845 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. THE SENATE STATE OF NEW YORK ALBANY 12247 November 16, 2001 Kenneth Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs, Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20530 Director Zwick: As the Chairman of the New York State Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee, I would like to take this opportunity to provide comment on the record regarding the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 [Public Law No: 107-42, Title IV] and its proposed regulations. The specific source of my concern arises from the broad definition of 'collateral source' [Section 402(4)] and the possible interpretation which could include charitable contributions. It is of the utmost importance that the tremendous amount of charitable contributions after the September 11th tragedies are not included as a collateral source which, under Section 405(b)(6),' ...shall reduce the amount of compensation determined under paragraph (1)(B)(ii)...' To do so would not only be an insult to the donors and benefactors, it would be contrary to the very law which established the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 and contrary to New York State law. In addition to the obvious policy reasons for excluding charitable contributions from the definition of 'collateral sources,' and the fact that charitable contributions were not included in the statutory definition of 'collateral source, 'such an interpretation should not be made, because the Act as a whole requires the Department to exclude such contributions from its definition. Looking at the language Congress used in defining 'collateral source' and the law in its entirety, it is clear the intent is to include only entitlements as an offset to the compensation awarded to a claimant under this act. Sections 405(a)(2)(B)(iii) and 405(b)(6) both use 'collateral source' in context as compensation a claimant has, '...received or is entitled to receive...' (emphasis added). Compensation from a 'collateral source' in this Act is an entitlement in the true definition of the word- arising from a contract or by law. Section 402(4) simply provides major examples- life insurance, pension funds, death benefits, and payments made by Federal, State or local governments- which create an entitlement under contract or law. Although under a moral obligation to provide assistance to those they have collected donations for, and under a general, legal obligation to their donors to ensure the money collected for a specific purpose is used for that purpose, charities are under no contractual or legal obligation to provide assistance to any particular benefactor. Finally, please allow me to concur and restate the position of the memorandum to the Honorable Phillip Perry, Acting Associate Attorney General, from the offices of Governor Pataki, Attorney General Spitzer and Mayor Giuliani, which excludes charitable contributions from potential offsets under this Act consistent with the dictates of New York's collateral source law: ....Section 4545(c) of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules provides: In any action brought to recover damages for personal injury, injury to property or wrongful death, where the plaintiff seeks to recover for the cost of medical care, dental care, custodial care or rehabilitation services, loss of earnings or other economic loss, evidence shall be admissible for consideration by the court to establish that any such past or future cost or expense was or will, with reasonable certainty, be replaced or indemnified, in whole or in part, from any collateral source such as insurance (except for life insurance), social security (except those benefits provided under Title XVIII of the social security act), workers' compensation or employee benefit programs (except such collateral sources entitled by law to liens against any recovery of the plaintiff). To be deemed a collateral source, the court must find that such cost or expense was replaced or indemnified from any collateral source. [T]o find that any future cost or expenses will, with reasonable certainty, be replaced or indemnified by the collateral source, the court must find that the plaintiff is legally entitled to the continued receipt of such collateral source, pursuant to a contract or otherwise enforceable agreement, subject only to the continued payment of a premium and such other financial obligations as may be required by such agreement. Id. Similarly, awards made by the New York Crime Victims Board are reduced only by public funds or payments mandated by law or contract. Exec. Law Sec. 631, 9 NYCRR 525.11. Individuals are not legally entitled to the receipt of charitable contributions, pursuant to a contract or otherwise enforceable agreement. See Wasau Business Insurance Co. a/s/o Central Synagogue v. Turner Construction Co. Et al., No. 99 CIV 0862 (RWS) (amicus brief)... In summary, while Section 402(4) does not specifically exclude charitable contributions from the definition of 'collateral source', Title IV, in its entirety, is not meant to include charitable contributions as a 'collateral source'. The statutory language, legislative intent and consistency with New York Law all require the regulations and the application of this Act should not consider charitable contributions when making the 'collateral source' adjustment to the compensation awarded to a claimant under this Act. Thank you for considering my comments on this important matter. If you have any questions regarding any of the issues discusses in this letter, please feel free to contact me. With best wishes. Sincerely, Michael F. Nozzolio Senator, 53rd District September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-16 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 dojW000792.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. 2001-11-16 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. Friday, December 21, 2001 1:40 PM Equal Access to Crisis Relief Benefits for Surviving Gay and Lesbian Partners! December 21, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Ansonia, CT 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 dojN000508.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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 5:45 PM Support Equal Access to Crisis Relief Benefits for Surviving Gay and Lesbian Partners! 