250 20 12614 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, February 18, 2002 1:09 PM New Vote.com votes as of 01:08 PM EST on February 18th, 2002 Dear September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Vote.com is the Internet's most popular voting site. Millions of people regularly express their opinions and - in just one click - automatically send their views to important decision makers like you. Here are the latest votes on the question, SHOULD FAMILIES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO DIED ON 9-11 GET MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL VICTIMS' FUND?: YES: 4 votes NO: 39 votes Group Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000529.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-02-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, March 12, 2002 2:27 PM Denial of 9/11 funds to domestic partners I am ashamed that my country would condone discrimination in the distribution of funds that have been donated by people all over the world for victims of September 11. I donated money to various victim funds with the intention that it would be distributed to all the families of anyone killed or injured by the horrendous terrorist attacks. I did not anticipate that my donations would be denied to domestic partners, whether same sex or opposite sex, of victims simply because they are not legally married. Many would be married if they could be. There are many reasons why two people in love do not marry but the lack of a legally married status does not render them any less in love, any less dependent upon each other, any less of a citizen, or any less deserving of my money. Most egregious are laws that forbid the marriage of same-sex couples. How can my country give these donated benefits to the families (mostly illegal alien themselves) of illegal aliens who have flouted the law to reap the advantages of living in this country and yet deny them to law-abiding citizens who have contributed to this country but who simply have not legalized their partnerships, especially those who are forbidden to legalize their partnerships? How can my country ignore the domestic partner of a gay man (and possibly of other men and women, straight or gay, we do not know about) who quite likely saved the lives of the very people who are now denying him this money that I and other far more fortunate people (more fortunate because we survived) donated to help all the families now bereft of their loved ones? I demand that the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund headed by Kenneth Feinberg return my donations if this heinous injustice is allowed to continue. The terrorists did not single out only certain people to be killed; they targeted everyone and anyone, gay and straight, legal citizens and illegal aliens, men and women, good people and bad, young and old. Mr. Feinberg, you are misappropriating my money. Your intended actions will misappropriate this money by perpetuating moral judgments against victims of events that defied morality. Individual Comment Dayton, Ohio September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-12 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000468.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-12 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 7:46 PM Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of victims equally in accordance with our law and constitution. Sincerely, Individual Comment Long Grove, IL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000520.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 13, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Topanga,CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004724.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, January 28, 2002 7:51 PM Victim's compensation I find it disgusting and outrageous that familes and victims of the 9/11 tragedies feel it is their duty and right to receive handouts from the government, charitable agencies and the Red Cross in excess of $1 million -- and complain that it is not enough no less. If my husband were to die today I would receive no help from the government nor would I expect to. At some point, people need to understand the fact that tragedies happen. Expecting the government to take care of them when they do is unrealistic. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000253.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, March 17, 2002 3:16 PM ridiculous slip on 9-11 policy To whom this may concern: As you can see from the below, this homophobic policy of the S11VCF is abhorrent to many, including myself. Consider this a public comment. Such a policy is inhumane and reactionary. End it at once. ===== 9/11 FUND UNFAIR TO GAYS Take Action Now!!! Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001461.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 2:42 PM September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000293.