AudioPosted on 07/26/2003 5:36:47 PM PDT by Salvation
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 26, 2003
President's Radio Address
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This weekend marks the 13th anniversary of the Americans With Disability Act, one of the great compassionate acts of American government. Since becoming law, the ADA has helped to improve the quality of life for more than 50,000 million Americans with physical and mental disabilities. As a result, it is easier today for people with disabilities to find a job, to enter public buildings, and to live more independently in their communities. These are all welcome changes in American life.
Many citizens have dedicated themselves to serving the interest of persons with disabilities, and some of them are here with me at the White House. I am joined by members of the President's Committee on Mental Retardation. The men and women on this committee include people with disabilities, as well as parents, teachers, health care workers, and advocates. They recently voted to change the committee's name to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. And I was pleased to sign an executive order instituting that change.
There is much more we can do to assure that Americans with disabilities are treated with dignity and respect. In 2001, I announced the New Freedom Initiative, to further promote the full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of society. As part of the New Freedom Initiative we're giving states funding to help people with disabilities commute to work, or purchase equipment that allows them to work from home. We are promoting home ownership for people with disabilities, and educating builders about the need for more accessible rental housing.
We are working with Congress to provide record levels of funding for special education programs, and to make sure the money is used to provide the most help to the most children. And we are making government websites more accessible to people with disabilities so that they can more easily find information about services and programs of the federal government. We're also focused on providing better care to people with mental illness. I'm committed to making sure people get the treatment and support they need and don't fall through the cracks.
My administration continues to work with states to ensure full implementation of the Supreme Court's Olnstead decision. That decision rightly mandates that individuals with disabilities who can receive support and treatment in a community setting should be given an opportunity to live close to their families and friends whenever possible. People with disabilities now have more freedom to do productive work and live independent lives. We're making good progress toward ensuring that persons with disabilities know the American Dream is meant for them. With changes in old ways of thinking, the development of new technologies, and the federal government's firm commitment to equality, more and more people with disabilities continue to become full participants in the American life.
Thank you for listening.
END
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Thank you !
I wish that there was a way for W to outfox them without just proving that he can be a bigger socialist than they are.
On of the most un-Constitutional acts of a bloated, oversized, porked-up, intrusive, nanny-state Federal govt.
The cause of improving the standard of living of and opportunites for the handicapped is certainly noble and worthwhile.
However, I don't understand where the federal government receives its mandate to fund this.
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 of the Constitution states that: "The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"
This funding does not provide for the "general Welfare of the United States." Rather, it provides for the welfare of a group which is, by definition, strictly limited.
"[...]and the federal government's firm commitment to equality[...]"
This seems to say the federal government is more interested in ensuring individuals are equal than it is in ensuring that it treats individuals equally. The actions which must be taken in order to make individuals more equal are and must be inherently unequal.
I object to funding the New Freedom Initiative through my federal taxes.
OK, the easy ones first.
It's radio, not raddio.
We're in July already, not June.
And today's the 26th, not the 29th. Although it may seem like the 29th -- what a long month this has been!
Now, for the tough love.
The President's handlers don't seem to care that the subjects he pretends to care about are often way down the list of Americans' priorities. The only people who even care about the ADA are those who are facing enormous costs in order to come into compliance with this well-meaning but intrusive and -- let's face it -- unconstitutional law.
"Intellectual Disabilities?"
Yikes!
The root of intellectual is shared with "intelligence" and you know where that can lead . . .
It wasn't that long ago when there was actually a term to differentiate certain mentally impaired people from others of greater intellect.
Can you guess what it was?
We are in full agreement.
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