IT'S TIME FOR DISABILITY ISSUES TO BE LED BY A SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THIS AND FUTURE PRESIDENTSMarch 13, 2007 Dear Friends and Colleagues, On Wednesday evening, March 7th, disability rights leader Mark Johnson accepted the Henry B. Betts Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities. In his acceptance speech, Mark said, "IT'S TIME FOR DISABILITY ISSUES TO BE LED BY A SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THIS AND FUTURE PRESIDENTS." Earlier in the week, Olegario Cantos VII Esq. (Ollie to all who know him) announced that his rotation in the temporary role of Associate Director with the Domestic Policy Council at the White House would end on 3/31/07. We are grateful to Ollie and each person who has served in this role for all they have done to advance disability issues in the White House. Now is the time to make this temp job a permanent "Special Assistant to the President on Disability." Join us in this historic effort to fortify disability issues as a permanent national priority. The establishment of this new position in the White House will serve the needs of over 54 million Americans with disabilities-- almost one fifth of the population--including war veterans and baby boomers with age-acquired disabilities. This is an idea whose time has come. For it to be realized and sustained there must be a groundswell of support directed to the President and the 2008 Presidential candidates. Please contact President Bush and the 2008 Presidential candidates. Please copy us so we can be sure they are hearing from all 50 states. In your letters, if you are comfortable in doing so, join us in suggesting Olegario Cantos VII Esq. for this position. For more about Ollie go to: http://www.esight.org/View.cfm?x=1801 Tell President Bush: * Your first and last name * Your city and state * This statement or a similar message: "Please appoint a PERMANENT Special Assistant to the President on Disability. No more temporary assignments for this crucial national leadership position!" Send your letter to: 1. President Bush at president@whitehouse.gov 2. Send a copy of your email to disabilityadvisor@yahoo.com so we can track this Call to Action and insure that the White House hears from the disability community in every state. 3. Send a similar letter to the 2008 Presidential Candidates and tell them, "Please promise to appoint a PERMANENT Special Assistant to the President on Disability if elected. No more temporary assignments for this crucial national leadership position!" (this is the list of candidates as of 3-13-07) Joe Biden info@joebiden.com Sam Brownback www.brownback.com/s/Contact/tabid/108/Default.aspx Hillary Rodham Clinton www.hillaryclinton.com/help/contact/ Chris Dodd http://www.chrisdodd.com/contact John Edwards http://johnedwards.com/about/contact/form Jim Gilmore info@gilmoreforpresident.com Rudy Giuliani info@joinrudy2008.com Mike Gravel info@gravel2008.us Dennis Kucinich http://kucinich.us/contact Mike Huckabee information@explorehuckabee.com Duncan Hunter info@gohunter08.com John McCain http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact Barack Obama http://action.barackobama.com/page/s/contact Bill Richardson www.richardsonforpresident.com/page/s/contact Mitt Romney policy@mittromney.com Tommy Thompson info@tommy2008.com 5. Forward this Call to Action far and wide to independent living centers. chapters/affiliates of national disability organizations, list serves, disabled student service centers on college campuses, rehab hospitals, Developmental Disability councils, state disability coalitions, Statewide Independent Living Councils, Parent Coalitions, etc. and encourage everyone to join in this national effort Thank You! In community, Marcie Roth, Tari Hartman Squire, Mark Johnson and Yoshiko Dart ________________________________________________________________ For more news issues, see: http://www.aapd.com/docs/news.php
|