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 21, 2001 6:16 PM Comments on September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Safe Horizon's comments are attached. Please let me know if there are any problems with the transmission. Thank you. Attachment 1: November 21, 2001 Via electronic mail, facsimile and U.S. mail Kenneth L. Zwick Director, Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvlania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Re: Notice of Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking, September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: Safe Horizon submits these comments in response to the Department of Justices Notice of Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking, concerning implementation of the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001," (the "Fund"), Title IV of Public Law 107-22, 115 Stat. 230. As the countrys leading victim services organization, and as one of the principal institutions providing services and assistance to victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Safe Horizon urges the Department to adopt regulations that effectively and fairly serve the victims the Fund was created to assist. Safe Horizons mission is to provide support, prevent violence, and promote justice for victims of crime and abuse, their families, and communities. We assist over 250,000 clients each year through over 75 programs located throughout New York City. Founded in 1978 as Victim Services Inc., we give victims a stronger voice and a meaningful role in the criminal and civil justice systems and assist in addressing their immediate needs. We have pioneered victim assistance programs throughout New York City and beyond. Since September 11, we have drawn on our long history of working with victims of crime and abuse and have developed programs to assist victims of the attacks and their families. On September 14 we began to distribute immediate cash assistance through New York State Crime Victims Board programs. Soon thereafter, we began to distribute monies from the September 11th Fund established by the United Way/ New York Community Trust at operations we established at the Family Assistance Center at Pier 94, the Disaster Assistance Service Center at 141 Worth Street, and centers in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. To date, we have distributed over $20 million, through approximately 21,000 checks, to victims of the disaster, to assist with medical, housing and funeral expenses, as well as with compensation for lost wages and property. We provide non-financial services to victims as well. Through Crisis Support Group Interventions we have assisted businesses and organizations whose employees experienced trauma-related symptoms as a result of the attack. We established a 24-hour crisis support hotline, which provides specialized information and referrals to victims of the disaster. Our Counseling Center, a licensed mental health facility in downtown Brooklyn specializing in trauma counseling, offers weekly group crisis support sessions and group bereavement sessions that are free of charge and can be attended on a "drop-in" basis. In partnership with the United Way and Seedco, Safe Horizon developed a Resource Referral Guide, a comprehensive directory providing the most current and accurate information available citywide for victims of the disaster, which is available on the Internet, and is updated on an ongoing basis. In light of Safe Horizons longstanding experience in serving victims of crime, and our specific experience serving victims of the September 11 terrorist attack, we submit the following comments, focusing on issues that will enhance victims access to the Fund. In addition to these comments, we have also reviewed, and endorse, the comments submitted by the National Center for Victims of Crime, which we are not resubmitting here in order to avoid duplication. I. Claims form format and design, and filing procedures a. The application should assist victims in providing as much initial documentation as possible. The application should contain simple and concise instructions that inform clients about necessary documentation. Claims should be deemed filed upon submission of an application that reflects a good faith effort to include basic documentation. It is inevitable that in some circumstances victims may be required to supplement initial applications despite their best efforts to file a complete application. They should not be penalized as a result. The Special Master should implement procedures that ensure that the applicant is informed as quickly as possible about any additional documentation that is required, in order that the claim can be processed within the 120-day statutory period. Claimants should not be penalized for failing to submit subsequent documentation unless they have failed to respond to requests by a hearing officer for that information. In particular, applicants who file toward the end of the two-year limitations period should not be deemed ineligible because additional documentation is required. Additionally, a telephone number should be included in the instructions for applicants to call if they need off-site assistance in completing applications and do not have access to a victim advocate. b. The form should be available in multiple languages. In order to ensure that the forms are readable and readily available to victims, the forms, and any accompanying instructional handouts, should be available in multiple languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Haitian/ Creole, Russian, Bengali, Arabic, and others, as needed, to reflect the language facility of victims of the September 11 attacks. II. Procedures to assist an individual in filing and pursuing claims. a. The Fund should provide victim advocates to assist claimants. Through its extensive experience serving victims of crime negotiating criminal and civil proceedings, Safe Horizon has seen first hand the many ways that victim advocates enhance the process for system administration as well as for victims. Victim advocates can help claimants understand the benefits to which they are entitled, prepare claims