dojA001569.xml

dojA001569.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-12-13

Thursday, December 13, 2001 3:04 PM
september 11th victims' families

Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg
September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530

Dear 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

2001-12-13