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December 09, 2008

I'd Found the Concept From the Beginning

...to be a complete perversion of everything America stood for. That ~ in a shared national tragedy ~ one life lost could be judged more worthy than another. That the multi-million a year stockbroker's death should be rewarded proportionate to his earning power compared to that of the Mexican dishwasher at Windows on the World, or the maid in a corporate loo. It sickened me and still does. Conceived originally as Americans to Americans, I'm glad to see the "Solomon" who apportioned the combined largess based on wealth and status, however late the admission, feels the same.

..."The 9/11 fund, I believe, was the right thing to do because it was a patriotic act by the American people to come to the rescue of these people in need," he told Washingtonian magazine in March.

"If Congress had asked me, 'Well, what do you think of this program?' I would say don't do it again. Here in Washington, if a car bomb goes off, do not set up a victim-compensation program. Or if you're going to do it again, next time make it much simpler. Have a person with the authority simply dole out the same amount to families of all of the dead. Don't ask one person to act like Solomon and try to calculate the value of lives. To be judge, jury, accountant, lawyer, rabbi, etcetera is very, very difficult," he told the magazine.


"X" amount of dollars divided by "X" amount of victims is how it should have played out. Honestly, I DON'T give a rat's ass that your stockbroker husband with his $2 mil a year salary hadn't thought to buy life insurance. That dishwasher/maid/bellhop never MADE enough to buy life insurance, but his loss was JUST as devastating to his family, however insignificant his existence in your eyes.

The whole exercise was a travesty.

Posted by tree hugging sister at December 9, 2008 10:24 AM

Comments

I agree 100%. It was/is a travesty.

Posted by: Rob at December 9, 2008 11:18 AM

The whole idea of us paying them money at all was a travesty. It really took the spirit out of the fundraising that was going on. Why should I donate to these people when the government is already forcing a donation?

I tell you, it changed my attitude from sympathy to resentment. Especially when I saw the money being used by some to pay for radical political agendas. What a stupid, boneheaded move by Bush and the republicans.

It seems now whenever anyone stubs their toe or uses idiotic banking or car manufacturing practices that the government will give them my money.

Where's the incentive to do the right thing anymore?

Posted by: Skyler at December 9, 2008 01:58 PM

CWi5fy

Posted by: Lctfqmge at July 14, 2009 10:30 PM