968 20 70359 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, December 21, 2001 12:10 AM Equal Access To Crisis Relief Benefits December 21, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Levittown, PA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN000180.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Tuesday, March 12, 2002 9:37 AM Treat all alike Dear Sir/Madam: As a US citizen I am outraged that the Mr. Ashcroft's Justice Dept. will not give deserved money to the families and loved ones of 9/11 that happen to be gay. This is outrageous injury to justice. Please reconsider this unjust policy. Individual Comment Chicago, Illinois September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-12 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000376.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-12 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 12:03 AM Please treat gays equally - they have lost too December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment Seattle, WA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002568.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 13, 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 Capitola, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004184.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Saturday, March 16, 2002 8:37 PM UN-AMERICAN When I consider the courageous acts of , , and , along with others who happened to be gay, and their fate on 9-11, I am sick to my stomach over your offices decision to leave their survivors out in the cold. This is wholly un-American and immoral, and I pray that you will reconsider the decision immediately. Regards, Individual Comment Los Angeles, California September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR001229.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 21, 2001 12:24 PM Very Important Dear Mr. Zwick, It is with great concern, and hope of preventing what may be a grave injustice to all the families who lost loved ones during the tragic events of September 11th, 2001 that I am compelled to contact you. On September 11, the very fabric that symbolized the American family was torn with such finality as to eliminate any possibility of mending with "monetary thread." Despite that realization, I understand that the only compensation available to the families of those lost on that horrific day is monetary in nature. Subsequently, the establishment of the "Victims Compensation Fund" (the fund) is logical. However, while the establishment of the fund is logical, I fear that the guiding principals and mechanics of the fund are not. After all, it is commonly stated that "the distance between thought and deed is often far." Having said that, and having reviewed the parameters of the fund, I felt it was imperative to share with you the many reservations associated with the fund's ability to accomplish its single purpose - economic equity for those now painfully suffering from the lose of their loved ones. Below, you will find those reservations. First and foremost, it is imperative that each and every claimant be given the opportunity to share their unique circumstances with the individuals who will be instrumental in determining an award. In doing so, each claimant should be afforded both the opportunity to present evidence through their own personal testimony and enlist the assistance of experts, if desired, in order to provide a clear and concise depiction of their position. Allowing such an opportunity will ensure fairness and objectivity as each case will be heard separately and awards will be based on the circumstances associated with each case. On a personal note, the ability for an individual to share their pain and suffering is instrumental to the long journey associated with the healing process that every individual must now embark upon. Second, I am alarmed by the fact that the government, who will ultimately pay the awards, will be "appointing" one individual (The Special Master) to determine the "extent of harm to the claimant," the amount of compensation to be awarded based on "the harm to the claimant," "the facts of the claim" and "the individual circumstances of the claimant." While I understand that the "Special Master" will be designating individuals (hearing officers) to hear each case independently, that knowledge does not instill the confidence or peace of mind that I require to participate in the fund. Instead, I would prefer an independent panel, perhaps three (3) to five (5) individuals, who demonstrate expertise in areas such as "human life value," "wrongful death" and "taxation." I believe that these Individuals along with a "hearing officer" are more likely to determine an award that is commensurate based on the unique circumstances of each individual. Additionally, I believe by maintaining a panel of "hearing officers," the decision making process would demonstrate a greater degree of objectivity. Equally alarming is the fact that the determinations made by the "Special Master" and "hearing officers" are "final" and "not subject to judicial review." It is imperative that the option to appeal such a determination be made available to the claimants. Again, fairness and objectivity should be the guiding principals of the fund. In the event an award is not viewed as equitable, an individual should, as in any hearing, maintain their right to appeal a decision. The right to appeal a decision is often a cornerstone of legal defences. If appeal is available to a criminal, why then should an innocent person not be afforded that same courtesy? Next, the method used to compute "economic loss" is of paramount importance. A "cap" with regard to recovery associated with "economic losses" is simply not acceptable. In fact, we believe an approach such as the one commonly utilized in personal injury cases is most applicable. Pursuant to such a method, the deceased's retirement date should be set to coincide with the date that the deceased would have been eligible to receive full Social Security benefits. Also, the deceased's income should be averaged over the last three (3) years