dojN002407.xml

dojN002407.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-01-09

January 9, 2001

To Our Elected Officials:


In the immediate aftermath of the tragic attack of The United States, on
September 11, Congress enacted the Victims" Compensation Fund of 2001 P.L.
107-42, to compensate the relatives of the victims of that brutal attack.
As you know, this Fund was enacted as part of a comprehensive package which
bailed out the airline industry and imposed restrictions of the rights of
the victims' relatives to recover damages from court. We implore upon you,
as our elected officials, to demand changes to the interim rules issued by
Kenneth Feinberg, the Special Master. As it stands, Mr. Feinberg's
self-imposed rules fail to satisfy the letter or the spirit of the
legislation, which was enacted.

Specifically, we request that you act on our behalf and demand the following
changes to the interim rules:

1. The arbitrary income limits imposed by the Special Master are not only
unfair but also inconsistent with the letter and the spirit of the law.
Those victims from financial industry are specifically harmed by this
limit. They were targeted and murdered precisely because of the jobs they
held and where they worked-the World Trade Center, the Financial capital of
the world, the embodiment of financial success. Those who achieved such
Success should see that reflected in their awards. They personified
American Business and commerce, democracy and freedom. We ask that you
demand that Mr. Feinberg lift the arbitrary income limits so that each
family can be treated fairly; commensurate with support they provided
their families before their death.

2. Mr. Feinberg has arbitrarily restricted the non-economic awards for pain
and suffering, no matter what the extent of the pain and suffering. This is
unacceptable. In the words of Congressman Peter King,"...every death is
tragic. A murder is particularly tragic. But to have your love one
murdered in a burning building in full view of the world - in a scene which
will be repeated in the media for decades to come is a horror these
families will never escape from... The Special Master cannot take it upon
himself to restrict the rights of the families." Therefore, we request that
the interim rules be amended to more appropriately compensate the victims'
families' for the immeasurable pain and suffering endured by our loved ones.
As Mayor Giulani stated in his farewell address: "we have an obligation to
the people who did die...Their families need to be protected just as if they
had been alive, financially and every other way that we can help and assist
their families...There should be no compromise about that ever..." We
request that the interim rules be amended and that compensation for pain and
suffering more accurately reflect that horror which was suffered. Justice
demands no less.


Sincerely,

Individual Comment
NYC

2001-01-09