N001402
Monday, January 07, 2002 8:50 AM
Comment Public Law 107-42
Dear Sir:
My family, friends and I are not involved in the 911 disaster, thank God, However I disagree with this proposed settlement with the victims families. People should not be penalized because they had to foresight to plan for the future with life insurance and any other financial plans or employment selection.
Why don't we calculate a dollar amount by using the victims age and earnings to project what he/she and their family would have if he/she did not die? Then set a standard value for the "pain and suffering" cost.
This plan penalizes those who set aside money for the future, life insurance or by choosing a career in public service that has a retirement system. It should not be the government's concern as the dollar worth of a family it this situation. How can you tell a firefighter or police family that because they elected to pursue a career in the public sector (often the major benefit is the retirement plan and not the salary or work schedule) that their award will be reduced by the amount of money they receive from other sources?
Lets be fair about this and not attempt to buy off the potential law suits by this initial $ 50,000 payment.
Consider this:
Take all the money in the fund and deposit it somewhere in an account and mail payments monthly to the victim's spouse/family in the amount that they would have been paid had they not died, continue this until the victim would have reached retirement age. Lets make this money tax free so they can purchase health and dental insurance etc., benefits that are lost without a job. This method would insure a continuing income and hopefully interest earned on the money deposited will offset some of the cost.
All I ask is that the government do the RIGHT THING for these people.
Regards from a retired (7/9/01) Police Officer
Individual Comment
Moriches, NY