given the fact that "economic losses of many of these individuals are associated with future income streams that would have been highly contingent, variable, or unpredictable " With that in mind, an approach that utilizes an "average income" is obviously the most appropriate method for determining an individuals income. Also, be sure to keep in mind that it is imperative that "income" include wages, bonus', stock options, partnership earnings etc. Finally, in an effort to fully reflect the earning potential of those lost on September 11th, inflation, historical wage increases, merit and opportunity for advancement must be considered. The final result of such an exercise would represent the individual's "base income." The "base income" could then be multiplied by the number of years that the deceased individual would have worked had he/she been eligible to receive full Social Security benefits. Furthermore, with regard to reducing the amount of the compensation by the amount of the "collateral source compensation," Life insurance proceeds (private and/or group) associated with premiums paid by the deceased, should not be considered as a "collateral source." After all, the deceased, in an effort to ensure financial support for his/her family, made a prudent decision to dedicate a portion of his/her after tax income to that financial security. To consider life insurance proceeds associated with premiums paid by the deceased as a "collateral source" would be akin to punishing the deceased for loving & caring enough about his/her family to ensure their financial future in the event a tragedy were to occur. Also, Social Security benefits should not be considered as a "collateral source." After all, the deceased paid into the system in an effort to ensure "social security." Unfortunately his/her family now represent the members of society that are in need of the very "security" that the system was designed to provide. The deceased was not give a choice of "opting out" of the social security system. On the contrary, an individual has no choice but to contribute to the Social Security system. With that in mind, it is obvious that his/her family should not be punished for receiving such benefits. After all, the Social Security system was never intended to be a "needs based" benefit. All individuals, regardless of income and assets, assuming that they secured the appropriate number of "quarters," have always been entitled to benefits regardless of the other type of assets/income that they may or may not have. Interestingly, countless millionaires receive Social Security benefits despite the fact that the income is not needed to ensure their financial well being. With this in mind, why should a benefit that plays an instrumental role with regard to a family's financial security be deducted from an award? Next, retirement plans (IRA's, 401 k, etc.) funded by the actions and sacrifice of the deceased should not be considered as a "collateral source." Again, the deceased, in an effort to ensure financial support for his/her family, made a prudent decision to set aside funds designed to ensure a comfortable retirement. A great deal of legislation (past & present) has been adopted in order to motivate individual's to plan for their financial future. Today represents the first step of that financial future. To consider retirement plans a "collateral source" would again be akin to punishing the deceased for loving and caring enough about his/her family to forgo current enjoyment in order to ensure financial stability in the event of a tragedy. Additionally, A "cap" with regard to recovery associated with "non economic losses" is simply not acceptable. In fact, it is imperative that the assistance of experts in the field of "human life value," be enlisted to determine an appropriate award given the ambiguity associated with valuing the "non economic role" of an individual. After all, the lose of the family unit, enjoyment of life and emotional pain is not easily discernible. However, given that I am both questioning the "fairness" of the fund and taking the position that benefits (life insurance proceeds & social security benefits) associated with payments made by the deceased should not be considered "collateral source compensation," it is understandable that the benefits funded by an employer (i.e. Workers Comp.) may be deducted from an award. After all, the maintaining of "Workers Compensation" is mandatory for employers and the premium associated with such coverage is an expense of the employer. This in turn may make this benefit similar in nature to the employer provided, non-contributory life insurance coverage - the $100,000 received from CNA. With this in mind, it is easy to understand that the "benefit" is employer provided and may be considered a "collateral source compensation." In closing, I would like to take a moment in advance to thank you for a fair and impartial assessment of our comments. Of course it our only hope to ensure that any award associated with the fund is fair and equitable and accomplishes the funds single purpose - economic equity for those now painfully suffering from the lose of their loved ones. Sincerely, Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000461.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, December 19, 2001 12:06 PM Benefits for Survivors of Sept. 11 December 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment San Mateo, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA003165.