Marc Maurer
President,
National Federation of the Blind

Compiled by Stacy Cervenka, student

“One of the fastest growing populations in the United States consists of people of all ages who have disabilities. Blindness is one of the fastest growing of these disabilities. With proper training and opportunity, blind people can be as productive as sighted people. This training is hard to get and sometimes the opportunities are limited.

Recognition by the new administration that people with disabilities have talent is a way to demonstrate leadership for this population. Appointing a blind person to serve as Secretary of Education would be a positive statement that people with disabilities are welcome in decision-making councils. Similarly, appointing a disabled person to head-up the Civil Rights division of the Department of Justice would be a visible demonstration that the rights of the disabled matter in America.

The Social Security Act penalizes disabled Americans who want to work and earn a living. Modifying this law to eliminate these penalties would generate jobs for disabled Americans.

The Library of Congress Books for the Blind Program is the primary source of reading matter for blind Americans. It is currently being under-funded. This program needs adequate support to ensure literacy for the blind.

Disabled Americans have difficulty gaining access to educational institutions and the commerce of the nation because the tools developed to use for such access do not include specialized characteristics to permit disabled individuals to use them. A legal right to equal access to educational institutions and materials and to all of the establishments (both physical and virtual) in which commerce is conducted is vital to the future of the nation.

As technology is developed to protect the environment, automobiles become quieter. Unless these vehicles produce sound adequate to be heard, they pose a danger to blind people, pedestrians, children, bicyclists, and others. A standard to make vehicles hearable is vital for the protection of pedestrians.

Advancements in technology, such as mobile (cell phone) “reading machines” can help to remove literacy barriers for people with blindness and learning disabilities, and literacy leads to employment. Grants and tax incentives to make these and other technologies more widely available at affordable prices should be provided.”

Andrew Selee
Director,
Mexico Institute,
Woodrow Wilson Center

Compiled by Adriana Vallejo

“I would recommend that the next President of the United States demonstrate exceptional leadership by tackling one of the toughest and most important issues for the future of the country: immigration. The economic crisis will make it impossible to address immigration immediately, but the President should set the agenda early by repeatedly making clear the importance of immigrants to U.S. society and reducing the number of federal immigration raids going on across the country. Starting in his second year (not later, because the window of opportunity is likely to close), he should make clear that he wants an immigration reform that

(a) restructuring the visa system to increase the number of work-based visas while reducing the number of family-based visas,

(b) provide residency to those currently living in the U.S. without documents who do not have a criminal record and can show a proficiency in English; and

(c) create a system for employer and border enforcement that forces future migration flows into the new work-based visa system. The President should lay down these principles and let Congress write the actual legislation; however, he should be aware that it will take courage and a herculean effort from the White House to get the immigration reform legislation through Congress.”

Ben Cardin
United States Senator,
State of Maryland

Compiled by Aaron Glaser

“There are many serious issues facing the next President—energy security, health care, education and the War on Terror. I would urge the next President to be bold in defining his vision so he can act quickly in meeting the challenges at home and abroad. Americans are looking for a change in direction and in leadership and the next president will have a unique opportunity to prepare our nation to meet the economic, social and security challenges of the future.”

Bill Gradison
Board Member,
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB),
Former Congressman and ranking member of
the House Budget Committee and
the Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means

Compiled by Mansoor Shams

“Entitlement reform should be high on the list of priorities for the new President, especially in his first year or two in office. The recent meltdown in the financial markets, especially as it relates to housing finance, shows the risks of focusing on short term fixes. Commitments made by past Congresses, in health care in particular, need to be examined with an eye to reducing the long term deficits which are currently projected.”

Todd Stottlemyer,
President and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business

Compiled by Caitlin McDevitt

“The candidates must recognize that small businesses create about two-thirds of all net new jobs in this country. For 20 years, they've been telling us that their number one problem is the cost of healthcare. The status quo is no longer acceptable. Entrepreneurs need to hear specific proposals that will address this issue, which in turn will help them to grow their businesses and our economy.”

Heather Wilson
United States Congresswoman,
New Mexico

Compiled by Megan Tyler

“Keep the curtain inside of the tub.”

Marvin Kalb,
Former Network Correspondent and Author
Edward R. Murrow Professor Emiritus at Harvard University
Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy

Compiled by Sofia Bassman

“The issues before you are diverse and profound. May I add another one to your agenda?

How are you going to deal with the media? That may not seem so important--surely, the economy, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, health care and energy easily trump the media. But on each subject your success or failure may ultimately depend on the public's acceptance of your position. Enter the inescapably central role of the media. Ask LBJ about his Vietnam policy. Ask Nixon about Watergate. Ask Carter about hostages, and Bush I about taxes and Bush II about terrorism. Each President thought the policy issue at hand to be more important, more urgent, than the public's understanding and acceptance of the policy--the public could always wait, it was felt, until the President thought the moment appropriate to inform it, and in the meantime everything could be conducted in excessive secrecy and with a disdainful back-of-the-hand to the reporter, who is the public's only real contact with government. GOP Senator Arthur Vandenberg once warned the White House that if it wanted Senate support on the landing of policy, it had best inform the Senate on the takeoff of policy. And, may I propose, based on more recent history, that the media and the public it serves also be brought in on both the takeoff and landing of policy.

After watching your first news conference as President-elect, I fear you may be making a mistake in how you handle the media. It seemed to me that you were doing the media a favor. You had an important point you wanted to make--the economy is sour and may get worse; and having made it, you wanted to get off stage, away from the TV lights and back to work. You were in a rush. Understandable in one respect--you are in a rush--but a lesson to be learned in another. How about building into your White House schedule a half-hour news conference once every two weeks sometime during the day? Primetime is not necessary, except in emergency. That idea has advantages for everyone. The reporters know they will get the chance to ask you a question at regular intervals, whether there is hot news or not. The public gets accustomed to seeing you answering questions at regular intervals. You and your government know that every two weeks you have to answer questions of interest and importance. This timetable imposes discipline in the ranks and sidesteps unnecessary secrecy. Regularity is the key. At the end of the day the public wins, and in a democracy what could be better?”