W0000052
Tuesday, November 06, 2001 9:48 AM
Distribution of the Victim Compensation Fund
To: Department of Justice
Date: November 6, 2001
Re: Distribution of the Victim Compensation Fund to terrorist attack victims
I believe that distributions from the Victim Compensation Fund should take into account amounts received from charitable donations. As a small donor, it was not my intent that direct victims should become richer as a result of this tragedy. No amount of money will ever replace a loved one, and efforts to simply give more money to the victims' families as compensation are doomed to failure. Rather I would hope that through a combination of government benefits and charity the victims should be made whole, which may include some compensation for future loss of earnings or services. There are certainly many other needs in the war on terrorism for government funds "saved" by taking into account charitable contributions.
It was my intent as a contributor and my hope that the vast amounts of money received through charity would be used to help the City of New York and other victims of the attack, not just those who lost a loved one. Those victims include the families and individuals who lost homes, small businesses who lost their place of business either permanently or temporarily, and individuals who require more extensive mental health services as a result of the attacks. (Those victims do not include businesses such as the greedy Boston bar owner whose tourist business was reduced after September 11. While unfortunate, that is simply one of the risks of being in business. He is on his own in a weakened economy, just like the rest of us.)
We must not forget that there are still other people in need as well, both in the U.S. and around the world. It is time for generous Americans to turn their contributions toward meeting some of those needs as an additional stand against terrorism. Contributions to organizations such as the Heifer Project, which helps people around the world improve nutrition and standard of living, can do much to alleviate conditions that may spawn terrorism.
Individual Comment
Madrid, Iowa