RAND Report Details 9-11 Victims Compensation

The original September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) was created under President George W. Bush and operated from 2001-2004 to provide compensation for individuals, or representatives of deceased individuals, harmed or killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Similarly, the VCF provided compensation for individuals, or representatives of deceased individuals, harmed or killed during the cleanup and recovery efforts that took place in the immediate aftermath of those attacks. The following article details how funds from the original VCF were expected to be distributed and how the VCF has been extended under presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.   The Rand Report A study released by the RAND Corporation shows that victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks — both individuals killed or seriously injured and individuals and businesses impacted by the strikes — have received at least $38.1 billion in compensation, with insurance companies and the federal government providing more than 90 percent of the payments. New York businesses have received 62 percent of the total compensation, reflecting the broad-ranging economic impacts of the attack in and near the World Trade Center. Among individuals killed or seriously injured, emergency responders and their families have received more than civilians and their families who suffered similar economic losses. On average, first responders have received about $1.1 million more per person than civilians with similar economic loss. The 9-11 terrorist attacks resulted in the deaths of 2,551 civilians and serious injury to another 215. The attacks also killed or seriously injured 460 emergency responders. â€Å"The compensation paid to the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania was unprecedented both in its scope and in the mix of programs used to make payments,† said Lloyd Dixon, a RAND senior economist and lead author of the report. â€Å"The system has raised many questions about equity and fairness that have no obvious answers. Addressing these issues now will help the nation be better prepared for future terrorism. Dixon and co-author Rachel Kaganoff Stern interviewed and gathered evidence from many sources to estimate the amount of compensation paid out by insurance companies, government agencies and charities following the attacks. Their findings include: Insurance companies expect to make at least $19.6 billion in payments, comprising 51 percent of the money paid in compensation.Government payments total nearly $15.8 billion (42 percent of the total). This includes payments from local, state and federal governments, plus payments from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 that was established by the federal government to compensate those killed or physically injured in the attacks. The total does not include payments to clean up the World Trade Center site or rebuild public infrastructure in New York City.Payments by charitable groups comprise just 7 percent of the total, despite the fact that charities distributed an unprecedented $2.7 billion to victims of the attacks.Because of concerns that liability claims would clog the courts and create further economic harm, the federal government limited the liability of airlines, airports and certain government bodies. The government established the Victim Compensation Fund to m ake payments to families for the deaths and injuries of victims. In addition, the government funded a major economic revitalization program for New York City.RAND researchers found that businesses hurt by the attacks have received most of the compensation that the study was able to quantify. The families of civilians killed and the civilians who were injured received the second-highest payments. The study found that:Businesses in New York City, particularly in lower Manhattan near the World Trade Center, have received $23.3 billion in compensation for property damage, disrupted operations, and economic incentives. About 75 percent of that came from insurance companies. More than $4.9 billion went to revitalize the economy of Lower Manhattan.Civilians killed or seriously injured received a total of $8.7 billion, averaging about $3.1 million per recipient. Most of this came from the Victim Compensation Fund, but payments also came from insurance companies, employers and charities.Abou t $3.5 billion was paid to displaced residents, workers who lost their jobs, or others who suffered emotional trauma or were exposed to environmental hazards.Emergency responders killed or injured received a total of $1.9 billion, with most of that coming from the government. Payments averaged about $1.1 million more per person than for civilians with similar economic losses, with most of the higher amount due to payments from charities.​ Certain features of the Victim Compensation Fund tended to increase compensation relative to economic loss. Other features tended to decrease compensation relative to economic loss. Researchers say more detailed individual data are needed to determine the net effect. For example, the Victim Compensation Fund decided to limit the amount of lost future earnings it would consider when calculating awards for survivors. Administrators capped income the fund would consider at $231,000 per year in projecting future lifetime earnings, even though many people killed earned more than that amount. The special master of the Victim Compensation Fund had substantial discretion to set final awards for higher income earners, but data are not available on how he exercised that discretion. Extensions of the Victim Compensation Fund On January 2, 2011, President Barack Obama signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 (the Zadroga Act) into law. Title II of the Zadroga Act reactivated the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The reactivated VCF opened in October 2011 and was authorized to operate for a period of five years, ending in October 2016. On December 18, 2015, President Obama signed a bill reauthorizing the James Zadroga Act extending funding for the Victim Compensation Fund until December 18, 2020. The law also included some important changes to the VCF’s policies and procedures for evaluating claims and calculating each claimant’s loss: Capped non-economic loss that results from a cancer at $250,000.Capped non-economic loss that does not result from a cancer at $90,000.Instructed the Special Master to prioritize claims for victims who are determined by the Special Master to be suffering from the most debilitating physical conditions.For purposes of calculating economic loss, capped Annual Gross Income (â€Å"AGI†) at $200,000 for each year of loss.Removed the $10,000 minimum award. On February 15, 2019, the VCF Special Master announced that the money remaining in the VCF would be insufficient to pay all pending and projected claims under current VCF policies and procedures. This announcement spurred Congress to consider enacting legislation making funding for VCF compensation virtually permanent. On July 29, 2019, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 1327, The VCF Permanent Authorization Act, which extends the deadline for filing claims for compensation from December 18, 2020, to October 1, 2090, and guaranteed future funding as may be necessary to pay all approved claims. Updated by Robert Longley

