I'm looking out for signs that President-elect Obama is taking disabilities seriously in his very first steps. In addition to appointing David Axelrod and Michael Strautmanis to senior positions, he's put Seth Harris, his campaign's co-chair for disability policy, on the working group that will help set budget and personnel decisions for labor, education, and transportation agencies.
The Washington Post reports: "Seth Harris...is a professor and the Director of Labor & Employment Law Programs at New York Law School. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Life Without Limits Project of the United Cerebral Palsy Association and a member of the National Advisory Commission on Workplace Flexibility. He served as the Chair of Obama for America's Labor, Employment, and Workplace Policy Committee and a Co-Chair of its Disability Policy Committee. During the Clinton Administration, he served as counselor to the Secretary of Labor and Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy, among other policy-advising positions."
Harris's writing includes "The Misdirected Debate Over the Economics of Disabilities Accommodations," an essay that cites the inadequacy of employer-provided health insurance and discrimination in the workplace.
2 comments:
What do you think of Tom Daschle? Does he have any record on disabilities?
I was wondering the same thing. I know that health care is high on his list of values.
I am no economist, not even close, but universal health care seems to be such a plus on so many levels. I keep hearing about the auto industry struggling with the high costs of providing health care to the workers. Would they even need a bailout if that expense was absorbed by the govt. I am sure it is more complicated than that.
On a very personal level this would help so many of the families I work with. If health care is covered then more people would be willing to do respite and skills training as independent contractors for my families. It is so hard to find respite; the pay in Oregon is only about 10-12 an hour but if you did not have to worry about health coverage then it would be an awesome job with lots of flexibility for people with kids or students.
I am an independent consultant but I am paying through the nose to cover my healthy 5 year olds "pre-existing condition" and every month have to decide if I should give up the job I love for health care.
Go Tom! I need to get him on my "to write" list :)
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