N001531
Sunday, January 13, 2002 6:41 PM
My comment on the Victims Compensation Fund
Dear Mr. Feinberg:
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is , I am the wife of , one of the 17 employees of killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11. worked in the WTC for 20
years. I am also the mother and surviving parent of , 11, and , 7.
Let me tell you a little about our life. My husband did not make alot
of money. The majority of the time we lived paycheck to paycheck. When my
son was born, I stayed home from work to raise him, and we took out 's life insurance policy. We paid $140.00 a month for this policy. I had to return to work because we could not live on the money made. Raising children is very expensive. Then, was born. Because was
responsible, he wanted to make sure both his children could survive and get
educated if something happened to him,so we added to his insurance.
Being the person in charge of paying the bills, I can asure you , sir,
there were many months that there was not enough money to go around. Some
months a bill or two did not gett paid until more money came in. Every bill
got bumped , except for the life insurance. He made them take it directly
form our checking account. Despite our many debates and my insistence that we
could use the $140.00 to pay other bills ( after all did we really need life
insurance so young?) insisted we keep the insurance and make other sacrifices.
Now the worst has happened, and I am wondering why we made so many
sacrifices over the years and will now be penalized for that. Your decision
to deduct life insurance form the Victims Compensation Benefit baffles me.
We paid the premiums of these insurances with the money worked hard for. We made sacrifices and struggled to pay those premiums. Now it will cost us for being responsible. What kind of message does that send?
This Christmas, we opened presents with a HUGE vacancy, one that will be
there forever. My kids will live the majority of their lives without their
father for guidance and support. I am a widow at 39, left with the huge
responsibility of raising our two babies alone-and having to deal with having
my husband brutally murdered and whatever scars that will leave us with.
Sending him of to work one day, and never seeing him again. Never having a
chance to say goodbye. A monstrous task.
I ask to put yourself in my shoes for just a moment and see if you
consider you decision to deduct life insurances is a fair one. I think you
are forcing victims to decline your offer and to pursue a lawsuit, when it is
really the last thing they want to do.
I ask you sir, to reconsider.
Individual Comment
Staten Island, NY