32 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. Sunday, December 30, 2001 9:32 AM support equal access to crisis relief benefits for surviving gay and lesbian partners December 30, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Grinnell, IA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-30 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 dojN001222.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. 2001-12-30 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 La Crosse, WI 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 dojA005107.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. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 3:34 PM Helping ALL the victims 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 Lake Worth, FL 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 dojA000324.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 17, 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 Los Angeles, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-17 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 dojA005381.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. 2001-12-17 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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 1:21 PM compensation for gay partners I cannot believe that your fund will not help the gay partners of those lost on Sept. 11th. How completely UN-American. In their deepest hour of need, you are telling these people that their commitments to their partners DON'T MATTER. This is the very last time in our history that I would expect such discrimination. Now is a time we should be coming together as a country, not being bigoted. Your organization should be ashamed. Individual Comment Arlington, MA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-16 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 dojR000904.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. 2002-03-16 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, December 19, 2001 4:50 PM Equal Rights December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Wimberley, TX September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-19 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 dojA003560.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. 2001-12-19 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 11, 2002 Excluding Gay and Lesbian Victims? Dear President Bush, I just heard that Feinberg and Ashcroft had decided to exclude Gays and Lesbians from receiving financial assistance related to the Sept 11 attack. I am apalled. What happened to all the talk about tolerance and equality and non-discrimmination and non-prejudice? We are being told, almost daily - by our governmental leaders, not to prejudge our fellow American Citizens based on their appearance (Muslems, Sikhs, etc.), but then the same government turns around and blatantly, publicly discounts the pain and the needs of the Americans hurt or effected by the attack simply because of their sexual orientation. This kind of hypocrisy should be treated like any other kind of hate crime. Ashcroft and Feinberg should be subject to criminal charges and imprisonment - not only are they discriminating against fellow American citizens, they are setting a dangerous and sick precendent for the rest of the country's leaders and citizens. Sincerely, Individual Comment Stockton, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-11 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 dojR000100.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. 2002-03-11 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 21, 2001 2:07 AM Help every human in need December 21, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Ankeny, IA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-21 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 dojN000201.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. 2001-12-21 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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 6:24 PM please don't discriminate agains gays! Can I at least get a response to this email? Heck I am paying $12,000 in income taxes so I would think I would at least get at reply. In recent interviews, the head of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund (a fund created by Congress to help the families of those who died on September 11) has made clear that the partners of gay and lesbian heroes of September 11 will not necessarily receive the same benefits as the spouses of heterosexual victims of the horrible terror attacks. EVEN FETUSES AND ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE COVERED!!! Even fetuses and illegal aliens will be receiving benefits under this problem - heck, they've even promised to overlook federal law and NOT arrest and kick out the families of illegal aliens, nor will they punish American companies that hired illegals in violation of federal labor laws. But when it comes to gay and lesbian heroes of the day - &nbsp who helped bring down the flight in Pennsylvania, NY Fire Dept. &nbsp who died in the line of duty when the first tower fell, and &nbsp who was &nbsp of the plane that crashed into the Pentagon (there are many more) - we are told the law is the law and no exceptions can be made - this is untrue - you are doing so for illegal alians. Please change your policy immediately. I am sick and tired of paying taxes to a government that does not represent me!. Individual Comment Berkeley, California September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-16 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 dojR001168.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. 