dojA004808.xml

dojA004808.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-12-15

December 15, 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
Grayslake, IL

2001-12-15