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Monday, January 14, 2002 8:40 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
Baltimore, MD 

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Wednesday, December 19, 2001 9:51 PM
equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief
Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or mari...


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 
Metairie, LA 


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Tuesday, February 12, 2002 12:10 AM
New Vote.com votes as of 12:09 AM EST on February 12th, 2002


Dear September 11th Victim Compensation Fund,

Vote.com is the Internet's most popular voting site.  Millions of people regularly express their opinions and - in just one click - automatically send their views to important decision makers like you.

Here are the latest votes on the question, DOES THE GOVERNMENT'S AID PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES OF SEPT. 11 VICTIMS GO FAR ENOUGH?:

YES: 3 votes 
NO: 1 votes 

Group Comment
 
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Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 9:20 AM


I think that it is perfectly proper to offset any benefits with awards that are received from insurance or other benifits.  Many people have tragedy strike their lives and get no assistance from the government.

Individual Comment 


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Thursday, November 08, 2001 1:20 AM
Victims Compensation Fund Comments

When I read the article in the paper asking for public comments on the Victims Compensation Fund, I was outraged that the sanctimonious hypocritical people in Congress are concerned about the possibility that the victim's families might "Double Dip" in getting help. Since when have they been so concerned about "Double Dipping". These same people, in Congress, have been "Double Dipping" for as long as I can remember and long before that. How many of them take money from one branch of Government (Congress) and accept money from another branch of Government (Military Pensions, for instance).  I was taught, when I went to school, the Constitution expressly FORBIDS this exact thing. The Congress is not the only branch doing this, I'm sure that there are other people that are doing the same thing. They should clean up their own "Double Dipping" before they worry about anyone else's actions.


Now, as to the use of the fund. The money was donated for the use of the victims and their families and NOT for: expenses of the charities that are supposed to be disbursing the money but so far haven't done any disbursing of the money  or, for other needs not connected to the attacks. Stop worrying so much about double dipping and see that those people are helped. While you're "discussing", those people are not getting any help.  

Individual Comment

 
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Friday, December 28, 2001 2:20 PM

the pain is the same


December  28, 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
Brier, WA 





 
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Friday, December 28, 2001 3:51 PM
People are people




December  28, 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
Portland, OR





 
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              <text>Tuesday, January 15, 2002 9:32 PM
Compensation for 9/11 victims

Dear Mr. Zwick,
 When I heard of the proposed settlement to the recent terrorist
plane crash victims, I could not believe my ears.  My associates and I
travel from Boston to the west coast early in the morning on many a Sunday,
Monday or Tuesday and two of our group actually were on one of those very
flights on 9/9 and 9/10.  My son worked in a building now abandoned due to
9/11 crash damage (Two World Financial Center), but was fortunate to be
elsewhere that morning.  Except for the state of the economy and the
downturn in the semiconductor industry since last January, I am sure that I
or one or more of my associates would have been on that flight.  
 Therefore, I have a great empathy for the victims and am angered to
learn that my family would have received no compensation simply because I
took the precaution to provide insurance and retirement savings.  Like many
of the victims families, my family would stand to receive millions in
damages in open suits from such a crash but nothing under the government's
formulaic compensation program.  Like all too many government programs, this
is another Robin Hood style attempt at redistributing wealth.  This should
not be not a country of handouts, rather it is presumably a country of
opportunity and reward.  As someone who earned every nickel, but would
therefore "qualify" for no compensation under your plan, I am furious.
 Yet again, the bureaucrats are taking from those who work hard, pay
taxes, deny indulgences, and save for their future, while giving to those
who otherwise have made no such provision.  I know I will never see a dime
of my social security in spite of paying the maximum FICA every year since I
left high school.  I don't think that is fair, but the politics of that
piece of social welfare seem unstoppable and I have made my retirement
provisions to account for that inevitable reality.  However it is an insult
to now find that such planning would result in a 9/11 victim's heirs losing
both their companionship and respective future earnings toward that
retirement simply because a jealous bureaucrat decides that the victim's
savings are already "sufficient" to take the place of compensation or those
future earnings.  What a person provides for himself does not lessen the
liability for their loss due to negligence of airlines and government
agencies, who are clearly responsible for poor security that allowed such
easy and damaging terrorist strikes.
 All prior damage awards and negotiated settlements in other crashes
actually provided awards proportionate to future earnings power--not debited
for the savings to date from such earnings power or proceeds of
self-insurance.  There is no precedent for the unfair settlement, except
perhaps in some of the lesser know writings of Marx or Lenin.  As a
contributing member of Citizens Against Government Waste and the Republican
Party, I will push hard for the correction of this injustice and the
replacement of any member of government responsible for continuing down this
unjust path.
Regards,
Individual Comment

 
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Tuesday, December 11, 2001 2:59 PM
September 11 Victim Compensation Fund

Kenneth L. Zwick, Director

Office of Management Programs, Civil Division
U.S. Department of Justice


December 11, 2001


Dear Mr. Zwick:

We are 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."
We 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. We urge the Department to honor these
bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you
would any other.