2002-03-16 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 17, 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 Charlotte, NC September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-17 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 dojA005120.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. 2001-12-17 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. January 18, 2002 Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs, Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20530 Fax 301 519 5956 and Kenneth R. Feinberg Special Master WTC Compensation Fund The Feinberg Group 780 Third Avenue, Suite 2202 New York, N.Y. 10017-7076 Fax 212 527 9611 Re: COMMENTS, from Kreindler & Kreindler, on the "Interim Final" VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND Regulations published in the Federal Register, 28 CFR Part 104, December 21, 2001. Dear Director Zwick and Special Master Feinberg: Our law firm, Kreindler & Kreindler, represents family members of over 100 decedents in the World Trade Center disaster. Our clients are family members of deceased occupants of the WTC towers, and the Pentagon, and passengers of the four aircraft involved in the hijackings and crashes. We write to you on their behalf. We support the concept of the Victims' Compensation Fund, and we would like it to succeed. We are gravely concerned, however, that the regulations, published as an "Interim Final Rule" to "carry out" the legislation which created the Victim Compensation Fund, are grossly unfair to the majority of family members and violate the terms of the enabling legislation. These comments are respectfully offered in the hope that they will lead to modifications of the announced regulations which will make the regulation fair to the families, will bring the regulations into conformity with the Congressional mandate, and will permit us to recommend to our clients, and others who ask, that they file their claims with the Fund, which we cannot do now in all but a few cases. GENERAL COMMENTS Congress enacted the "Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act" on September 22, 2001 to help the nation and the families of individuals killed and injured in the September 11, 2001 terrorist assaults cope with the economic and emotional consequences of the disaster. Section 408 (a) of the statute limited the liability of the air carriers involved. Title IV of that statute created the "September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001" and also created a Federal Cause of Action for damages arising out of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001." The stated purpose of the Fund legislation was "to provide compensation to any individual (or relatives of a deceased individual) who was physically injured or killed as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11th, 2001." A supplementary statute called the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (the "Security Act'), dated November 19, 2001, amended the statute to permit suits against the terrorists, but also limited the liability of New York City, the owners and operators of the World Trade Center, the manufacturers of the aircraft and airport operators from whose airports the doomed flights originated. These legislative enactments drastically limited the rights of the families to full and fair compensation through the civil litigation process after the disaster. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the Department of Justice, which was charged by Congress with implementing the Fund's purposes and promulgating regulations, to do so in a way that would insure full and fair compensation for every victim and victim's family and relatives. The "interim final" regulations published on December 21, 2001 do not accomplish that objective, and, in fact, make the recovery of fair compensation impossible for most claimants. Indeed the interim final regulations and accompanying tables of "presumed" losses are so harsh as to be confiscatory, and they have been received by the families as such. There is nothing in either the original or the supplementary statute to suggest that Congress intended such a result. Congress promised fair compensation, but the Regulations deny it. When the department of Justice, in consultation with Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg, issued the "interim final" regulations on December 21, 2001 it described them as "procedural" to allow the Special Master to commence operation of the program....[and] to allow the Special Master to begin distributing finds...." [28 CFR Part 104, Summary] The general reaction had been disappointment and sharp criticism. Although described as "procedural" the rules are much more; they are mainly substantive rules which are contrary to the letter and spirit of the enabling legislation and make it impossible to fulfill the statutes' purpose. These "interim final" rules and regulations must be modified to cure serious deficiencies and to avoid legal challenges in the courts. OBJECTIONS TO THE INTERIM FINAL REGULATIONS AND THE SUPPORTING TABLES 1. The Regulations and supporting tables violate the Congressional mandate. If the December 21, 2001 "interim final" regulations and the tables of presumed losses are not modified and are applied as the Special Master had proposed, a majority of the people entitled to receive Fund awards will be deprived of "fair, predictable, and consistent" compensation in violation of the Congressional mandate that the awards shall be " to the extent recovery for such loss is allowed under applicable State law" [Sec 402(5)]. Reiterating the intent of Congress, the Special Master stated that the "regulations have two objectives: (1) To provide fair, predictable, and consistent compensation to the victims of September 11 and their families...; (2) to do so in an expedited, efficient manner without unnecessary bureaucracy and needless demands on the victims...." 