dojA002122.xml

dojA002122.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-12-17

Monday, December 17, 2001 3:53 PM
please administer the fund fairly

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
San Francisco, CA

2001-12-17