BP Fund Administrator Pledges Improved Claims Process
Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, regaled and reassured lawmakers Wednesday that he is committed to ensuring that small business owners are fairly compensated for the economic losses they’re experiencing as a result of the April BP oil spill. (How to file a claim.)
At a House Committee on Small Business hearing Wednesday on what BP’s $20 billion fund means for small business, Feingold did concede, however, that the process for reimbursing small businesses is still evolving, that it is “not sufficiently efficient,†or transparent, and that he will have to work hard to improve it.
He also said that the facility would begin offering six months of compensation because of complaints from lawmakers that the process was too slow.
While Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-New York), a Congressional Black Caucus member who sits on the panel, fears that smaller black businesses owners in the Gulf won’t seek compensation because the process may be too daunting, she is heartened that “Feinberg said he has a special eye to those particular businesses and that the facility will even staff up to get the word out that people should file claims.†She added: “He’s got the right attitude and the right commitment and we’re going to hold him to it.â€
All claimants are urged to file for compensation, he added, but “You have to corroborate your claim. You can’t come in and say, ‘I’m out of work, I’m losing $5,000 a month, pay me,’ †Feinberg said.
Claimants are urged to act swiftly because “There’s not enough money in the world to pay damages for every business where and when,†Feinberg told lawmakers, although BP has pledged to come up with more money if the $20 billion already pledged is not enough.
Highlights of the hearing can be viewed here.
High Court Ruling Weakens Gun Control Laws
The U.S. Supreme Court’s gun control ruling this week that cities and states must respect the right of individuals to own hand guns for self-defense was a big blow to some black lawmakers.
In McDonald vs. Chicago, in which three plaintiffs wanted to keep handguns in their homes for protection but were prohibited by Chicago ordinances from doing so, the court decided in their favor by a vote of five to four.
Rep. Robert Scott (D-Virginia) argued the Monday ruling was political and was made in deference to the National Rifle Association and that it strikes down decades of precedents. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Illinois) said he is heartbroken, and rightly so. Chicago recently experienced a shockingly violent weekend that resulted in 54 shootings and 11 deaths. The weekend before the ruling, 26 people were shot, and three died. According to a report released by the Violence Policy Center using data from 2007, blacks represented 13% percent of the U.S. population but 49% of all homicide victims.
“We are trying desperately to control the number of guns that are available in Chicago,†Davis said. “Obviously the Supreme Court’s decision makes it more difficult to do that.â€
Rep. Artur Davis (D-Alabama), in a contrarian opinion, said the court made the right ruling, despite the disproportionate impact of gun violence on black communities.
“The constitutional right to bear arms exists whether they are popular in certain communities or not. Those who are concerned about gun violence, which should be all of us, should take heart from the ruling that reasonable gun regulation can be enforced,†he said.