P000211
Sunday, January 27, 2002 10:29 PM
compensation
While reading current articles about the disbursement of funds, I find it
unsettling that some of the victims survivors feel they are OWED financial
reimbursement by the United States government for loved ones lost in this
tragedy. I certainly feel that these people have suffered a tremendous loss
in an unprovoked attack on our country and its way of life. There have been
several organizations that have accumulated hundreds of millions if not
billions of dollars for these how have suffered true loss. I don't think
however as a tax payer I feel comfortable giving monies through the
government when these families are going to end up with millions of dollars
from charities, scholarships for their children and other benefits from
insurance. I do feel if a family was left destitute and needs immediate
assistance for day to day living and family care and no other sources are
available, then we should help, but when victims survivors are saying such
things as "my children should want for nothing" is an unrealistic and greedy
expectation. It is not the government responsibility to make individuals
wealthy, but to assist in a short time to get them on their feet. Most of the
people working in lower Manhattan were of significant income and probably
provided for their loved ones thru insurance policies and others through the
generosity of companies they worked for and as I already mentioned, the
charity relief funds.
Individual Comment