forms, and submit an application that is as complete as possible. They can refer claimants to other social service resources. Advocates would provide invaluable assistance to applicants who do not read or write English. Perhaps most important, they offer emotional support to victims, who may find the process of submitting a claim difficult, if not traumatic. The Special Master should make victim advocates available to those seeking to file claims under the Fund, and should draw these advocates from the social service and advocacy organizations assisting victims of the September 11 attacks. Many of these organizations, including Safe Horizon, are beginning to offer case managers to assist families in evaluating and applying for the myriad of funds and services for which they may be eligible. It will be crucial that families consider filing an application with the Fund as they assess all available sources of assistance and redress. Case managers serve the critical function of helping to reduce the number of times a family would be required to repeat their story and disclose personal and sensitive information. They also help to ensure that families receive coordinated services. The Fund should incorporate these case managers into its administration as victim advocates, to help victims get the help they need as efficiently as possible. We also recommend that the Special Master require regular meetings between the victim advocates and hearing officers. These meetings would provide a forum for advocates and hearing officers to discuss and address recurring issues, promote understanding of the circumstances facing victims, and improve procedures for claim filing and adjudication. b. A mechanism for appeal must be made available to claimants. To guarantee claimants due process rights, the administrative scheme must provide a mechanism for review of hearing officers decisions. This could be accomplished by creating a panel of hearing officers to whom an individual hearing officers decision could be appealed before the final determination by the Special Master. It is critical that the panel be independent from the hearing officer making the determination. Similarly, a mechanism for ensuring consistency among the decisions of various hearing officers must be incorporated. The Special Master could appoint a reviewing body, comprised of independent and non-partisan hearing officers, to ensure that claims presenting similar circumstances are assessed consistently regardless of which hearing officer made the initial determination. III. Claimant eligibility a. The statutory terms should be interpreted to cover those who lived or worked in the area of the crashes, and those responders who suffered injury as a result of the crashes. In order to provide an incentive for victims to access the Fund rather than commence a private lawsuit, the statutory terms governing eligibility must be construed broadly enough to encompass all victims who would have standing to bring a private lawsuit. Accordingly, victims should be deemed "present at" one of the crash sites if they can establish that they were injured because they lived or worked at one of the buildings that was subject to the attack, or in one of the buildings that was destroyed or damaged as a result. Alternatively, they should be eligible if they can prove that they were injured while serving as one of the responders who came to the scene to provide assistance. The Fund should also be available to those who were injured because they were in the area of the crash on September 11. Applicants can establish this, for example, with a letter from an employer stating that they were at a conference or meeting at the World Trade Center or its immediate vicinity, through appointment book records, emergency room slips or ambulance slips attesting to injury and treatment as a result of the crash, or affidavits. The term "physical harm" should be construed to cover psychological as well as discernable physical harm. For example, someone who worked in the World Trade Center and escaped without physical injury may nevertheless have experienced psychological distress that may have rendered him or her unable to work for some period of time. Individuals who lived in the area may have been similarly affected. The fact that these victims were lucky enough to have escaped without observable physical harm should not render them ineligible to recover the non-economic damages made available under the Fund. b. The Special Master should ensure that all relatives and dependents, including same-sex partners and de facto parents and children, are eligible to recover from the Fund. In order to fulfill the statutory purpose of providing compensation to relatives of those who died as a result of the attacks, it is crucial that the Fund permit recovery for all those who had a family relationship of mutual dependence with the victim, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. This should include the life partners of lesbian and gay victims, and the de facto parents of children who died in the attacks. These individuals should be eligible to recover in proportion to their actual losses, and should not be penalized because they may lack a particular legal relationship to the deceased. c. Claimants should be eligible regardless of their immigration status As the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has recognized, families of the September 11 terrorist attacks whose immigrant or non-immigrant status was dependent on the victims status should not be penalized as a result of their status. The