dojR001784.xml

dojR001784.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-03-18

Monday, March 18, 2002 10:34 PM
Final Rule - 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001

Gentlefolk,

In looking at a memorial site for the victims of the WTC, a major inconsistency struck me. People in the government of NY and the government of the United States went out of their way to "naturalize" survivors of undocumented aliens who worked in the World Trade Center and who died in the towers' collapse on 9/11/2001.

Decades ago I worked in a restaurant as a prep cook. I'm personally aware of how often undocumented aliens are hired by restauranteurs. Those restauranteurs KNOW they are violating the law and yet they did it 20 years ago and they STILL do it. Unless the undocumented employee has some monetary value to their restaurants beyond that of kitchen prep or cleanup or delivery, these restauranteurs leave the problem of naturalization to their employees as a rule. I have no personal knowledge of how Windows on the World in the WTC operated, but I've seen no evidence to think that they were any different.

I find it ridiculous that the compensation fund covers the families of the undocumented aliens who died in WTC, up to and INCLUDING bringing their relatives -- siblings, spouses, offspring, parents; changing from case to case -- AND GRANTING THEM CITIZENSHIP, INCLUDING ANY SIBLINGS, SPOUSES, OFFSPRING NOT US BORN WHO MIGHT HAVE ALREADY BEEN HERE.

Yet, gay life partners are ignored.

Do you wish to be seen as completely FAIR? It seems to me you have two choices:

1) Apply ALL federal law and regulation EQUALLY -- and rescind the newly conferred citizenship of relatives of aliens killed in the WTC and do NOT compensate them at all.

2) Compensate lifepartners and any adopted children of all lesbian or gay US citizens killed in the WTC.

IF you can ignore immigration law, you can ignore the DOMA.

My husband is an independent travel agent, not an employee of some huge travel umbrella network.

On 9/1/2001, American Airlines cut commission to travel agents to the bare bones. By the end of business that day, all major remaining US carriers followed suit. At that time, that carrier already had cuts in manpower in the works for the next 18 months, and a reduction in flights planned. After 9/11, that airline and others came to you for relief, blaming all of their problems on 9/11, which is unadulterated fabricated poppycock.

Since 9/11, over 80,000 travel agents are out of work. Most of them, like my husband were, when they were working, independent contractors and as such they cannot collect unemployment while they search for work. Of course, those first laid off or put out of business are those over 45, who ARE discriminated against when looking for work, ANY work, particularly related work. "Overqualified" is another phrase for "too (CENSORED) old." As of today, three carriers, Delta, American and Continental, have cut their commission to travel agents to ZERO and are "refusing comment" with other carriers to follow. Delta had the "courtesy" to release their news (though after news publication deadline) on Friday, while the other two made their announcements today effective hours prior to their announcements. These airlines have all come to you with their hands out. WHERE IS YOUR HELP FOR THOSE THEY'VE SHAFTED AND THROWN INTO THE STREETS?

WHERE IS YOUR COMPENSATION FOR THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES?

Hotels are still not running at the occupancy they were prior to 9/11/2001. THEY have all laid off employees. WHERE IS YOUR COMPENSATION FOR THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES?

Business who supply hotels and provide services for hotelliers are all hurting, many cutting back on hours and manpower. WHERE IS YOUR COMPENSATION FOR THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES?

You're making a few people instant millionnaires. You're making others extraordinarily rich. You're making instant citizens for people you would formerly have rounded up in a raid, thrown on a bus, shipped to Rikers Island and then thrown home on the nearest cheapest transport.

You've failed at every turn. I'm EXTREMELY angry, since you've not only let the airlines put my husband and others on the brink of bankruptcy and on the streets with no hope of future employment whatsoever, you've violated your own immigration law and regulations while upholding an unconstitutional law regarding the civil contract of marriage.

Other than the fact that *I* respect my nation's laws MORE than you as an agency do, can you give me one reason to applaud your MINDLESS AND ARBITRARY distribution of taxes we could ill afford to pay in the first place?

I am personally ashamed of and disgusted by what you have done and consider your "final rule" to be a travesty.

Shame on you!




Individual Comment
Seattle, WA

2002-03-18