28 CFR Part 104 Statement by the Special Master. While we applaud this statement of purpose by the Special Master the regulations as promulgated and the accompanying tables will not produce the desired result. Because the regulations violate the clear letter and intent of the statute which created the Fund they violate the fundamental principle of law articulated by the United States Supreme Court that regulations enacted by an agency of government must conform to the legislation they are supposed to implement. The adverse consequences of the failure of the Victim Compensation Fund regulations to conform to this legal standard are compounded by the effect of published comments by the Special Master about claimant eligibility, his 'interpretations" of the statute as to how economic, non-economic loss and collateral sources will be calculated or valued, and by the "Presumed economic and Non-Economic Loss Tables" which are supposed to illustrate " average and typical awards." To put it squarely, unless there are changes in the regulations and the way the Special Master has indicated they will be applied there are effectively arbitrary limitations on recoveries of both economic and non- economic losses in violation of the Fund statute. They may not be called "caps" but they are effective caps. The only "cap" mentioned directly or indirectly in the Statute is the Limitation on airline liability (Sec. 408(a)). 2. The published "interim final" regulations and procedures improperly limit awards for provable economic and non-economic losses and thus violate the clear and unambiguous terms of the Fund statute. Sec. 402 (5) is the only place in the statute where the intended level of recovery is set forth by Congress, and it cannot be interpreted out of existence by the Special Master. Clearly, the basic structure of the Fund compensation system is that in death cases each award shall fairly reflect the economic losses [Sec. 402(5)] plus non-economic losses [Sec. 402(7)] sustained by eligible beneficiaries reduced by certain collateral sources [Sec. 402(4)]. [See Sec. 405(b)(1)(B)]. Congress instructed the Attorney General and Special Master that "economic loss" shall be awarded "to the extent recovery for such loss is allowed under applicable State law." Sec. 408(b)(2), which is contained in the same title of the Act ad Sec. 402(5), also reinforced the legislative intent of making State law, including the application of state law, controlling, except when specifically preempted, when it provided that the "substantive law for decision" in litigation arising from the September 11 tragedies should be State law. Notwithstanding the unambiguous language of the statute, the Department of Justice promulgated Regulation Sec. 104.42 to set forth its own "interpretation" of what the statutory mandate of Sec. 402 (5) means [402.5 says that economic loss shall be losses "to the extent recovery is allowed under applicable State law."] The tortured text of Sec.104.42 is a clear violation of Sec. 402 (5), and a clear violation of the structure of Title IV, which contains both Sec. 402 (5) and Sec. 408 (b)(2).Sec. 402 (5) deals with the level of damages and Sec. 408 (b)(2) deals with the heads of damages. If that regulation 104.42, is allowed to stand it would leave the statute, and claimants, with no legislative guidance whatsoever as to what the level of recoveries should be, and would authorize the Special Master to do whatever he wants to do without statutory guidance! Clearly this was not Congress' intent. Regulation 104.42 should be immediately revoked. Congress did not enact ambiguous damage standards, and it certainly didn't intend to permit the Special Master to eliminate objective state law economic loss standards completely. The statue is not ambiguous. It is the charge of the Special Master to apply the terms of the statute, not to change them. Neither the Justice Department nor the Special Master has any authority to alter the legislation by adding their own "interpretation" especially if the result is de facto arbitrary limits on recoveries. 3. Serious deviations from the statutory mandate appear in Subpart D of the regulations which specify a "needs" test for the "Amount of Compensation for Eligible Claimants" and describe the methodology the Special Master intends to employ in making the loss calculations. "Need" is different from "compensation." Contrary to the Sec. 402(5) which makes State law the foundation for "economic loss" determinations, Sec. 104.41 and related public comments by the Special Master establishes a "needs" test as one of the criteria for the fixing the amount of an award. Sec. 104.41 says that the 'The individual circumstances of the claimant may include the financial needs or financial resources of the claimant or the victim's dependents and beneficiaries." Imposing a "needs" test as a standard for measuring the amount of the award to which claimants and beneficiaries are entitled perverts the clear language of the Fund statute. Nowhere in the Fund statute is there any authority for a "needs" test. "Compensation," which is the word used by the statute, means compensation for a loss or losses sustained. It is a fundamentally different concept than "need." Interjection of a "needs" test has made the loss determinations "subjective" rather than "objective." The legislation did not empower the Special Master to make awards based upon his view of what claimants might "need." No jury in America is instructed to consider the "needs" of a family when charged to make a determination of what a wrongful death award should be. Jurors are, in fact, directed to disregard need or the wealth of a decedent when making compensatory damages awards for wrongful death. State law provides "objective" loss criteria for determining economic loss as well as the methodology to be employed. Again, the regulations, as proposed, improperly deviate from State law, including, specifically, New York law, in direct contravention of the statute. 