dojA005512.xml

dojA005512.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-12-14

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
Encinitas CA

2001-12-14