dojP000012.xml

dojP000012.xml

born-digital

email

yes

no

2002-01-23

Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 7:37 AM
Subject: WTC hush money

WTC hush money

The WTC victims families compensation formula calls for about $4.5 billion to
be paid.
The payout is dependent on the families agreeing not to sue the airlines.

This multibillion dollar plan constitutes hush money.

I do not believe Americans would have contributed $1.5 billion to WTC
charities if they'd known their government would allocate $4.5 billion to $6
billion more.

This policy now establishes that any further terrorist-caused fatalities will
each result in a $1.6 million financial award.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon families have not received extraordinary benefits.
Nor the anthrax victim families, nor families of the Rangers and Deltas lost
in Somalia to terrorist action, or sailors on the Cole.

The government has established another national entitlement without any
debate. And it is shocking to hear survivor families state they are
entitled to compensation.

Many victims' families are quoted as expecting that their financial well
being and children's education will be taken care of by WTC compensation. In
other words, it is now the government's obligation to take care of them.

What will this mean to the next firefighter or police officer who loses his
or her life in the line of duty-- that their lives were worth less than those
lost on 9.11?

We the taxpayers owe the families our compassion and charitable assistance,
but we don't owe them cash. People buy life insurance to assure that their
families will be cared for when they die. It is not the responsibility of
taxpayers to become a substitute for insurance.

Individual Comment
Greens Fork, IN

2002-01-23