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 Orlando, FL 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 dojA003597.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 3:00 PM September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment East Falmouth, MA 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 dojA000307.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. Monday, March 11, 2002 7:58 PM 911 Fund I am dismayed, disgusted and ashamed that the decision not to include gay Americans for assistance has been made. Who are you to sit in judgement as to whose loss of a loved one is more important than another!!!!! Is this the America of equality; of justice???? Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000301.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Brandon,VT 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 dojA004897.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, January 10, 2002 7:45 PM Fair treatment For All 9/11 Victims and Survivors Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 Jan. 2, 2002 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 Flowery Branch, GA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-10 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 dojN001513.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. 2002-01-10 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 4:11 PM Families come in all sizes and shapes as experienced by those hurt in the September 11attack on the World Trade Center. Different in size and shape, they all experienced the same lose and grief. I am outraged by the news that gay and lesbian partners of those who died on September 11 are not automatically going to receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. The lose and grief are the same and yet this prejudice will add to the grief of gays and lesbians who lost their partners in this event. To add to this hurt is wrong. I pray that you will work to correct this outrage that is being carried out in the name of love and justice. 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 dojR001078.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. Sunday, March 17, 2002 2:58 PM Sept 11 compensation fund To Whom It May Concern, In response to the rules of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund I feel I must contact you and express my outrage and disgust over the discriminatory manner in which surviving relatives are being compensated. In recent interviews, the head of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (a fund created by Congress to help the families of those who died on September 11th) has made clear that the partners of gay and lesbian heroes of September 11th will not necessarily receive the same benefits as the spouses of heterosexual victims of the horrible terror attacks. Our government has purposefully singled out gay couples and families to receive unfair and unequal treatment. In the wake of September 11th, the deaths of thousands of innocent Americans, including their partners, family members and loved ones, this amounts to much more then a slap in the face. It is blatant and hateful discrimination. Even unborn children and illegal aliens will be receiving benefits under this program. The Department of Justice has even promised to overlook federal law and NOT arrest and deport the families of illegal aliens, nor will they punish American companies that knowingly hired illegal aliens in violation of federal labor laws. But when it comes to gay and lesbian heroes of the day - &nbsp who helped bring down the flight in Pennsylvania, NY Fire Dept. &nbsp who died in the line of duty when the first tower fell, &nbsp who was &nbsp of the plane that crashed into the Pentagon, and many more - we are told the law is the law and no exceptions can be made. If September 11th has taught us anything, it's that our patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and unite us all. We were told that September 11th was the day that "hyphenated-Americans" were no more, and rather than being Italian-Americans, African-Americans or Gay-Americans, we were now simply Americans, all of us together as one American family. Apparently, that family just disowned its gay children. The hyphens seem not to matter when our government wants to use our heroism to inspire others, but when it comes time to actually aid the families of those heroes, the hyphens come back with a vengeance, and it seems that some American heroes are now more equal than others. I call on you, and all Americans, to stand up for equal rights and treatment under the law and for basic human dignity. Discrimination is UNAMERICAN! To uphold rules and laws that specifically state one victim is less worthy of our government's respect and compensation because of their sexuality is an insult to all the victims of September 11th and a disgrace to our country, founded on the principles of equality and justice. "We the people, hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal." I truly hope we can live up to those great words. Sincerely, Individual Comment Amherst, Ohio 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 dojR001451.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, December 19, 2001 7:52 PM Victims Relief Fund 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 dojA003762.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 1:00 PM Justice help all terrorist victims 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 Middle Village, NY 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 dojN000489.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. Thursday, March 14, 2002 1:14 PM You idiots don't get the picture! We are not greedy, nor do we want anything else than what is fair. The U.S. Government took away our right to sue the negligent entities with the airlines with the Airlines Stabilization Act. If the government stayed out of this, it would not affect the tax payers at all. This is not charity. Clearly people were negligent and we want them to pay for this. As it seems the only way to hold people accountable is through their pocket. Maybe than this will force change and reform. 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 dojR000748.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. 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 Dallas, TX 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 dojA003689.