A Better, Stronger America

Dear President Obama: I want to thank you for running for office, and taking on the onerous task of being President. Your vision for a better, stronger America has given hope to millions in this country and around the world. The effect of a new voice and new hope is apparent just in the sheer numbers who turned out to vote, particularly in terms of the high percentage of first time voters. I've followed your emerging plans for change at the change.gov Web site, and want to take this opportunity to respond to a few of your points.
I'm very happy to see your support for the value of early education in the form of expanding Head Start, which gives very young children a crucial boost in terms of a decent start. I'm happier still to see that you are looking closer at NCLB and reforming the "No Child Left Behind." I hope that in your new assessment plans you will have someone other than the local school district responsible for assessment. Far too many teachers are being forced to teach to the test instead of actively encouraging learning. I also hope that you will take a much closer look at Guaranteed Student Loans and PELL grants for higher education; the problems with mortgage lending and large institutions like Fannie Mae have profoundly affected student loans and student ability to repay loans. I'm also pleased that Health is a central concern. I urge you to look particularly closely at the FDA and new drug approvals, and bring the U. S. into closer alignment with our European and Canadian peers, who have access to a wider variety of safe drugs, and far more affordable drugs than we do. We pay sometimes four and five times more for the same prescription drug, from the same manufacturer, than our peers pay. Increasingly seniors on limited incomes are having to spend more than half their income on over priced but necessary prescription drugs. I know you've been paying attention to the importance of the Internet and Net Neutrality. It's crucial that the Internet remain an open, broadband, universal network that allows competition and the free market, and supports first amendment rights. If we are to continue expanding our ability to use digital technology we must not allow Internet service providers to control the transmission quality or rate of the data we send. It must be an equal platform for all of us, and all data, in order to maintain a free and open market. I know that abortion and a woman's right to control her own body is a crucial and emotionally laden issue. I hope that you will support a woman's right to choose, but I also hope that you will encourage education about safe sex and contraception as well as abstinence. There is no reason, in this day and age, for conceiving unwanted children. Education about alternatives, including the morning after pill, is the best way to reduce the number of women who have to exercise our right to choose. I am filled with hope, and look forward to working with you and the rest of America on building a better stronger nation.