178 20 12614 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 21, 2001 Comments on Notice of Inquiry and Advance Notice of Rulemaking Dear Mr. Zwick: The bifurcated approach as indicated in comment W000413 by the General Counsel of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. has a great deal of merit as do a great many of the other 400 plus responses to date. These responses indicate a great deal of pain and suffering. In these comments I would like to focus on those who suffered the most, i.e. the 3,000 plus who lost their life and those that they left behind. I would like to suggest a possible simplified and fair claims approach for the economic loss of earnings for each deceased member of this group. This is only one loss under the category of economic losses. The economic compensation for each estate might utilize the following formula: A = X (65 - Y) - Z where A equals the Award for economic loss of earnings X equals total 2001 annualized employee compensation or in the case of self employed their net profit from Schedule C of Form 1040 for the year 2000 plus contributions for their pension and profit sharing plans. Y equals age at last birthday Z equals collateral amounts received as ultimately interpretated under the law If the deceased were a 45 year old employee earnina an annualized salary and bonus of $80,000 during 2001, and had a employee term insurance policy of $200,000 and no other benefits, the award might be: A = $80,000 (65 - 45) - $200,000 or A = $1,400,000 A floor for these types of losses might be $1,500,000. If that amount were the floor, then the award solely for loss of earnings would be increased to this higher amount. This analysis assumes that the annual rate of increase in compensation or earnings exactly equals the discount rate that would be utilized to obtain a net present value for the future stream of these earnings or compensation. While it would appear that this assumption is biased against the decedent's estate, under this simplified approach it might be acceptable. While this is admittedly an overly simplistic approach to something extremely complicated, it appears to work reasonably well. It also serves two very important considerations: 1) Those who decide to waive their rights and proceed under the Fund will have ample notice of the consequences of their decision and 2) It treats all members in the class fairly by removing the "needs" analysis which has proven unworkable. If this doesn't provide an acceptable monetary award for the loss of earnings, then the alternative approach as outlined in comment W000413 could be utilized for those special situations that require more analysis, documentation and hearings. Thank you. Individual Comment Hackensack, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000642.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. December 14, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment New Haven, CT September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004433.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Brooklyn,NY 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 dojA004776.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. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 6:01 PM Emergency Relief for All Families December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Milwaukee, WI September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA003603.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. January 8, 2002 To: Kenneth L. Zwick Director, Office of Management Programs Civil Division, USDOJ Re: September 11th Victims Compensation Fund 2001 Dear Sir: I have reviewed the USDOJ's interim final rules for the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund of 2001 and have the following comments: 1. The intent of the fund is not only to minimize pain for survivors and the loved ones of those lost, but to reduce the cost and pain to our society that would result from lengthy litigation in a public forum. I feel the USDOJ failed to meet these goals of the victim's fund. This has become obvious to anyone involved since as of January 7th only 100 people have filed claims. The most troubling aspect of the final rules is that it minimizes every life lost or person injured in this terrorist attack. Never in the history of our country have we experienced such a horrific act of murder and terrorism on our soil. To suggest that the emotional loss, pain and suffering could be compared to anything we every experienced before is absurd and desecrates the memory of those who died in this attack. The government has an obligation to these citizens and their families to acknowledge this pain which was caused by our government's failure to act on known weaknesses in our country's security. Though the fund will not pass judgement on who is to blame, the Special Master, Congress and the President know in their hearts, the government failed to protect its citizens. The amount of $250,000 for these people's lives is disgraceful. People who sue for car accidents in which a person did not even intentionally hurt or kill someone receive far more pain and suffering. How can this be the case? The special master said that he can not and will not play Solomon, yet in setting such an arbitrary number he is doing just that. I urge that this number be increased to at least $500,000 and not be subject to offsets. The collateral offsets should only be applied to economic losses, sine the collateral offsets established in the Air Transportation Safety Act are monies that are designed solely to support families economically, not to ease their pain and suffering. 