Dead Officer’s Son Asks Bush to Increase Aid to 9/11 Workers (NYT)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/nyregion/31cnd-borja.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Dead Officer’s Son Asks Bush to Increase Aid to 9/11 Workers

By MARIA NEWMAN
Published: January 31, 2007

After meeting with President Bush today, the son of a former police officer who died last week from an illness that may have been linked to his rescue work at the World Trade Center on 9/11 said Mr. Bush had assured him that he wanted to expand federal financing for the medical needs of people injured at ground zero.

“I’m not quoting Mr. President, but what I heard is that there will be more support,” Cesar Borja Jr., 21, said in describing his meeting with the president. “I felt a dedication. I felt the motivation and appreciation as well that the president has for my father, my family and myself for coming this far.”

Cesar Borja Sr., 52, died of a lung disease hours before his son attended the State of the Union address last week in Washington to draw attention to the plight of 9/11 rescue workers like him who became ill after they were exposed to toxic dust at ground zero.

The day after he died, his son asked for a meeting with the president to tell him about the health problems of ground zero workers. The president agreed to meet with him today, just after he delivered a speech on the economy at New York’s Federal Hall, which is located near the World Trade Center.

The meeting came a day after the president proposed spending an additional $25 million on a health-care program related to 9/11 at Mount Sinai Medical Center and a similar effort for New York firefighters.

Officials warned last month that money for those two major monitoring and treatment programs would run out in a matter of months.

FULL story at link.

[Diane R]

1. Sadly, this will fall on deaf ears. Bush doesn't give a rat's a** about anyone.