NY Mayor Sorry For Saying 9/11 Cop No Hero

Bloomberg Apologizes To Father Of Dead Ground Zero Worker For Saying He Wasn't A Hero

(CBS/AP)  Mayor Michael Bloomberg apologized Monday to the father of a police detective he had described last week as "not a hero" because of questions about his death following his work on the Sept. 11 World Trade Center cleanup.

"I believe that James Zadroga was a hero for the way he lived, regardless of the way that he died," Bloomberg told reporters after meeting with the retired police officer's father, Joseph Zadroga.

James Zadroga became a national symbol of post-Sept. 11 illness after his death last year. Chief Medical Examiner Charles Hirsch recently ruled, however, that Zadroga contracted a fatal lung disease not because of World Trade Center dust but because he had been injecting himself with ground-up pills.

"Nobody wanted to hear that," Bloomberg said at Harvard University last week when he was asked about the intersection of science and public policy. "We wanted to have a hero, and there are plenty of heroes. It's just, in this case, science says this was not a hero."

The comment upset Zadroga's family and former colleagues. Joseph Zadroga said the mayor was "heartless" and asked to meet with him, while the police unions called for a public apology and said Bloomberg had lost their trust.

While Zadroga's father was inside City Hall with the mayor on Monday, a small group of protesters stood outside chanting, "Zadroga is a hero, Bloomberg is a zero."

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Read the story of NYPD Detective James Zadroga.

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After emerging from the meeting, Joseph Zadroga said the mayor had been "very gracious" and had told him that last week's remark was off the cuff and not what he had intended to say.

"He showed his sympathy for James," Zadroga said outside City Hall. "He said that James was a hero, a true hero."

James Zadroga's relatives, who live in Little Egg Harbor, N.J., dispute the New York medical examiner's findings about drug use and say the medicine he was taking to treat his illness, including several strong painkillers and anti-anxiety pills, was never improperly injected.

A New Jersey medical examiner ruled separately last year that the police detective, who put in more than 400 hours working at ground zero, died from inhaling the toxic dust. Bills were named after Zadroga in Congress to pay for research and treatment for sick ground zero workers.

His family had sought the New York medical examiner's opinion as part of the city's process for adding names to the official list of Sept. 11, 2001, victims and the memorial to be built at ground zero.

The New York ruling that Zadroga's death was not related to the World Trade Center dust means that his name will not be added. Bloomberg, who leads the memorial foundation, told Joseph Zadroga on Monday that he will find a way to ensure that the memorial honors those who have become sick from working at ground zero.

It was unclear whether the names of sick workers would be listed

which is what the family wants — or whether there would be a general tribute.

Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler told reporters after the meeting that Bloomberg "made the commitment that the people who became ill during the recovery would be honored, and as to what form that takes, I don't think he's going to make that decision on the fly."

Officials in charge of a Sept. 11 museum accompanying the memorial had already been planning to address health issues somewhere in the museum.

Joseph Zadroga and his attorney also gave the mayor personnel and medical records that showed that his son developed breathing problems just after the 2001 attacks and that the medical board of the police pension fund granted him a disability pension due to his ground zero exposure.

They said they planned to appeal to the New York medical examiner and ask him to re-examine the information.

They also said the mayor told them he would ask the medical examiner to review the case. But Skyler said Bloomberg had committed only to looking over their material and had no authority to order a review by the medical examiner.

[kjvprophet]

What we need is a President who will show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW WAY. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50+ years. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of the Middle-East, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas of Republican Presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. He''s an intellectual who''s published four books, three of which are devoted entirely to sound economics and one to foreign policy. He was raised on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania as a pious Lutheran, but now he attends a Baptist church. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. Whenever he recollects the helicopter pilots he treated as an Air Force Flight Surgeon (Captain) during the Vietnam War, a war which he now says was "totally unnecessary and illegal," he laments, "They were gung-ho. I''ve often thought about how many of those people never came back." Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and proven track record of adherance to The Constitution, Congressman Paul has always demonstrated only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky.

