N001578
Sunday, January 13, 2002 11:06 PM
(no subject)
Dear Mr. Zwick,
We have spent the past couple of days reading the Interim Final Rule
and trying to make sense of all the legal jargon. What pains us most is that
those who are suffering over the loss of loved ones are trying to do the very
same with a heavy heart and in a fragile state of mind. We personally mourn
the loss of friends, co-workers, and neighbors and are numbed by the
devastation. The task you have before you is monumental. You can not put a
dollar value on each life, and while you are trying to be fair to each
family, in essence that is what you need to do. In order to be fair across
the board, you can not penalize those who were fortunate to have life
insurance policies, pension funds, or high incomes. The WTC housed some of
the largest financial firms in the Wall Street area. All of these men and
women would have had continued financial success if they weren't robbed of
their lives. Some were partners in their firms, some were restaurant
workers, entry level workers, or clerical and back office staff. This is a
fact and 9/11 did not change that. The methodology you are using to
determine each victim's compensation is attempting to now place all of these
individuals into the same economic pool. While it may seem admiral for the
government to try to make everyone feel equal, unfortuanately, people work at
different income levels. This fund should be distributed equally to all
victims. You can not try to disolve economic barriers and make us all
believe we are equal in the workforce. Some people earn more than others,
invest wisely, plan ahead, have or do not have children, life insurance, and
make all sorts of choices that affect how we live. The distribution of this
fund should be equitable, not an attempt to compensate for how people chose
to live their life given the cards they were dealt.
Sincerely,
Individual Comment
Upper Saddle River, NJ