business I wouldn't have to fly my ass all over the world to solve the petty problems of the manufacturing companies I support;)
""Well I don't think it could be done. He's still complaining about the bills passed for 9/11 victims; well maybe he should come down to reality and for one month live on $500 a week like my son did for four years.... "
I would like to see some real dollar figures, the average pay for a 3rd class detective is $88,000.00, what about federal disability, etc.
Union stories are always written like this, they never give the dollar figures being fought over.
Liberal rich people are like that
when it comes to stadiums, taxpayers should foot 0% of the costs.
Many of the workers saw the time spent as a way to increase their pensions and as soon as they were eligible they retired, leaving the fire department especially, short handed.
There is no doubt that some of the illness were caused by the air at the site of the WTC which continued to burn for nearly one month. Sadly, while it helped with the cleanup, there was only one rain........we needed lots of heavy downpours to clean the air and wash the residue off the buildings.
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