As an outsider, I saw - as Julia alludes - the 9/11 memorial fund as an effort by the government to control rather than compensate. I think of all those individuals who rushed towards ground zero to help, not in uniform, just in the neighborhood, who have since come down with serious illness as a result. If I remember correctly, access to the fund was routinely denied to these individuals and to others whose conditions appeared late or in unexpected ways.

Seems like the real issue is that we need (1) healthcare for everyone regardless of how they were injured and (2) one set of rules for wrongful death compensation.

Government bailouts of industries have always struck me as odd. If you mess up bad enough, the government funds you until you can tread water again. Seems to reward stupid decisions instead of swimming lessons.

-- AdamCarlis - 20 Apr 2008