dojW000174.xml

dojW000174.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-11-07

Wednesday, November 07, 2001 11:28 AM
Compensation for 9/11

1. Should government assistance be reduced by charitable amounts received: NO.

The families should receive fair, equitable and timely assistance using simple, equal division, regardless of what they may have received from charities. Government assistance should not be determined with any consideration given to what the private individual citizens have already given. That the government has decided to take "public comments," and debate issues that common sense dictate should require no debate, rather than responsibly and expeditiously providing the families the emergency assistance that many sorely need in a timely manner, shows lack of commitment and support to the families and the public, lack of compassion, and a troubling set of priorities set by our politicians who have returned to what is routine and normal for them: the need for forming committees, long debates to espouse and further their personal points of view and those who have funded their campaigns, etc., usually at the expense of the interests of the American public. These people need help NOW.

I believe you are forgetting one very important factor: What "charitable" financial assistance that has been given out was not given automatically out of charities normal day to day operating coffers, received over time. It was generously donated by the American public, all at once, to a special fund. It is not "charities," per se, handing out "funds." This Fund is an "individual gift" from the American public.

2. September 11 Fund and the Red Cross and United Way:

As of November, it is reported that very little of the related 9/11 Funds have been been given out. A couple of the most noted agencies have converted the majority of the money to their own use and benefit, even though it was given to a special fund for the sole and exclusive benefit of the victims families.

The only person I have witnessed to even be remotely interested in what appears to be the outright fraud and theft of special funds by the Red Cross is the FoxNews O'Reilly Factor. He reports that the Red Cross had $546 Million collected in the special fund, but were only planning to distribute $100 Million to the families, with the remainder being converted solely to the benefit of the Red Cross, used for payroll and administrative expenses. This is a ratio of 20% for the families, a staggering 80% for the Red Cross. If a member of the public or a government official/agency did this, it would result in criminal charges. School children in low income neighborhoods held penny drives, and many persons sacrificed and shared what little they had so that the 9/11 families would receive their assistance. The Washington Post or New York Times reported that the 9/11 Fund had reached $1.6 Billion. Where did the remainder of this Fund go since the Red Cross is claiming to have received only $546 Million? Why has no government agency, the Justice Department, nor anyone on Capitol Hill pursued this problem?

These 2 agencies, specifically, should be required to fully account for and relinquish ALL of the donated/collected 9/11 Funds to a government-appointed group to distribute fairly by simple division to everyone listed in an expeditious manner, mindful that many families need this assistance NOW. People did not give to this Fund so that the Red Cross and United Way could unjustly enrich themselves. In the real world of the ordinary citizen, we call this a criminal scam.

Individual Comment

2001-11-07