650 20 70359 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, March 14, 2002 1:19 AM 9/11 compensation Dear fellow Americans, I grow so tired hearing America talk about freedom, justice and courage when there seems so very little of it. Gay and lesbian partners need to be compensated for their horrible life loss too. You can make it happen if you have the courage and a true sense of justice. Please don't hide behind the excuse of state laws. Don't be hippocrates about all the American sentiments for the past 6 months. I leave you with this copy of the letter I sent to the president. I hope you have the courage to do what is right and stop the hate and fear within this country. I know you can. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-14 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 dojR000715.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. 2002-03-14 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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 10:35 AM Basic 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 GRANTS PASS, OR 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 dojA002994.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. Thursday, February 14, 2002 1:10 PM New Vote.com votes as of 01:09 PM EST on February 14th, 2002 Dear September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Vote.com is the Internet's most popular voting site. Millions of people regularly express their opinions and - in just one click - automatically send their views to important decision makers like you. Here are the latest votes on the question, SHOULD FAMILIES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO DIED ON 9-11 GET MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL VICTIMS' FUND?: YES: 1 votes NO: 36 votes Group Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-02-14 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 dojP000511.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-02-14 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. 9 January 2002 To our Elected Officials: In the immediate aftermath of the tragic attack of September 11th upon our nation, Congress enacted the Victims' Compensation Fund of 2001 P.L. 107-42, to compensate the relatives of the victims of that brutal attack. As you know, this Fund was enacted as part of a comprehensive package which bailed out the airlines industry and imposed restrictions on the rights of the victims' relatives to sue the airlines in court. We implore upon you, as our elected officials, to demand changes to the interim rules issued by Kenneth Feinberg, the Special Master. As it stands, Mr. Feinberg's self-imposed rules fail to satisfy the letter or the spirit of the legislation which was enacted. Specifically, we request that you act on our behalf and demand the following changes to the interim rules: 1. The arbitrary income limits imposed by the Special Master are not only unfair but also inconsistent with the letter and the spirit of the law. Those victims from the financial industry are specifically harmed by this limit. They were targeted and murdered precisely because of the jobs they held, and where they worked-the World Trade Center, the Financial Capital of the world, the embodiment of financial success. Those who achieved such success should see that reflected in their awards. They personified American Business and commerce, democracy and freedom. We ask that you demand that Mr. Feinberg lift the arbitrary income limits so that each family can be treated fairly, commensurate with the support they provided their families before their death. 2. Mr. Feinberg has arbitrarily restricted the non-economic awards for pain and suffering, no matter what the extent of the pain and suffering. This is unacceptable. In the words of Rep. Peter King, "...every death is tragic, A murder is particularly tragic. But to have your loved one murdered in a burning building in full view of the world - in a scene which will be repeated in the media for decades to come-is a horror these families will never escape form... The Special Master cannot take it upon himself to restrict the rights of the families." Therefore, we request that the interim rules be amended to more appropriately compensate the victims' families for the immeasurable pain and suffering endured by our loved ones. As Mayor Giuliani stated in his farewell address: "we have an obligation to the people who did die... Their families need to be protected just as if they had been alive, financially and every other way that we can help and assist their families...There should be no compromise account that ever..."We request that the interim rules be amended and redefined to the extent that income caps be removed when computing economic loss and that compensation for pain and suffering more accurately reflect that horror which was suffered. Justice demands no less. Sincerely, Individual Comment Bronx, N.Y. September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-31 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 dojN002461.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. 2002-01-31 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, January 18, 2002 11:57 AM InterimFinalComments.doc Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. 757 Seventh Avenue New York, New York January 18, 2002 Kenneth L. Zwick Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20530 Via e-mail Dear Mr. Zwick: I am the General Counsel of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., also known as KBW. Our main offices were located on the 88th and 89th floors of Two World Trade Center in New York. KBW lost 67 employees in the terrorist attack. I am providing these comments on the Interim Final Regulations adopted to implement the September 11 Victims Compensation Fund. On January 15, 2002, I met with Special Master Kenneth Feinberg and many representatives of families of KBW employees who were lost in the attack. It was clear that Mr. Feinberg has heard and understands many of the concerns that families have in response to the Interim Final Regulations. While his statements gave us some comfort, families are currently left with regulations and comments in the adopting release which cause great concern. If Mr. Feinberg is to get the trust from victims and families that he seemed to feel was justified, the regulations will need several material changes to encourage such trust. As currently drafted, the regulations have created great anguish and spurred a divisive debate in the country by misdirecting attention from the true purpose of the statute-to provide a no-fault alternative for fair compensation for economic and non-economic losses in conformity with state law. Although there are numerous portions of the Interim Final Regulations that could be the subject of comment, I would like to confine our comments to three very critical areas: the inherent limitations and caps on awards built into the regulations; the negative impact of an expansive reach in determining collateral source reductions; and the use of artificially low guidelines for the determination of pain and suffering. Unfair Imposition of Caps and Limitations Within days after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the related crash in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act. As this name suggests, a key purpose of this legislation was to provide the United States airline industry financial grants and guaranteed loans, as financial protection against the negative impact of the hijackings and terrorist attacks. The legislation was heavily supported through aggressive lobbying efforts on behalf of the airline industry. One aspect of the unprecedented financial protection granted to this industry was to limit the potential impact of liability lawsuits against the airlines to the liability insurance they carried covering these incidents. This liability protection went hand in hand with another purpose of this legislation. This was the creation of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, an unlimited commitment of our government to use our Treasury to provide a no-fault alternative to litigation. The Fund would compensate the victims of these terrorist attacks and their families for their economic and non-economic losses. At the time the legislation was adopted and signed into law, estimates of potential victims reached as high as twelve to fifteen thousand. Fortunately, the ultimate number of victims and the related cost of the Compensation Fund is much lower than what had been expected. It is clear that Congress and the President, in providing a fair no-fault alternative to protracted negligence litigation, anticipated paying awards similar to those that would be recovered in court proceedings. While the statute contained a more expansive definition of collateral sources, the law generally relied on the same state laws that would be used to determine loss in conventional litigation. There was no limit or cap on the compensation for loss that may be awarded. There can be an endless debate about whether the enactment of this legislation was an appropriate allocation of public resources. After all, airlines have far greater resources than just the insurance available per plane. They have paid massive negligence awards in many cases in the past. Even if the financial impact of these attacks led to airline bankruptcy, we have seen numerous major airlines suffer this fate without a catastrophic effect on our economy. Nonetheless, there is no question that these actions of Congress and the President also reflected the very noble and true outrage of our Nation and a heartfelt desire to aid the victims of these attacks, as well as a desire to protect an industry. The drafters and signer of this legislation clearly understood that the targets of this attack by foreign hostile forces represented the essence of our system-the government and the financial industries of our country. In subsequent airport security legislation, Congress and the President similarly limited the risks of litigation for other potential defendants. No non-terrorist defendant would have liability in excess of applicable insurance. Because of the unprecedented reach of this legislation, the unknown losses that may be faced and the speed with which it was drafted and signed into law, the actual law left the establishment of rules for the operation of the Victims Fund to the Department of Justice. An independent Special Master was appointed, with broad powers to implement and oversee the system. A basic principal of regulation is that the regulations not contradict or override the purpose of the statute. Unfortunately, in the current case, the Interim Final Regulations have ignored the clear intention of the statute to use conventional methods in the calculation of losses in conformity with current state laws. Instead, the regulations have imposed inherent caps under Track A and a clear intention to abide with those caps under Track B, based solely on the assumed resources available to the claimants. Such a regulatory action is in clear contravention of the statute designed to compensate for losses in a manner consistent with that applied in litigation. The Interim Final Regulations undermine the intention of Congress and the President to provide a full and fair alternative to litigation for all victims. The Interim Final Regulations replace this clear statutory purpose with a concept more akin to that applied under I.R.S. regulations governing the dispensing of charity benefits-a "need" based standard, as opposed to a loss based standard. The DOJ in adopting the regulations made very strong statements that the size of awards would be limited for persons who earned above the 98th percentile of national income because they were likely to have the resources to protect themselves and didn't need to be fairly compensated for their loss. Unfortunately, in addition to ignoring the statute, the imposition of such a cap ignores both the financial realities of living in many communities in the New York City area and the fact the Trade Center Victims were chosen as targets precisely because of their financial success. It is easy to understand that using a 98th percentile national cap had a far greater limiting effect in the New York area for the many employees of companies in the Trade Center. For example, this would imply that only 2%, or approximately 60, of the victims made over this amount. Our company, as well as several others, provided compensation histories for many victims in the Trade Center prior to the adoption of the Interim Final Rules. A roster of the companies in the World Trade Center reads like a "Who's Who" of the New York based financial sector of our economy. It was therefore completely clear to the DOJ and Special Master that many times that number of persons made over the unrealistic limit used in the regulations. In addition to ignoring the statute's intention regarding the meaning of "loss", the purported justification of imposing such limits to not unnecessarily use public resources also ignores the fact that a significant portion of the governments cost may be paid by the private sector. Section 409 of the statute provides that the United States is subrogated to any claim paid under the statute. Since we can assume the government would seek to minimize public expenditures, it would seem likely that the government will negotiate with insurers for significant payments under these subrogation rights. Overly Expansive Application of Collateral Sources As written, the Interim Final Regulations adopted a very broad reach for the definition of collateral sources. For example, voluntary survivors benefits that are paid by employers would be included in collateral sources. This will obviously have the effect of discouraging employers from making such payments. For example, our commitment to pay for health insurance