dojN002604.xml

dojN002604.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-02-21

Mr. Kenneth L. Zwick, Director
Office of Management Programs, Civil Division
U.S. Department of Justice
Main Building, Room 3140
950 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Mr. Zwick:

As a daughter of who was killed on United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, I am deeply saddened by the rules and regulations as set by Mr. Feinberg as to the distribution of the monies in the Compensation Fund of 2001.

What disturbs me most is that under these circumstances and within the current guidelines set forth in the Compensation Fund, my family would receive $0; in fact, under the $300,000 limit for single, not dependent children, we could conceivably owe the government money.

The way I view the situation, there are two ways to fairly handle the monetary issue that would benefit everyone concerned:

1. A portion of the fund money (amount to be set by the Special Master) should be used to
compensate the people who were injured or displaced as a result of the World Trade Center
collapsing. The balance of the fund plus the insurance monies carried by the airlines, security companies, and any other companies that would be constructed as liable in a lawsuit, would then be pooled and equally divided among the families who lost loved ones as a result of the attack.

In this way, Mr. Feinberg will not have to decide who is more economically in need because
everyone would receive the same amount of monetary compensation. Pension funds and
insurance policies should also be excluded as a criteria because each family's situation is radically different and there is no way fairness can be applied without it seeming one gets more than another. By adding the insurance monies from the airlines and security companies, a message can still be sent that there is some responsibility on their part to do their share in compensating the victim's families without litigation, or

2. Each incident is handled separately. For example, United Flight 93 is handled by the insurance of United Airlines, the insured plane that crashed, security companies' insurance and a portion of the fund set aside for those families. Similarly, the Pentagon crash would be handled separately and the World Trade Center crashes as one event.

In a recent newspaper article, Mr. Feinberg was quoted as saying that he could not play Solomon and decide different degrees of pain and suffering; nor should he be expected to do so. However, since he cannot play Solomon to decide who suffered more pain than someone else, he also cannot and should not play Solomon to decide who economically is more in need than someone else.

If the handling of the fund does not change dramatically, it will become a discussion of "class" rather than equality. A discussion of "class" is a no-win situation for everyone involved. Under the current system, those who had the foresight to purchase insurance and contribute to a pension are left with nothing. Those who did not plan for their future are left with something. How does that seem fair and just? Everyone who died on September 11 did so equally; whether they were retired, working, or unemployed. They have been touted by our Government as American Heroes. Let's treat them and their families with the dignity, respect and honor they deserve.

Sincerely,

Individual Comment
Danville, CA

2002-02-21