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. Friday, January 25, 2002 4:56 PM comments For whatever it is worth, I don't feel that the people who were prepared to compensate their own families by paying for insurance on their own lives, should be penalized for this. That is what you are doing by deducting any insurance benefits they may have coming on personally paid policies. I really don't feel that all these people are due any compensation. It is a wonderful thing to do, but, did the people from Oklahoma City become millionaires? Did the families of the WWII casualties become millionaires? How many others lost their lives and were never compensated? Just seems like too much for all these people. People are killed everyday and their families have to survive on their own. Sorry I don't agree with this policy. Individual Comment Pine Grove, PA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-25 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 dojP000136.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. 2002-01-25 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 06, 2001 9:15 AM Dear Mr. Zwick: I am writing in response to the Department's request for public comments regarding the forthcoming regulations for implementing and administering the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." I strongly urge the Department to draft regulations that ensure compensation is available to all victims of the attack, including the committed partners and the non-biological children of gay and lesbian victims. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-06 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 dojA001121.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. 2001-12-06 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. Friday, March 22, 2002 11:13 PM 9/11 I think it is outrageous that money would be given to illegal aliens above gay Americans. I will remember this when I vote.... Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002696.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. 2002-03-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, December 08, 2001 9:16 PM (no subject) 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 Athens, Georgia September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-08 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 dojA001355.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. 2001-12-08 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 21, 2001 11:21 AM American Arbitration Association Comments to Proposed Regulations on the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Kenneth L. Zwick Director Office of Management Programs Civil Division United States Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530 Dear Mr. Zwick: By the attached document, the American Arbitration Association is pleased to submit its comments on the proposed regulation on the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Thank you for your attention to the foregoing. Comments by American Arbitration Association New York, NY Attachment 1: American Arbitration Association November 21, 2001 Via Fax and E-Mail Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick Director Office of the Management Programs Civil Division United States Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20530 Re: Comments on Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking, September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 P. L. 107-42; 115 Stat. 230 Federal Register Notice of November 5, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick: The American Arbitration Association ("AAA") appreciates the opportunity to provide comments on the inquiry and proposed rules implementing the victim compensation fund promulgated in Public Law 107-42 (the "September 11th Victim Compensation Fund" or "the Fund"). In the AAA's 75-year history as a not-for-profit, public service organization, we have accumulated significant expertise and experience in mass claims and have pioneered the design and implementation of numerous types of alternatives to litigation. Last year alone, the AAA assisted in the resolution of close to 200,000 disputes. Through its 36 offices throughout the United States, the AAA has assisted in many mass claims caseloads of every type, including one recent class action settlement in which the AAA was designated by the attorneys general of 49 states to resolve approximately 60,000 claims. Last year, the AAA assisted in the resolution of close to 200,000 disputes. In addition, the AAA's assistance to the State of Florida in resolving claims resulting from Hurricane Andrew and to the State of California after the Northridge Earthquake has provided the AAA with the ability and sensitivity to handle such catastrophic claims. Such claims resolution systems should include due process protocols and standards, and balance these requirements with the speedy resolution of the claims. In our experience, the choice of the neutrals, as well as the decision about the details of the process are both essential to implementing the goals of the legislation. The compassionate understanding of the claims being made, the clear knowledge of the appropriate processes and safeguards in making award decision and the expertise to manage the precise requirements and strict time frames required by high-volume caseloads are all essential. The AAA is eager to offer its assistance in this important undertaking; to assist both the victims of this tragedy and the Department in the orderly administration of justice in implementing this program. Guiding Principles The stated purpose of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund legislation as enacted is to provide a swift, non-adversarial method for the disbursement of funds available to the victims and their survivors of the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania terrorist attacks. This compensation program, while unprecedented in scope and purpose, should be simple, understandable, fair, and most importantly should be perceived as a cooperative venture between claimants and their representative government. Based upon the potential volume of cases and the time limits imposed by Congress, a fast, efficient and equitable program to implement the Fund must be established. Appointment of the Special Master While the AAA takes no specific position with respect to the Attorney