of families may similarly reduce their awards from the Fund. This will force us, and other companies, to reconsider such voluntary This is, simply, cruel and unnecessary. In addition, the regulations penalize those conservative and industrious persons who saved in pension funds and purchased insurance by deducting the full amounts of these benefits from the awards they could receive under the fund. The statute clearly would allow a narrower scope in defining collateral source in the regulations. For example, the definition of collateral source could have excluded vested pension or retirement benefits (which are essentially nothing more than a form of savings account which belong to an employee) or other amounts (such as deferred compensation rights or the cash value of a life insurance policy) which were, in effect, already owned by the employee, as distinguished from a death benefit properly deductible from the award (such as term life insurance or previously unvested interests in a retirement fund). As adopted, the regulations are capricious and can serve no public policy purpose. The victims who were spendthrifts who never saved are rewarded with fewer reductions from the awards, as compared to persons who made voluntary contributions to pension funds or purchased whole life insurance as a savings and investment vehicle. Unfair Pain and Suffering Assumptions The adopting release for the regulations provides that pain and suffering awards have been fixed consistent with standards applied to law enforcement and military personnel. While pain and suffering awards are always subjective, it is hard to understand how the suffering of a group of civilians, completely unprepared for the risk of violent deaths and injuries, could be equated with persons who have voluntarily chosen to put themselves at risk of such death and injury as part of their daily job. This type of an assumption is, again, completely inconsistent with the language of the statute regarding compensation for non-economic loss. It imposes an unrealistically low and inapplicable standard whose sole purpose is to limit the size of the award without providing adequate compensation by any reasonable standard for civilians. Conclusion The statutory limitations on litigation designed to protect certain industries left the Victims Compensation Fund as the only viable alternative to recover losses. The noble intentions of Congress and the President to provide a fair alternative were structured to provide restitution without limit. The Interim Final Regulations have been expressly designed to alter the intended effect of the statute. This has put the squeeze on many victims and families. The victims we knew in the Trade Center were among the most highly motivated people in our country. Their families shared their motivations and dreams. Most paid taxes at the highest rates and never asked for, wanted or anticipated being on the government dole. Quite a few comment letters sent to the DOJ prior to adopting the Interim Rules took the shocking position that these people were being unjustly enriched at the public expense. Unfortunately, this shocking position has found its way into the Interim Final Rules. The statute would have provided support to companies likely to be defendants in lawsuits and just compensation for victims. This reflected national interest in preserving the airline and other industries and national outrage on the attack on our American system. Our government, through the legislative process, made a policy decision that the costs were properly placed on our Nation's Treasury. What has happened through the Interim Final Regulations is a trade-off, not envisioned by Congress or the President, which has turned the legislation on its head-potential commercial defendants have been protected at a cost to individual victims. A strong argument can be made that such limitations on awards, which have never before been found in our American litigation system, only further victimized the victims. We urge the Special Master and DOJ to reverse this injustice and act consistent with the legislation and honor the memories of the many unfortunate victims. Very truly yours, Comment by: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. 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 dojN002513.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. Monday, November 26, 2001 8:33 PM Victim Compensation Fund Dear Attorney General Ashcroft: The deaths on September 11th were the result of an attack on America. Please do not discriminate against the unmarried partners of September 11th victims. All unmarried partners, gay or straight, young and old and their dependents should be eligible for compensation. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-26 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 dojW000699.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. 2001-11-26 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. Tuesday, November 06, 2001 1:28 PM Payments to Victims To Whom it May Concern: I've got a major problem with this. Though I sympathize and feel for those persons who lost family in the attacks of September 11, I do not believe that those acts of terror should make the families of the victims millionaires, and that seems to be exactly where all this funding is headed. The Red Cross has ceased accepting donations after having already accrued $500 million. The September 11th Fund is up to $320 million. The death toll for NY is not yet final, but, more and more, it seems that the figure will come in well below that originally thought. If one takes the current estimate of those dead at 4800 and rounds it up to 5000 and divides that into the $820 million noted above, then each family can potentially receive $164,000 right there. This does not even take into account all of the monies donated to other charities as well as those designated specifically for the firefighters and resuce workers. And, in fact, the average worker in the Word Trade towers, the Pentagon, and rescue field was NOT without life insurance and a pension. Consequently, it seems most of these families are going to do all right without the funding set aside by the government. However, the morass is there and can't be undone (unless congress votes to rescind the bill, which they should not have passed in such a knee-jerk fashion in the first place!). Therefore, I strongly recommend that any charitable monies received by the victims' families be deducted from any government payment. Sincerely, Individual Comment 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 dojW000101.