rooster59 Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 U.S. to slash payouts from 9/11 victims fund By Jonathan Stempel FILE PHOTO: A guest visits the south reflecting pool as he lays his hands on the names of victims during ceremonies marking the 17th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York, U.S., September 11, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (Reuters) - The special master overseeing a U.S. government fund to compensate victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on Friday said future awards will be significantly reduced, typically by at least 50 percent, because the fund is running short of money. Rupa Bhattacharyya, the special master, said the reduction in payouts from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is necessary because the $2.375 billion (£1.8 billion) remaining in the $7.375 billion fund is not enough to compensate the thousands of additional eligible victims and family members. "I am painfully aware of the unfairness of this plan," Bhattacharyya said on a conference call with reporters. "It is the best that we could do." Roughly $5 billion has been awarded on more than 21,000 claims, about three-quarters of which came from New York. Bhattacharyya said the fund would have needed to be $12 billion, instead of $7.375 billion, to compensate everyone fully. Nearly 3,000 people died on Sept. 11, 2001 when airplanes hijacked by al Qaeda crashed into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon outside Washington, and a Pennsylvania field. The fund opened in late 2011 for first responders including police officers and firefighters; cleanup and construction crews; and people who lived, worked or went to school near the attacks. A similar fund ended operations seven years earlier. Nearly 40,000 compensation claims have been filed in the last seven years, but half were filed in 2017 and 2018. Thousands more are expected. Bhattacharyya attributed the faster pace of claims to the growing number of cancers, other serious illnesses and deaths linked to the attacks, and the fund's warning in October that future payouts might be reduced. The new procedure calls for base payouts, before offsets for sums awarded from other sources for the same injuries, to be reduced by 50 percent for claims submitted before Feb. 2, 2019, and 70 percent for claims submitted later. Bhattacharyya said she "could not abide" by alternatives that would have awarded nothing to eligible victims. People have until Dec. 18, 2020 to file claims. -- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
from the home of CC Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 if the U.S. had any stones they'd be getting the saudis to pay for this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neeray Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 56 minutes ago, from the home of CC said: if the U.S. had any stones they'd be getting the saudis to pay for this... That should have been handled years ago. The current leadership is too "buddy" with MbS to make such a request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PremiumLane Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Amazing how they never have funding problems for wars or tax breaks for the mega-rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 2 hours ago, from the home of CC said: if the U.S. had any stones they'd be getting the saudis to pay for this... So Trump has plans to raid the federal piggy bank in all kinds of different places to scrape together many billions of dollars to pay for his ridiculous border wall. But the federal government can't or won't adequately fund the 9/11 victims compensation fund that's short by a few billion??? Or actually according to the article, short by just about the same $5 billion or so amount Trump has been seeking for his wall. How about doing something useful and appropriate with the $5 billion, instead of wasting it on a monument to ego and campaign promises for right-wingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
from the home of CC Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 6 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said: So Trump has plans to raid the federal piggy bank in all kinds of different places to scrape together many billions of dollars to pay for his ridiculous border wall. But the federal government can't or won't adequately fund the 9/11 victims compensation fund that's short by a few billion??? Or actually according to the article, short by just about the same $5 billion or so amount Trump has been seeking for his wall. How about doing something useful and appropriate with the $5 billion, instead of wasting it on a monument to ego and campaign promises for right-wingers. Totally blinded by his ego, in some ways very similar to the damage done by 'face loss' in this country. You're absolutely correct, that money could of been utilized so much more effectively including taking care of the people and families who were subjected to the horrors of 9/11. Coupled with the pass given to the saudis over the murder of the journalist this is a real slap in the face of the American taxpayer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallGuyJohninBKK Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Obviously, the guy in the OP photo didn't get the message from the current Trump Admin about holding Saudi Arabia responsible for its terrorism and other abuses, as well as taking proper care of the Americans who continue to suffer from the aftermath of 9/11.... Here's the updated messaging: Time to get new shirts made... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldrunner Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 I never understood these payments for the 9=11 attacks. People with lung problems were getting life benefits for family members who had long died. Men and women in the US Military who lost a spouse got a flat $6.000 that's all folks. The 9/11 fund was a total rip off of the American taxpayer and a political boondoggle of the highest order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jobsworth Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 For the benefit of non American speakers a boondoggle is a wasteful or impractical project or activity often involving graft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Off-topic post and reply removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Swagman Posted February 16, 2019 Share Posted February 16, 2019 Another instance of America showing how great it is becoming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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