INS has stated that families in those circumstances should be treated with compassion and their cases treated with discretion. Similarly, immigrants should be eligible to recover from the Fund regardless of their immigration status in order that all those harmed as a result of the attack can recover for their losses. IV. Nature and Amount of compensation a. Economic losses should include compensation for all expenses reasonably necessary to allow victims to recover. Hearing officers should adopt a realistic and flexible approach to assessing the expenses that a victim, surviving family member or other dependent may need to recover their economic losses. Some expenses may not be immediately apparent but should nonetheless be considered. For example, survivors who were economically dependent on the decedent but who did not work outside the home before September 11 may now have to find employment outside of the home. Some may incur new childcare costs. These costs, at least for some period of time, should be recoverable in order to facilitate the survivors ability to become economically independent. The calculation of economic losses also should recognize a broad range of approaches to responding to physical and psychological injury. For example, some survivors may seek medical treatment from non-allopathic doctors. The costs of treatment from homeopaths, chiropractors and other health care providers should be recoverable as allowable out-of-pocket expenses. b. "Collateral sources" should not include charitable contributions. Private charitable contributions should not reduce the amount a victim can receive from the Fund. Private charitable contributions are made with the expectation that they will be independent of government compensation programs. They certainly are not made with the intention that they would substitute for any amounts an individual would recover through a private lawsuit against a purported tortfeasor, or from a government program. For these reasons, charitable contributions should not be considered to be a "collateral source" that would reduce any amounts recoverable under the Fund. V. The regulations should make clear that the statute does not preclude claims against perpetrators. In establishing the Fund, Congress intended to create an alternative to private lawsuits against entities whose negligence may be deemed to contribute to victims injuries as a result of the September 11 attack. This purpose -- substitution for a negligence lawsuit -- is wholly of a different nature than lawsuits against perpetrators of the attack. Holding perpetrators accountable, through both civil and criminal justice proceedings, serves an entirely different public purpose than addressing any resulting tort claims, and should be treated separately by the Fund. Safe Horizon would be pleased to respond to any additional questions the Department has in connection with establishing the Fund, or to provide more detail about the responses outlined above. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Respectfully submitted Comments by: Safe Horizon September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000564.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, February 04, 2002 8:58 PM Comments On Compenstion On 2/4/02 while listening to the new coverage regarding the town meeting held for the 9/11 victims compensation fund, I was appalled to hear that "Undocumented Aliens" may be privy to compensation. I strongly disagree with this. Would we as Americans be availed the same rights in another country, especially if we were there illegally. I know alot of work is being done to make this situation fair, but this has gone to far. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000392.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-02-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 27, 2001 3:53 PM Brief Comment on Victims Compensation Fund I lost my husband who worked in One WTC. I applaud Mr. Feinberg's efforts to get this program up and running prior to the statutory deadline of December 21, 2001. I feel that most provisions are fair, clear, and reasonable under the circumstances, and would like to participate in the program as soon as possible. However, I cannot submit my claim until one critical issue is resolved with absolute certainty. That is the issue of subrogation rights under the New York State Workers' Compensation Law, which is clearly outlined in the comment letter from the President of the Injured Workers' Bar Association dated November 27, 2001. In that letter, he suggested that one way a claimant can protect his/her rights to receive workers' compensation payments is to grant a lien to the insurance company in a settlement agreement. I personally would not be comfortable with such an uncertain arrangement. The only assuring way is to amend the interim regulation to clearly provide that a waiver of the right to sue in order to receive the federal payment is not the equivalent of settling a third party action under any state law. It should not require an action of Congress to do this. No matter how you choose to clarify this issue, I would appreciate it if you could begin discussions with the workers' insurance companies in order to resolve this apparent conflict in the right of subrogation as soon as possible. I do not believe that anyone in the right mind would participate in the program unless he/she is assured that the workers' compensation payments are going to continue subsequent to the participation. Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. My contact information, which I request to be treated confidentially along with my name, is Stamford, CT. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-27 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN001018.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-27 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. FOR JUST THEIR INSURANCE COVERAGE! -PARENTS, SIBLINGS, + DOMESTIC PARTNERS SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM IF IT CAN BE SHOWED THAT THERE IS A DEPENDENCY OF THE VICTIM. BUT EVEN MORE THEY ARE ENTITLED TO PAIN + SUFFERING COMPENSATION. - THE FORMULA FOR COMPENSATION SHOULD BE REVISED TO REFLECT TODAY'S ECONOMIC STANDARDS. YOU NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE PAIN + SUFFERING CAP TO SEE IF IT TRULY REFLECTS COMPENSATION THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED IN A LAWSUIT. SEVERAL ECONOMISTS SHOULD BE EMPOWERED TO REVIEW + REVISE THE ANTIQUATED FORMULA. Individual Comment Remsenberg, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002543.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-02-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, December 15, 2001 11:15 AM Fair compensation for Sept. 11th victims Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors and a nauseating miscarriage of justice to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. As a taxpayer, I do not want my money to go to people who are already wealthy. In my opinion, they do not need government-assistance, because I'm sure they are already well provided for by their own investments and insurance policies. While they have suffered an equal emotional tragedy, they have not suffered a financial tragedy as well that warrants government compensation. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same and not discriminate against lesbian and gay families. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Murphysboro, IL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002011.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, November 23, 2001 4:11 PM Victims Compensation Attachment 1: My name is . My son was a victim of the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th. was single and had no dependents. I think you will see many victims of this class as you review these cases. This class of victim should not be overlooked or penalized when it come to compensation. This group had their chance for having families ripped from them by this horrible act. How do you measure their worth or their suffering. How do you measure what they would have done to support their parents as the parents age? Who will perform that duty now? The fact that a group life policy was paid or that proceeds from a 401k are going to the decedents estate are meaningless. A 401k was meant for retirement benefits, a smart move even for a young person. At 30 years old, the proceeds from a 401k are miniscule. An employer provided group policy is also miniscule and should not be deducted from any compensation. None of us want this money, we would rather have our sons, daughters, husbands and wives back. The survivors have to live with this pain for the rest of our lives and still have to go on to raise our other children and care for our husbands and wives. Do not add to the burden of our grief. Thanks. Individual Comment West Caldwell, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-23 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000512.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-23 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 07, 2001 12:27 AM Help ALL Victims Of Sept. 11 Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment Scranton, PA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001252.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 18, 2002 2:11 PM Compensate all victims equally It has come to my attention that money to gays victims' families are being limited. I question the fairness of that decision, and feel strongly that gay partners and families should receive equal compensation. Thank you for your consideration, Individual Comment Sacramento, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001945.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, January 22, 2002 1:24 PM Comments to Interim Final Rules Attachment 1: January 21, 2002 BY FAX (301) 519-5956 and E-MAIL The Honorable Kenneth Feinberg Special Master Victims' Compensation Fund Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Re: Comments to Interim Final Rules Dear Messrs. Feinberg and Zwick: My firm represents several families who have lost loved ones in the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th. I am writing this letter in response to your request to comments to the Interim Final Rules for the administration of the Victims' Compensation Fund that were issued on December 20th. I believe that there are four distinct issues that warrant your attention and, ultimately, revision of the rules before they are finalized. The issues are the definition of a spouse, failure to provide benefits for companions in alternative family arrangements, the inclusion of certain pension benefits paid to peace officers in "collateral sources," and the treatment of workers' compensation. Definition of Spouse. The Interim Final Rules generally defines "spouse" as the person with whom a victim filed a joint tax return unless returns were filed on the basis of "married filing separately." While such a definition provides for a degree of certainty and prevents fraudulent claims by nonrelatives, it is ultimately flawed by its oversimplification. As