If I get a call from the police department saying they have a person who tried to overdose on pills at the local emergency room and they need me to come assess this person for safety, and I tell them I will be there in thirty minutes but don’t actually show up for six hours resulting in the police not being able to respond to a murder down the … Continue reading Just a quick question…
My apologies Mr. Feinberg. I have written a number of things up here, laying the blame for the slow payments of reparations firmly at your feet. I questioned your promises. I doubted your ability to do the job. I insinuated you were naive. Sorry. I felt that by promising people they would get their emergency payments in twenty-four hours and businesses inside a week you … Continue reading My bad, I thought the slow payments were Ken’s fault
When Kenneth Feinberg took over disbursement of the $20 billion dollar fund from BP one month ago, he made the rather startling claim that emergency payments would be underway to people within 24 hours and businesses within a week. One month later, over 40,000 claims remain to be processed. He has been forced to do town hall meetings, to add personnel, then to streamline the claims … Continue reading Feinberg Should Make Amends…
While many, myself included appreciate that the Macondo Well is “effectively dead,” considering the claims that no oil has been leaking from the site since mid-July it is a bit anti-climactic. Many bloggers, myself included have been far more focused on the cleanup activities or lack thereof, the oil still washing up on the beaches and permeating the Gulf, the dying sea life, the increasing … Continue reading The Problem with Sandcastles
Is Feinberg reconsidering the no-sue clause? Perhaps so, and maybe because of new information such as this: In the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, a new study reveals the longer term health effects for cleanup workers exposed to spilled oil when the tanker Prestige sank off the coast of Spain. What it shows is the risks to human health go far beyond the damage of … Continue reading The Prestige Study…Why Feinberg Should Drop the “No Sue” Clause for Final Payments
“Tomorrow morning, the Gulf Coast Claims Facility is up and running,” said Ken Feinberg, appointed by Barack Obama to administer the $20 billion dollar escrow fund, “BP is out of the claims-processing business beginning tomorrow.” In many respects this is good news. Kenneth Feinberg has promised to get reparations money into the hands of residents within 48 hours and to business owners within a week. … Continue reading Rolling Dice in the Gulf Coast – Here Comes Feinberg and His “Choice”
On Monday, British Petroleum finally ponied up $52 million dollars to assist providers throughout the Gulf Coast in delivering mental health services for residents in need. Two studies, one by the Ochsner Medical Group and the other by National Center for Disaster Preparedness have both found Gulf Coast residents to be highly susceptible to symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, PTSD and substance abuse, similar to … Continue reading British Petroleum’s $52 Million Dollar Mental Health Grant Leaves People Suffering
A new survey, conducted between July 19th and 25th by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia found what most have suspected, confirming the results of the Ochsner survey released last week… people in the Gulf Coast are feeling it. When your livelihoods, culture and earning potentials are taken away or reduced…when your overall quality of life is severely impacted to the point of survival…anxiety … Continue reading Mental Health on the Gulf Coast…the numbers keep coming…
From Kenneth Feinberg, soon to be arbitrator of the $20 billion dollar fund during a congressional hearing on July 21st – “If you start compensating purely mental anguish without a physical injury — anxiety, stress — we’ll be getting millions of claims from people watching television…you have to draw the line somewhere. I think it would be highly unlikely that we would compensate mental damage, … Continue reading Update: The State of Mental Health in the Gulf Coast…Here Come the Numbers!
Ken Feinberg said today he hasn’t been able to start writing claims checks because BP PLC has not yet deposited any money into the $20 billion escrow fund it promised to create. “I don’t want the check to bounce,” Feinberg said. BP spokesman Justin Saia said the company’s agreement with the White House is still being finalized. “Funds will be made available immediately upon the … Continue reading Feinberg: The Money isn’t in Escrow Account Yet, plus: How the Reparations Payment Will Work, Problems?
Drake Toulouse: Photography and Words 