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-19 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 13, 2002 12:21 PM Compensation Plan Kenneth Feinberg 911 Fund: After reading several articles regarding your appearance and comments on NBC's "Meet the Press," on March 10, 2002, I have been moved to write to you to express my anger, dismay and disappointment in you and the 911 Fund and the treatment of the survivors of same-sex partners. What does it mean when a country as great as ours "segregates" our heroes and determines who is worthy and who is not? Who are you, along with the Attorney General no less, to determine that it is acceptable to acknowledge the loss of one life and assist those left behind and not that of another? Shame on you and your organization Mr. Feinberg. And please do not quote to me your position about state vs. federal laws. These are extraordinary circumstance we are dealing with and they call for someone to stand-up for equality and justice for all. I feel that the following quote sums up my feelings on this matter: "If September 11 has taught us anything, it's that our patriotism and love of country transcend our differences and unite us all. It would be ironic if the generosity of so many Americans in giving to the September 11th Fund were used to further divide us as a people, and send the message to all that some American heroes are more equal than others." Please do not further the divide. Please reconsider your position regarding the survivors of same-sex partners who suffered the same loss and deserve the same assistance. Sincerely, Individual Comment West Hollywood, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000633.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, November 28, 2001 2:22 PM September 11th Fund To: Department of Justice Re: Compensation to Same-Sex Partners and Family Members As the Department of Justice makes its decision about who is eligible for the September 11th Fund to receive compensation for the losses of relatives of those who died, and those who were injured, I urge you to include among relatives eligible for compensation, those who lost their life partners or de facto parents or children, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. The pain felt by gay and lesbian families is no different than the pain experienced by every other family who had someone brutally taken away from them on that day. It is my hope that you will do the morally right thing and grant funds to all families who lost life partners, parents, or children. Individual Comment Princeton, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA000100.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, November 25, 2001 11:28 PM (no subject) Enclosed please find a letter detailing some comments shared by many widows and family members. Attachment 1: November 19, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwick, With heavy hearts we write this letter to you representing not only ourselves, but also the hundreds of other families whose loved ones were either hurt or killed in the tragic events of September 11, 2001. On September 11th our lives spiraled out of control. Writing this letter to you in response to your request for comments about the Victims Compensation Fund is one step towards us regaining control over our new lives, and learning to have hope for tomorrow. The Victims Compensation Fund's intent is to attempt to make whole the material damages of the victims. While the fund is set up as a convenient, expedient process, we are concerned about its implementation. In the spirit of your request for comments, we hope to contribute towards the better understanding of the families' needs in order to achieve the intended goal of the Victims Compensation Fund within the parameters of the legislation. ECONOMIC LOSSES as pertaining to Section 405(b)(1)(B)(i) Of paramount importance to us, is the computation of economic losses. We are expecting total economic recovery. Simply put, no one should be penalized because his or her loved one worked long, hard hours and earned a commensurate income. Our loved ones were not simply handed these positions. They earned them. They studied and worked their entire lives to get where they were on September 11th. And, no one, regardless of his or her income level, should be penalized for that. No one, regardless of their job title or form of occupation, should have their rightful economic recovery discounted. We would request an approach similar to that which is used in personal injury actions; however, we would fully expect that neither age, nor marital status, nor dependency status would be a discriminatory factor. The decedent's income should be averaged over the past 3 working years. Factors such as inflation, wage-increases, merit, likely bonuses and advancement, and any other benefits should be considered. For many, the lost income streams may be contingent, variable, or unpredictable. We do not believe that our families should be penalized because of this. The hearing officers should be permitted to consider the testimony of experts concerning such things as the likelihood of advancement, the bonus scheme unique to each company and each department in each company, economic cycles, performance reviews, as well as, how the compensation of other co-workers progressed during the course of their working lives. In those cases where the compensation is extremely variable and dependant upon commissions, as a base, we believe that the hearing officer should consider the average of the best three out of five years of employment. NON-ECONOMIC LOSSES as pertaining to Section 405(b)(1)(B)(i) Also of the utmost importance to us, is the fair and equal recovery for non-economic losses. At a base level, no one person's life should be valued more than another. Each family should be entitled to the same base amount of recovery. However, the hearing officer should not be precluded from a higher non-economic loss determination depending upon the merits of each case. Each case should take into account the age of the decedent, the marital status of the decedent, and the number and ages of the decedent's children. Moreover, the severity of pain and suffering (both mental and physical) of not only the decedent, but also the spouse and any children of the decedent should also be factored into any final recovery. Any cost of counseling for the decedent's spouse and children should be recovered. If a decedent was not married and had no children, then his/her parents should recover under the fund or any other persons who would have a rightful claim under prevailing laws, or as a consequence of the decedent's will. Non-economic losses should be calculated similar to that in personal