2. The USDOJ needs to provide exact details of what constitutes collateral sources. As the rules currently stand there is so much uncertainty for a person to waive their right to sue. The government must eliminate this uncertainty, so that when a person calculates their claims value they can be almost 100% certain of the amount they would receive before waiving their right to sue. As I stated in my first response to the USDOJ, improper awards will lead to a public outcry since claimants will have waived their right to sue and can not appeal their award. This would lead to claimants feeling that not only did the Federal Government fail them on September 11th, but also they mislead them and duped them into an unfair settlement. The plan as it is currently set up has already led to public outcries and a minimal number of people have filed for claims under the plan. This alone should make it clear to the USDOJ that the plan they have set up is inadequate and lacks the compassion it so needs. 3. I am strongly opposed to any offsets from collateral sources such as insurance that would be due a decedent's estate under normal circumstances. The statute specifically states, that, "The Special Master shall reduce the amount of compensation determined(under paragraph(1)(B)(ii) by the amount of collateral source compensation the claimant has received or is entitled to receive as a result of the terrorist attacks are not part of the collateral offset. The USDOJ policy takes funds from the injured party and in effect give it to the government who itself must bear some responsibility for the claimants injuries or deaths because it did not provide proper airline security laws as confirmed by the hasty passage of the passage of the airline safety act. Reducing awards for life insurance that a decedent purchased to protect their family and estate under the assumption of normal death, not solely because of the terrorist attack of September 11th should not be considered a collateral source under the strict wording of the statute, I believe that offsets for workman's compensation death benefits and other death benefits paid specifically as a result of the attack are reasonable offsets. 4. The statute specifically states that pension funds are to be considered collateral sources. The IRS specifically defines a pension plan as a defined benefit plan that typically pays a fixed income to a person(see attached page with definition from IRS publication 575). The company and not the individual fund these funds. Many people have 401 K plans which the IRS defines as a defined contribution plan. These plans are provided by the employer but are significantly if not entirely funded by the individual. Therefore, I submit that accordingly 401 K funds as well as IRA's and individual annuities are not to be considered collateral sources in accordance with the government's own definition of these funds. 5. I strongly support the USDOJ's belief that claims should proceed without economic experts. However as the rules currently are set up this is not possible. Therefore, to accomplish this task the USDOJ must establish a set of simple formulas for determining economic compensation and spell out the exact offsets a claim would have held against it that can not be open for interpretation. I feel strongly that this be done so a claimant is not ask to waive their right to sue without knowing the exact amount of compensation they could expect as a minimum. 6. New York State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer said, it is wrong to demand that families waive their right to sue before they are told what they will ultimately receive from their claim. I agree with the Attorney General, which is why I propose that the plan allow claimants to file their claims and request an award determination. If the claimant would like to accept the award as determined, they must waive their right to sue. If the claimant disagrees with the award determination, it can be appealed as stated in the proposed rules. However, in order to appeal the award determination they must waive their right to sue since they have a guaranteed minimum award. I believe my proposal is fair and equitable and meets the requirements fo the statue. I also feel it would cause no additional burden or delays to the plan. It simply changes the point in the process at which the waiving of the right to sue is done. I strongly believe that the USDOJ needs modify the current rules. I believe my suggestion in this letter are fair to claimants, provide a strong incentive to avoid litigation, encourage the use of the Victims Compensation Fund and conform to all the rules set out in the statue. I would welcome an opportunity to discuss my comments with Mr. Feinberg. If Mr. Feinberg feels this would be constructive, please contact me at the number below. Sincerely, Individual Comment Kings Park, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-08 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 dojN002399.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. 2002-01-08 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. Monday, December 17, 2001 12:33 AM September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice I urge you to include surviving same-sex partners of victims of this horrible tragedy in the victims compensation fund. It is time to recognize the common bonds between all Americans and to demonstrate unequivocally that in this country we do mean liberty and justice for all. Please hold in your heart, mind and soul the memory of and all the other nameless gay and lesbian victims of September 11th and do everything you can to embrace and support their surviving partners and families during this awful time of grief and heart break. Individual Comment San Diego, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002092.