Sincerely,


Individual Comment
 
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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
Tacoma, WA





 
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Friday, February 15, 2002 1:10 PM
New Vote.com votes as of 01:10 PM EST on February 15th, 2002


Dear September 11th Victim Compensation Fund,

Vote.com is the Internet's most popular voting site.  Millions of people regularly express their opinions and - in just one click - automatically send their views to important decision makers like you.

Here are the latest votes on the question, SHOULD FAMILIES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO DIED ON 9-11 GET MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL VICTIMS' FUND?:

YES: 5 votes 
NO: 71 votes 


Group Comment
 
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Thursday, December 20, 2001 12:56 AM
victims' relief and sexual orientation


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
Greensboro, NC 




 
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Tuesday, February 26, 2002 6:08 PM
New Vote.com votes as of 06:08 PM EST on February 26th, 2002


Dear September 11th Victim Compensation Fund,

Vote.com is the Internet's most popular voting site.  Millions of people regularly express their opinions and - in just one click - automatically send their views to important decision makers like you.

Here are the latest votes on the question, DOES THE GOVERNMENT'S AID PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES OF SEPT. 11 VICTIMS GO FAR ENOUGH?:

YES: 8 votes 
NO: 0 votes 


Group Comment

 
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Wednesday, December 05, 2001 1:31 PM
Help All Victims of Sept. 11

Wed., Dec. 5, 2001


Kenneth L. Zwick, Director
    Office of Management Programs, Civil Division
    U.S. Department of Justice

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 and any other family members severely
impacted.

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. And many of these persons
do not have some of the support networks our non-gay
community takes for granted.  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.

Please do not let this terrible tragedy be an intended occasion to
discriminate nor exclude any of our fellow citizens.

Sincerely,

Individual Comment
Centreville, VA


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Monday, March 18, 2002 10:22 AM
stop discrimination against gay victims

many gay people died 9/11--firemen, airplane heroes, and others--but you are 
discriminating against gays with your new policies.  you cannot base 
compensation on state laws--state laws are anti-gay.   

Individual Comment

 
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            <description>Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item.</description>
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              </elementText>
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            <description>The media type of this item.</description>
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              <text>Thursday, January 17, 2002 3:34 PM
Comments of the New York State Department of Taxation and
Finance



                                        January 4, 2002


Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick, Director
Office of Management Programs
Civil Division
U.S. Department of Justice
Main Building, Room 3140
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.  20530

Dear Mr. Zwick:

With  this  letter,  I  would like to submit to you comments on the Interim
Final  Rules  for  the  September  11th  Victim  Compensation Fund of 2001,
published  on December 21, 2001.  My comments concern the definition in the
Rules  of  the  term  "collateral source compensation." Awards from the New
York  State  World  Trade  Center  Relief  Fund  ("Relief  Fund") should be
excluded  from  that definition, based on their similarity to payments from
private  charitable organizations.  I urge you to clarify the Rules in this
regard.

Governor Pataki set up the Relief Fund within several days of the September
11th terrorist attacks to assist the families and dependents of the victims
of the attacks.  The Fund, when viewed literally, is a fund of the State of
New  York,  created pursuant to authority in the New York State Finance Law
(§11).   The  New  York  State  Department  of  Taxation and Finance is the
custodian  of the Relief Fund. However, the Relief Fund is not supported by
tax  revenues  or  fees  collected  by  the State. The Relief Fund consists
solely  of  monetary  gifts  from  individuals, businesses and even foreign
governments.  The monies in the Relief Fund are being used to pay awards to
the families of the victims of the attacks and will not be paid out for any
other  purpose.  The Relief Fund thus has a purpose which closely resembles
that  of  the  private  charitable  organizations  soliciting donations and
providing  financial  assistance  to  victims.   The same is true as to its
income,  which  comes  strictly from donations.  As with private charities,
the  Internal  Revenue Code allows donors to claim a deduction in computing
their  federal  income tax for the contributions they are making to the New
York State World Trade Center Relief Fund.  Yet, because the Relief Fund is
a  fund  of  the State of New York and not a private charitable entity, the
awards  made by the Relief Fund do not fall within the express terms of the
specific  exception  in  section  104.47  of  the Interim Final Rules which
excludes   from   collateral   source  compensation  "charitable  donations
distributed  to the beneficiaries of the decedent, to the injured claimant,
or  to  the  beneficiaries  of  the  injured claimant by private charitable
entities" (emphasis added).