4. Elimination of earnings figures in the 99th and 100th percentile is discriminatory and unjust. Many of the victims of this disaster were in these categories and they have effectively been disenfranchised by this discrimination. All the 'data" that in necessary for inclusion of these figures is available. In the regulations which have been promulgated by the Justice Department and/or the Special Master and the tables of presumed economic losses they have limited consideration of earnings to earnings up to and through the 98th percentile of earnings in the United States. Earnings in the national 99th and 100th percentile, where many of the victims actually were, were not even set forth in the tables! One the charts circulated for study by the victims' families earnings figures stop at $225,000. References are made only to figures up to $231,000. We are not aware of the methodology or intricacies that gave rise to the determination of presumed economic loss in the Special Master's tables, but we know that they do not give honest and accurate figures on economic loss to those decedents with very high earnings. Judging from the numbers provided by the Special Master it could be that calculations for a decedent in his early thirties, with proven annual income of over one million dollars simply eliminated from consideration all his earnings over $231,000 to come in with such low losses. In other words the presumed loss figures for a 32 year old decedent with annual income of more than One Million dollars, of whom there were quite a few in the World Trade Center, comes out the same as a 32 year old decedent with annual income of $231,000. That is probably why the special Master is talking about presumed loss figures of three to four million dollars instead of twenty million dollars. Obviously this is unfair and unjust, and whatever the mechanics were for grinding down these numbers, they ought to be changed. Indeed the methodology suggests a violation of due process of law. The Fund is supposed to be a compensation fund. Compensation means compensation for losses. How can compensation be properly fixed by the Special Master when he does not fully credit the actual lost earnings of the very people he is evaluating? Is it right that the compensation of these people should be determined by the earnings experience of other, lower earning, groups, with lesser potential for earnings growth? No reason had been given for the arbitrary elimination of all earnings figures above the 98th percentile. It seems to have come out of left field with no rationale suggested. The Special Master or the Justice Department seems to feel that differences between awards should be less than differences between real life earnings. That may be their subjective opinion, but there is nothing in the Statute to support it. The Special Master has suggested that there is insufficient data on earnings beyond the 98 percentile. But what data is necessary for these purposes beyond gross earnings figures, taxes, and a determination of present value? The elimination of these figures appears to be a major reason that the "presumed awards" for victims in this category are so low; and much less than 50% of awards in recent civil cases, in most cases. The tables and calculations should be revised to include figures from the 99th and 100th percentile, and they should be taken into consideration. 5. Flaws in assumptions and calculations have skewed the presumed economic loss figures. Figures with closer relevance should have been used. The methodology for calculating "Loss of earnings and other benefits related to employment" described in Sec.104.43(a) has serious flaws, and is skewed against the best interest of the claimants. Discounted "average" income, and unrealistic assumptions and generalizations lie at the core of the "presumed" loss tables and will frustrate fair awards. For example, A. For the purpose of making loss projections the Special Master will consider the victim's average income for the years 1998-2000 rather than the victim's 2001 earnings and the rate of income growth through September 11, 2001. In most cases, averaging lowers the income base from which projections are made. State law makes earnings at the time of death the touchstone for future loss calculations. B. State law requires inclusion of fringe benefits when evaluating future losses, but there is no clear reference in the Regulations to how fringe benefits will be valued nor is it clear that all fringe benefits will be considered. Furthermore, the cost of fringe benefits often is the equivalent of the present value of a future benefit which might offset the deduction for a collateral source. C. According to the statements accompanying "Presumed" loss tables, the projected future income will be reduced by income taxes that would be payable by a decedent Sec. 104.43; Presumed Economic Loss tables, II A. Step 1. Income taxes are not deducted under the laws of many states. New York is one of them. Thus the consideration of taxes will violate State law for many claimants and thus violate the Fund statute. New Yorkers, who make up the majority of the claimants are denied compensation because of the improper methodology of the Regulations. Furthermore, the Regulations deduct taxes from the gross income based on today's tax rates. Tax rates change on a regular basis and courts and economists are reluctant to predict what tax