Payout amounts for 9/11 families

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This has bothered me since the fund was setup, a NYTimes article mentioning the highest payout reminded me today. Families of 9/11 victims were paid differing amounts from $250k up to $7mln, averaging at $2.1mln by the federal government.

Is that acceptable? If it were a private group (insurance or lawsuit-related) paying, that would be one thing. This was the federal government determining that John CEO was worth 10-70x as much as Bill Janitor (despite the former's indubitable life insurance and other assets, and the difficulties of the latter family on one income). Should there have been more public opposition to the fund amounts and why wasn't there?

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Wow WTF? Theyre giving the wealthier dead more of the money? Thats ridiculous :/

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Something about it costing more for then to maintain their standard of living.

― Kenan (kenan), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:19 (twenty-one years ago)

it's some kind of amalgamation of a wrongful death amount and a denial of income amount. John CEO isn't "worth" more but he would have brought in more over the rest of his productive life. there was a story on this (and on the lawyer in charge of adjudicating the dispersements) in the new yorker like 2 years ago.

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd understand that angle from a private company, but this was the federal government paying it out. It seems we'd have some stake in making sure all the victims families were equally well-treated.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Except like milo points out, people like that would have hefty life insurance. The poor cleaners and waitstaff wouldnt have. This is kind of wrong.

xpost that too yeah.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:23 (twenty-one years ago)

We should riot.

― Kenan (kenan), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:24 (twenty-one years ago)

and the gov't is dealing with it cos the attacks were in the gray area btw a crime and an act of war, meaning there's nobody to sue.

the differing amounts according to income-in-life is interesting (if predictable enough), the unprecedented (and pretty wierd, if you ask me) thing is why anyone is getting any money at all! if you were murdered in lower manhattan tomorrow, or if your dad gets blown up by a car bomb in ramadi next week, you don't get paid. well, why not?

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Simply because if they paid nothing to anyone, it would appear even more wrong. PR and all that.

― Kenan (kenan), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:28 (twenty-one years ago)

er and afaik the $$ is coming from the 9/11 fund administered by the federal gov't, not from the federal gov't.

― g--ff (gcannon), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:28 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not that there is no one to sue, it's that the govt. didn't want them suing the airlines and holdings that could be related to the attacks. (Which happened in some cases anyway.) It was federal compensation, not just federal-managed.

One good thing I've found - life insurance amounts were deducted from the awards.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 06:38 (twenty-one years ago)

And then there's the undocumented workers killed...if they were identified, are their families being compensated? I remember reading something about families being afraid to come forward and risk deportation.

― aimurchie, Wednesday, 24 November 2004 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

I wonder if the families of the janitors are going to spend their $250k on bling?

― trigonalmayhem (trigonalmayhem), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 13:34 (twenty-one years ago)

is compensating families not an admission that the attacks could've been prevented then?

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

the money came from private donations and not the gov't, I think?
so no.

― trigonalmayhem (trigonalmayhem), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 13:38 (twenty-one years ago)

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