I am sure that you have become aware, there have been a number of claims filed in state courts by cohabitants who have claimed that they are the spouse of the decedent under the common law of various jurisdictions, including the state of Pennsylvania, which neighbors New York. A limited number of jurisdictions recognize common law marriage - however, when a couple has become "married" under the laws of that jurisdiction, they are legally married for all purposes and in all jurisdictions. For example, while New York, the presumptive domicile of most of the victims of the attack on the World Trade Center, abolished common law marriage, New York courts recognize common law marriage entered into by New York residents in common law marriage states. See, e.g., Skinner v. Skinner, 4 Misc. 2d 1013, 150 N.Y.S. 2d 739 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Co. 1956); McCullon v. McCullon, 96 Misc.2d 962, 410 N.Y.S. 2d 226 (Sup. Ct. Erie Co. 1978). In an ideal world, common law spouses would always file their tax returns jointly or as married filing separately. However, the existence of a common law marriage is predicated on legal and factual tests that often the couples themselves do not fully understand, and that their tax preparers have no competence to determine. Thus, to be on "safe ground," many couples who view themselves as being married and are, in fact, common law spouses, do not file as married. Assuming that the surviving cohabitant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of a factfinder in the State court that is administering the decedent's estate that a common law marriage exists - which will almost assuredly be contested by the decedent's "blood" relatives if the decedent died intestate - the cohabitant should also be recognized as the spouse for all purposes by the Victims' Compensation Fund. Nonmarital partners. Aside from common law marriage situations, the Interim Final Rules do not adequately take into account the realities of family arrangements in the 21st century. A gay or lesbian survivor will be precluded from receiving any form of compensation from the Fund unless the decedent had the foresight to make testamentary provisions for his or her nonmarital partner - and, in any event, will not receive the same degree of compensation as a surviving heterosexual spouse. Unlike heterosexual couples, gay and lesbian couples cannot be legally married - and yet they conduct themselves as a family unit. They cohabitate, support each other, and make loving commitments to each other. Certainly, in the wake of the most unexpected and devastating assault ever on American soil, compassionate treatment in the form of compensation for surviving gay and lesbian nonmarital partners cannot be viewed as "supporting" a particular lifestyle. Instead, it should be viewed as basic human decency by even the most ardent political and religious conservatives. Similar problems exist for heterosexual couples who cohabitated but did not have a ceremonial marriage or become common law spouses. There are many reasons why a couple who are dedicated to each other might not formalize their relationship: different religions, the inability of one or both parties to marry in their house of worship due to divorce, or, simply, the desire to avoid unpleasant family disputes and expense that a marriage ceremony sometimes entails. Stated simply, conventional heterosexual marriage is not the only manner in which two consenting adults make emotional and financial commitments to each other. As a result, there are many persons, gay, lesbian and heterosexual, who suffered the devastating loss of their nonmarital partner in the September 11th attack, yet will be precluded from any recovery if the victim failed to make testamentary provision for his or her partner. Of course, it is understandable that Mr. Feinberg, as Special Master, would not want to be put in the position of having to make extensive factual determinations regarding a nonmarital relationship between the decedent and his or her companion. Marriage provides a bright-line test as to the emotional and financial commitment that the parties have made to each other. However, other objective criteria can be applied. Status as a nonmarital partner who should be entitled to recover from the Fund can be determined from registration as a committed nonmarital couple in New York City or other jurisdictions that provide for such registration. Similar indicia that can be considered includes whether the cohabitant is or had been provided health care coverage under the decedent's employee benefits package as a nonmarital partner, and whether the person has succession rights to a New York rent controlled or stabilized apartment as a person with whom the named tenant had an emotional and financial commitment. In other words, the Final Rules can provide for a nonmarital partner using one or more objective tests to determine whether a bona fide alternative family relationship exists. Such a solution will not be perfect, but it addresses the reasonable need to avoid having to make extensive factual determinations while providing some manner of redress for nonmarital partners who can objectively demonstrate their deep and committed relationship to someone who perished as a result of the September 11th attacks. A nonmarital partner who has lost a loved one on September 11th has suffered as much as a someone who has lost their "lawful spouse" - and sometimes even more as a result of their lack of recognition by the decedent's family. A nonmarital partner should not be