John Stuart Mill s Argument That Happiness Is The Only...

In this essay I am going to write about John Stuart Mill’s argument that happiness is the only intrinsic good. Mill’s proof focuses on defending utilitarianism, one of the most prominent works in moral philosophy and most prominent form of consequentialism as proposed by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Mill defines the theory and provides his responses to common misconceptions people have surrounding it. Utility, the Greatest Happiness Principle, states that actions are right in that they generally promote happiness, and wrong as they produce the opposite of happiness. Utilitarianism, on the other hand, tends to focus on the general good and happiness of the world over individual pleasure. In this essay, I am going to argue for Mill’s argument that happiness is the only intrinsic good. In the first part of the essay, I am going to present John Stuart Mill’s point of view and defense of utilitarianism, and in the second part of the essay I am going to argue for it. I conclude my essay by formulating a basic summary of my argument supporting Mill’s proof that happiness is indeed the only intrinsic good. Part I The idea at the central to utilitarianism is that actions should increase the amount of happiness in the world. Mill was introduced to this doctrine rather early, and decided to dedicate his life to developing and further spreading it. Utilitarianism can be defined as â€Å"not so much an argument for the principle of utility as it is an argument for the claim thatShow MoreRelated Immanuel Kants Ethics Of Pure Duty and John Stuart Mills Utilitarian Ethics Of Justice2753 Words   |  12 PagesImmanuel Kants The Grounding For The Metaphysics of Morals and John Stuart Mills Utilitarianism Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill are philosophers who addressed the issues of morality in terms of how moral traditions are formed. 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God Is The Creator Of All People, And The Israelites

The modern Christian religion tells each of its followers that God loves us all, sinners and innocents alike, if only we would accept God into our hearts. But how true is that statement? While God is the creator of all people, and the Israelites are supposed to be his chosen people, God does not act as such in the Bible. Rather than being interested in humanity in general, or even the Israelites specifically, God is primarily interested in certain individuals. These works suggest that even God has favorites. From Abraham to Moses to David, and all those heroes of the Bible, God preserves the peoples from which he derives these favored individuals. In these passages, the presence of a â€Å"chosen one† makes or breaks a society, and more often†¦show more content†¦As soon as Adam and Eve disobey God, he bans them from the garden of Eden. God drives out â€Å"man and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to g uard the way to the tree of life† and to the entrance to the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24). These people may have been cared for by God, but by disobeying him, they lose God’s favor, showing that it was only favor that Adam and Eve had to begin with. Even the Israelites, God’s chosen people, are only briefly in God’s favor, and that is not as a result of any inherent interest in this group of people, but rather because the majority of God’s favorite individuals arise from this group. The people of Israel were overcome by the Egyptians and the Egyptians thus â€Å"set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens† (Exodus 1:11). The Israelites â€Å"groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help† and only then â€Å"God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob† (Exodus 2:23; Exodus 2:24). God had forgotten about the people he promised to provide prosperity for in the future. In addition , God does not remember the covenant as being with the Israelite peoples, but with his favorites of the previous generations, i.e. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Furthermore, rather than choosing to then save all of the Israelites with the power God obviously

