A005545
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 of
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
San Franciso, CA