581 20 70359 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 12:59 PM Help all victims of terrorist attack Dear Mr. Zwick: The very humane Fund for relatives of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks must include all relatives of all the victims. This importantly should include the partners and children of same sex unions. They suffer just as grievously for their deceased loved ones as do other survivors, and their need for assistance is just as great. Please do not give in to the importuning of callous homophobic groups and individuals who would have the Department of Justice limit compensation to survivors of heterosexual unions. They are interested in a political victory, not humane assistance. This Fund is intended for humane purposes; it is not a political statement, Mr. Zwick. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000449.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 15, 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 Bronx, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004975.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. 2001-12-15 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Seattle, WA 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 dojA001885.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. Tuesday, December 04, 2001 5:26 PM Subject: sept 11 fund for all 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. It is unquestionable that the devastating grief and economic losses suffered by the families of gay and lesbian victims are no less than that of other families. Just as the terrorists drew no lines in choosing their victims, our country must draw no lines in compensating those who suffered the most personal of losses from these horrific attacks. Many Americans lost their lives on September 11, each of whom left behind loved ones. I urge the Department to honor these bonds by treating the families of gay and lesbian victims as you would any other. Sincerely, Individual Comment Cambridge, MA *** September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000402.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-04 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, December 23, 2001 2:44 PM Crisis Relief Benefits December 23, 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 Richmond, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-23 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 dojN000829.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. 2001-12-23 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 05, 2001 12:35 PM U.S. Department of Justice is now inviting public comments Kenneth L. Zwick, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice Dear Mr. Zwick, I am writing as a member of the Gay Community. Our pain is no less. Our loss is no less. And our access to justice and equality in the aftermath of the September 11 crisis must be no less. I am writing today to ask you to invest a few minutes in the cause of justice and equality. In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Justice Department established the "September 11 Victim Compensation Fund." The purpose of this fund is to provide assistance to persons who were injured as a result of the attacks and to compensate the relatives of those who were killed. I want to remind you, the U.S. Justice Department that justice is only served when all families -- and ALL TYPES OF FAMILIES -- impacted by September 11 are treated with equality. From the brave young gay man who lost his life on the plane attempting to save the lives of innocent people... to the gay priest who lost his life while ministering at Ground Zero... to the many lesbian and gay and transgendered employees working in the World Trade Center... it is vitally important that we demand that our government treat all of our families with dignity and respect and equality. We ask the Justice Department to include 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. We ask the U.S. Government to follow the example already set by New York Governor Pataki in granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day-to-day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Thank you for your time, efforts and compassion! Sincerely, Individual Comment Atlanta, Georgia September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-05 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 dojA000929.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. 2001-12-05 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 17, 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 Sacramento, 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 dojA005015.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. Thursday, December 20, 2001 11:38 AM equal access for ALL people 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 Lubbock, TX September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004262.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, March 16, 2002 10:32 PM (no subject) OUTRAGED AT THE FACT THAT GAY & LESBIAN PARTNERS OF THOSE WHO DIED ON SEPTEMBER 11TH ARE NOTAUTOMATICALLY GOING TO RECEIVE THE SAME BENEFITS AS HETEROSEXUAL PARTNERS. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001269.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, December 25, 2001 5:36 PM family of (victim of united flight that hit tower2) I happen to find your web page. Do you contact every family that has lost someone connected with Sept. 11? My neighbor and good friend lost her husband on the United flight out of Boston that horrific day. I do not think had life insurance. He owned his own marine surveyor company, loved each day as it came along and probably never gave it a second thought about death. Please anyway you can help would be wonderful. Her address is Manchester MA . My address is . or e-mail at your convience. Like every family that had a loss they also have their pride. Please use my name if you talk to . Thank you and happy holidays. Individual Comment Manchester, MA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-25 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 dojN000904.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. 2001-12-25 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. 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 Reseda, 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 dojA003941.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 05, 2001 10:26 AM Administration of Victim Compensation Fund To whom it may concern: It would be pointless and almost impossible to name the various groups of people who have been affected by the tragedy of 11 September. It is fair to say that this event had and will continue to have an effect on people for years to come. The terrorists were blind to the diversity among the people in the World Trade towers. They struck without regard to anything. The response of the world community and the American people has been without regard as well. I know of many of my friends who have given sacrificially to this cause. As an American citizen and a compassionate human being, I urge you to be equally as blind in the administration of this fund. ANYONE who was directly affected should be at liberty to apply for compensation, including those who lost their life partners as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. I ask that you follow the example already set by New York Governor Pataki in granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day-to-day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Please show blind compassion. Thank you Individual Comment Atlanta, GA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-05 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 dojA000759.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. 2001-12-05 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, March 12, 2002 11:08 AM New Vote.com votes as of 11:07 AM EST on March 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: 8 votes NO: 2 votes Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-12 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 dojR000339.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. 2002-03-12 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 22, 2002 6:56 AM Compensation Offsets for Insurance, Etc. Good morning... Some are complaining that their piece of the victim compensation pie is being reduced by an amount controlled by any insurance adjustments, etc. that they receive. It is entirely appropriate that these adjustments should be made. The victim compensation program should be based on need, not on some kind of entitlement. Thus, it is completely appropriate, just, and fair that government payouts be adjusted for other compensation received so that the families get the full total amount that the statute says they should get. Please stick to your guns on this. Don't let yet another worthwhile federal program get derailed by political correctness. Individual Comment Londonderry NH September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002203.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. 2002-01-22 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 20, 2001 12:35 PM Equal Access for Crisis Relief Benefits 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 consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards and the general principle of equality, as exemplified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination and which the United States is committed to uphold, 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. Thank you for your time and consideration of these important 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 September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004343.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 5:15 PM Protect Traditional Marriage Mr. Kenneth Zwick Office of Management Programs Department of Justice Washington, DC Dear Mr. Zwick: I want to express my opposition to any effort by the federal government to provide 9-11 victim compensation funds to "domestic partners" of unmarried survivors of the terrorist attack upon our nation. Funds disbursed through the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should only go to the surviving family members of those who died on 9-11. Funds must go to the widows, widowers, orphans, and other blood-related or adopted members of the family--not to unmarried sexual partners of those who died. To provide funds to "domestic partners" is to undermine the traditional definition of marriage and family to include any number of sexual liaisons between same-sex or opposite-sex unmarried couples. Many homosexuals and swinging heterosexuals, for example, engage in sex with multiple partners. Do we provide funds to each of the sexual partners? Where do we draw the line on how many "domestic partners" a person may have? Homosexual activists are exploiting the 9-11 tragedy by asking the federal government to redefine what constitutes a legitimate "family" under the law. In fact, homosexual activist , writing in Out magazine has openly called for the subversion of the concept of marriage between a man and a woman. He has urged homosexuals to fight for the legalization of homosexual marriages and once legalized to "redefine