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CNN Live At Daybreak

Interview with New York State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer

Aired October 30, 2001 - 08:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much, Bill. Let's look now once again at what is becoming a growing controversy, where many say there should have been no controversy at all. It's the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars, collected for the victims and families of the September 11 attacks. Americans have donated about 631 million dollars to one of the larger charities, the so-called "September 11th Fund." About 153 million had been handed out according to "Time" magazine. Yesterday we spoke with the widow of a World Trade Center victim about her difficulties getting some financial help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NILSA RIVERA, WIDOW OF WORLD TRADE CENTER VICTIM: It's as hard as it was from day one. I have to keep going back, there hasn't been follow-up system. You know, things that I have applied for have not been met. And I have to keep following up. And there should be a system where people should call and say, "have you been taken care of? Is there any -- any other way that I can help you?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Joining us now, New York state Attorney General Elliott Spitzer. He says among other things there should be a common database to track these funds and how are they dispersed. Thanks for joining us this morning.

ELLIOT SPITZER, NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL: My pleasure.

O'BRIEN: Well, first of all, when you hear a story like that, it nearly breaks your heart. That to go through what she has gone through, and then go out, and, as she put it, act like a beggar. What can be done?

SPITZER: Well, many things can be done, and I think the charities understand the need not only to use the money well but get it to the victims quickly. One of the things we have do is develop a common application process, common information database, so the charities can track who is getting money, who is not getting money, who needs the money and get the money to victims in a quick and appropriate manner. There is a public trust at stake here. An enormous amount of money, that has flown to these charities from the public's generosity, the charities understand and we in government understand the public expects the money to get to victims quickly. O'BRIEN: Give us a sense, if you can, specifically, of how the system is breaking down. Where is it broken and how can that be repaired?

SPITZER: I don't want to say yet that it is broken because I think that the charities are all working very vigorously to do what is right. The problem is that this enormous flow of money has come into many, many different charities. The charities are defining different purposes, different objectives, and many of the victims are saying, "to whom do I go to get money, do I go to the Red Cross? Do I do go to the September 11 Fund? Do I go to the Twin Towers Fund? The Salvation Army?" And there is a frustration that you have to go from one charity to the next, and so what we are trying to do, and the charities are trying to do as well, they understand the need is to organize, to make it a common, uniform process, so that the victims who need the assistance can get it, with a simple, quick application process.

O'BRIEN: Now, a lot of people have said the template that should be used here is the response to Oklahoma City.

SPITZER: Correct.

O'BRIEN: Which had a common database among other things, but I suppose what's different is just the sheer volume.

SPITZER: The scale of what we're dealing with here is, of course, many times that which we had in Oklahoma City. The number of victims is many times greater, the amount of money that has come in, and so it is a more complicated process but as a beginning point, absolutely correct, the template is Oklahoma City where a database and effort to organize the charities, bring them together, once a week to sit down to say who is dealing with this need who is dealing with this individual, that is what we are trying to create. And the charities are on board, the charities understand this a necessary step that we have to take, and so I think that we are getting there, we should not forget in Oklahoma City, it took up to six months before this process was put in place, so I think that we all feel the same desire to get there very very quickly, but also there has to be a desire to understand and we have do it properly and carefully.

O'BRIEN: Of course, six months can be an eternity.

SPITZER: Absolutely.

O'BRIEN: For someone like Mrs. Rivera, who has real needs now.

SPITZER: Which is why everybody shares her frustration. I would applaud, even though I have had my battles with the Red Cross, over the past couple weeks, I would applaud the Red Cross. They in particular have stepped into the breach, distributed a tremendous amount of money, at the scene, where people need it. They have really done a superb job.

O'BRIEN: Well, you mentioned the Red Cross. The Red Cross had been very vocal in saying it would not share in this database. I'm concerned about privacy -- is that is real issue in your mind?

SPITZER: Well, it's legitimate issue but we have overcome it. And I think that I, of course, when I proposed the database said we have to deal with the significant privacy issues relating to what data is stored and how it is distributed. But again, the template is Oklahoma City. The database is critical to making sure the money moves quickly, is used efficiently. The Red Cross has since changed its mind, much to their credit, we have created a system them that accommodates their concerns, the concerns that I and the charities have that the money be used well and efficiently and quickly, and so I think we are moving in right direction.

O'BRIEN: There is talk in Congress about some Congressional oversight of this whole process. Is that necessary?

SPITZER: I don't think it's necessary, I think that having said that, government stepping into coordinate, which is what I'm trying to do from my position as attorney general here in New York, is an important step forward, if there are Congressional inquiries, we will certainly cooperate with them, I'm not sure we need another layer right now, but let's see how this plays out.

O'BRIEN: All right, I want to put you on hook here, when will Nilsa Rivera get some satisfaction?

SPITZER: Well, let me suggest this. We have not, my office has not dealt with her. I will reach out to her today, put her in touch with the appropriate charities and she will get something very very quickly.

O'BRIEN: All right, I hope she is watching.

SPITZER: I hope so too so.

O'BRIEN: We'll hold your feet to fire on that one. All right, Elliot Spitzer is the state -- New York state attorney general. Thanks very much for being with us this morning. Paula.

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