injury actions. But, again, neither age, nor marital status, nor dependency status should be a detriment. In addition, special consideration must be given to the fact that eyewitness testimony concerning the horrific pain and suffering endured by our loved ones may be impossible to elicit. Thus, the hearing officer should consider the reports and/or testimony of expert witnesses who may describe based upon their training and experiences what the decedent went through both mentally and physically prior to his or her own death. Hearsay testimony should be permitted. Certainly, we would appreciate any non-economic recovery from the fund being generous in light of the terrible circumstances of September 11th. STANDARD OF DETERMINATION OF COMPENSATION as pertaining to Sections 405(b)(1)(B)(i) &(ii) With the passage of the most recent legislation limiting certain entities' liability to their insurance coverage levels, we find ourselves left with very little in the way of options. In fact, for some of us only one viable means of recovery remains-that of the compensation fund. Therefore, we are going to need to have a better sense of what kind of compensation we might expect as a floor, should we elect to enter the fund. Please understand that we are forfeiting our right to bring a third-party lawsuit. In doing so, we are forfeiting our right to find actual fault against an entity (be it the federal government, the Port Authority, the airlines, etc.). Undoubtedly, such a finding of fault would provide an immense psychological benefit to some of us, since it would, at the very least provide us with some kind of answers as to why this horrible event was even able to occur. In exchange for forfeiting these rights, we need to receive things in return. One of the things we would like to receive is some kind of degree of certainty as to what we would recover should we elect to enter the fund. We do not wish to enter this fund with blinders on. Thus, while we do understand that every case is unique and deserves individual treatment, we would like to know beforehand exactly how economic damages would be calculated for loss of earnings. This would, at a bare minimum, provide us with a base from which we could begin to make a decision as to whether the fund will furnish us with adequate compensation to survive. RIGHT TO APPEAL as pertaining to Section 405(b)(3) Since the Law does not allow any appeal on the Special Master's decision, there should be an automatic review process of each case officer's decision, before the claim is presented to the Special Master for his final adjudication. This could be done by impaneling a three member Review Board and could be handled like a normal appeal or like a Review in Marshall Law cases. Potentially, the one particular hearing officer who happens to be assigned to our particular case has the power to affect the rest of our lives. He will dramatically shape our futures. Putting that kind of power in the hands of one individual and then giving him such sweeping authority (since none of his/her decisions are subject to appeal) is just unfair. COLLATERAL SOURCES as pertaining to Section 405(b)(6) With regard to collateral sources, we are very concerned about their use to offset any amount recovered from the fund. At a bare minimum, we would suggest that a certain amount of collateral monies be permitted and not deducted, since some of these monies are and will continue to be needed by the families for extraordinary expenses which they would not have incurred had the tragedy not happened. We would suggest that a certain amount of collateral contributions be exempted (perhaps a year's worth of living expenses), and we would further request that all collateral sources above that threshold amount then be deducted from any fund recovery. We believe that life insurance should not be deducted from fund payments. Simply put, life insurance is not taxed by the IRS for one reason-it encourages people to plan for their heirs. The deduction of life insurance from fund payments is essentially penalizing those people who were merely responsible estate planners. The decedents sacrificed and saved hard-earned money to pay for such plans; they are already victims once, do not make them victim's twice. Similarly, accidental insurance should not be deducted since it, too, is purchased by those who are merely planning responsibly for the unforeseen future. Accidental insurance protects people against the unforeseen and unexpected; accidental insurance is a good thing and people should not be dissuaded from entering into such policies. Moreover, pension funds, IRAs, and 401k plans should not be deducted from the fund's recovery amount. These plans were responsibly sacrificed and saved for by our loved ones. Essentially, they are savings accounts, and they should not be deducted from the fund. There should be no deductions from any fund recovery for any "in kind" contributions made to our families. In addition, all potential future collateral source payments should similarly be excluded from consideration as deductions from any compensation recovery. With regard to charity, Americans across this country donated their hard-earned money as a symbol of their patriotism, and our brotherhood as a nation. To deduct this charity money from any final payment would be, in our opinion, wrong. Donations made to families like ours were generously and selflessly given to us as a form of healing for both donor and recipient. Every single dollar donated and received gives each one of us a hope for tomorrow and a belief in our country as a united whole. Please do not denigrate this beautiful symbol of our nation standing together as one. ELIGIBILITY OF CLAIMANTS as pertaining to Section 405(c)(2) Although the statute indicates that the purpose of the fund is to make the victim and his or her family whole and to provide compensation for replacement services, loss of society and companionship, loss of consortium and non-economic damages of any kind or nature, we believe that the regulations should clearly state that the spouses and children of the decedents are to be