rate would apply 10 or 20 years from now. NO one can dispute that tax on gross income is also reduced by deductions, exemptions, deferred income, losses and other non-taxable income. It is not clear if this is being taken into account when reducing the award for taxes. Furthermore, if New York law is the applicable law for economic loss, the regulations violate New York law because New York law prohibits deduction or consideration of income taxes. Coleman v. NYCTA, 37 NY2d 137, 371 NYS2d 663 (1975); NY Pattern Jury Instructions 2:280. D. The presumed "discount rate" to be used by the Special Master offers another example of factors that will result in inadequate awards. The Special Master has said the discount rate to be used is 5.1%. This rate of interest is not an after-tax rate and prevents the award recipient from ever reproducing the decedent's income stream. Interest rates now are below 2%. Expert testimony routinely establishes that a theoretical discount rate as high as 5.1% fails to take into account economic realities that confront victims of disaster. The interest rate also cannot be the same for people of all ages. Therefore, the methodology proposed to be employed to discount future income of a decedent will penalize many families. E. The presumed average worklife expectancies do not account for types of careers or personal choices. The national statistics, which may have been used as a reference are decades old. F. The wage increase assumptions in the tables of economic losses attached to the Regulations are based on national earnings of federal, civil and military employees. Had they been based on New York earnings in the private sector, which are available, they would have shown significantly higher losses. Most of the decedents worked or lived in New York. [This revised January 21, 2002] G. The "presumed" value of non-economic loss sustained by the family of a decedent is unconscionably low, and contrary to the statute. It is so low as to be insulting to families who lost loved ones. That could not possibly have been Congress's intent. Sec. 402(7) of the Fund statute defines "non-economic losses" expansively and thus expressly recognizes the magnitude of the suffering sustained by both the victim before death and of the victim's family on account of his or her death, including their grief. Sec. 104.44 of the "interim final" regulations limits recovery for those losses by assigning a "presumed" value of $250,000 plus $50,000 for a decedent's spouse and each dependent. Given the broad definition of non-economic loss, it was clearly Congress's intent to be properly responsive and not in insult the families who have suffered so grievously. The presumed awards for non-economic loss are a fraction of what juries award for those damages itemized in Sec. 402(7). This injustice must be remedied. A more appropriate amount of $1 million dollars for this category is not only fair and supported by law, but would encourage, many families to opt for the Fund rather than litigation. They would know this was the floor and they would get no less than this amount. 6. "Collateral sources" are ambiguously defined in Sec. 402(4) of the statute and the regulations do not cure the problem. We recognize that unless the Fund statute is amended (and we hope it will be) some collateral sources will have to be deducted from the award. However, neither the statute nor the regulations provide adequate guidance as to what constitutes a collateral source for offset-of-award purposes. The statute does not require that collateral sources be offset against the entire award. [Sec. 405 (b)(6)]. A collateral source that provides an economic benefit should only offset economic loss. The regulations should also be amended to provide that regardless of the label, payments which are in lieu of deferred compensation are not collateral sources. Any contribution by a victim or on behalf of a victim as part of his compensation package should not be deemed a collateral source when it is returned to the victim's family in the event of his death. Employee contributed pensions and social security are both largely deferred income for a wage earner deducted from the pay check, lowering his/her yearly income, but repaid in retirement. Neither should be considered collateral source income. The reduction from the wage earner's income, by pension contributions reduces the earnings at the starting point for the Regulations' matrix, resulting in a lower presumptive award. It is unclear if the regulations will adequately address the loss of pension benefits as a loss of income or reduce an award by declaring it a collateral source. Workers' Compensation is typically a monthly annuity that is generally terminated once any third party compensates the injured party for his/her loss. There is also usually a lien on any amounts recovered requiring the recipient to repay all or a portion of the workers' compensation received prior. Here, however, Sec.104.63 of the Regulations does not allow such a lien in specifying that awards from the Fund do not constitute a tort award or recovery from a third party. This does not, however, solve the problem that future workers' compensation will be terminated and thus cannot be a collateral source. There are triggering life events, such as re-marriage or children reaching majority, that can cause future workers' compensation to be terminated. The total amount of future compensation is difficult, if not impossible, to ascertain because it is subject to termination, reductions and reimbursement, and it should be considered a collateral source payment. The New York State legal authorities recommended that workers' compensation not be considered a collateral source. 