further victimized solely because his or her relationship with the decedent did not conform to a traditional definition. Inclusion of Peace Officer Pension Benefits as Compensation from a Collateral Source. A spouse of a deceased peace officer (i.e., policemen and firemen) will be entitled to a pension based upon earnings in the most recent years preceding death. Generous pension benefits to surviving spouses are provided in recognition that peace officers are sorely underpaid for the risks that they take for the benefit of society. By including such pension benefits as collateral source obligations that reduce a recovery from the Fund, two important public policies will be thwarted: one, the need to provide some sort of reward to the families of brave men and women who died in the line of duty, and two, the need to provide incentives for the families of deceased victims to forego their rights to sue potential litigants such as the airline industry, the Port Authority of the City of New York, the owners of the World Trade Center, etc. I believe that you can plausibly exempt such special pension benefits from the definition of "collateral source" in the same manner that you exempted charitable gifts. However, if you otherwise feel constrained by the statutory definition of collateral source benefits, I would urge you to seek an amendment to the statute to remove benefits paid to deceased peace officers from the definition of collateral source benefits. Workers' Compensation. As a commentator noted in the Appendix to Preamble to the Interim Final Rules, workers who were killed at their place of employment in the World Trade Center attack are entitled to Workers' Compensation Benefits. Workers' Compensation benefits are a no-fault method of compensating persons injured or killed in their place of employment, and are generally provided for by insurance. Technically, in order to pursue Workers' Compensation, a claim must be filed against an employer and, if there is an insurance carrier, that carrier. The Final Rules should clarify that making a Workers' Compensation claim does not preclude a victim or his or her family from obtaining an award from the Victims' Compensation Fund. A Workers' Compensation claim is not the type of cause of action that Congress intended to have a potential Fund beneficiary forego - rather, the purpose of the Fund is to provide a certain award in exchange for foregoing litigation with complex factual or legal issues that could take years to resolve and could result in financial catastrophe to potential defendants such as the airline industry. Moreover, the level of recovery from Workers' Compensation is relatively small - generally $400 per week for a surviving spouse and dependent children, and if there is no spouse or dependent, $50,000 payable to surviving parents -- and cannot be considered to be the equivalent of a claim that Congress meant to avoid with the creation of the Fund. Similarly, as a Workers' Compensation claim is sui generis, the proceeds therefrom should be explicitly excluded from the definition of collateral source benefits. Conclusion. You have an unenviable task. To paraphrase an old television show, there are a million stories in the big city. As a result of your position, you have to deal, in a fair and equitable manner, with thousands of tragic stories from the September 11th attack and with complexities that no one has ever had to address before. I salute your efforts to provide for the victims of the September 11th attack and their families in a prompt, humane and expeditious manner consistent with your statutory mandate. I thank you in advance for your consideration of the comments to the Interim Final Rules, and for your efforts in this most difficult task. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002271.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 18, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Jamestown, CO September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA005403.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 3:54 PM Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Individual Comment Phoenix, AZ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000330.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, March 19, 2002 10:18 AM dicrimination Plz. tell those young people who are growing up gay that they will not be further descriminated against, even by thier own government. Be a role model. Bestow upon those who deserve restitution, their due. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002071.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 18, 2002 1:30 PM Victims funds With all due respect, I am absolutely disgusted that the partners of gay victims of the tragic events of Sept 11th will not be recieveing equal bennefits as will the partners of heterosexual victims of the terroist attacks. My stomach is turning just thinking about the bigotry at work here. Please reconsider this awful decision and show this great nation you will not bow to hatred and discrimintation. We have given close to a thousand dollars to be given to the victims loved ones. If I had known it would be part of a discrimanatory policy, I would'nt have given a penny, but instead would have sent it along to those victims loved ones directly. I am ashamed to have been part of such a hateful, ugly policy, and quite frankly, I am a bit ashamed to be an American today. Individual Comment Sacramento Ca. September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001934.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-18