compensated for their own independent losses of consortium, society, mental anguish, etc., in addition to the decedent's. OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD as pertaining to Section 405(b)(4)(B) We are concerned that we will not be given a complete and full opportunity to be heard, should we choose to do so. Each of us rightfully deserves the opportunity to be fairly heard before a hearing officer. We would like to have the occasion to present evidence through our own testimony and the testimony of expert witnesses. We would like for each of our cases to be considered on a case-by-case basis. For many of us, being given the right to be heard could be a crucial and extremely valuable part of our healing process; we hope that you can understand this. FORM OF PAYMENT as pertaining to Section 406(a) We would also request for the payment to be made in one lump sum, and to be paid out to the beneficiary, consistent with what our personal investment advisors recommend for each of our individual family circumstances. For example, any payment made to minor children should be in trust. In addition, the parent of said minor children should determine the date of vesting. The trust should not automatically vest at the age of 18, unless the parent determines that it is in the children's own best interests to do so. In closing, we would like to sincerely thank you for asking us for our comments. We are all struggling through extremely difficult times. Your guidelines how to implement HR 2926 and your decisions will have an enormous and tremendous bearing on the rest of our lives. If done with compassion and magnitude it will truly and honestly gives us a small bit of peace in our very frightened and very anxious minds. We can only ask you to please keep our children and ourselves in your hearts during the weeks ahead. Sincerely, On behalf of the September 11th Victim's Families Individual Comment Navesink, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-25 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000554.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-25 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 20, 2001 12:54 AM Crisis Relief Benefits December 20, 2001 Dear Mr. Kenneth Zwick, I write as a member of Amnesty International, a worldwide human rights movement committed to ensuring respect for the basic human rights of people without discrimination, in support of equal access to benefits under the September 11 Victims Relief Fund for all victims, regardless of sexual orientation or marital status. As you know, the United States has committed to uphold international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. As you consider rules for administering the relief fund, I ask that you apply basic international human rights standards, and the general principle of equality, by including among relatives eligible for compensation those who lost their life partners, as well as de facto parents or children, without regard to sexual orientation or marital status. The State of New York has already adopted such a policy, granting compensation benefits "on a showing of mutual interdependence with the victim, in recognition that anyone who shared with the victim living expenses, day to day activities and the emotional bonds of family deserves help in this time of need." Many lesbian and gay people were killed in the September 11th attacks. Since then, lesbian and gay surviving partners of those killed have had mixed results in obtaining equal treatment at the local level in the distribution of relief funds by private and state agencies. An inclusive policy on the part of the federal government would help establish an important principle for other such funds. In compensating victims, real justice will be served only when all families - and all types of families - impacted by the human rights tragedy of September 11 are treated with dignity and equality. Thank you for considering my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you about your efforts to ensure that all surviving victims of the September 11 attacks have equal access to the relief fund. Sincerely, Individual Comment San Francisco, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA004065.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-20 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Friday, November 16, 2001 9:31 AM Comments Attachment 1: Kenneth L. Zwik, Director Office of Management Programs U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division Email: victimcom.comments@usdoj.gov November 16, 2001 Dear Mr. Zwik: As a relative of one of the victims of the September 11th terrorist Attacks, I trust that the regulations for the Victims Compensation Fund ("The Fund") can be fashioned in such a manner to bring equity and closure This most awful chapter in American history. Towards that end, the Fund must be structured to encourage victims' families to surrender their rights to sue because they believe they will be treated fairly and promptly. To send such a compelling message I respectfully submit that the regulations must contain following elements: 1. Do not reduce the award from any collateral source funds collected, including insurance, pension benefits, death benefits, and governmental payments (which we understand are being considered as offsets). Such offsets should be disallowed for, among other reasons, the same reason the IRS exempts life insurance proceeds from taxation (i.e., to encourage citizens to plan for their heirs). Such offsets would penalize those victims who sacrificed and saved for their families' futures and unjustly transfer these assets, thereby representing a lifetime of work, to insurance companies and other corporate entities that may share the blame for the consequences that resulted from the tragic events of 9/11. In a nutshell, these assets have nothing to do with the damages that flowed from 9/11, and therefore there should be no offset to damages based on the net worth of the victims' families. It would also result in awarding more in damages to those who did not sacrifice and save for their families' futures, which would be an inequitable result. 