[kjvprophet]

At a meet-the-candidate house party in New Hampshire, students representing a group called Student Scholars for 9/11 Truth asked Paul whether he believed the official investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks was credible. "I never automatically trust anything the government does when they do an investigation," Paul replied, "because too often I think there%u2019s an area that the government covered up, whether it%u2019s the Kennedy assassination or whatever." The exchange was videotaped and ricocheted around the Internet for a while. But Paul%u2019s patience with the Truthers, as they call themselves, does not make him one himself. "Even at the time it happened, I believe the information was fairly clear that Al Qaeda was involved," he recently said.

[bareemperor]

InMo -
While your chiding is emotional, it does not stand the test of truth. I won''t argue that we all had a hand in helping on 9/11. However, our president and the Pentagon were amazingly non-heroic on 9/11 and after. What was Cheney, a civilian, doing commanding NORAD that day? Where was Bu$h for hours, following the fiasco at the Florida elementary school. Why were the bin Ladens flown out of the counrty before an investigation cleared them. And why did the administration stonewall an investigation of the WTC demolition for 444 days? Why did Jeb Bu$h announce a state of emergency in Florida on 9/10? What was Bu$h''s other brother doing heading WTC security?

I am sorry the WTC came down that day, but the Bu$h administration is hiding something huge about 9/11.

[kjvprophet]

What we need is a President who will show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW WAY. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50+ years. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of the Middle-East, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas of Republican Presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. He''s an intellectual who''s published four books, three of which are devoted entirely to sound economics and one to foreign policy. He was raised on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania as a pious Lutheran, but now he attends a Baptist church. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. Whenever he recollects the helicopter pilots he treated as an Air Force Flight Surgeon (Captain) during the Vietnam War, a war which he now says was "totally unnecessary and illegal," he laments, "They were gung-ho. I''ve often thought about how many of those people never came back." Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and proven track record of adherance to The Constitution, Congressman Paul has always demonstrated only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky.

[kjvprophet]

RON PAUL SETS NEW GOP FUNDRAISING RECORD
Freedom is apparently popular, folks. I''m glad it is. In just the last 24 hours (Nov 5, 2007), he raised over $4,200,000 in grass roots donations from his supporters nationwide, beating Mitt Romney''s previous one-day (Republican) record of 3.1 million Dollars. Do the math, folks. Ron Paul certainly isn''t getting any money from the bankers or the military industrial complex like all the sold-out NWO candidates both on the left and the right who pretend to be his equal. He''s getting support from millions of REAL people who share in his Hope For America:

-- No more meddling in other country''s political affairs
-- No more aggressive military actions overseas
-- No more pseudo-wars like the "War on Drugs"
-- No more IRS and unconstitutional income taxes
-- No more Federal Reserve (the group of private banks which owns our government)
-- No more abortion
-- No more U.N. participation
-- No more federal Laws which are not authorized by The Constitution
-- No more federal erosion of State sovereignty
-- No more all-powerful federal government

They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. The Doctor is in! Join us in this 21st Century political revolution at ronpaul2008.com

Remember, folks. Freedom isn''t free.

Thanks to everyone for your support!

[inmo-2009]

BareEmperor - while I am sure that we all agree the first responder, pice and firefighters are the true heros of 9-11 - watch out who you say is not a hero of the day. I would hope that we are all empatheitc enough to recognize everyone''s role in that day.
Citizens frm across the country sent money, food and supplies to those ont he front lines. People donated blood, prayed to their God, and wept right along with families and survivors. No those people may not be text book geros for the acts they did - but I bet to the thristy firfighter who got a second bottle of water or the crtical patinet who needed another pint of blood, or the person who wwas enveloped with God''s love - we, Americans were all someone''s "hero" that day.
The military and the president - no matter of you support or not also are heros for the day. they led us as a nation and were the beacon we looked to for strength. Shame on you for acting like 9-11 was not every persons battle.

[bareemperor]

The 9/11 President was no hero.
The 9/11 military were not heros...
The only heros on that day WERE the first responders.

[forthepeopl1]

United States May Declare State of Emergency


Associated Press Writer
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) %u2013 The whitehouse government of embattled President bush said Thursday it may impose a state of emergency due to ``external and internal threats'''''''''''''''' and deteriorating law and order.
including from Democratic presidential hopeful Barak Obama, over the possibility of U.S. military action against al-Qaida in Pakistan ``has started alarm bells ringing and has upset the Pakistani public.''''''''''''''''
But it appeared the motivation for a declaration of an emergency would be the domestic political woes of
President bush
During a state of emergency, the government can restrict the freedom to move, rally, engage in political activities or form groups and impose other limits such as restricting congress right to make laws or even dissolving congress
``These are only unconfirmed reports although the possibility of imposition of emergency cannot be ruled out and has recently been talked about and discussed, keeping in mind some external and internal threats and the law and order situation,bush told The Associated Press.