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. Sunday, January 20, 2002 9:12 PM Compensating WTC families January 17, 2002 Mr. Kenneth Feinberg Special Master US Department of Justice Dear Mr. Feinberg: As most, hopefully all, Americans, I am deeply saddened by the tragedy of September 11, 2001. I share the pain of the victims families and those otherwise traumatized by that national misfortune. I humbly present my opinion on the method of providing compensation to the dependents of the victims. Unfortunately, we have a talent for making things more difficult and complicated than they really should be. A tragedy occurred and no one could have avoided it at that time. Neither the government nor the airlines. ALL THE VICTIMS DIED UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCE. Therefore all the victims families are in the same boat. We have expressed our sympathy and remember dearly those who have died. They will be in our memory forever. Therefore, it is not about the worth of the deads life. IT IS ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOSE THEY LEFT BEHIND, THE LIFE OF THE LIVING. Anyone of those who died in the tragedy could have died anyway the same day or the day after 9/ll under different circumstances, by natural cause and could have been covered by private personal insurance. By the same token, had 9/ll not occurred, anyone of those who died could have won the lotto jackpot on that day or the day after. And the life of the poorest would have then become more valuable than that of the richest of those who died!!! WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF OURSELVES, if thats how we evaluate the worth of a life. America, more specifically Dear New York, has a chance to show that it understands what is meant by the words equality of opportunity. The fairest way to compensate the families is to give them an equal amount of money based on the unit of dependents (per number of dependents) pure and simple. They are all in the same boat, their dead ones are as dear to them as those of anyone else, whether a fireman, a policeman or simply the pizza delivery person. Let us be supportive of one another. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-20 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 dojN002141.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. 2002-01-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, November 29, 2001 3:09 AM Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund Dear Mr. Zwick: I understand that the Department of Justice is inviting public input on the rules governing the administration of the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." As a gay American, I urge the Department of Justice to include among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners or de facto parents or children, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. It's very important that all victims be treated equally and none be given special preference due to sexual orientation as would be the case if only heterosexuals who could legally marry were eligible. Moreover, as a gay Christian, I urge the Department to remember Christ's Commandment during this time of national crisis. He told us we were to treat others as we would want to be treated. Denying equal benefits to gay and lesbian families would not be in accordance with that Commandment; therefore, it would be immoral. Immorality should not govern benefits to hurting families. Thank you. Sincerely, Individual Comment Clayton, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-29 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 dojA000174.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. 2001-11-29 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. November 21, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the procedural rulemaking of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Program. We are a large group of families who have lost our loved ones in the attack on the World Trade Centers. Enclosed in this fax transmission, please find a copy of the letter outlining our comments in reference to the administration of the Fund. While this Fund is promoted as having been established for our benefit, it was realistically developed to limit liability of the airlines and associated potential defendants of the September 11 tragedy, and to prevent their financial collapse. It was developed to offer us an incentive not to sue. We are sincerely hoping it will succeed in its objective. Attached also are some of the personal letters of those endorsing these comments and opinions. They are the letters of those of us who are most involved, who are suffering the greatest loss. They are a reminder to you that this tragedy affected real people, real spouses, real children, real parents. We believe that is imperative that is imperative that you do not lose sight of that fact as the difficult task of regulation development gets under way. A full package with all the signed letters will follow this fax transmission; however, we wanted to be sure we had an opportunity to be heard before the deadline for public comment passes. We would request a public hearing on the issues as well and would request that we be notified in advance of such. Thank you for this opportunity and for your time in reading and considering our concerns. SINCERELY, Individual Comment North Caldwell, NJ -------------------------- ATTACHMENT 1 November 21, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: Five thousand people were murdered on September 11, 2001. They left that morning to work at the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon and were at their desks by 8:30AM. Some said "I love you" as they left, some said "see you later", and some said "don't forget to put air in your tires." None came home that night. None will come home anymore for the rest of forever. In response to the Justice Department's request for public comment on the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund" established by the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act, we respectfully submit the following. However, before we begin our substantive comments, please allow us to make you aware of one fact. Be very clear in knowing that there is nothing you could possibly do on this earth that could compensate us for the loss of loved ones. You could offer us one billion dollars each, lump sum, and we would trade it along with all our worldly possessions to have them back, to have them home. The Victim Compensation Fund is purposed to be an attempt to "make whole" the families of the victims lost in the attacks. Unless you have supreme power which will result in the return of our loved ones, "making whole" is impossible. Alternatively, we are hoping this legislation results in a fund which truly is an incentive for families not to pursue litigation. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to comment. RIGHT TO A HEARING The legislation as written does not make clear whether or not we will have right to be heard before a hearing officer or Special Master. Only we can present the specifics of our personal situation and loss therefore rightfully deserve the opportunity to do so. This would include the right to be represented by counsel, to present evidence, to offer personal and expert testimony, and to present our expectations of relief. This would require each case to be heard and considered individually. While this may be time consuming, it is the only way to insure that each family suffering this loss is fairly represented and thus fairly compensated. ECONOMIC LOSS We strongly oppose any cap to the amount recoverable through the Fund for economic losses suffered as a result of the death of our loved ones. Husbands and fathers worked long hours, sacrificing the precious time they had left with their families and children, to earn the salaries and bonuses accrued every year. This income is forever gone; to reduce it in any manner is contrary to the statutory attempts to "make whole" the family suffering as a result of this disaster. The computation of the amount of lost wages should be similar to that used in personal injury actions. Retirement age should be set at 68 and the decedent's age subtracted from there. Gross income should together over the past three years. The resulting income and years to retirement should be multiplied together for a startling point for computation. Factors such as inflation, wage increases, merit advances and any other benefits that would have earned had the victim's lived should be considered and added to the base amount. NON-ECONOMIC LOSSES We, again, strongly oppose any cap to the amount recoverable through the fund for non-economic losses suffered as a result of the most public, painful and horrific deaths of our loved ones. Each case must be evaluated individually and must take into account specifics such as the number of the decedent's children and their age, the severity of the pain and suffering of both the victim and his family members, and the severity of the loss and the pain to be suffered as a result of reliving this tragedy as a moment in history for the rest of our lives, for the rest of their children's lives. It is worthwhile to note that the families with substantial pensions, with a lost spouse nearing retirement age, or with income received as a result of the death of the victim would be unable to benefit from this Fund unless the recovery under this section is substantial. There would be no incentive to pursue a claim offset to pecuniary loss or minimal benefit. Litigation in this instance would be obviously pursued. COLLATERAL INCOME We strongly oppose and are greatly disturbed by the clause in the statue which requires any distribution under the fund to be offset by "the amount of collateral source compensation the claimant has received or is entitled to receive....[including] life insurance, pension funds, death benefit programs." Since this is a governmentally sponsored fund, we find it understandable and acceptable to reduce the amount recovered under such by the monies received through other government programs. However, reducing the amount distributed by proceeds of life insurance policies of the decedents is unreasonable and contrary to public policy. It establishes a system of disparate treatment among the victims in that it penalizes some for investments made through personal purchases, while excusing others. For example, victims who increased their families' assets through personal purchases of stock or related investments to a level where life insurance was not necessary, would be able to collect from the fund as written with minimal offset. However, those who planned to increase family assets through life insurance would have the same distribution substantially reduced by the amount of the life insurance proceeds. If an individual purchased a rare painting for his estate planning , sold after his demise at a substantial financial gain for his heirs, his families' distribution under the fund would not be reduced. Yet distribution to the family who purchased life insurance instead, if regulated as planned, would be offset by the proceeds. It is quite simply an unequal and unfair provision. The government may not investigate and penalize against the personal purchases of individuals. We do enjoy the right of the protection of liberty in this country, we have the right to earn a living and spend our after tax dollars as we see fit. All life insurance proceeds should not be considered as collateral income under the Fund. Most specifically, supplemental life insurance, obtained with personal funds, must be absolutely exempted from the provisions which regulate distribution reductions under the Fund. If revising the language of the statute is not an option of this Committee at this juncture, or not an option until properly challenged, we submit that reduction of the distribution under the Fund by a percent of the proceeds of employer sponsored or funded life insurance by the amount of employer contribution would be an acceptable compromise. No reduction of supplemental life insurance should be considered. COLLATERAL INCOME/IRA'S; CHARITABLE DONATIONS Pension funds, IRA's and 401K plans are essentially savings accounts of another name funded with the personally earned money of the decedent. The choice of one's particular occupation or allocation of his income gave rise to the monies available at retirement or death in these accounts. Again the issue of disparate treatment arises. Individuals who saved in a standard bank sponsored savings account suffer no reduction from distribution under the Fund. Individuals who allocated their savings of personally earned income to retirement accounts suffer reduction of the total amount in savings to that which would be distributed under the Fund. In deference to the governmental involvement in IRA's et al., money owed due to professional tax treatment of savings in retirement accounts could be reduced from Fund allocations, but principal determined to be from personal savings must not. In the end, we lost our loved ones because they worked in a national landmark. The terrorists chose these buildings, the World Trade Centers, because they symbolized the American economy, the freedom of capitalism. It was an act of war on America and the American people recognized this. As a result, in an effort to support our country and to unite with those of us who suffered the greatest loss in this tragedy, the American people donated hard earned money to ease the burden of those of us left to suffer this loss for a lifetime. Donations were generously given as a form of healing for both donor and receiver. It is reprehensible that the very charities trusted with the responsibility to honor the wishes of the American people see fit to withhold the donations for personal objectives, yet to have the government attempt to belittle the gesture of its own people even further is as horrific as the tragedy itself. The money donated is toted as "a gift from the American people." Since when does our government have the right to investigate our personal gifts and require the recipients to "pay them back"? Charitable donations must not be considered a source of collateral income to reduce