the institution of marriage completely . . . . to debunk a myth and radically alter an archaic institution. . . . The most subversive action lesbians and gays can under take--and one that would perhaps benefit all of society--is to transform the notion of 'family' entirely." If the DOJ provides funds to "domestic partners," it will be helping accomplish his goal: That of redefining marriage and altering what he calls an "archaic institution." We also oppose September 11th Funds going to the estates of the deceased instead of to their surviving family members. No one can know for certain where these funds will end up if they are deposited in the estate of a person who has died. The person may have willed his estate to a terrorist, racial hate group, or even to an organization like the North American Man-Boy Love Association. No one will know unless each person's will is examined by a DOJ lawyer. The money should go to the surviving family members of the deceased, not to the estate or to the surviving "domestic partner." Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000591.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. 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 Coxsackie, 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 dojA004167.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, January 19, 2002 11:11 PM Compensation Act Comments Jan 19, 2002 Dear Mr. Feinberg, Please try to be more compassionate with the families who are grieving and suffering from the loss of their loved ones. Many victims were the sole providers such as my beautiful husband, , who meant the world to me and his children. He as well as all of the innocent victims are not here to fulfill the goals and dreams they had for their families or to assist with all future expenses. Please do not deduct any insurances or compensations from the Federal Governments September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Our loved ones worked very hard to provide for their families future dreams. They did not know such a tragedy would end it all. It is wrong for the fund to treat life insurance as offsets to be deducted from any awards. Life insurance is a separate entity and should not be associated with the fund, they are two unrelated issues. Families should not be penalized for securing insurances in case of ones death. Mr. Feinberg, the Governor, the Mayor and several of our highly respected officials, lawyers and economists have found a number of deficiencies with the fund. They feel it was hastily put together and that many rules must be changed, calculations are unfair and tables are from old statistics. They have also claimed that the growth path of earnings should be better recognized in the rules. We must think of the future of our children and the future dreams, goals and potential of our loved ones, who were taken from us on that tragic day and changed our lives forever. Please try to eliminate these continuous burdens on the victims families. We are not allowed to grieve or find peace because we must wait each and every day for you to complete a fair compensation award. Havent we suffered enough? Also due to the horrific extenuating circumstances that revolves around this case, there is no amount possible that can satisfy the families with the great loss, pain and suffering we are going through. Every moment of my life I will think about how my beautiful, special, loving husband, , suffered those last few moments of his precious life. He was the world to his family and our hearts will be broken forever. All those lost forever at the World Trade Center were such beautiful loving and caring people. We must all remember one thing, this world is a better place because of each and every one of them. I hope that you can see fit to help achieve the future goals and dreams our loved ones worked so hard for and resolve this matter as soon as possible. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-19 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 dojN002107.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. 2002-01-19 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, March 20, 2002 4:27 PM Treat Families of GLBT 9-11 Victims Fairly Dear U.S. Dept. of Justice, Is the Federal Government scared to do the right thing? OK, so perhaps you need to verify evidence of an existing, committed relationship on a case-by-case basis before you can compensate the surviving defacto family members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) victims of the 9-11 attacks. On the other hand, legally married survivors of 9-11 victims don't have the burden of proving the significance of their relationships, even when most of us have heard of sham marriages before. I have heard that the federal government is even willing to overlook the existing laws when it comes to compensating family members of illegal aliens who died in the 9-11 attacks. But you're afraid that states which don't recognize domestic partnerships are going to sue the federal government if you compensate the families of GLBT victims who were residents of those states? WHAT !!! The suffering of these survivors is as real for them as it is for the members of any other families who lost someone in the 9-11 attacks. Please do the right thing !! Thank you, Individual Comment Hutto, TX September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002395.