Women on The Street Essays - 1207 Words

Women on the Street nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Have you ever rushed down the street and felt that nagging feeling of guilt, as you breeze by someone lying in a doorway? Is she alive? Is she ill? Why do we all rush by without finding out is shes all right? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;People sit in train stations, bus stations, parks, doorways, unmistakably sick, with what, we dont know. All are seemingly alone. Some beg. Some dont. Some have open sores that ooze and bleed. Some are drunk. Some talk to themselves or formless others. They have no homes. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Street people make up a small percentage of the homeless population. Most homeless people blend into the daily flow of urban life. Many families are†¦show more content†¦A homeless woman registers with an unemployment agency. Since there is no way for them to call her when a job comes up she calls them - three, four times a day. By the third day they usually tell her, quot;Dont call us, well call you.quot; If she confesses there is no way to reach her, they lose interest. Although since 1985, the shelters help reach people. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Several women reported losing their jobs or the opportunity to get them when their homelessness became known. One women had been working as a receptionist in a doctors office for several weeks when the doctor learned she was living in a shelter and fired her. The doctor told her if hed known he wouldnt have hired her, shelters are places of disease. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The jobs homeless women can get do not pay enough to enable them to support themselves. But, the women desperately want and need the money, the independence, and the self respect that most of us have come to take for granted from a job. 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How Beneficial an Online Education Can Be for You Free Essays

An online education is a wonderful opportunity. You have the flexibility of taking a course on your own time. The flexibility of an online education allows you to be able to attend classes no matter your work schedule, or home schedule. We will write a custom essay sample on How Beneficial an Online Education Can Be for You or any similar topic only for you Order Now Anywhere you have access to the Internet you can take classes. With recent computer mobility in the form of netbooks and the iPad, the opportunity to receive an education is endless. Learning online enables you to become Internet and computer savvy, two skills that are necessity in the ever-changing world of technology. You have access to course material round the clock. In a virtual classroom setting, you are able to go over lectures, lessons and other dicussions multiple times. You can learn at your own pace and do not have to worry about missing a class because of illness or other personal reasons. Participating in an online lesson discussion is not as daunting as in a regular classroom setting. Students remain pretty much anonymous are not judged by age, race or gender. Many people feel intimidated to participate in a regular classroom for fear of being judged or not having time to catch up to what is being taught. On the Internet, students have a chance to give thought to a question before answering and submitting their comments. The virtual classroom makes it easier for students to approach their instructor. They feel it is easier to speak with their instructor through online chats and email; this form of communication boosts student and instructor interaction. Everybody wins in this type of environment. Students that need flexibility because they have to work or have to care for children or other members of their family, the opportunity to earn a degree virtually is invaluable. With all the benefits of an online education, it is no wonder there is an ever-increasing number of students are turning towards an education online. How to cite How Beneficial an Online Education Can Be for You, Papers

Discuss how satire uses aspects of other genres Essay Example For Students

Discuss how satire uses aspects of other genres Essay This affords him the effective satirical devices of rhyming, exaggeration and parody, all of which lend themselves perfectly to the genre of epic or mock epic works. Parallels with Gullivers Travels may not be immediately apparent, but it does become clear that the satire is often directed at similar targets, namely those of misplaced importance and the often exaggerated significance attached to trivial events. By applying disproportionate importance to matters we would not naturally consider worthy of such attention, both Pope and Swift satirise societys tendency to, given the opportunity, do that very thing. Once this thematic technique of exaggeration has been established as an effective way to satirise society, Pope is able to make matters more entertainingly critical by including knowing references to recognisable aspects of the epic genre. Many great epics contain a feast scene at some point, and not to be outdone, Pope introduces us to a smoking tide of coffee on shining alters of Japan. The seductively rich language activates a necessity in the mind of the reader to keep in perspective exactly what is taking place merely that coffee is being served. This continues to reinforce an effective satire on societys obsession with trivial detail and its own importance, as well as forcing us to re-evaluate what is taking place and leaving us with the only option being to judge for ourselves what is really important, and this message lingers on beyond any one particular demonstration of it. Another highly effective weapon at Popes disposal is his use of rhyming couplets, in which the unusual and the very usual are paired up to satirical effect. Canto III begins with a description of Queen Annas residence as the place where she whom three realms obey, dost sometimes counsel take and sometimes tea. This makes the point as cleverly and concisely as anywhere else in the poem that trivial matters and moments of pleasure are held in as much importance as pressing government issues. Gossip and glory are discussed in equal measure, and the widespread distortion of social values echo throughout every further couplet. It can therefore be seen that Pope echoes some of Swifts satirical points about the often obsessively trivial nature of human conflict, and that the genres of the mock epic and travel writing both have different but equally valid qualities to lend to these points. In the case of Swift, a travel account is an ideal way to justly present an outsiders viewpoint of an apparently ridiculous society, forcing us to take a step outside our own preconceptions and re-evaluate the values of our own society now that its absurdities can be viewed more clearly. Whereas by presenting The Rape Of The Lock as a mock epic, Popes tone is more inherently sarcastic and satirical, and the trivialities of our ritualistic habits are satirised by presenting them with such obviously exaggerated grandiosity as to alert the audience to how silly these human foibles can appear.