the amounts distributable under the Fund. That is not in the Spirit of which the donations were given. Restitution of the amounts by a reduction in Fund allocation would serve only to financially benefit the government. If that is what the people of this country had intended, they would have sent their checks to the government first hand. RIGHT TO APPEAL One of the liberties we enjoy in America is the right to an appeal. In cases heard before a judge in trial and in most heard before a hearing officer in an administrative agency, respondents enjoy the right to appeal the decision. Plaintiffs would have the right to appeal a decision on varying levels if litigation were pursued in response to the events of September 11. Denying one the right to appeal the decision of the Special Master is not an incentive to consider merits of the Victim's Compensation Fund. And it is contrary as well to the standard practices of adjudication of this country. Finally we would respectfully request that payment under the fund be paid in one lump sum and as directed by the claimants. For example, sums paid to a victim's minor children should be permitted to be made in trust with vesting as determined by the minor child guardian. CONCLUSION Thank you again for this opportunity to comment on regulations which will bear great effect on our lives and the lives of the children of the victims. We have suffered the greatest of losses because we live in America and because our loved ones worked in the symbol of American capitalism. We are changed forever; we bear the burden of other's hatred of our country's ideals more than anyone at this moment in time. Think of the children as you write and finalize the regulations associated with the Victim's Compensation Fund. Think of the children, not partisan loyalties. Think of the children, because if you do not now, you will have lost the opportunity to support your fallen families forever. Sincerely yours September 11 Victim's Families SEPTEMBER 11 WTC WIDOWS THAT CARE North Caldwell, New Jersey Chatam, New Jersey Passaic, New Jersey Manhasset, New York Northport, New York Oceanside, New York New York, New York Wantaugh, New York Huntington, New York Port Washington, New York Upper Brookville, New York New Canaan, CT Garden City, New York Muttontown, New York Rockville Center, New York North Caldwell, New Jersey Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey Garner, North Carolina San Diego, California Wayne, New Jersey Allentown, New Jersey Lake Success, New York Park Ridge, New Jersey Waldwick, New Jersey Chatam, New Jersey ATTACHMENT 2 November 21, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is . My husband, worked for on the floor and was murdered on the morning of September 11. I heard from other wives who were fortunate to have spoken to their husbands who told me that was trying to get out after the plane hit. He was in the stairwell but could not get down past the flames and was heading for the roof. He called home at 10AM but we could not establish a cell connection. I do not know where he was yet I am sure he was thinking of us. I am sure he was crying. I am sure he knew he was going to die. I did not get to say "I love you", I did not get to say "goodbye". I did not get to ever talk to him or see him again. His body has not been recovered. He was 37. We have three children. They will never see their Daddy again. They will grow up without their Daddy whom they loved with their whole heart. They will be reminded of their Daddy's most horrific death for the rest of their lives as this is now a moment in history. They are just babies. They will not remember the wonderful person their Dad was. They will not enjoy the benefit of all he could have given them. They will miss him more than I could ever begin to describe to you. They are victims of the attack on the World Trade Centers as much as my husband was. They must grow up to know that their government supported them at this time of devastation; that their government provided for the casualties of this war; and that their government valued the life of its citizen, who died because he was an American. Please accept the comments and opinions of the attached letter as that of my own. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Individual Comment North Caldwell, NJ ATTACHMENT 3 Mr. Zwick My Dad died on September 1 I am mad and sad. I miss him. I want him back. Please be very aware that the children have a voice that should be heard also. Age 6 Son of . ATTACHMENT 4 November 20, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is . My husband worked for on the of One World Trade Center and was murdered by terrorists on September 11. He called me twice, first at 8:30 am to ask how his son was feeling and then again at 8:50 am. There was fear in his voice as he said "the building's been hit by a ---------- plane." I could hear the chaos in the background and he then told me he was in the stairwell, they had cell phones and the smoke was really bad - he was trying to get out. We said a tearful "I love you" and then "good-bye". I never heard from him again. His remains have not been recovered. He was 41. We have three children. They will never see, play with or hug their daddy again. They will grow up with fear and hatred in their hearts. My husband will never hold them or watch them grow up, and I will never feel his arms around me or have his support in raising a family. They will grow up with horrific images of that day and know people who hate us did this to us, and our government let us down. Their belief in the God has been shaken, their trust that America is safe and secure shattered, their joy of life crushed and their lives have been permanently altered. They were so innocent and now they are so scared. They cry themselves to sleep at night and wake up with nightmares. There are no words to describe how horrible our lives have become because of this disgusting tragedy. We are lonely, frightened and heartbroken. They have been cheated, please don't allow them to be cheated again. Think of all the children and help secure their financial futures since their worlds have been completely destroyed. Please accept the comments of the attached letter as that of my own. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Chatham, NJ Attachment 5 November 21, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My husband, , was an employee of and worked on the floor of One World Trade Center. On September 11th, he left for work at 5:00 a.m. as he had done most mornings for the past 20 years. He called me at 8:20 that morning to wish me a happy birthday. That was the last I heard from him. He was 46 years old. I was one of the very few wives who received a call from their husbands after the brutal terrorist attack, I did not get a chance to say a final goodbye. My husband of thirteen years left behind three young children. . My sons will never again have their father coach their basketball or baseball teams as he had done many times in the past. It was a struggle for him to make it home from the city in time, but he managed to do it. My daughter especially misses her father at bedtime, when he would read her stories and cuddle with her until she would drift off to sleep. This was all brutally taken away from them. My life without my husband is full of grief and yet I must go on for the sake of my children. I am sure that in his final moments of life he thought of the strength I possess as a woman and mother, and knew that eventually his family whom he loved more than anything, and which was the reason he went to work that morning would persevere. I find it disheartening, that at a time of such overwhelming grief, I am forced to appeal to my government - the very government that was supposed to protect our nation and its citizens from such an attack. I believe that this event is the result of evil and religious fanaticism, but I also believe it was the result of a local breakdown in our intelligence and security. Because of the incredible amount of paper work that has come as a result of this tragedy, and the new responsibilities that I now have to assume as a single parent of three, I am unable to write a lengthy letter expressing my personal comment on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. The attached letter expresses my opinion and that of my family. Thank you for the opportunity to be heard. Sincerely, Individual Comment Attachment 6 November 20, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is . My husband worked for on the floor of the World Trade Center. The morning of September 11 began not unlike any other morning. awoke and got ready for work kissed me goodbye, said "I love you", and left to catch the train to Manhattan. That was the last I would ever see or speak to him again. We were married for eight « years. We were best friends. Not unlike many other married couples, we made many sacrifices in pursuit of "The American Dream". Worked for for two 1/2 years. During that time, he spend on « years running their Frankfurt office, commuting every other weekend to the states so that we could be together. He had only returned home permanently in September 2000. We immediately began our long awaited renovation of our home, a solid sign that our dreams were finally coming to fruition. We celebrated its completion this past July. and I have no children. That was an opportunity taken from us on the morning of September 11, 2001. I am 36 years old, he was 37. I find it incomprehensible that such a security breach and murderous act could take place in our home land. As an U.S. tax-paying citizen, it is infuriating to me to know that our hard-earned dollars have and continue to be spent in foreign lands helping to aid and protect those that contribute nothing to our country. It is difficult to conceive of this continuing foreign relief effort while there are thousands of us here in America in need. I have to believe that the government who failed so many of us on September 11 is going to make every effort to restore our lives, our dignity, and our faith in The United States of America. Please accept the comments and opinions of the attached letter as that of my own. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the September 11thVictim Compensation Fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Manhasset, NY Attachment 7 November 20, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My husband, worked for on the floor of One World Trade Center and was killed on September 11, along with all the other victims of that horrible day. Although I did not hear personally from my husband, the fellow who worked next to my husband got a call out to say that they knew they were hit by a plane, that they were having a hard time breathing from the smoke and that they were headed for the roof. The horror of their experience is immeasurable. We have two children, , who miss their father very much. He was a very devoted and hard-working Dad, spending a lot of time with them, and coaching lacrosse, soccer, and basketball teams throughout the years. He was teaching my daughter to golf and after her cross-country meets they had planned to spend these fall weekends golfing together. was my husband and my best friend and we planned to watch our children grow up together. I feel a grave injustice has befallen my husband and the victims of September 11. This was not the first attempt at WTC destruction and my husband, along with others were in the bombing of 1993. This was not the first time a plane was hijacked. I feel that there were grave mistakes made on the part of our intelligence agencies, our government regarding terrorism and regarding plane safety. Our country failed to protect its citizens to the best of their capacity. The people who returned to those buildings in 1993 felt that they would be protected and the best job that should have been done to do that was not done. They have been made the sacrifice in order for proper realization of what should be done to protect our citizens on land and air. The sacrifice also now falls on the shoulders of the families left to deal with the agonizing horrific trauma of this event. Please accept the comments and opinions of the attached letter as that of my own. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Manhasset, NY Attachment 8 November 21, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is , my husband worked on the floor of One World Trade Center for . On September 11, 2001 at 8:55 AM called me from his office to tell me a plane hit his building and that he was unable to get the doors open to the stairwells. He also said the smoke was "pouring into his Office. I told him to do what ever he could to get out and to call me as soon as he was Out. He never did. He was 36 years old and the father of 2 little girls. Our children's lives and my life are now changed forever. adored her daddy And talks about him all the time. She thinks he is at work and will be home soon. She is Too young to understand what happened to him but will learn all about it when she goes To school. was a wonderful husband and caring father who will be missed by all Who knew him and especially by his family. In making decisions about the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund", please be Mindful of the horrific way in which our loved ones were murdered and how important They were in our lives. In closing, I ask you to remember the individual who spilled hot Coffee on herself form McDonalds and was awarded over 2 million dollars by a jury. She Is alive and well today, my husband is not. Please accept the comments and opinions of the attached letter as that of my own. I Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Attachment 9 November 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick, My name is . My husband, , was murdered on September 11, 2001. was employed by and was on the floor of