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Oily Water – with- in the 90- day window that the GCCF themselves estab- financial documentation. For those who lack legal represen- tation, the GCCF has created another tactic to make the victims go away – take a claim, dou- ble the requested amount and force the claimant to sign documentation stating it's the final offer and no further damage claims may be filed. The immediacy and the amount of payment might sound good to the victim in the short-term, but many quickly realize the settlement was inad- equate and believe they have no further legal recourse, which Patel says is false. Hank Harris, president and CEO of the National Black Tourism Association (NBTB) and the Gulf Coast African American Visitors Bureau says BP, while at fault for the oil spill isn't entirely to blame for settlement funds not reaching African- Americans. Harris points the finger at official oversight and administration of government agencies and those responsible for tourism promotion in Northwest Florida that received payments from the GCCF, but exclude funding African-Americans when it comes to sharing in the windfall. Harris says, "over the past 18 months, Northwest Florida tourism officials have enjoyed a windfall of funding derived from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill…with direct funding for tourism exceeding $20 million. Of that amount less than $200,000 has been directed towards expenditures involving African-American cultural heritage." According to Farrell and Patel, of those claims they've submitted on behalf of their clients, less than half have been addressed by the GCCF, and they rarely give a response 68 lished to process the claims. What is very clear says Patel, "is Mr. Feinberg and the GCCF have lost sight of the fact that these are not mere numbers and names on a paper. These are real businesses and real people who have suffered tremendous losses that are a direct result of the negli- gence of BP." Some hotel owners are unaware that the losses, damages and difficulties they suf- fered in the later part of 2010 may be largely attributable to the oil spill and not a decline in the economy, which of course BP will exploit where possible to deny a claim. Compounding the problem is the lack of banking support as most lenders refuse to work with distressed property owners. Patel says, "Far too many hoteliers are being forced into bankruptcy as they await decisions from the GCCF. Through no fault of their own, they are facing the loss of everything, which is an overwhelming prospect. Within AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association) there have been five sui- cides by owners who have lost their properties as a result of the oil spill." One of Patel's clients who wishes to remain anonymous owned several hotel properties, lost them all and now works three jobs and his wife, who never previously worked is now working two jobs. Sadly for the victims of the BP spill, the battle for equitable relief could last for years with some never receiving adequate compensation. Black Meetings & Tourism November/December 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Photo Credit: Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard