762 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. 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 Crestone, CO 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 dojA004862.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 18, 2002 12:42 PM 9/11 Fund Dear Sirs, Please accept this message as a show of disapproval for your intention to exclude gay and lesbian partners from receiving the full benefits that all other victims, both Americans and Non-Americans, will be receiving from the 9/11 fund. The generosity of the American people should not be subjected to your personal agendas. You say you can usurp the law in order to benefit those in this country illegally, but in contradiction you say your hands are tied by these same laws when it comes to aiding the gay families who have also fallen victim to this horrible tragedy. Hate and discrimination are un-American. This tragedy did not discriminate based on sex, race, nationality, age, sexual nature or religion and NEITHER should the 9/11 fund. Please reconsider your intentions. Sincerely, Individual Comment Franklin, Tennessee Proud American. 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 dojR001989.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. 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 Leicester, NC 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 dojA004911.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, January 21, 2002 11:27 AM see attached January 18, 2002 Elected Official: I wish to state my disagreement with the interim rules issued by Kenneth Feinberg, the Special Master, regarding the Victims Compensation Fund of 2001, P.L. 107-42, to compensate the relatives of the victims of the brutal attacks on September 11, 2001. Mr. Feinberg took the fiduciary responsibility to act on behalf of the relatives of the victims and, as it stands, the rules fail to satisfy the letter and the spirit of the legislation. Specifically, we request that you act on our behalf and demand the following changes to the interim rules: 1. Collateral Sources: The victims relatives are being asked to give uninformed consent to something that has no certainty - a fund that may provide little or no compensation to some of the victims families. The deduction of insurance proceeds, pension funds, 401K proceeds and other collateral sources could eliminate awards to some families and, therefore, should be eliminated from the terms of the fund. To penalize a victim for acting with responsibility and compassion for their loved ones is unjust. 2. Consistency: The arbitrary income limits and the calculation of award amounts imposed by the Special Master are inconsistent. 3. Non-economic rewards: Mr. Feinberg has arbitrarily restricted the award for pain and suffering. 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 from…The Special Master cannot take it upon himself too 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 about that ever…. We request that the interim rules be amended and redefined to the extent that collateral sources are not deducted from the recovery; arbitrary income caps are not imposed; compensation for pain and suffering more accurately reflect the unimaginable horror which was suffered by the victims. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002162.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, March 17, 2002 6:01 PM Final Rule It seems that the "law" is bendable when it comes to illegal aliens caught in the twin towers, but not American citizens who are gay. I believe the surviving life partners of everyone should be equally eligible for benefits. Please don't dishonor our country in this way. To hide behind "existing law" in the various states is dishonest and cowardly. Lacking the legal means to recognize their partners in law, the fund should be looking at the evidence of how they lived their lives: did they identify each other as life partners? Did they have wills? Had they signed up as domestic partners at work, in their city if available? To limit recognition of these relationships to the legal status allowed in the various states is patently unfair. Individual Comment Sacramento, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001516.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 20, 2002 7:41 PM Express outrage over Exclusion Ladies and Gentlemen: I write to add my voice to the many who have written or called to request that the same-sex domestic partners of the gay and lesbian victims of September 11 disaster be allowed to recieve the same benefits as do the widows and widowers of the heterosexual victims. I am outraged that while the spouses or married illegal aliens working in the US illegally, and the unborn fetuses growing in the wombs of the spouses of married men killed in the tragedy are being extended a compassionate hand, the partners of gay victims will not necessarily receive the same treatment. Do not get me wrong, I am not in favor of restricting access to benefits that the first two groups might hope to receive, but I am against the exclusion of the domestic partners of people like who helped bring down the flight in Pennsylvania, who died in the line of duty when the first tower fell, and who was of the plane that crashed into the --these heroes--from receiving the same benefits. I ask that you act honorably in the memory of these people whose actions showed America the true definition of hero and of heroism on that day. Their families are deserving of your honor, too. Individual Comment Seattle, WA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-20 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 dojR002424.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. 2002-03-20 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 14, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Inverness, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004942.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 18, 2001 11:20 PM Fair access to Victims Relief Fund December 18, 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 Fairfield, CT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002439.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-18 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 6:12 PM Ensure equal opportunities to ALL people 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 Somis, 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 dojA003612.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 AM Fairness in Distributing Survivor Benefits 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 Arlington, MA 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 dojA002744.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. Saturday, March 16, 2002 6:25 PM Discrimination is un-American I am outraged that gay and lesbian partners of those who died on September 11 are not automatically going to receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. Individual Comment San Lorenzo, CA 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 dojR001169.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 20, 2001 5:06 PM Subject: Sept. 11 Relief for All Victims 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. Sincerely, Individual Comment Hortonville, WI 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 dojN000041.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. Monday, November 26, 2001 5:23 PM American Airlines' Comments to the Notice of Inquiry and Advance Rulemaking Attached please find the Response of American Airlines to Attorney General Ashcroft's Notice of Inquiry and Advance Rulemaking with respect to the promulgation of Regulations for the administration of claims under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. --------------------- Introduction On November 5, 2001, Attorney General Ashcroft issued a Notice of Inquiry and Advance Rulemaking with respect to the promulgation of Regulations for the administration of claims under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 (the "VCF"). The following is the response of American Airlines (American) to General Ashcrofts request. In its historic enactment of Title IV of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act (Stabilization Act), Congress and the President clearly intended that the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks (and their families) be afforded with full, fair and prompt compensation for their extraordinary personal losses. The Special Master Regulations for the Victim Compensation Fund must establish the framework by which these objectives can be realized. American recognizes that the task of meeting these goals and satisfying the publics high expectations presents a unique challenge to the United States and the Department of Justice. In an effort to assist the Department of Justice in this endeavor, American provides the following general observations: The Regulations should establish a just and uniform process for the award of full, fair and consistent compensation to the victims of this tragedy. "Full and fair" compensation should provide the claimants with a compensatory remedy equivalent to the level of damages they would have received through the judicial process. American believes that Congress and the President intended this result and that the Regulations must take this objective into account when designing the Victim Compensation Fund system. American is mindful of the tremendous demands that will be placed on the Department of Justice in administering the Fund within the deadline imposed by § 405(b)(3) of the Stabilization Act. Given these deadlines and the mandate of the Stabilization Act to provide claimants with an individualized remedy, the Department of Justice will need to commit substantial resources to establish and administer the Victim Compensation Fund system. This commitment of resources will not only involve the organization of a corps of qualified and experienced hearing officers, but also will require the establishment of an effective "gatekeeper" system to ensure that the original claim filings (and supporting documentation) are comprehensive and complete. American believes that if the Department of Justice devotes substantial resources to this gatekeeper function, the claims handling process will fairly and efficiently meet the challenge of the § 405(b)(3) deadline. A sufficient commitment of resources by the Department of Justice and other government agencies also will be needed to ensure that claimants are aware of their rights and can avail themselves of experienced and reputable counsel to assist them in the compensation process, if so desired. This effort should include national and regional publicity about the Victim Compensation Fund and its Regulations, establishment of toll-free information lines, staffing of a "help center" and the creation of a dedicated website to ensure an adequate flow of information to the victims and their counsel. Finally, American is mindful of the need for coordination between the Department of Justice and the Special Master appointed to administer the Victim Compensation Fund and the District Judge from the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York before whom all litigation arising out of the September 11th attacks will be consolidated. The purpose of this coordination is to ensure that the objectives of the Stabilization Act are satisfied and to reduce the number of duplicate filings between the Fund and Southern District litigation. At a minimum, the Special Master will need to put in place a system to share the names of the claimants (and the related decedents) who are seeking compensation under the VCF. This information should be put in an electronic database that is easily accessible and searchable by the federal court and the defendants in any federal court litigation. The Department has raised a number of important issues with respect to the Special Master Regulations. Rather than responding to all of the issues, American restricts its response to the following specific issues identified in the Notice of Inquiry and Advance Rulemaking. 1. "The law generally provides that rules do not go into effect for at least 30 days after promulgation absent good cause to waive this requirement. 