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, January 08, 2002 11:01 AM Protest to the proposed regulations for the Victims' Compensation Fund I am writing this to protest the proposed regulations for the Victims' Compensation Fund. The settlement is inadequate in all regards. It is minimal in economic damage and heartless in compassion for the extraordinary pain and suffering and loss of companionship the 9-11 WTC destruction caused. Rather than being a Solomon, the Special Master is more like a Judas Iscariot selling out to the interests of the Airlines. The reason there are such gross disparities in the projected settlements is that the proposed regulations include so little compensation for loss of human life! It is instructive to realize that Bill Gates is worth more than 180 thousand human beings using the Master's logic. There are no provisions for extended families and loss of non-remunerative services. I will take the option of trying my case in court , thank you. You have ignored the carefully drafted responses of the Families of September 11 (which I am including as an attachment below) Individual Comment Newtonville, MA September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 Comment Of Families of September 11, Inc. In Response to Notice Of Inquiry And Advance Notice Of Rulemaking of The Civil Division Of The Justice Department [CIV 104P; AG Order No. 2531-2001] RIN 1105-AA79 INTRODUCTION This response is submitted by Families of September 11, Inc., a not for profit corporation whose members are surviving victims and survivors of victims of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001. Included among our members are "legal" relatives (e.g., spouses, parents, children and siblings) and "de facto" relatives (e.g., step children and parents, survivors of engaged couples and long term co-habitors, etc.) of those victims. Although our members' relationships with the victims and the nature, manifestation and magnitude of their losses are different, all of our members have suffered, are suffering and are likely to continue to suffer from grief and the trauma of September 11th. Many, indeed most, of our members are incapacitated, in varying degrees, from effectively pursuing their previous careers and employment activities. Our members recognize that they have only three effective means by which to obtain redress for the harm they have suffered and will continue to suffer: (a) commence litigation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (b) file a claim for compensation under section 405(a)(1) of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 ("the Act"), and/or (c) apply for charitable relief and that only the first (commencement of litigation) will afford them an opportunity to actively participate in the discovery of the truth about the causes of their injuries and the injury and death to their loved ones. Until the Attorney General, in consultation with the Special Master, has promulgated the regulations mandated by the Act, our members will have no basis upon which to choose from these alternatives. Because the Act has effectively capped the pool of funds available from the air carriers to the limits of the liability coverage maintained by them and because the magnitude of the potential claims (not only for bodily injury and death, but for property damage and other economic loss) is enormous, the regulations under consideration by the Attorney General must afford full compensation to the entire population of victims and survivors of victims of the September 11th attacks or the only remedy available to them will be charitable donations. For a wide variety of reasons (e.g., the Internal Revenue Code limitations on charitable giving, limited available resources, the inconsistent functioning of charitable organizations, etc.), our members have little expectation of obtaining substantial charitable relief. In effect, therefore, the regulations promulgated by the Attorney General are of critical importance to our members. It cannot be forgotten that the Families of September 11 are all innocents. They have been and feel victimized. The rest of the country has or will separate itself from the events of September 11th. The members of our organization have not and likely never will. They need not only the means with which to attempt to rebuild their lives but a process that validates their suffering. The recommendations made by Families of September 11 focus on four basic issues: 1.. The population of eligible applicants; 2.. Rules of evidence and substantive law designed to determine the full and fair value of claims before any collateral sources are deducted; 3.. Interpretation of the term "collateral sources"; and 4.. Making the process simple, convenient, fair and fast. We address these issues in each of the topics contained in the Notice of Rulemaking in the order presented there. Topics 1 and 2: The Forms To Be Used in Submitting Claims Under This Program and the Information To Be Included on the Claim Form The American Trial Lawyers Association has promised to provide pro-bono service to all persons who wish to make claims under the Act. This promise should be confirmed. The form should be drafted with the expectation that an experienced trial lawyer will fill it out. In the case of an applicant who claims to represent a deceased victim (i.e., "the Claimant"), the form should require disclosure of the names, addresses and phone numbers of all presumptive relatives of the decedent (see Topic 5) and whether or not such person has been appointed to represent the decedent by a court of competent jurisdiction. Similarly, in the case of an injured victim, the form should require that the Claimant disclose the names, addresses and phone numbers of his/her relatives. See Topics 3 and 5. In the case of an applicant who claims to be an eligible survivor of a deceased victim, the