An  award from the Relief Fund is not like other payments being made by the
State  to  the  families  or  beneficiaries  of  victims of the attacks. An
individual injured in one of the attacks or the survivor of a victim killed
in  one of the attacks does not have a legally enforceable and vested right
to  compel  the  New  York  State  World  Trade Center Relief Fund to pay a
benefit.   In  contrast, the estate of a state employee killed at the World
Trade  Center  has the legal right to compel the payment of a death benefit
by the State because the right or entitlement to that death benefit existed
prior to the victim's death.  While the latter clearly should be considered
to  be  a  collateral  source  for  purposes  of  the September 11th Victim
Compensation Fund, awards from the Relief Fund should not.

Thus,   as   you   further   examine   the  issue  of   "collateral  source
compensation,"  I  urge you to treat payments from the New York State World
Trade  Center  Relief  Fund not as payments from the State of New York, but
rather  as  payments  from  a  charitable  organization.  I appreciate your
consideration of this issue.

                              Very truly yours,
Comment By:
New York State Department of Taxation and
Finance
Albany, NY

 
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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 taxpayers 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 a 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
Redondo Beach, CA


 
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Sunday, March 17, 2002 10:29 AM
The world is watching us!

The entire globe is watching the United States to see how we pull together 
in the wake of September 11, 2001.

While they will see many shining examples of heroism, they will also see 
that the US government deems 25 million of its own taxpaying citizens as 
less worthy of aid than illegal aliens.

If people here illegally are to be given humanitarian aid, so be it.  But, 
do not grant such assistance then turn around and deny it to gay and lesbian 
American citizens who simply seek to nurture and support their families!

Our European allies especially must be watching us with quizzical faces, 
wondering at our line of reasoning.  Give money to illegal aliens but not to 
American citizens in the same need?  It is no wonder they shake their heads.

In the sight of the world, do the right thing.  Provide needed aid to ALL 
American citizens.




Individual Comment
Alpine, NY
 
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              <text>
Wednesday, January 23, 2002 9:20 PM


January 22, 2002


Dear Mr. Feinberg,

This letter is to convey to you my concerns over the current format of the
Victim Compensation Fund

I lost my husband and my two young daughters lost their father on September
11th while he was at work in the World Trade Center. While I am grateful for
our government's immediate response to this horrific event, upon closer
scrutiny I am troubled by the current rules of the compensation proposal.
Essentially, certain aspects of this proposal cause one to wonder if it was
created to truly compensate victims' families or to protect the airline
industry and the federal government. The conflict between these two very
divergent goals is causing the families of victims considerable anguish in
addition to the enormous grief which has taken up residence in every minute
of our lives.  This is due to the appearance that the government is trying
to "buy off" families such as mine without giving fair and equitable
compensation that respects our birthright as Americans to exercise our
lawful prerogative to pursue our tremendous grievance in a court of law.


For example, the fund's compensation offset for life insurance, pensions,
and government benefits (social security) is patently unfair. It is perhaps
the main element in this fund that appears to illustrate how this fund was
created to protect the liability of the airline industry and the government
rather than to genuinely compensate for the murder of innocent people in
this national tragedy. I especially object to the reduction of compensation
for life insurance and pensions. To suggest that families of victims should
be penalized because their lost loved one exercised wise planning and
financial responsibly is profoundly unjust. Also, to offset the compensation
by any survivor's social security benefits is unfair. My husband paid into
the social security system for many years and it is a benefit that I am
counting on for income.


In bold stark terms, the purpose of the fund is to compensate people who are
victims of a tragedy that has its origins in the failure of both private
industry (the airlines and their private security firms) and various
agencies of our federal government to protect us from terrorist treats that
could well have been predicted and avoided. Perhaps our government realized
that, if tried in a court of law, these shortcomings, which ultimately
resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent and law-abiding citizens,
would be revealed.


What you are proposing is that we accept your compensation package in
replacement of the normal lawful method of compensation by filing a civil
suit in a court of law. The current proposal doesn't equitably replace one
form of compensation with another. In reality, this proposal, which is
designed with the interests of the airline industry and government in mind,
proposes to the families of victims an option that denies us the right under
law to reasonable compensation and punishes the heirs of my husband and many
others who made financial and insurance decisions wisely, thoughtfully, and
responsibly to protect their families.

Therefore, I respectfully request that these offset provisions in the
legislation be eliminated, which are inequitable and unfairly penalize some
families and not others.

Thank you for your consideration.


            Sincerely,
Individual Comment


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Tuesday, December 04, 2001 3:02 PM
Just compensation

    Efforts by certain religious/cultural fanatics to exclude gay persons
and offstring should NOT be a part of the decisions regarding elegibiity for
compensation.  The bigotry of the Far Right should NOT be reflected in the
judgments of US government.

Individual Comment
Seattle, WA

 
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