5 U.S.C. 553(d). The Department is seeking comment on an appropriate effective date for these rules, including whether good cause exists under 5 U.S.C. 553(d) to waive the 30-day requirement . . . The Department welcomes comments on this issue and on other alternatives." Comment: American suggests that the Department avoid taking any measures that would unnecessarily rush the process of establishing the VCF system and organizing the personnel who will administer and handle the VCF claims. In Americans view, a delay in getting the VCF program organized properly is clearly preferable to a flawed system that is operational at the earliest possible moment. The Special Masters responsibilities and time limits are extremely demanding. Given that the Special Master has not yet been selected, it would not be reasonable to expect the Special Master to implement a program in 30 days. The Department certainly has good cause to allow the Special Master the time that he or she will need put an infrastructure in place that will be capable of handling these demands. Section 553 of the APA, by it express terms, does not apply to "(1) a military or foreign affairs function of the United States; or (2) a matter relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts." 5 U.S.C. § 553(a). The Victims Compensation Fund (VCF) sets up a system of benefits (or grants) and, therefore, is free from the strictures of § 553. "The exceptions for grants and benefits have been justified on the ground that the recipients have no "right" to the grants or benefit." Vigil v. Andrus, 667 F.2d 931, 935-936 (10th Cir. 1982). "If the government wishes to impose restrictions, the recipients can avoid the restrictions by not accepting the grant or benefit; and if the government wishes to terminate the grant or benefit, the recipient had no right to it and thus is not entitled to a voice in whether it is terminated." Vigil, 667 F.2d at 936. Courts have held that although exemptions from APA procedural requirements should be interpreted narrowly, "section 553(a)(2) cuts a wide swath through the safeguards generally imposed on agency action." Humana of South Carolina, Inc. v. Califano, 590 F.2d 1070, 1082 (D.C. Cir. 1978). The only limit on the exemptions is that the challenged regulations must clearly and directly relate to the exemption. Califano, 590 F.2d at 1082; National Wildlife Fed. v. Snow, 561 F.2d 227, 232 (D.C. Cir. 1976); Good Samaritan Hospital, Corvallis v. Mathews, 609 F.2d 949, 953 (9th Cir. 1979). In this case, procedures for the distribution of benefits "clearly and directly relate" to benefits. Therefore, § 553 of the APA should not apply. Even if § 553 did apply to the regulations called for by the Stabilization Act, the date on which the rules become effective is within the discretion of the Attorney General. Section 553 states that "the required publication or service of a substantive rule shall be made not less than 30 days before its effective date except . . . (3) as otherwise provided by the agency for good cause found and published with the rule." The phrase "as otherwise provided by the agency" indicates that the decision to make rules effective before the 30 day minimum is the agencys alone. Only the agency promulgating the rule can invoke the good cause exception. No other entity can force the Attorney General to make a rule effective before 30 days after publication. The Stabilization Act only mandates that the Attorney General "promulgate regulations" within 90 days, the statute says nothing about the effective date of those regulations. Because the 30-day period mentioned in § 553(d) is the minimum time ("not less than 30 days") between promulgation and effectiveness, the Attorney General may make the effective date of Regulations later than 30 days after promulgation. American recommends that the Attorney General make the Regulations effective no earlier than sixty days after promulgation. Sixty days should strike a balance between the desire of Congress for the speedy implementation of the Victims Compensation Fund and the need of the Attorney General to complete the time consuming and difficult tasks of developing forms, hiring officials, training officials, preparing a website, putting information technology into place, hiring support staff, etc. 2. "The Department believes that the number of individuals who already have filed a civil claim, or who have irrevocably committed to doing so in the next few months, may well be very small. The Department would welcome information on this point." Comment: At present, American is not aware of any personal injury or wrongful death litigation arising out of the events of September 11, 2001, with the exception of three actions commenced against Osama Bin Laden, al-Qaida, the Taliban, and the Government of Afghanistan. 3. "The Department also would welcome comment as to whether the statutory requirement that a claimant withdraw from such action by 90 days after the date the initial rules are promulgated was intended to preclude such a claimant from refiling or rejoining a civil action: a) should the claimant ultimately elect not to file a compensation claim under the federal program; or b) if the claimant is determined by the Special Master not to be eligible to file a claim." Comment: If a claimant is determined by the Special Master not to be an eligible claimant under § 405(c)(2)(A), (B) or (C) of the Stabilization Act, the submission of any claim that failed for that reason should not be treated as a waiver of the right to sue pursuant to § 405(c)(3)(B)(i). Once a proper claim has been deemed filed, the Stabilization Act makes it clear that waiver attaches. The events of September 11 will put a tremendous burden on both the Special Master and the courts. That burden would only be made worse if resources are diverted to claims that are later voluntarily dismissed simply because the claimant wants start over in a new forum. 4. "It would appear that [the Section 405(a)] requirements, combined with the statutory time frame for the Special Master to reach a decision once a claim is filed, contemplate a detailed form and filing, including submission by the claimant of supporting documents and relevant medical records. Accordingly, the Department invites comment on whether the Special Master should determine that a claim has not been filed in those circumstances in which the Special Master determines that there is insufficient information submitted to permit a reasonably informed determination to be made. Comment: American agrees that the Stabilization Act contemplates the filing of a detailed claim form and the simultaneous submission of supporting documentation. (Under § 405(a)(1), a claim "shall state the factual basis for eligibility for compensation and the amount of compensation sought.") Accordingly, a comprehensive "gatekeeper" function should require that sufficiency of claims determinations are made before the claim reaches the Special Master. The Regulations should establish a formal acceptance procedure for purposes of triggering the 120-day decision period. American suggests that a claim which lacks sufficient information be considered "not filed" and that the claimant receive written notification of the claim status. The written notice must identify specifically any missing or incomplete information and provide guidance to the claimant on how to correct the deficiencies. 5. "The Department welcomes comment on the design and content of the claim forms in light of the statutory requirements. Specific comments on making the form and its instructions readable and readily available are welcome." Comment: The Department is empowered to specify the particular information that must be provided in the claim form and the supporting documents that must be furnished with the form. The initial claim submission, particularly the claim form itself, should be sufficiently detailed so as to satisfy the gatekeeper function and to subsequently allow the hearing officer to make an informed and fair award. The claim form should be flexible enough to permit the submission of additional information and documents as the claimant believes appropriate. In addition, the Regulations should require the simultaneous submission of documents that support the claim presented as fully as possible. The claim form may need to be available in several languages. The Department could establish "help centers" where prospective claimants can go for assistance (including access to computers, properly trained staff, and an electronic version of the claim form). As noted above, we believe that all claimants should consider obtaining the advice of experienced, competent counsel. The claim form should conspicuously advise claimants of their right to retain counsel and inform them of available pro bono legal assistance. The claim form should be signed under oath by the claimant, and if the party is represented by an attorney, the attorney should separately sign subject to the obligations of good faith that attach to filing a complaint in federal court. If a claimant is acting as the personal representative of a decedent, the claimant should have a will or an order from a court of competent jurisdiction appointing the claimant as the personal representative. 6. "Section 405(b)(3) of the [Stabilization Act] provides that the Special Master must make final decisions on claims within 120 days of the date of filing. Comments as to whether the [Stabilization Act] permits the Special Master to temporarily halt or toll the running of this clock, at the initiative of the claimant or otherwise, are welcomed." Comment: American suggests that a claimant have the option to toll the running of the 120 day decision deadline but only after a claim has been deemed filed. In addition, the hearing officer should be vested with the authority to toll the time limit for good cause when additional information is required. We believe that a comprehensive gatekeeper structure at the initial submission stage should reduce the need for tolling. 7. "In addition, the Department invites comment on whether the Special Master should be permitted to dismiss a claim as not properly filed for lack of adequate supporting information and, if so, whether an individual should thereafter be permitted to refile the claim." Comment: American suggests that a formal acceptance procedure involving a thorough review of the initial claim submission should reduce the number of inadequate filings. If a submission is deemed to lack sufficient information, the gatekeeper should provide a written notice of the claims status which details exactly why the claim has been deemed insufficient and explains the steps necessary to remedy the deficiency. The claim should not be deemed "filed" until any deficiency has been cured and eligibility has been established. 8. "[T]he Department welcomes any and all suggestions as to how it can assist claimants, including suggestions for office locations, toll-free phone lines, outreach meetings, and newsletters." Comment: In order to create an accessible system that provides full and fair compensation, the Department of Justice should commit sufficient resources to informing victims and their families of their rights under the VCF. American suggests that the Department extensively publicize the existence of the VCF, establish toll-free telephone service centers staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week by informed individuals who can direct potential claimants to all sources of assistance. Further, American recommends the adoption of § 411 of the proposed regulations forwarded to Attorney General Ashcroft on October 25, 2001 by Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick J. Leahy and Representatives Richard A. Gephardt and John Conyers, Jr. ("Daschle Proposed Regulations"), which provides: The Special Master shall immediately develop and implement a comprehensive program to inform the public about the VCF and their rights thereto. In developing and implementing this program, the Special Master shall produce printed informational material for use by potential claimants. This material will explain to the public their rights to compensation under the program and advise as to the procedures necessary to file a claim. The informational material shall also inform potential claimants of any available pro bono programs. The Special Master shall send written notice immediately to all persons and/or the families of persons identified as injured, missing or dead by the Attorney General as a result of the September 11, 2001 airline crashes. This notice shall inform persons as to their rights to compensation under the VCF and the procedures necessary to file a claim. The Special Master shall send to each of these persons copies of all informational materials on the program immediately upon availability. The Special Master shall move immediately to establish a "1-800" telephone number and website to receive requests from potential claimants for informational material and claim forms. The Special Master shall purchase sufficient advertising in both print and media in the New York, New Jersey, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Washington, D.C. media markets to inform the public about the availability of compensation and the process for filing a claim. 9. "The Department seeks comment on whether a Departmental regulation or a statement of policy by the Special Master would be appropriate to clarify questions concerning personal representatives, for example:" a. "Whether the Special Master should require that all those who consider themselves to be survivors of someone lost in the crashes be notified of a claim by a personal representative." Comment: A personal representative should notify all presumptive and named beneficiaries of a deceased victims estate that a claim has been filed, and should be required to inform all such persons that filing a claim with the VCF waives such survivors right to bring a civil action. The Regulations should require the personal representative to certify that he or she has made these disclosures to all beneficiaries when the claim is filed. b. "Whether the Special Master should require that the personal representative identify all those who consider themselves to be survivors of someone lost in the crashes and obtain from each a signed statement waiving the right to litigation prior to the acceptance of a claim." Comment: The personal representative should identify and, if possible, obtain such a waiver from all persons who consider themselves to be survivors of a victim lost in the attacks, as well as a waiver of any claimed right to serve as the personal representative. In the event that some survivors refuse to sign a waiver, the hearing officer should proceed to hear the presented claim and refer the dispute concerning the personal representative to a court of appropriate jurisdiction. c. "Whether the Special Master can, within the brief statutory period identified by the statute, determine who among different claimants is the appropriate personal representative." Comment: As suggested in the Daschle Proposed Regulation § 402(7), a decedents "personal representative" should be "a person duly qualified or appointed under an applicable state law" (i.e. the person appointed by the states appropriate surrogate or probate court to administer the decedents estate). The question of who is the correct personal representative should be resolved before the filing of any claim. Therefore, the Special Master and the hearing officer should have no role in resolving a dispute over who is the appropriate personal representative for a particular decedent. d. "Whether the Special Master should, in any matter involving a dispute as to the identity of the personal representative, require prior adjudication and judgment by a state court of competent jurisdiction." Comment: American believes that the Special Master and hearing officers should focus on determining just compensation for the claimants in the limited time allowed, and, therefore, any dispute as to the appropriateness of the personal representative should be remanded to a court of proper jurisdiction. Moreover, if the term "personal representative" is interpreted to mean a person appointed in accordance with applicable state law, conflict about who is the proper personal representative should be limited. e. "Whether the Special Master should make determinations of compensation for claimants and escrow payment until disputes regarding the identity of the personal representative can be resolved by a court of competent jurisdiction." Comment: Because the personal representative brings the claim for the benefit of the survivors under the Stabilization Act § 405(c)(2)(C), the survivors should be able to receive the compensation awarded by a hearing officer while a dispute concerning the personal representative is determined. The hearing officer should be permitted to fashion a just compensation award and consider suggestions from the claimants as to a proper distribution of the award. Additionally, the hearing officer should be given sufficient discretion to escrow some or all of a potential award pending resolution of such a dispute. Comment By: American Airlines Fort Worth, Texas 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 dojW000666.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. Congress Of The United States Washington, DC 20515 January 11,2002 Kenneth L. Zwick Director, Office of Management Programs Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: We write to express concerns with the Interim Final Rule (the Rule) published on December 21,2001. 1 Although the Rule makes a good attempt setting forth regulations that would implement the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund which was included in the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act (P.L. 107-42), the Rule contains procedures that are discriminatory to women and should therefore be revised before becoming final on January 22,2002. Firstly, the use of outdated data to calculate compensation will negatively impact the families of women who perished or were severely injured on September 11th. The National Association of Forensic Economics (NAFE), an organization of economists and other professionals who measure damages and/or proof of liability in litigation, suggested recently that "[t]he worklife tables used [in the Interim Final Rule] in projection are out of date, and especially inappropriate in the case of loss of earnings for women."2 "Worklife estimates" are an estimate of the number of years equal to the average expected work life of a person. We understand that these statistics will be used, in part, to determine amounts of compensation for the families, therefore, reliable and timely data will be essential for accurate calculations. Yet, the Special Master proposes to use the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS), "Worklife Estimates"3 which are outdated charts. These estimates were made in 1979 and will show women working on average five years less than men, a gap that has narrowed over time.4 The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Worklife estimates are, according to the experts, widely considered as "invalid" and "out of date."5 We call on the Special Master to use more widely-accepted, gender-neutral actuarial practices in his calculations. Secondly, in the Rule the Special Master does not take into account household services performed by the working person for the family, such as child care and household upkeep, when determining compensation. For women, replacement of lost services can be significant. The National