2. Provide the victims' families with the right to appeal the award, as doing so would undoubtedly increase participation in the Fund. 3. Should the Department of Justice decline to offer victims' families the right to appeal, then at a minimum they should have input regarding the selection of the mediator who would decide the award. The government should provide a list of potential mediators with their background (e.g., educational, work experience, prior award history, etc.), which would allow victims' families to make an informed choice. 4. There should be set parameters for calculating damages (i.e., mathematical formula factoring lost future earnings, pension benefits, number of children, and other pecuniary benefits that would have been earned taking into consideration life expectancy tables), that would provide a floor for calculating damages and provide assurance to victims' families as to what they could expect to receive, at a minimum, if they elected to opt into the Fund. I believe this has been referred to in the press as the development of a "grid." In short, the victims' families should be able to calculate, with some certainty, the minimum amount of money they could expect to be awarded prior to participating in the hearing. That should serve as a powerful inducement to opt into the Fund. 5. Determine pain and suffering at the hearing. 6. If the mediator deviates for the guidelines the victims' families should be able to appeal the decision. 7. The regulations should include a scheme that would afford the victims' families one that is similar to the one they would enjoy in a wrongful death case. The amount awarded, as damages should include all funeral, burial and estate administration expenses incurred. Importantly, the amount should compensate the victims' family for contributions they would have received between the time of his death and the end of this life expectancy, such as future lost wages. His gross earnings, including all fringe benefits between the date of his death and his life expectancy must be factored in. Additionally, all monies the victim would have spent for or given to his family for such items as shelter, food, clothing, medical car, education, entertainment, gifts and recreation, taking into account his salary and age must also be considered. The amount awarded should also consider the comfort and friendship that he would have given to his family had he lived and such other elements as work around the home and provision of society and comfort. 8. Since the amount awarded would be intended to restore the victim's family's loss, it should not be considered as "income." Therefore, it should not be taxable by the federal or state taxing authorities. In closing, I understand that the DOJ is suggesting that the victims' families surrender their right to sue without advising them what they can anticipate by way of award and without the ability to appeal such award. This is, to be kind, unacceptable. The above suggestions would encourage attorneys and families alike to opt into the Fund, thereby forgoing their right to sue. This would bring closure to an American Tragedy and reassure victims' families that our government has their best interests at heart. We only want to place them in the financial position they would have been in had their loved ones not been taken away in the worst terrorist attacks in American history which may have been avoided. But that is another story. Thank you. Respectfully, Sister-in-law of lost in WTC Tower 2 Individual Comment Lindenhurst, NY September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-11-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojW000361.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-11-16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. December 13, 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 Corona, CA September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA002278.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 Kenneth Feinburg's comments on Meet the Press, Sunday March 10 The horrendous, tragic events of Sept. 11 joined your country in grief, and as a Canadian, it joined mine as well, as we shared the pain of your tremendous loss, and your anger at the unfairness and injustice of it all. Yet, after learning of Kenneth Feinburg's comments regarding the exclusion of gays and lesbians from the victims compensation fund, it appears you are willing to perpetrate the same injustice and unfairness on your own people. What a shame you did not use this occasion to include all members of society, as you have done by declaring illegal aliens eligible without being penalized for breaking the law. Instead you elected to reinforce the impression of people outside your country that your government is far to the right, and cares only about the rich, the gun possessors, and white, heterosexual men. Sept. 11 united your country and made your citizens proud to be Americans. After hearing of Mr. Feinburg's comments regarding gays and lesbians, and his inference that their sexuality makes them both disposable and expendable, I have never been prouder to be Canadian. Sincerely Individual Comment Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000119.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-11 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Wednesday, March 13, 2002 7:44 AM (no subject) I am so outraged at the discrimination of gay and lesbian victims of Sept 11. How could even illegal aliens receive compensation but gays and lesbians are not even considered for the same compensation or any compensation? , a gay man, an a hero will not get the same treatment as everyone else. I am so disappointed that even after such a tragedy my government sees this as fair. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR000567.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Sunday, December 09, 2001 12:51 AM Inclusion of family members of those killed or injured whether gay or not My wife and I join with others asking fervently that the family members of gay persons who were killed or injured on Sept. 11 at the WTC be included in the aid that the US government has provided, following the example of New York state. Thank you in advance for your kind consideration. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-09 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001359.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-09 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. January 17, 2002 Mr. Kenneth Zwick, Director Office of Management of Programs U.S. Department of Justice Main Building, Room 3140 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530 Re: September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001, Interim Final Rule with Request for Comments Dear Sir: My wife, daughter and I had the honor of having our son with us for almost thirty-four years. His wife shared that honor for the last six years. Now we all have the equal horror of grieving for a wonderful and respectful young man who was killed through no fault of his own, but because he went to work the morning of September 11 on the floor of the North Building of the World Trade Center. What we do not have is equal recognition under the law for the loss that we all equally have. My wife, gave birth to him. We both raised him by providing all the guidance, friendship, substance and mostly love that a child could possibly need and want. After he married, we continued to speak to him several times a week and see both our son and daughter-in-law frequently. His older sister, , was one of his best friends. In recent years they lived over one hundred miles apart, but were always together in their hearts. They spoke to each other a few times a week. We thank you for the opportunity to comment today on the Interim Final Rule. Our comments are as follows: 1 The Regulations and Guidance Should Clearly State that Parents Whose Children Were Killed on September 11th Are Presumed to be Eligible for Distribution of all Compensation Awards. Our grief for our son is as great as that of anyone's and what we ask is that this fact be recognized under the law. Our lives have turned into a living hell and we must receive equal compensation for this insurmountable loss and unending pain and suffering that we are struggling to endure. New York State law recognizes that parents are to share in the distribution of any damages awarded in a wrongful death action. Under EPTL Section 5-4.4, parents of children without children of their own are specifically named distributes, even if they are not recognized by the state as beneficiaries of the estate. The final regulations and guidance to be issued under the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 should clearly state the same. To do otherwise will create undo confusion and pain on the part of families who have already lost far too much. If the goal of the September 11th Fund is to prevent families from feeling that their only option is to sue, The Fund should clearly provide that other options exist and that compensation to all Family members, not just spouses will result. Ambiguity and vagueness is not helpful in this case, but is instead counterproductive for both the families and the government. To neglect to provided the clarity requested here will result in excessive pain and suffering clearly not envisioned when Congress passed Title IV (Victim Compensation) of the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act (the"Act"). Finally, the regulations wisely anticipate that disputes among family members may ensue. As Special Master to the Fund, you have a unique opportunity to minimize the number of such disputes by providing as much clarity as possible up front so there are as few disputes as possible within the families over the law's intent. This is an incredibly difficult time for the thousand of families effected by the horrific events of September 11th. We urge you not to add to this difficulty by creating conflicting opinions over the intent of your own words and actions. 2 To Deduct Life Insurance and Pension Payments From the Compensation Awards is Counter To Public Policy and is Grossly Unfair to Families Whose Loved Ones Took Responsible Steps to Plan For Their Families' Futures It is not equitable that insurance and pensions be deducted from the total compensation. Simply because some of the victims had the foresight to provide for their families should not be held against them. This is why in most civil litigation life insurance is not deducted from damage awards. Nor should the fact that some had pensions be held against them. If you want to deduct the pensions that they earned, then the total of the pensions should be included in the gross compensation as part of their earning power over their expected term of employment. The liability for wrongful death should be measure by total potential earnings and pain and suffering to both the victims and their families. Should the regulations not be able to be modified due to the language of the Act itself requiring that compensation must be reduced by collateral sources (Section 405 (b)(6), perhaps an alternative would be to reduce the compensation by a percentage of the total amount of the collateral sources. Nothing in the Act Specifies that the reduction must be dollar for dollar. 3 The Claim Form Should Include a Provision Requiring Disclosure of, and to, all Living Immediate Family Members In Order to Ensure a Knowing and Effective Waiver of Suit is made. We are all at a significant disadvantage in that no claim form was provided in the Interim Final Rule to review. Thus, in the absence of such a draft form, one can only speculate what will be asked of the personal representative when making a claim. At minimum, the form should require the personal representative to disclose the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all living immediate family members. For the purpose of this regulation, immediate family members should be defined to include spouses, children, parents and siblings. In addition, the regulations should also require that effective notice of the filing of a claim (within a reasonable period of time) be given to all such relatives giving them the opportunity to opt in or out. To do otherwise would unfairly affect other relative's rights to sue by risking an unknowing waiver of the right to sue. No one should be bound by the actions of others of which they were not made aware. 