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.
Amen!
The idea that Bloomberg is "heartless" in this case is wrong and it misses the point and the heart of Bloomberg's objection.
The legislation was passed by the NY state government, but the majority of the costs of the bill will be born by the city of New York and yet the bill provides no NY state funding for what the bill will now require from the city.
Bloomberg's complete comments, and his objection, clearly identified that he agrees with the sentiments of the bill and its sponsors, but they should have included NY state funds for the bills objectives that the state now mandates the city to perform.
Like typical liberals, the state assembly wanted to do something and wanted someone else to pay for it. They get to look campassionate, while someone else looks for the means to pay for the bulk of their largess.
Pataki has national political ambitions (mistakenly), the bill will cost him nothing (he'll be long gone when most of the costs come due), he gets to curry favor with New York legislators and the public while knowing he has just aprroved state mandated financial obligations on New York City while escaping the moral obligation to provide the state money for his public display of compassion. His actions are typical of many other of the politically expedient measures he took as GOP leader during its continuing decline New York.
Thanks for your unbised comment, Mike.
He's a real piece of work alright.
I've witnessed a lot of idiot lawmakers in my day, but this guy really takes the cake!
I hope you are not directing your comments to ME! I live in Maine. I just posted this thread because it just further shows what an idiot Bloomberg is!
I wasn't aware that your were complaining at Mike Bloomberg. Frankly, I don't see how this article shows the Mayor in a bad light, since he is being taken to task for something he didn't even do.
The only thing he could be faulted for is donating money to discourage smoking of wonderful, healthful, sweet-smelling cigarettes. Lots of people have a hard time seeing how beneficial to society cigarettes are, for one reason or another.
more FR Bloomberg bashing.
if you have an issue with him being against smoking, that one thing.
but the issue of extending disability pensions to GZ workers - the state law goes too far. its going to be brutally exploited by city workers who DIDN'T WORK AT GROUND ZERO. Basically, 1000s of city workers are going to abuse this, and retire on inflated pensions they do not deserve - costing the city 500 million dollars.
The only thing he could be faulted for is donating money to discourage smoking of wonderful, healthful, sweet-smelling cigarettes. Lots of people have a hard time seeing how beneficial to society cigarettes are, for one reason or another.
He better hope New York doesn't get hit again. He's going to have a hard time explaining to the residents why he didn't invest that money to make his residents safe, instead of social engineering.
I really don't appreciate him giving everyone else the bill for his city, while he throws away 125 million dollars.
NEW YORK, NY May 31, 2006 —New York City is set to get $124 million in Homeland Security funds, a 40 percent cut from last year.
Governor Pataki criticized the method by which the calculation was made, suggesting it did not reflect the risk the city faces.
REPORTER: Mayor Bloomberg says other cities receiving funds from the federal government face little threat of terrorism. BLOOMBERG: Do I think they should've given us more? I think they should've given us a lot more. When they stop a terrorist, he's carrying a map of New York City in his pocket, they don't have a map of any of the other 46 places.
Bloomberg is spending his own money, not the city's money, for his "social engineering". If he wants to change it all into singles and have a bonfire, that's his own business, as long as he doesn't violate the Clean Air Ordinances.
I'm glad you feel that way. When another wealthy politician decides to spend 125 million dollars to help overturn smoking bans, instead of his city, you'll support him, since it's his money. I'm pleased you don't mind helping pick up his city's bills, so he can spend his money, on his personal agenda.
For the record, Clean Air Ordinances don't apply to the elites. You may want to frequent a few upper scale Manhatten bars. There is no shortage of smokers lighting up.
Are you saying, with a straight face, that Mike Bloomberg should be spending his own money to pay bills for the City of New York? That's not really the Mayor's job, you know...
What a politician decides to do with his own money is his own business. As long as he is not doing something actively evil, like financing Hezbollah, I really don't much care one way or the other.
It doesn't cost the city a cent. The city just passes the cost on to the taxpayers
And somehow this loser thinks that Bloomberg or the taxpayers should pay? What an idiot
And, BTW when did anyone ever stop hating New York?
And, BTW when did anyone ever stop hating New York?
I guess you must be a BloomingIdiot lapdog. Whatever.
I have been following Bloomberg for a long time now, and he is a little Hitler. I don't care what you think......
the man is a control freak!
And do you honestly think I made that hate New York picture myself? Actually, I got it out of a magazine, so there are a LOT of people that hate him as much as I do.
Thanks!
You really need to take reading comprehension classes. I despise Bloomberg even more than I despise Guiliani. It's just that the woman in the article is an even bigger idiot than Bloomberg for trying to tell him where he should spend his money. Plus I don't appreciate being called a Bloomingidiot lapdog for a perfectly polite comment. I'd day you showed yourself to be the jerk here.
"I'd day???" Maybe it's not me that needs to take some classes.
And if you think "I'm" the jerk, then it's a good thing we never ran into each other before, isn't it?!
Your memory is as bad as your reading comprehension, and if the best you can do is pick on a typo you're an even bigger twit than I first thought. The difference between you and Bloomberg is he has a LOT of money and you don't.
The man has a budget of 125 million in taxpayer dollars, and he's bawling that it's not enough to stop 1 terrorist? He wants more of OUR money. According to him,people in the other 46 states can go to hell, they don't need security. Sorry pal, if he can spend 124 million to yank a ciggy out of granny's mouth, he can cough up a couple of bucks to protect his citizens. He lives there,I don't. It's obvious to most, busting granny is a bigger priority than terrorism in his city. Unless, taxpayers pick up the check.I don't care how he spends his money, as long as he takes his greasy fingers off our wallets.If New York gets hit again, and he blames "budget cuts", the rest of the country won't have much sympathy for him. New York lost 14 million with the budget cut.Considering what he just forked over to get granny, it's pocketchange.
I should know better than to ever stand between an addict and his fix. Nevermind...
Take away the issue.
Take away the money.
Like the lady in the article says--Bloomberg is still a pompous ass.
Whether or not you agree with the lady's point of view, she bravely brings out the point that limosine liberals really have no understanding of the suffering of the "poor" that they oh-so-passionately say they support.
Bloomberg, like Gates and Buffett, piss their money away on irrelevant things, instead of where the money could be most needed. Oh, and what a great way to avoid estate taxes that they think the rest of us should pay.
Bloomberg is a typical Democrat. And it is amazing, the trend in the Democrartic Party to nominate and elect very wealthy people--Kennedy,Kerry, Clinton,Corzine,Lamont,etc.-all in the name of helping the little people.That they can get in front of a microphone and fool everyone that they "care" about something they know nothing about, is amazing.
Pompous asses, all.
Yes! And I have NO idea why some in here are defending that idiot. Makes me shiver!!!!!!
Dream on. LOL
I should know better than to ever stand between an addict and his fix. Nevermind..
. I don't smoke. I just hate greasy liberals. Even if they have an (R) behind their name. You seem to like them. Looking at your other posts , you are one of them. Been fun.......... Bye.
< SNORT >
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.