Association of Forensic Economics' Dr. John Ward, has said that on average, women contribute 25 hours to housework compared to 10 hours for men. For the victim's family, this could mean up to $300,000 in a lifetime.6 According to press accounts, approximately 25 percent of those killed in the September 11th attacks were women. We strongly urge the Special Master to abandon the use of outdated worklife tables that underestimate the time women spend in the workforce. In addition, the Special Master should compensate victim's families for lost household services. Without these changes, families of women who perished or were injured on September 11th will likely be under-compensated. We realize that the Department is receiving commentary (including comments from some of us who have signed this letter) regarding numerous other aspects of the Rule. This letter is not comprehensive, but is intended to highlight these particular problems. We trust that you will give our comments every consideration when finalizing the regulations to implement the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Sincerely, Carolyn B. Maloney Peter King Member of Congress Member of Congress Edolphus Towns Carolyn Mccarthy Member of Congress Member of Congress Steve J. Israel Felix J. Grucci, Jr. Member of Congress Member of Congress Nydia Velazquez Benjamin A. Gilman Member of Congress Member of Congress Jerrold Nadler Maurice Hinchey Member of Congress Member of Congress Jose E. Serrano Gregory W. Meeks Member of Congress Member of Congress 1. 12-21-01 FR 66273-66291 2. p. 23, "An Introduction and Critique by John O. Ward," Chair and Professor of Economics, University of Missouri-Kansas City, delivered to the National Association of Forensic Economics, January 4, 2002 3. p. 2, Presumed Loss Calculation Tables Before any Collateral Offsets, listed on the U.S. Department of Justice's September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 website 4. "Less for Women?; Work Life Statistics May Limit Sept. 11 Fund Payouts to Victims," Newsday, January 4, 2002 5. p. 19, "An Introduction and Critique by John O. Ward," Chair and Professor of Economics, University of Missouri-Kansas City, delivered to the National Association of Forensic Economics, January 4, 2002 6. "Less for women?; Work Life Statistics May Limit Sept. 11 Fund Payouts to Victims," Newsday, January 4, 2002 September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002609.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. 2002-01-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 26, 2001 10:39 AM 9/11 equal benefits December 26, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Bethesda, MD September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000929.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-26 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, December 09, 2001 7:55 AM Victim compensation benefits Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Dear Mr. Zwick, On behalf of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered families impacted by the events of September 11, 200, I am writing to ask the U.S. Government to follow the example already set by New York Governor Pataki in 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." /signed/ Individual Comment Oak Park, IL September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-09 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 dojA001363.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. 2001-12-09 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 whitewater, WI September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004955.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 6:21 AM Relief Benefits for Surviving Gay and Lesbian Partners 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. Sincerely, Individual Comment Holly, MI 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 dojA004119.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. Tuesday, January 15, 2002 8:22 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 September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN001651.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. 2002-01-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 13, 2002 4:30 PM final rules Mr. Feinberg: I have some questions that need to be answered. I would also like this put into comments that you are posting. If and when my daughter-in-law files to go into the fund I would like to make sure that I can file that I do not want to be in the fund. She will have herself and the grandchildren in the fund. My wife and I as well as other parents want to make sure that we do not lose our right to sue the government. Most parents will not be getting any help from the fund. We as parents feel that the government is at fault for the deaths of our sons and daughters. We will try to reach out to people like us to start a class action suite against the INS who issues visas to killers of our sons and daughter. We want to sue the FBI and the CIA for there failure to stop people from taking over our planes and using them to kill our children. The government that should have protected our children failed to do its job. Their failure needs to be exposed so maybe it will never happen again. The people who have not done their jobs should be made to pay for the pain and suffering that will be our lives. Parents will have to live with the grief of losing a child. They tell us that losing a child is the greatest lose that a person can have. How do we go on? How do we heal? We will never heal. We will have the pain with us till the day we die. Some of us will not want to go on. Those parents can not even be reached out to because no on in state or federal government knows who parents( not next of kin) are. We have been made to feel that we are not part of the process and are unimportant. You killed our sons and daughters and then tell us we do not exist. Walk in our shoes and then let us know how you feel. No flag, no urn, no we are sorry because we are just parents? Is that the message you want us to have? How would you like to be treated if it happened to you? These question need to be answered! Individual Comment Marlboro NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-13 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 dojR000663.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. 2002-03-13