General's choice of the Special Master under the Fund legislation, we do, however, believe that the appointee must oversee a system that is transparent; that can provide clear, unimpeachable data about the process and the progress of the effort to resolve these claims. Public confidence in this very visible and sensitive program must be maintained. Appointment of a Claimant Ombudsperson or Organization In order to ensure a high level of public confidence in the process and to increase the understanding of the claims process by potential eligible claimants, the AAA recommends that the Fund regulations include a provision for the appointment of a Neutral Claimant Ombudsperson or Organization. Having this function separate and distinct from the Office of the Special Master overseeing the decision-making process while working in close, collegial communication would have obvious benefits. The purpose of this office would be to field all complaints and problems encountered by claimants in navigating the claims filing procedures. The Ombudsperson or Organization would file periodic reports only with the Special Master and/or the Attorney General to monitor the effectiveness of the program, and to raise areas of concern at the earliest possible time. This would allow the program or process to be adjusted as appropriate before public confidence in the program might be threatened. Employment and Supervision of Hearing Officers and Administrative Personnel Pursuant to Section 404(a)(3). The Department should ensure that Hearing Officers and administrative personnel have appropriate training, experience and backgrounds. The AAA recommends that the a panel of Hearing Officers that are chosen is diverse as to race, ethnicity and gender. (The AAA has the capability to assist the Department of Justice and the Special Master in the identification, selection, appointment and training of experienced Hearing Officers as well as key administrative personnel to provide day-to-day case management of these claims.) The AAA recommends the following minimum qualifications for Hearing Officers: i.) should be attorneys admitted to the highest court of the state of their practice; and have at least 10 years of related experience; ii.) should have experience in handling expedited processes in high volume caseloads; iii.) should be appropriately trained in the claims handling procedures encompassed in the legislation; and iv.) should be trained by appropriate professionals in the sensitivity and privacy of such claims. Similarly, the AAA recommends that administrative personnel have, at least, experience in law, accounting, or administration, and be familiar with computer database caseload applications. Claims Procedures In order to assist the Department of Justice in implementing the claims filing and hearing procedures as promulgated in the Fund legislation, the AAA suggests the following: i.) Clear and easy to understand filing instructions and notices should be prepared in a number of relevant languages, and widely distributed in newspapers of general circulation (especially local newspapers published in foreign languages) in the affected geographic areas, government offices where other benefits are sought, and in public places in select geographic areas. ii.) An administrative database must be designed and implemented in order for accurate records to be kept, for timeframes to be strictly adhered to, and for routine reports to be easily generated. iii.) Eligible claimants should be able to file online as outlined in the legislation as well as file by written documentation. iv.) The online site should be on a secure server and should provide multi-lingual directions and screens to assist in simplifying the filing procedure. v.) A toll-free telephone number should be established to provide filing instructions with assistance in multiple languages. vi.) A Help Center should be established in select locations where both staff and volunteers could assist those filing claims with filling out forms; and where there might be terminals installed to file such claims electronically. vii.) TTD and telephonic filing should be provided to those presenting special needs; viii.) A toll free number to the Ombudsperson or Organization should be available to file complaints and concerns regarding filing procedures. Steps in the Claims Procedure Based upon its experience in the handling of mass claim programs, the AAA recommends that the claims filing procedure be broken down into simple steps to facilitate filing, to reduce administrative processing time and to comply with the Fund legislation's 120 day award requirement as set forth in Section 405(b)(3): i.) Claim filed by eligible claimant ii.) Initial review of submission by administrative personnel for sufficiency and appropriateness of information iii.) Identification of improper filers a. Mistake b. Fraudulent Filers iv.) Processing of Claim into administrative database to begin the 120 day time period running only when a complete claim is received v.) Document review process by Hearing Officer vi.) Hearing date scheduled The AAA strongly recommends that the Department of Justice and the Special Master consider alternate forms of hearings including telephonic, electronic, video-conferencing or in-person hearings at the option of the claimant. The AAA's experience with such processes is that majority of claimants do not choose in-person hearings when given a clear and convenient alternative. vii.) Hearing Conducted viii.) Award Rendered-Opportunity for Review Offered The AAA recommends an opportunity for review be offered to all claimants. The award notice should make clear this opportunity, as well as the fact that the claimant would be waiving the 120-day period in order to request such review. The review mechanism might be a panel of 3 Hearing Officers and/or the Special Master in some cases. ix.) Funds Disbursed Types of Hearings The AAA recommends that the Attorney General and Special Master consider alternates to in-person hearings for all claimants, but especially where such hearings would represent a grave inconvenience to the filer due to physical disability or where the amount of claim is limited. Alternates to in-person hearings might include: Claims review on documents only Video-Conferencing Telephonic Hearings The AAA has designed programs with all three alternates, which have proven successful in resolving smaller or less complex claims expeditiously. Hearing Rules The AAA believes that in-person full evidentiary hearings before Hearing Officers should be held with a relaxed standard of evidence as to monetary proofs where representatives' and claimants' documentation has been substantially or wholly destroyed. Forms In order to expedite the filing of claims by eligible claimants, the AAA recommends that a concise intake document, either in online, paper, or other transmittable form be utilized to obtain initial, basic information and build a database therefrom. Basic information should include relevant information as well as nature of relationship to the victim. The AAA takes no specific position as to who qualifies as an "eligible claimant" under the current legislative framework. The Department may wish to make comparisons of intake lists from those lists of victims developed by the City of New York Office of Emergency Management, the New York State Emergency Management Office, FEMA and/or the American Red Cross. Comparison may also further the legislative goal in rooting out possible inappropriate filers. To further expedite and simplify the claims process, the AAA recommends that the form or format of the filing documents include alternate methods of proof. Possible indicia of proof could include: * Death certificate * Will * Letters of Administration * Certified Hospital Record * Doctors Affidavit * Statement of Loss and Impact on Financial Stability * Bills-Rents, Mortgage, etc. * Listing of Immediate Dependents including birth records where applicable Forms should be in a scannable format to facilitate the building and maintenance of a claims database. Based upon the potential volume of cases and the time limits imposed by Congress under the Fund legislation, a large number of claims could potentially be filed within days of opening this claims process to eligible claimants. The AAA recommends that adequate numbers of Hearing Officers, hearing facilities, and administrative personnel be screened, selected and trained well in advance of the implementation of the claims process. Depending upon the types of hearings permitted (documents only, telephonic, or in-person hearings) there should be somewhere between 55 and 75 panelists for the initial determinations. If a review process is included, more Hearing Officers will be required. Conclusions The AAA stands ready and able to assist the Department and the public in the implementation of an expeditious, fair claims resolution to claimants that will both carry out the goals of the legislation and will also withstand public scrutiny. The AAA would also welcome the opportunity to present oral evidence of these comments at any hearings on these proposed rules. We thank you again for the opportunity to submit these comments. Comments by: American Arbitration Association 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 dojW000458.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, March 18, 2002 1:56 AM Victim Compensation Could you please explain to me why some gay Americans are being left out? I really would like to know! First, they are Americans! AMERICANS!! Should they not be allowed the same benefits under this Fund just like an illegal alien? However, illegal aliens, if lost loved ones, deserve the compensation just like everyone else. These are the same people the government would boot out of the country, under any other circumstance. However, I would think that no matter who you are provided that you lost someone in the horrendous attack, would get compensation. I sincerely doubt anyone is going to stop and say, "Let's sue because some gay person got benefits and our state doesn't allow that!" Do you know what kind of ill will and basic dislike that person would receive? Not just from gay americans (There's that word again - AMERICANS!!) also from other people who are heterosexual. For someone, to actually attach a lawsuit again someone who suffered through the 9/11 with their loved ones dying, would be horrendous! That person would probably be received as a terrorist in his own country for something like that. All those people died for no reason whatsoever, and they will always be remembered. However, why should some of them be considered lesser of a memorial than others? Surely it would not be of their sexual orientation? Come on one would think this country, The Land of the Brave and the Free, is not going to let someone go unnoticed! I don't know, maybe I'm just one of those people that think everyone should be equal. If you stop and think about it, people that say gay people want gay rights....What they are simply asking for is basic human rights! Is that hard to believe? Right thats are given to every person that live in this country, however some people are out there that wish to deny people that and call it an agenda. We like to call ourselves The United States, but how United are we? Maybe that should be a question posed to every American (Funny, how that word keeps popping up - AMERICANS!!) Maybe in a perfect world things will run smoothly, however, until then we should be making the best out of it, not trying to divide the country even further. 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 dojR001597.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, January 03, 2002 9:51 AM Sept 11 Victims Compensation To deduct for the amounts paid for Life Insurance and Travel Accident Insurance is insulting to the workers who died, and now to their families. The workers paid these premiums out of pocket - or were part of their job contract that they earned - each month, each year, instead of spending that money in other ways. My understanding is that the compensation package is intended to prevent numerous lawsuits and litigation. To deny people the value of these benefits makes this offer much less attractive, and it is a long list of possible entities that could be named in litigation. If a person is killed in a fatal car accident the family can collect on any existing policies regardless of what they might be able to obtain in possible litigation against any other party. Why are you denying this to the victims families ? Thank you. Individual Comment New York, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-03 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 dojN001251.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. 2002-01-03