Chief Leader

The Governor signed the bills into law hours after Mayor Bloomberg reiterated his opposition to the legislation because of the potential cost to the city.

Pataki: Did What's Right
Standing in front of Ground Zero alongside city and state labor leaders, Mr. Pataki said his decision "was not about numbers - it was about doing what is the right thing."

The first law allows responders who have been denied Workers' Compensation benefits because their illnesses surfaced after the two-year filing deadline passed to submit their claims for further consideration.

A second law provides accidental death benefits to families of police officers, firefighters and other uniformed personnel who helped with the clean-up operations, and a third law eliminates the statute of limitations that blocked retired 9/11 workers from filing for accidental disability pensions if they show signs of developing a World Trade Center-related disease after retiring.

Mr. Pataki also said he was issuing an Administrative Order mandating that any 9/11-related Workers' Compensation claims be processed immediately. "These workers should not have to wait while Workers' Compensation tries to figure out if they've got a valid claim," he said. He also signed an order stating that requests for medical procedures had to be answered within 30 days. "If an answer doesn't come within 30 days, it's presumed to be a yes," he said.

'Won't Be Forgotten'
Stephen J. Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters' Association, said that the Governor's actions took on national importance in light of the terror plot thwarted by British officials last week. "If, God forbid, there should be another attack [on America], this reminds firefighters and their loved ones that if you have to step up to the plate, your families will not be forgotten."

The Governor acted five days after a top union leader and elected officials prodded President Bush to help the afflicted.

There was no red carpet laid out for the first-responders who showed up at Ground Zero Aug. 9 just hours before the opening day showings of "World Trade Center," the Oliver Stone movie that recreates 9/11 through the eyes of two Port Authority officers trapped in the Twin Towers.

But the workers were greeted by Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick J. Lynch and U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, who once again called on President Bush to meet with sick first-responders so he can personally respond to their stories and pleas for help.

"The heroes of the movie were freed from the rubble, but thousands of 9/11 heroes remain trapped by their illnesses and lack of help," the Congresswoman said. "The President himself should step into this fight and ensure that everyone exposed to Ground Zero toxins is monitored and anyone who's sick gets treatment."

Special Web Site
The Manhattan Congresswoman also announced that her office has created a new Web site - http://maloney.house.gov/911healthquestionnaire - to help sick and injured Ground Zero workers record their experiences and share their stories with the public.

Although the Bush Administration recently responded to pressure from Congresswoman Maloney and U.S. Rep. Vito Fossella of Staten Island by appointing Dr. John Howard, head of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, to act as a 9/11 "Health Czar," it's been slow to guarantee longterm funding for medical research and treatment for Ground Zero workers and volunteers.

In March, the Centers for Disease Control announced that it would distribute $75 million to programs that administer baseline and follow-up screening, clinical examinations, or long-term medical health monitoring, analysis or treatment for emergency services personnel or rescue and recovery personnel.

This funding was part of $125 million that the New York congressional delegation fought to restore to the Federal budget after the Bush Administration rescinded it last year. The remaining $50 million was distributed to the New York State Uninsured Employers Fund for reimbursement of claims related to the 9/11 attacks.

'How Many Will We Lose?'
"Officially, we lost 23 police officers on 9/11. But how many more will we lose from the health effects of working on the rescue-and-recovery effort?" Mr. Lynch asked. "It's time for the city, state and Federal governments to act to help the unsung heroes of 9/11."

The PBA has set up its own 9/11 health registry to track the symptoms and conditions of its members as they age. Union officials said they hoped the data collection would help establish the prevalence of certain diseases among firstresponders.

Mr. Lynch said the Mayor's stance against the presumptive disability bill was "outrageous."

Congresswoman Maloney and a bipartisan group of elected New York officials including Rep. Fossella and Sen. Hillary Clinton and New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, sent a letter to President Bush Aug. 9 pressing him to respond to their concerns, already expressed in a previous letter.