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 07, 2001 5:20 PM Battery Park City Home Owner. I was just made aware of your website, so I am writing in hopes of getting a response. Ever since the attacks I have had very little patience or will to write letters to claim anything. I have applied to FEMA and they provided me with a check which barely covered one month's rent in New York City. I have to agree with my fellow neighbors that we would like to be helped in some way by the government. The immediate help I see that can be made is reducing the taxes in BPC so that owners and renters have financial incentive to stay. All of what Kathy Hansen has written in her is true and to the point: the neighborhood is demolished, the air quality is unbearable, the transportation is impossible, and the short term or long term solutions don't seem to rectify any of these issues. I have had my place professionally cleaned, including all the carpeting, sheets, pillows and furniture. I took it upon myself to paint the entire apartment in hopes of covering up the dark black soot that covered my belongings. I have purchased new sheets, bedding, towels, and 2 industrial HEPA filters, and am still coughing uncomfortabley. On the streets, a lot of the shops and stores remain closed, not the mention all the facilities which were our haven in the WFC and WTC. Instead we have visitors now by the hundreds, carrying flags, taking pictures of anything horrific they can find to eternalize Sept 11, and yet are asked if we could 'return to our normal lives'. I am merely a concerned BPC condo owner. I see the prices have plummeted because renters are leaving by the dozens, if not more. The damages to the market value of these properties will never be recooped. We have written letters to all the officials asking for them to reduce taxes so that we can sustain through the rebuilding of our area. People DO need an incentive until things really do go back to normal which will not be until the new WTC (whatever it may be) is completely built. If you can in any way help us in these hard times, it would be benefiting approximately 2 million people who are affected by this in the immediate area. Thank you for your time Individual Comment Battery Park City, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-07 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 dojW000201.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. 2001-11-07 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 17, 2002 4:47 PM RE: comments on Interim Final Rule 17 January 2002 To: The Special Master of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund Re: Interim Final Rule I have reviewed the Interim Final Rule that is published on the Victim Compensation Fund Web site. In addition, I heard on "Morning Edition" (the morning news show on NPR) this morning that relatives of the September 11 victims are meeting in New York City today to protest the proposed guidelines. Since I am a family member of a victim (my father, of Green Brook, NJ, was killed in the World Trade Center) but I am unable to be personally present at the protest, I wanted to share my concerns with you via email. In particular, I am very concerned with the possibility that some victims' families will receive NO compensation (or nearly none) once their collateral sources of income have been deducted from their proposed settlement. While I understand the desire to offset some of the economic portion of the settlement (since, after all, substantial collateral sources may somewhat reduce the economic loss), I find it offensive to suggest that the non-economic loss ("pain and suffering") could be fully compensated by life insurance payments or other sources of income. To be sure, no amount of money can replace the lost loved ones. But I believe that, regardless of the victim's economic situation, every victim's family deserves some minimum payment - the non-economic loss amount that has been specified for "pain and suffering" - to acknowledge the pain and suffering they have been experiencing, and continue to experience, since September 11. Further, if any family member stands to receive nothing from the fund (as it appears may be the case with my own mother), then that family member has no incentive to sign away his or her right to sue. Because one justification for this fund is to limit wrongful-death lawsuits and the airlines' liability, it would seem politically and economically prudent to guarantee some minimum award to each family, regardless of collateral sources. Therefore, I am writing to ask that you (and Congress, as appropriate) change the guidelines such that collateral sources may offset ONLY economic loss. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Individual Comment Tucson, AZ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-17 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 dojN001952.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. 2002-01-17 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 9:46 AM Equal Access to Crisis Relief 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 Jacksonville, IL 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 dojA002893.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 27, 2001 10:24 PM Support Equal Access to Crisis Relief Benefits for Surviving Gay and Lesbian Partners! December 27, 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 White Sulphur Springs, WV September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-27 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 dojN001033.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. 2001-12-27 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 14, 2001 Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg September 11th Victim Compensation Fund U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20530 To Mr. Feinberg: I am writing to urge you to ensure fair treatment for all surviving families of the tragedy on September 11th, including the children and families of low-wage workers and gay and lesbian families. Under traditional rules based on lost wages, the survivors of a bond trader earning millions of dollars per year might receive thousands of times as much compensation as the survivors of a dishwasher in one of the restaurants destroyed. Justice requires looking far beyond the last paycheck to the inherent worth of all those killed, so that a high minimum compensation level is set to lessen the disparities. It would be a double blow to the survivors to first lose their loved one and then watch as most of the taxpayer money went to those who were already well off in the first place. The second major issue has to do with recognizing the legitimacy of gay and lesbian relationships and families. Gay and lesbian families are especially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of marriage is unavailable, these families may find themselves in the traumatic predicament of having to prove that their union is legitimate. Fortunately, both the Red Cross and the State of New York have already announced that they will not discriminate against gay and lesbian families. The Department of Justice should do the same. Thank you for considering my comments. I look forward to hearing how you will act on these very important issues. Sincerely, Individual Comment Paterson, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004749.