form should require an affidavit of that individual setting forth the relationship with the decedent and a statement setting forth the basis upon which he/she claims eligibility. Although the form should contain a statement that the American Trial Lawyers Association will provide an attorney at no charge to assist in the preparation of the form and the representation of a claimant throughout the process, it should also contain a statement that the reasonable fees of a private non- pro bono attorney will be paid to that attorney in addition to the award in an amount not in excess of 10% of the award. See Topic 5. The form should inform the applicant that the form will not be deemed to have been filed until the Hearing Officer has determined that an appropriate representative of the decedent has been determined and the last survivor seeking status as an eligible applicant has intervened or opted in under the rules (see Topic 3). The form should be designed in such a way that proof of the applicant's relationship to the injured or decedent victim, the status as a victim and all proof of damages can be accomplished by filing of certified copies of public documents (e.g., birth certificates), affidavits (e.g., proof of presence in or near the World Trade Center or Pentagon at the time of or in the immediate aftermath of the crashes, etc.) and written statements (e.g., air carrier passenger manifests, medical records, etc.). The form should make clear that the statements made on the application and in affidavits are made under the pains and penalties of perjury, that the Special Master and Hearing Officers have authority and have been directed to report suspected fraud to the Attorney General, and that any knowingly false statement made on the application or any affidavit will result in prosecution. See Topic 6. The form should provide the applicant an option to present oral evidence at a hearing and should inform the applicant that, if that option is chosen, a hearing will be provided within that state, territory or the District of Columbia in which at least one applicant resides and which the Hearing Officer determines most convenient for the applicants (see Topic 3). Topic 3: Procedures for Hearing and the Presentation of Evidence In the case of a decedent, the claim should be deemed to have been filed only when the Hearing Officer has determined that an appropriate representative of the decedent has been determined and the last of the survivor applicants has intervened or opted in, under the rules. A claimant should be considered an appropriate legal representative of a decedent if appointed as such by a court of competent jurisdiction. In the absence of such a judicial appointment, the Hearing Officer should have authority to designate the representative of the decedent and, where the Hearing Officer deems it appropriate, to require the filing of a bond. See Topic 4. A hearing, if requested, should be provided within that state, territory or the District of Columbia in which at least one applicant resides and which the Hearing Officer determines to be most convenient for the applicants. Formal rules of evidence should not apply. There should be a record of the proceedings. Any person who seeks status as an eligible individual should be entitled to a review of his/her status as an eligible individual and the amount of the award by a Review Panel chosen by the Special Master on the record of the proceedings before the Hearing Officer. Among the issues to be considered by the Review Panel should be adherence by the Hearing Officers to the expansive and uniform application of state law (see Topics 5 and 6) and the resolution of issues unique to individual claims. There should be no further right of review. Topic 4: Procedures to Assist an Individual in Filing and Pursuing Claims Under This Title There should be at least one Hearing Officer in every state, territory and the District of Columbia in which an applicant under the Act resides, and each Hearing Officer should have an Applicants' Assistant whose responsibility it is to assist applicants and liaison with the American Trial Lawyers Association. The regulations should provide for payment by the Justice Department of the reasonable fees of those attorneys who do not agree to perform their services pro bono, who assist applicants in the processing of their claims. The amount of those fees should not exceed 10% of the award to the claimant. Provision for payment of reasonable attorney fees is required to assure that all claimants get competent representation by counsel of their choosing, notwithstanding the offer of pro bono services by the American Trial Lawyers Association. Public notices should be disseminated making it clear that applicants for compensation under the Act have a right to intervene in or opt into a claim filed by a representative of a decedent and written notice, by certified mail return receipt requested, should be given to all persons who are presumptive relatives of a survivor or decedent. See Topic 5. Topic 5: Claimant Eligibility The stated purpose of The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 ("the Act") is to "provide compensation to any individual (or relatives of a surviving or deceased individual) who was physically injured or killed as a result of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11, 2001. The population of "relatives of deceased individuals" is not clearly defined in the Act and a tension is created between the express purpose of the Act to compensate those "relatives" and other provisions of the Act. Although there is no express provision in the Act for relatives of physically injured, but not killed, individuals, those relatives should be compensated under the Act and the regulations should so provide. The Act provides, "Not more than one claim may be submitted . on behalf of a deceased individual," and "in the case a decedent . [the claimant is] the personal representative of the decedent who files a claim on behalf of the decedent." The Act further provides, "Upon the submission of a claim ., the claimant waives the right to file a civil action (or be a party to an action) in any . court for damages.." The term "personal representative of the decedent" is not defined in the Act. As a matter of substantive law, the personal representative of a decedent need not be a relative of the decedent. It is the position of Families of September 11 that the regulations promulgated to carry out the Act should make clear that all "relatives" who were spouses and parents, children, or siblings of a decedent or injured victim (whether or not survived by a spouse) are presumptively eligible individuals and that other "relatives" may be such eligible individuals. The amount of the compensation awarded to such "relatives" may be highly variable based upon the relationship in fact between the decedent/injured victim and the relative, but the right of the presumptive relatives to participate in the claims process should be assured. In addition, the regulations should make clear that there is no compensation limit per decedent/injured victim: i.e., the aggregate amount of an award to multiple relatives of such a decedent/injured victim will not be capped in any way. This can be accomplished by requiring that the legal representative of the decedent or the injured victim identify, in affidavit form, all presumptive relatives and that effective notice be given to all such relatives giving them the opportunity (within a reasonable time - 60 days) to opt into the claim process. If they do not opt in, they will be excluded from compensation under the Act and, if they do opt in, they will effectively waive the right to sue in court. But they should have the choice. Other relatives (e.g., grandparents) who might be eligible will have to be vigilant and take affirmative steps to attempt to qualify. The regulations should provide a temporal limit (e.g., 60 days after notice is sent to presumptive relatives) on intervention in the claim by such more remote relatives. The regulations should make clear, however, that in no event shall a claim on behalf of a decedent be deemed to have been filed earlier than the first to occur of (a) the filing of a claim by an applicant who is the representative of the decedent appointed as such by a court of competent jurisdiction or (b) March 1, 2003. This will prevent a "remote" relative from pre-empting the rights of the duly appointed representative of the estate of the decedent to choose whether and, if so, when to file a claim under the Act, while at the same time preserving the right of such "remote" relative(s) to seek compensation under the Act. We are concerned with the exclusive effect of this proposal. It appears, however, to have been the intention of the Act to limit compensation to "relatives." If this is construed to mean relatives at law, many deserving individuals with close relationships in fact (i.e., co-habiting partners, survivors of engaged couples, step-children, etc.) who are injured survivors will be excluded. The regulations should more broadly define "relative" to include de facto relatives. Should the regulations not reflect the "presumptive relatives" approach and its corollaries set forth above, they should at a minimum capture in the population of eligible claimants the most expansive population permitted by an assessment of the law on such issues as it has been developed in all the state and federal courts applying state law, without deference to the law of any such jurisdiction. See Topic 6. Topic 6: Nature and Amount of Compensation We believe that experienced Hearing Officers who receive careful guidance from the Special Master can and should decide each case on its own merits. We recognize that using this approach will require the employment of as many as a hundred experienced Hearing Officers and require that they all receive careful training from the Special Master. Any attempt to provide formulaic outcomes will inevitably be arbitrary. It cannot be forgotten that the families of the victims are all now suffering from the most horrific act of arbitrary violence this country has ever experienced. They need not only compensation that reflects the realities of their lives and their losses, but also the well justified belief that the compensation they receive has been fairly determined. Furthermore, if the act is to fulfill its purpose of providing an effective alternative to litigation, it must promise and give results that fit the circumstances of each case. Each applicant should be permitted to submit expert testimony on any and all issues (economic and non-economic) upon which the courts have allowed such testimony, including past and projected future economic loss (income streams and expenses), hedonic damages, etc. The probative value of this type and all other evidence should be determined by an assessment of the law on such issues as it has been developed in all the state and federal courts applying state law, without deference to the law of any such jurisdiction. The substantive rules employed to determine that sum of money that will fully and fairly compensate each eligible applicant should be determined by an assessment of that law on such issues, as it has been developed in