dojA005503.xml
Title
dojA005503.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
email
Date Entered
2001-12-13
September 11 Email: Body
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 that occurred 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 dies. Because the option of marriage is denied by law 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
Fresno, CA
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 that occurred 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 dies. Because the option of marriage is denied by law 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
Fresno, CA
September 11 Email: Date
2001-12-13
Collection
Citation
“dojA005503.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed November 20, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/26953.