Declarations

Two in the Bush?

“It is incredibly unfair to put people in this position. It’s amazing, really, that it’s even come to this, almost a decade after 9/11.”

—Former New York Police Officer Glen Klein, one of more than 10,000 cops, firefighters and other workers with suits against the city for injuries sustained in the aftermath and cleanup of the Sept. 11 attacks. Many must decide between taking a portion of a recently approved $713 million settlement, or holding out for a potentially larger payout – as high as $8.2 billion – from the federal government that may never materialize. They can pick only one due to rules that prohibit injured parties from collecting twice for the same injury.

Driving the Facebook Generation

“There were no loopholes that trapped you. It was all, ‘Fill this out and click Next.'”

—Caty Rea, 18, one of the first Massachusetts residents to use a new online service to schedule her driver’s exam. The state’s Department of Motor Vehicles says the newly launched service is part of a push to streamline efficiency and appeal to younger, more Internet-savvy customers.

Market Flattens

“It’s apparent that the market conditions are holding down price increases, while insurers – as they have for more than a year – continue to exhibit pricing discipline, given their concerns regarding the direction the economy may take.”

—Bruce Fell of Towers Watson, commenting on a new survey from the firm which showed commercial insurance prices have remained flat during the first quarter of 2010, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of little or no price increases after nearly five years of steady decreases.