dojA001835.xml
Title
dojA001835.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 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
Hemet, 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 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
Hemet, CA
September 11 Email: Date
2001-12-13
Collection
Citation
“dojA001835.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed September 17, 2024, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/28314.