7. The Fund objective of providing "fair, predictable, and consistent compensation " cannot be fulfilled unless these "interim final" regulations and tables are modified. Unless the arbitrariness in the approach to claim valuation is replaced by calculations based upon the evidence, awards cannot be "fair." Unless awards are based upon evidence the awards will not be predictable. The only claimants for whom awards will be "predictable" are those who elect to accept the inadequate "presumed" awards as published by the Special Master, unless they are changed. This is grossly unfair because the "filing" of a claim waives the right to bring a civil action. The Special Master has said that "It is our view that, absent extraordinary circumstances, awards in excess of $3 million, tax free, will rarely be appropriate in light of individual needs and resources." 28 CFR 104, Statement Fed. Reg December 21, 2001, p. 66274. The point is advanced again at p. 66278, "Therefore, a claimant should not assume that he or she will receive an award greater than the presumed award simply because the victim had income that exceeded the income for the 98th percentile." It is, therefore, obvious, that preemptive judgments have been made that must necessarily produce unfair awards because of the anti-claimant bias built into the award calculation process. In light of the Special Master's statements it is clear that claims filed on account of the deaths of the highest wage earners will be among the claims treated most unfairly by the Fund process. It is remarkable that even before evidence is submitted some claimants are informed by the Special Master in his published comments that the evidence is unlikely to affect the outcome. Thus, even before claims are filed we know that awards in a broad class of cases will violate the letter and spirit of the unambiguous Congressional intent. Congress did not authorize the Attorney General or the Special Master to penalize success. The Special Master has expressed concern about disparate awards and structured his approach to making award determinations with that in mind. Avoiding disparate awards as a criterion for fixing loss compensation appears nowhere in the statute. What fairness requires is that the principles by which awards are determined must be uniformly applied and not arbitrarily limited. The application of the regulations should not violate the Special Master's admonition that "[each] claimant should to the greatest extent possible, be treated fairly based one of the claimant's own individual circumstances and relative to other claimants." 28 CFR 104, Fed Reg. Vol.66, p66278. To use the language in the statute that in making an award "the individual circumstances of the claimant" may be considered [Sec. 405(b)(ii)] to limit recoveries turns the concept of "fairness" on its head. It is no consolation to anyone to pay lip service to a legitimate principle, but violate it in practice. 8. Sec.104.3(a) contravenes the Fund statute in the way it defines who may be a "beneficiary" eligible to receive a Fund award. By not defining non-economic loss in terms of "applicable State law" Congress was expressing its intention to allow recovery for such losses by a broader class of beneficiaries than State law might allow. For example, under New York's EPTL sec. 5-4- 4(a) wrongful death damages may be recovered by parents only if their child was unmarried or survived by a spouse and no-children. Therefore, restricting persons entitled to recover non-economic loss violates the Fund legislation. No one could reasonably challenge a definition of "beneficiary" which includes parents, regardless of the marital status of their children or composition of a victim's household, dependant relatives living in a victim's house hold or other dependant person's sharing a household with a victim. Thus there has been a failure in the Regulations to deal with the "domestic partner" issue. Same sex partners, a registered domestic partner, and fiances should be permitted to recover, and this should be spelled out in the Regulations. 9. A person who files an application for a Fund award, but is determined to be ineligible should not be deemed to have waived the rights to commence a civil action. Both the Fund statute [Sec. 405(c)(3)(B)] and regulations [104.61(a)] provide that by filing a claim for Fund compensation an individual waives the right to commence a civil action. But the statute does not require that if a claimant or beneficiary is determined to be ineligible for benefits that the right to commence is civil action has not be waived. This oversight should be remedied. Surely if Fund benefits are not available to a claimant because a lack of eligibility the right to commence a civil action should not have been forfeited. 10. Civil suits against the terrorists are permitted and should be discussed in the Regulations. The original statute was amended by Congress on November 19, 2001, to permit civil suits against terrorists, but no clear mention of that is made in the proposed regulations, resulting in statements that are now incorrect or at least misleading and should be corrected. See, for example, Page 3 and Page 27 both of which state that upon submission of a claim to the Fund the claimant waives the right to file a civil action for damages sustained " except that this limitation does not apply to civil actions to recover collateral source obligations." It is not completely clear what this means, but it is obvious that this does not inform a layman that even upon filing a claim with the Fund a suit against the terrorists may be maintained. It would be much better if the Regulations simply cited the amended language of Sec. 405(c)(3)(B)(i) of the Statute, that says: The preceding sentence [which provides that upon the submission of a claim to the Fund the claimant waives the right to file a civil action] does not apply to a civil action to recover collateral source obligations, or to a civil action against any person who is a knowing participant in any conspiracy to hijack any aircraft or commit any terrorist act. 11. Defining "physical harm" for the purpose of establishing eligibility for filing a claim to a "physical injury to the body that was treated within 24 hours of the injury" is absurd [104.2(c)(i)]. The heroism of people injured and the chaos of the event must be weighed in defining physical harm. The 24 hour rule is totally unrealistic. 