4 A clear definition of "dependent" as used in the section "presumed non-economic loss" should be given. At a recent meeting attended y Special Master Feinberg the definition of dependent was given to be not limited to that used by the Internal Revenue Service, but intended to include the relatives to who support was or was intended to be given by the victims. In our case this should include the support given to my wife when she was ill with cancer and the support given to me when I had by-pass surgery. In both cases our son was there with us constantly, being of both physical and emotional help to us. Our daughter recently told us of a conversation that she had with our son, that if we would be in need of long-term care they would both contribute to it. These are but a few cases of what should be included in the definition of dependent. The people of this great country have put in your hands the means that will help us begin to shape our future. We urge you to write the regulations so that this may come about. We appreciate your work on this project and hope you will take our thoughts into consideration. If we can be of any further assistance, or provide any additional information, please feel free to call us at the following phone number . Thank you, Individual Comment Mourve Township, NJ September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN002648.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-17 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, December 13, 2001 3:01 PM Distribution of the victims compensation funds 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. As an attorney with offices just five blocks from the WTC site, I have offered pro bono advice to some of those who have lost loved ones in the terrorist attack. I hope that you take my comments in the spirit in which they are offered. 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 better 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 specially vulnerable when one partner is killed. Because the option of arriage 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 September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojA001565.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-13 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Monday, January 07, 2002 11:05 AM I can't believe what is going on with all the fuss about compensation. People die EVERY day and their families don't become instant millionaires at the expense of the American taxpayer! I have no sympathy for the widows, with their $5000 a month mortgages, two BMWs in the garage, private school tuitions and stay at home moms... where is their life insurance? If the husband died in a car accident or even in his sleep - how were they planning on paying the bills then? Charity is great for those who need it, but it shouldn't be used to make families rich. Americans gave generously to charities expecting to help families with immediate expenses, not to make instant millionaires. Also, the government should not use taxpayer's money to fund the bank accounts of victim's families. If anything, pay for a few months expenses, and then expect the families do what they would do if their bread-winner died any other way, get on with it. Get a job and get on with life. Our country and all Americans have survived many, many needless deaths and tragedies without victim's families "winning the lottery". God help us all. Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-01-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojN001413.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-01-07 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Department of Justice Emails Description An account of the resource The Department of Justice received more than 11,000 e-mails in response to the agency's public solicitation for comments upon its plans to distribute the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 established by Congress to benefit the victims of September 11 and their families. These e-mails have been organized here by date. September 11 Email September 11 Email: Body The basic content, as unstructured text; sometimes containing a signature block at the end. Thursday, March 28, 2002 7:49 PM OUTRAGEOUS Discrimination Gays were good enough to talk to when you wanted votes to become president, but they're not good enough to be recognized as the same kind of hero that heterosexuals can be. You need to realign your thinking and remember that when it comes time to vote, the only way you'll get any cooperation from the Gay Community is to do what you probably did when you won the election the first time.....pay for it. Here's some food for thought........ Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics: *29 have been accused of spousal abuse *7 have been arrested for fraud *19 have been accused of writing bad checks *117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses *3 have done time for assault *71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit *14 have been arrested on drug-related charges *8 have been arrested for shoplifting *21 are currently defendants in lawsuits *84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year. Can you guess which organization this is? Give up yet? It's the 535 members of the United States Congress - the same group of idiots that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line. Wonder how many of these overpaid so called upstanding members of the community are GAY? Individual Comment September 11 Email: Date The local time and date when the message was written. 2002-03-28 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource dojR002849.xml 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. full Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. email Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2002-03-28