all the state and federal courts applying state law, without deference to the law of any such jurisdiction, which provides the most expansive remedies. For instance, although some jurisdictions do not permit recovery for grief and its consequences, such recovery should be permitted here. The specific rules to be applied should not be set forth in detail in these regulations (with the possible exception noted in the second next paragraph), but should be adopted by the Special Master pursuant to the above mandate and communicated to the Hearing Officers during their training. The Hearing Officers will then be in a position to listen to arguments for accepting evidence and applying damages rules on unusual issues and, if necessary referring them on a case-by-case basis to the Special Master or his designee for resolution (similar to an interlocutory appeal). Using this approach will provide potential applicants with a common body of well developed law with which to make decisions whether to pursue a claim under the Act or pursue their claims in court, will provide uniformity of decision making across jurisdictions, and will assure full compensation after applying the collateral source rule mandated by the Act. This approach is entirely consistent (indeed any more restrictive rule would be inconsistent) with Sections 402 (5) (ECONOMIC LOSS) and (7) (NONECONOMIC LOSSES) of the act, which provide that: The term "economic loss" means any pecuniary loss resulting from harm (including the loss of earnings or other benefits related to employment, medical expense loss, replacement services loss, loss due to death, burial costs, and loss of business or employment opportunities) to the extent recovery for such loss is allowed under applicable state law. The term "noneconomic losses" means losses for physical and emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, mental anguish, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of society and companionship, loss of consortium (other than loss of domestic service), hedonic damages, injury to reputation, and all other nonpecuniary losses of any kind or nature. It is essential that "noneconomic loss" awards be consistent for all, particularly among survivors of deceased victims. There should be no linkage between the amount of an "economic loss" award and the amount of the "noneconomic loss" award for such applicants for compensation under the Act. There simply is no rational basis for assuming such a correlation and every reason to think that the economically disadvantaged suffer the same emotional pain, etc. as the economically more fortunate. Indeed, the hearing process would be very much streamlined and the risk of anomalous outcomes substantially reduced, if the regulations provide for a minimum award to each presumptive relative of each deceased victim for the emotional consequences of the emptiness left in and trauma to his/her life in a fixed amount (e.g., $2,000,000) to be supplemented based upon unique circumstances presented in the claim or at the hearing. Such an approach would have as its premise the reality that even the emotionally most resilient among them (no matter what their ages or other circumstances) have suffered and will continue to suffer from the loss of their loved ones and the haunting images of the terror faced by those loved ones just before and as their lives were extinguished by explosion and fire, crush of steel and mortar, impacts with earth from leaps to death, etc. For even these most resilient ones (some would say, most emotionally repressed) whose tears flow inward unseen, suffer with the others. Finally, the regulations should require the Special Master and the Hearing Officers to make no distinction among awards customarily given in different locations where a hearing might be held, the injury or death occurred, or a victim or survivors may have lived or are living: rather, they should require that awards be consistent with those made in those locations, nationwide, where the most generous awards are the custom. This is consistent with the broad scope of damages contemplated by the Act and the unprecedented enormity of and national scope of the September 11th attacks, and is essential to meet the criterion of fairness across geographic regions implicit in the Act. Since so much of the language of the Act that reads, "The term 'collateral source' means all collateral sources" begs the question of what is a collateral source, the regulations should include as collateral sources only those which are and are of the same kind as those enumerated as examples: i.e., life insurance, pension funds, death benefit programs, and payments by federal, state, or local governments. It is clear to us that charitable contributions are not of like kind to these, nor are "in kind" and/or material contributions of this type. Furthermore, the regulations should state expressly that the term "collateral source" will be narrowly construed to mean only those sums received by the eligible applicant net of all taxes that exceed the premiums, payments or other contributions made by that applicant and the interest, dividends and capital and other gains attributed to said premiums, payments or contributions, and the scope of the terms "pension funds" and "death benefit programs" should be more clearly defined consistent with this narrow construction. Application of any other rule will place form over substance: The survivor of a victim who invested wisely in the stock market would avoid a collateral source deduction, while the survivor of a victim who invested in whole life insurance, a 401(k) plan or the like would have