12. When will these comments and objections, and others, be heard and considered? And when will there be a decision, or decisions on them? They have been filed within the allotted time, which is 30 days from the filing of the Regulations, which was December 21. It is particularly important to note that the statement in the Summary introducing the regulations [Federal Register, Vol.66, No. 246, December 21, 2001, p. 66274],"In order to allow the Special Master to begin distributing funds, the Department is issuing this rule as an "Interim Final Rule" that will have the force and effect of law immediately upon publication." does not excuse non-compliance with the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553 The APA requires an agency to publish a general notice of proposed rule making in order to give interested parties an opportunity to participate in the rule making before it becomes effective. Merely designating the Victim Compensation Fund regulations as "interim final" does not satisfy this statutory notice and comment obligation. See, Air Transport Association of Canada, v. Federal Aviation Administration 254 F.3d 271 (D.C. Cir.2001). Sec. 407 of the Fund statute obligates the Department of Justice to "promulgate" regulations within 90 days of the date of its enactment (September 22, 2001), but it does not authorize the Department to dispense the APA requirements. An APA violation here would be especially troublesome because of our charge that the most important provisions of the regulation as published contravene the enabling legislation. This rule has been declared "final" and effective even before these objections have been filed, let alone read and considered. We would appreciate some information on when they will be considered and resolved. CONCLUSION We have offered these comments mindful of the extraordinary responsibility placed upon the Department of Justice and Special Master by Congress. We hope that our views and observations will be received in the cooperative spirit with which they are offered and that they will contribute to the Fund's success. Respectfully yours, Comment By: Kreindler & Kreindler New York, N.Y. September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-18 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 dojN002559.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. 2002-01-18 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, November 06, 2001 1:00 PM victim compensation here are 2 scenarios: 1.- mr. jones dies in the attack. he was a stock broker and earned $10,000 a week. he lived in a 1 million dollar house on long island with his wife and 2 children. he owes $750,000 on his house and his wife doesn't work. do you tell them to use their savings and to sell their house and use the equity and charity to buy another house or rent an apartment or do you help them pay off their house and provide enough money for the kids to go to college. 2. mr. mercado worked in the kitchen of "Windows on the World" he earned $350/wk at that job and at his second job he earned $250/wk. his wife cleaned apartments to help make the ends meet and spent the rest of her time taking care of their 5 children. do you give them the same amount of money as the jones family, less money than the jones family or more money than the jones family? how can the charitable monies be distributed so that it is equitable for all involved but not unfair to large wage earners or small wage earners? i believe that the charity money as well as federal aid should be distributed based upon need rather than maintaining the lifestyle that the family was used to. but how do you distribute money to a family who lost someone who was not a wage earner but someone who was raising a family? how do you compensate a family who lost a child? how can you place a monetary value on that? i do not really have any suggestions. the reason i am writing is to say that it very difficult to figure this out, but there are people who need money right now just to survive and those people should be given priority over others. we must help those the most in need first....... don't wait for decisions. please help them now and deal with larger sums later. thank you Individual Comment Los Angeles September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-06 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 dojW000061.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. 2001-11-06 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 11, 2002 10:22 AM Victim Compensation Injustice What a horrible injustice is being laid upon the people of this country. Please, please do something to stop this. See the following: Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-11 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 dojR000085.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. 