In Washington, the State Department said . ``
Bush is under growing American pressure to crack down on militants at the Afghan border because of fears that al-Qaida is regrouping there.
The Bush administration has also not ruled out unilateral military action inside america but like Obama, has stressed the need to work with the americans.

[yoopermom]

Duggock
I completely agree.

[feelfree1]

Happy Guy Fawkes day, everyone!

www.zeitgeistmovie.com

[nothappyatall]

"After emerging from the meeting, Joseph Zadroga said the mayor had been "very gracious" and had told him that last week''s remark was off the cuff and not what he had intended to say.

"He showed his sympathy for James," Zadroga said outside City Hall. "He said that James was a hero, a true hero."

Oh sure, it''s called DAMAGE CONTROL, and you don''t get to become mayor of a city of 9 million without learning a few tricks on public relations taught to even the lowly Pizza-Hut drivers; apologise, show concern- it''s part of a taught SCRIPT of bullchit designed to tell the complainer exactly what they want to HEAR and then meke them think and believe you are sincere even when you are laughing at them to yourself inside.

Zadroga was no hero for sifting through rubble for body parts- that''s a glorified janitor, his death WAS caused by the dust and chemicals 100%

[duggock]

I think anyone who is willing to take on a career which, by definition, is to save our sorry butts anytime we need it - without hesitation - could be considered a hero. The policeman, the fireman, the soldier...etc. When and how they die is of no consequence, how they chose to serve the public is what should define them.

[l8c6]

To say this man died of causes other than working at ground zero is like the right wing fascist insurance industry saying the houses in New Orleans were destroyed by flood therefore are disqualified from collecting on the basis of hurricane damage. The insurance industry is a money collection agency that aggressively works to deny service to maximize profits and pad the private bank accounts of the sociopaths found amongst their top administration. Via the right wing neo con republican party they have been for decades assaulting and dismantling the public sector attempting a corporate hostile takeover of the government of all the american people placing it in the hands of the wealthiest. The neo con republican party and wall street views the wealthiest as larger shareholders and owning more votes.

The deceased officer had anxiety and pain issues. Were these ailments caused from his experiences at ground zero and the work that he performed there? It would seem highly plausible that is the case.

The right wing fascist republican party deep down hates and despises the majority of americans. To deny this man and his family their earned dignity is classic of these arrogant pigs.

[memerider]

Bloomberg has consistently shown no respect for individuals or the U.S. Constitution in his words or actions, so his apology rings hollow. He strikes me as a power-addicted bully.

[kansas1946]

s1ckd09,
I apologize. I didn''t realize Bloomie had bailed out of the Republican party again. I think there are plenty of idiots in both parties. Independents, I am not sure. There are only a couple, Joe Lieberman and what is that other guy, Jeffries? If those are the only two, then the independents are really deep in idiots, in fact 100pct. Sigh, it is sad the state of politics, when you have the dregs rising to the top most of the time, instead of the cream.

[incog-nito]

Let''s get real. The mayor is (was) right. The detective was no more a hero than any other police officer is a hero. He simply did his job. People are throwing the word "hero" around too casually these days.

[cswadsworth1]

The man got sick after the ground zero work, pretty clear to me. That Mayor had no right to judge that man that way, and took entirely too long to try and repair the damage. He is a cheap idiot, and should be embarrased by his remarks.

[rplat]

Bloomberg knew exactly what he was saying and his change of mind is directly correlated to his spine, which is void of cartilage . . . a common affliction among wormy politicians.

[s1ckd09]

One thing about the Republican party, they are deep in idiots.
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Posted by kansas1946 at 08:50 PM : Nov 05, 2007

Yeah, funny thing about that... Bloomberg is a lifelong Democrat who ran for Mayor as a Republican in 2001 and 2005, then left the Republican party in 2007. So to say he''s a Republican isn''t true. So, are your comments still true for lifelong Democrats and Independents?

[Hybdiesel]

Well mayor thats what us rednecks call speaking before putting your brain in gear.