tower one, at the time of the attack. and I have two children. I would like to briefly explain how painful this ordeal has been on our family. would have celebrated her birthday on September , days after the attack, instead she sat in the dark, on our front lawn, wishing and praying that the next car that passed would be her daddy. Needless to say, her 16th birthday wish did not come true. On the Saturday after the attack, my son played in his fall league championship game. My husband was one of the coaches, he always coached third base. At my son's first at bat he smashed the ball to the fence, an unmistakable home run, but could not make it around the bases, he stopped at second, he could not bring himself to go to third, because his Dad wasn't there, there was no third base coach that night. I trust that with these brief stories I have somehow been able to express that pain we are feeling and will continue to feel for the remainder of our lives. I request the support of the United States Government during this, the most hateful and horrifying act of terrorism in the history of the United States. Please accept the letter attached as my own opinion. Very truly yours, Individual Comment Hawthorne, NJ Attachment 10 November 20, 2001 Mr. Kenneth Zwick U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: My name is . My husband, worked for at Two World Trade Center on the Floor. On September 11th, I spoke to at 8:45 am and he informed me that there had been an explosion and that he was trying to leave the building. I heard from him again at 10am and he was on the 108th floor trying to get to the roof. I never heard from again. His body was recovered and identified on September 12. was 34 years old. I never got to speak to my husband again. We were only married 2 years and we had just bought a house. I will never know what it would have been like to have children with and grow old together. I won't get the opportunity. My partner, lover and best friend is gone forever. Please accept the comments and opinions of the attached letter as that of my own. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Park Ridge, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000641.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 10:36 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 San Francisco, CA 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 dojA003870.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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 8:29 PM Please Ensure Equal Treatment of Gay and Lesbian Attack Victims 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 Oregon, WI 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 dojA003786.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. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 6:12 PM Equal compensation for all victims and families 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 Hudson, WI 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 dojA000443.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. Friday, January 04, 2002 9:21 PM Victim Compensation Fund To whom it may concern, I do not agree with the idea that families compensations for the deaths of their family members in the 9/11/01 tragedy should be tied directly to their income at the time of their death. This is a simplistic model that assumes that these victims would always be what they were at the time of their death. A high income bond trader could have lost his/her job while a lower income service worker might have pursued further education and acquired a higher paying job. Since these eventualities are unknown, and unknowable, I think the victims families should be compensated equally. These are tax-payers dollars being administered, not an insurance company's. I'm not sure most American's would agree with an unequal distribution of these funds based wholly on income level at the time of death. I suggest that the families should be compensated equally; from what I've read, that is approximately 1.6 million dollars per family. It's fair. It's just. It's easily explained. Individual Comment Eugene, OR September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-04 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 dojN001352.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. 2002-01-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 11:46 AM Federal Govt. needs to include homosexuals when compensating Sept. 11 families! 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 Eau Claire, WI 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 dojA003135.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. Friday, December 21, 2001 3:29 PM Help all victims of terrorist attack Dear Mr. Zwick: The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims. This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex unions. They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great. Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation to survivors of heterosexual unions. They are interested in a political victory, not humane assistance. This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political statement, Mr. Zwick. Sincerely, Individual Comment Milwaukie, OR 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 dojN000558.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. Monday, March 18, 2002 10:30 AM (no subject) I am writing regarding the blatant discrimination against gay/lesbian Americans. I feel the partners of those killed on 9/11/01 are entitled to the same compensation from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund as heterosexual Americans. These actions show a great lack of respect for those who lost their lives. While unity should be our main concern, these actions only serve to divide us as a people. In order for Americans to stand strong and heal, we must be treated fairly and equally! Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001740.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 20, 2001 5:49 PM Subject: justice for all survivors of victims of September 11 attacks December 20, 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. Fairness is an American value. Sincerely, Individual Comment Boston, MA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-20 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 dojN000063.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. 2001-12-20 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 Westmoreland, NH 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 dojA001883.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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 8:38 PM Gay Victims It's only the right thing to do. Help those gay victims (the ones still living) for their loss in the World Trade Center attacks. Victims they are. Victims of hate. Individual Comment 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 dojR001230.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