2002-03-11 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 1:44 PM http://uspolitics.about.com/library/weekly/aa031102a.htm To whom it may concern: I am absolutely infuriated and disgusted by the thought that some people think it's okay to discriminate against gay people who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks. This is not what our country is all about. Everyone who lost loved ones in the attacks deserves to be treated equally. If Mr. Ashcroft and Mr. Feinberg think it's okay to bend the rules for illegal aliens, they should do the same for all legal citizens, gay, straight, or otherwise. I'm disgusted that we should even have to think about this. Individual Comment Los Angeles, CA 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 dojR000462.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. Wednesday, December 26, 2001 9:57 PM equality for all in relief grants December 26, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Berkley, MI September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-26 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 dojN000977.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. 2001-12-26 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 2:29 AM I really need to understand the thinking here: Even fetuses and illegal aliens will be receiving benefits under the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund-- You've promised to overlook federal law and NOT arrest and kick out the families of illegal aliens, nor will they punish American companies that hired illegals in violation of federal labor laws. But when it comes to gay and lesbian heroes of the day - who helped bring down the flight in Pennsylvania, NY Fire Dept. who died in the line of duty when the first tower fell, and who was that crashed into the Pentagon (there are many more) - we are told the law is the law and no exceptions can be made. Do you believe in justice and consistancy? Why is it that the partners of gay and lesbian heroes of September 11 will not receive the same benefits as the spouses of heterosexual victims of the horrible terror attacks?! My church and community are outraged that gay and lesbian partners of those who died on September 11 are not automatically going to receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. If September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and unite us all. We were told that September 11 was the day that "hyphenated-Americans" were no more, and rather than being Italian-Americans, African-Americans or gay-Americans, we were now simply Americans, all of us together as one American family. Did that family just get a divorce and not tell anyone?! What in the world is going on here?! Individual Comment Into His Glory Christian Fellowship 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 dojR001325.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, March 19, 2002 11:30 AM We are terribly upset to find that our government is considering a policy which will not allot funds to partners of gay men and lesbian women as compensation for the loss of their loved ones in the tragedy of September 11. This would be rank discrimination against a group of American citizens, no different then if we were to do the same to Catholics or Protestants or Jews or African-Americans or any other group. We are all Americans, and the pain of losing a loved one is the same whoever we are; a compassionate government should not be an instrument of discrimination. Morality demands that all people, whoever they are should be treated equally. Anything less would only bring disgrace, a charge of hypocrisy and national shame upon us all. Sincerely, 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 dojR002169.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. Sunday, March 17, 2002 9:32 PM I am writing to express my outrage about the fact that lesbian and gay partners of those who died on September 11 are not automatically going to receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. Individual Comment Portland, Oregon 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 dojR001557.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. December 14, 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 Ashland, OR September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 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 dojA004844.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. 2001-12-14 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 21, 2002 7:21 PM Federal Comp. Program Special master Feinberg: We like many others who lost a love one, in this case our daughter &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp . A very vibrant, caring and loving young woman of 27 years of age. We are concerned about the fair and equitable disbursement of the funds you are overseeing. In point the reduction of monies received from outside sources especially insurance and pension funds. It would seem that these benefits are a result of people paying premiums and making payroll deductions as such they are a separate issue. Also I don't recall this formula being used to compensate the victim's families of Flight 800. Additionally I have to wonder why our loss of a daughter is different from others lost as a result of this disaster, meaning that we are not allowed to either apply for or find out what compensation would be given to us. In order to obtain some of this I am told that if we don't OPT in we can't be told. If we do OPT in than we cannot get out. How do we make an informed decision about what to do if you will not allow to get the necessary data? We respectfully request that you take time to hear our voice and the voice of others who have lost that which was the essence of of our lives. Someone who meant so much and can never be replaced. Thank you, Individual Comment Staten Island, New York September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-21 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 dojN002191.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. 2002-01-21