an award reduced by the investment. If the rule suggested here is adopted, the apparent intent of Congress that applicants for relief under the Act not receive a windfall will be accomplished. For example, the young executive who had paid premiums of $10,000 for a term life insurance policy with a $250,000 death benefit would have his award reduced by $240,000, but the victim who had paid into a retirement plan all contributions to it (no employer participation) would have no set off against recovery. The burden of proving the limited application of the collateral source rule should be on the applicant. We hope that the Special Master will be an active jurist with many years and broad experience handling civil claims, particularly wrongful death claims. Hearing Officers should be jurists (active or retired) and mediators or arbitrators with many (at least 10) years experience handling civil claims, including wrongful death claims. Although the commitment of the Justice Department to providing and training qualified Hearing Officers will be substantial, it will not exceed the burden that will otherwise be placed on the courts, if the regulations do not afford victims and their families an effective forum for relief and an adequate remedy. Requiring that all applications and affidavits be signed under the pains and penalties of perjury with the threat of criminal prosecution and the experience and judgment of well qualified Hearing Officers should suffice to determine whether potential future collateral source payments are ones that an individual is "entitled to receive." Similarly, fraud can best be avoided by requiring affidavits wherever feasible and empowering and requiring the Special Master and Hearing Officers to report suspicion of fraud to the Attorney General for prosecution. CONCLUSION The population of eligible applicants should be sufficiently large to capture all those who have suffered the consequences of the terrorist-related aircraft crashes of September 11th. All spouses, as well as all parents, children and siblings of victims (whether survived by a spouse), have been affected by the trauma of the September 11th crashes and must be presumed to be eligible for compensation under the Act. Other "legal" relatives of the victims may well also have suffered. Finally, narrow legal definitions of relationships cannot accomplish the salutary goals of the Act, and experienced Hearing Officers can make well reasoned decisions whether to include (or exclude) "de facto" relatives or those with remote degrees of kinship and, if included, the nature and extent of their losses. The rules of evidence and substantive law must be designed to provide uniformity of application and to fairly determine the full and fair value of claims before any collateral sources are deducted. This can be accomplished by relying upon the enormous body of decisional authority of the state and federal appellate courts. Since the Act itself makes clear that an extremely broad array of both economic and non-economic damages are to be awarded, the most expansive rules of evidence and substantive law recognized by the existing decisional authority should be used for determining both eligibility and damages. Since grief is a part of the suffering of and is impairing the vitality of the vast majority of those who will apply for benefits under the Act, compensation for it should be permitted. Consistency of outcomes in like circumstances is essential to fairness and its perception. Application of the most expansive and generous interpretations by the state and federal courts, applying state law, and requiring that awards reflect the most generous outcomes for all, notwithstanding the location of the hearing, the applicant or the injury or death of the victim, is also required to assure fairness: This country has never experienced a disaster of this magnitude and it deserves treatment commensurate with the scope of its devastation. The term "collateral sources" should be narrowly construed to avoid formalist and anomalous results and to effect the purpose of the Act: i.e., to fairly compensate the victims of the September 11th terrorist-related crashes and avoid windfalls to those whose contributions to the "collateral source" are disproportionate to the benefit they received. Since charitable and "in kind" distributions to applicants are simply not of like kind to the "collateral sources" enumerated in the act, they should not result in a reduction in awards. Finally, it is the intent of these recommendations that the regulations make the process simple, convenient, fair and fast. It is clear that Congress sought this result. The "opt in" and "intervention" recommendations made here should assure that the entire population of intended participants in the Act's recovery process are included promptly after a claim is first filed. The use of experienced decision makers and existing appellate decisional law will provide predictability and uniformity of results. The availability of a hearing convenient to the applicants will provide the opportunity that they need to present their cases and, perhaps just as important, give them the belief that they are being treated as individuals and the merits of their cases are being assessed fairly. This response to inquiry and advance notice of rulemaking is submitted by e-mail to victimcomp.comments@usdoj.gov on behalf of Families of September 11, Inc., by its president, Carie Lemack, with a hard copy to be filed by hand delivery. Individual Comment 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 dojN001444.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