N002131
Sunday, January 20, 2002 4:03 PM
Victims Compensation Fund
I lost my husband in the WTC tragedy. He was an employee of
working in Tower 1 on the floor. We had no children, was my
everything. He was 32 years old and on the "corporate ladder fast track".
In the 3 short years he was at , he was promoted from a Supervisor to an
Assistant Vice President soon to be Vice President.
I have recently attended a family rally and learned about the inadequencies
of the current Victims Compensation Fund.
1. Personally, even though was young and would have been towards a
higher level than some, I am not sure one life is worth more than another.
Yes I am grieving and hurt to the core. Sometimes not even sure if I want to
go on, but that does not mean that another who lost her husband/wife/love who
may have been 55 years old has had less of a loss than myself. How can you
possibly apply a mathematical table to a life?
2. How dare you determine an award and then apply collateral offset to that
award. Yes I understand that the government was not obliged to set up this
fund, but who are you kidding, this was done solely to save the Airlines and
Airports, because lets be serious they had their constituents in Washington
before the victims families where even out of shock.
3. If the Fund does decide to use a formula, this process should be applied
on a person by person/case by case hearing. Not just calculating a life.
4. If the Special Master actually believes that the majority of the families
are going to sign away their rights prior to a settlement being offered, he,
the Fund and the Government are in a perpetual dream state. Not one other
family that I spoke to the evening of the rally will do this.
I know that not everyone will accept the Fund in any form, but unless some of
these changes and others are made the majority will not accept it and how
much money will you spend then in law suits that will probably drag on for 5
- 10 years. Just try to be decent. Because right now the American People
believe that money is just being thrown at the families. But if this Fund is
offered in its present form, the families will make sure that the American
People find out exactly how they were treated by this Fund and just from the
conversations I have had with people, the Government will never be trusted
again.
Just do the right thing for the families of the heroes that perished that day.
Thank you for allowing me to contribute my concerns and feelings about the
Fund.
Individual Comment
Mineola, NY