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-14 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Novato, CA 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 dojA004886.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, January 28, 2002 5:08 AM Victims Fund Dear Folks, Am writing you from Prospect, TN. Seems like such a long way from NY. And I did not know anyone who was a victim, or was related to a victim. Let me rephrase that, every citizen of the United States, was victimized, yet we did not all suffer loss of life, injury, or wages. From what I can tell, you are simply trying to do what is best for all. That is not an easy task. I agree with the offset of the SS benefit, insurance, etc. Anyway, just wanted to tell you, I think you're doing a great job, don't let it get to you. Individual Comment Prospect, TN September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-28 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 dojP000218.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. 2002-01-28 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 8:22 PM Comments on regullations The regulations as proposed are unfair, anti-capitalistic, and intentionally penalize thrift and savings. Nowhere did Congress place a cap on the amount to be paid, nor did it authorize the special master to do so. Proportionately high income earners, after deducting their life insurance benefits, will receive the equivalent of less than three years lost wages, in toto. This includes the pain and suffering component, loss of life's enjoyment, and all other items of damages. How can the United States provide subsidies for farmers in excess of six billion dollars a year as payments for not growing certain types of crops, when it will deny 2,900 families the replacement income their decedent would have earned by the sweat of his/her brow. This is hardly the time to turn cheap. These people honorably gave their lives to this country and its freedoms. See you in court, because that is the only remedy you have allowed for. Individual Comment 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 dojN001331.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 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 1:05 PM Thought You Might Be Interested in this Propaganda re "Gay Rights" Dear sir: Following is an e-mail I received which I thought might be of interest to you. "Homosexually active" people are obviously not married, therefore have no survivor rights. Read the following propaganda which is sent to all "friendly" to the homosexual agenda and know why you get so much correspondence from them. Ignore them. Sincerely, Individual Comment 9/11 FUND UNFAIR TO GAYS Take Action Now!!! victimcomp.comments@usdoj.gov - Tell them discrimination is un-American 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 dojR001419.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, January 29, 2002 2:12 PM New Vote.com votes as of 02:12 PM EST on January 29th, 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: 93 votes NO: 928 votes Group Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-29 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojP000273.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. 2002-01-29 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, November 25, 2001 9:39 PM September 11 Victim Compensatiom Fund of 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick, First and foremost I would like to begin by saying that I lost my husband in this horrific attack and that I will make sure that he will never be forgotten. He loved and was loved by many. He was the light of my live and the best thing that has ever happened to me. The following are comments regarding the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund of 2001: (1) I think there should be a SIMPLE form to fill out instead of appearing before a Special Master (don't like the term) I think it is a waste of government monies and a very difficult task for us as victims to testify or appear before a Special Master. I know I speak on behalf of many families when I say the paperwork and form filing have been monumental task thus far on state, local and federal levels. We have been through enough emotionally. We are not charity cases. Why should we have to grovel for money. These people went to work everyday to ensure that we live in a democratic society. (2) A formula needs to be implemented. I think every family should receive the same amount of money for pain and suffering. In terms of economic loss, I think the deceased salary should be averaged over the past 2 to 3 years and then multiplied by his/her work/life expectancy . If a formula is unattainable, then we should have the right to appeal. (3) Definitions need to be clarified and made clear to the layman. For example, what does the term claimant mean? At one point the document states that " the term claimant means an individual filing a claim for compensation under section 405(a)(1)" and in another section it states that the claimant " is an individual who was present at the WTC, the Pentagon... and suffered harm or death as a result of such an air crash... or in the case of the decedent... the personal representative of the decedent who files a claim on behalf of the decedent." It is very confusing. (4) Therefore, one cannot tell who the pain and suffering should be attributed to. Does pain and suffering mean the deceased final moments of pain and suffering or the family's pain and suffering? (5) We should not waive our rights to other civil actions before knowing the settlement . (6) What are the qualifications of the Special Master? (7) The term "collateral source" should not include life insurance, pension funds or 401K plans. Furthermore, it should not include any monies recovered from the Victims of Terrorism Tax Relief Act of 2001. (8) What about Osama Bin Laden's frozen assets? His assets should not be tied up in any legislative package. We should be entitled to those monies free and clear of any government settlement. In conclusion, I think these comments as well as those before and after me need to be taken into consideration before I even consider settling with the government. I share the same thoughts as many family members out there who have been through this same nightmare, we will never be the same people as we were on September 10th, 2001. I would give up everything and anything for my life to be restored to that state of happiness and well being. Respectfully Yours Individual Comment Grieving Widow New York, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-25 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 dojW000548.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. 2001-11-25 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. January 17, 2002 VIA FACSIMILE AND REGULAR MAIL Re: September 11th Victims Compensation Fund-2001 P.L.107-42 Dear Sirs/Mesdames: In the aftermath of the attack on our nation on September 11th, Congress enacted the above-referenced legislation to compensate the families of the victims. It is my belief that the interim rules issued by the Special Master on December 20th (the "interim rules") fail to satisfy both the spirit and intent of Congress in enacting the aforementioned legislation. The legislation authorized payment for both economic and non-economic loss. The sole offsets to such payments were the "collateral sources" specified in 402(4), which included "life insurance, pension funds and payments made by the Federal, State and local governments". These were the only offsets contemplated by the legislation. In the interim rules, however, the Special Master has imposed offsets and caps, which were never contemplated by the statute. Specifically, the interim rules arbitrarily restrict pain and suffering awards to $250,000 as well as impose artificial limitations on income. Such self-imposed restrictions and limitations, which drastically reduce the award, are not only contrary to the intent and actual language of the statute but are entirely unfair. For example, the limitation on the pain and suffering is far too low, especially in light of the fact that many victims trapped at the top of One World Trade Center had more than 90 minutes to contemplate the hopelessness of their situation while enduring horrific conditions. Such fact is evident from the "911" transcripts which have been released by the various media outlets over the last few months. The "911" calls paint too vivid a picture of the unbearable conditions atop Tower One while the caller begged the "911" operator to send help. More horrifying is that the victims placed such calls after 10:15 a.m.. This is particularly disturbing to the victims' families for two reasons: (1) it is entirely likely that the victims in Tower One were fully aware that Tower Two had collapsed and all they could do was await their terrifying fate; and (2) the victims trapped at the top of One World Trade suffered for at least 90 minutes in a hopeless situation. To arbitrarily limit pain and suffering awards, as the interim rules do, is an injustice that should not countenanced. It cannot be emphasized enough that the World Trade Center was targeted simply because it and the people who worked there personified America and everything it stands for. Long recognized and, in fact, trumpeted as the world's financial epicenter, it was the most likely target of America's enemies. The financial service victims were murdered because of the careers they had chosen, is a grave injustice to those who gave their lives for the very symbol of America-capitalism. Based on these facts, when computing economic loss, it seems logical to use the most recent year's income, in this case, the victim's income for 2001 on an annualized basis. By using the prior three years' income (1998, 1999, and 2000), as the interim rule proposes, the economic loss is arbitrarily decreased. Clearly, such was not the intention of Congress. The Victims Compensation Fund was created as part of a comprehensive legislative package, the purpose of which is to ensure the very survival of the American airline industry while at the same time compensating the victims' families for the loss of their loved ones. While protecting the airline industry is important to the continued economic growth of America, the cost of such protection should not be borne by the families of the victims. Protecting the airline industry in the way contemplated by the interim rules trivializes the lives that were lost on September 11th. Based on the foregoing, it is clear that the interim rules need to be modified to effect the spirit and intent of the statute-specifically there should be no artificial limitations on income, the most recent year's salary should be utilized in calculating economic loss and the pain and suffering award should be increased, if for no other reasons than, to acknowledge the suffering the victims had to endure while awaiting a certain death. God bless you and America, Individual Comment WEST CALDWELL, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-17 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 dojN002670.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. 2002-01-17 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 8:45 AM Grant Equal Access To All Victims December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Farmington, CT 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 dojA002772.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 9:05 AM justice 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 New York, NY 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 dojA002812.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