W000053
Tuesday, November 06, 2001 9:54 AM
My viewpoint
To Whom It May Concern:
My husband and I donated to the September 11th Fund during the celebrity
hosted telethon back in September. We didn't donate a lot, but we did
donate. I think trying to account for every single dollar a family or
individual receives from multiple sources will create an albatross and
bottleneck the intent of private donations.
I realize some families may receive more than others when combining all the
different charities who may have helped them. Some may have more friends who
have assisted, some may have more family, some may have been highlighted by
a local charity, etc. However, when it comes to this fund, why can't be
equally distributed to those directly affected? As crass as this sounds,
determine how many people died in the tragedy and divide it up. Moving
forward why can't this fund be designated to helping those who lost an
immediate family member in the tragedy? Could you suggest that charities
outside of the September 11th Fund focus on those who lost jobs, etc.?
The article I read in the New York Times stated there is concern that there
will be some "double-dipping" on behalf of those affected. Quite honestly,
if someone who lost their husband or wife should end up with a substantial
amount of money over this, I don't really care. We cannot replace the life
that was lost just because on that day that person did the responsible thing
and went to work.
This money does not belong to the government. It belongs to those for which
it was intended. If I had known this would be the result of a donation, I
would have sought out one individual family and mailed them a check
personally.
Please do the right thing by these people.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment