===============================================================

      Roll Call looks at the 1992 Presidential Contenders

By Pat Downey

As most of you probably know, this is a presidential election
year.  As part of the election process, Massachusetts will hold
its state primary on Tuesday, March 10th.  In the primary,
voters will get a multitude of choices to vote for a variety of
candidates.  As a public service to our readers, Roll Call
attempted to get as much information from the candidates as
possible so that the readers could make an informed choice.  We
called five democratic candidates and three republican
candidates.  We requested two things from each candidate: a
position paper on disability issues, or to send biographical
information and include any campaign materials that would relate
to persons with disabilities.

We received a response to our request from seven candidates. 
One campaign office never bothered to return our phone call. 
What follows is what we received from the five candidates, and
which candidates did not bother to respond.  The candidates
appear in the order that they will be listed on the Massachusetts
ballot.  For the record, we did not contact candidates in the
Independent Voter Party, or the entire slate of democrats and
republicans.  That was due to the lack of person power in the
Roll Call office.  In the future, if anyone would like to
volunteer to help out...      

The democratic candidates in order are:

Jerry Brown is the former governor of California.  As governor,
Brown signed 150 new anti-crime bills.  One bill worthy of note:
he required mandatory prison sentences for persons committing
violent crimes against the elderly, blind or severely disabled. 
On the issue of health care, Brown instituted a $25,000 tax
deduction for anyone who remodeled a home or business to make it
accessible to the disabled, and oversaw the creation of more
than 25 community based Independent Living Centers for the
disabled in the state.  Finally, in the area of Workers' Rights,
Brown increased benefits for workers disabled on the job, and
minimum and maximum benefits increased by more than 25 percent. 
It should be noted that Gov. Brown's campaign office responded
first of all those contacted.

Senator Tom Harkin is a US Senator from Iowa.  Sen. Harkin has
been a leader and champion in the Senate for extending civil
rights for people with disabilities.  His greatest achievement
for the disability community was his co-sponsorship of the
Americans with Disabilities ACT (ADA).  In addition, he is the
chairperson for both the Subcommittee on Disability Policy of
the Labor and Human Resources Committee and the Labor/Health and
Human Services/Education Subcommittee of the Committee on
Appropriations.  Other bills that he as authored that enhance
the lives of people with disabilities, and that have been signed
into law include:  The Individuals With Disabilities Education
Act of 1991; The Education Of The Handicapped Act Amendment of
1990; The Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990; The National
Institute On Deafness And Communication Disorders; The
Technology-Related Assistance For Individuals With Disability
Act of 1988; Protection and Advocacy For Mentally Ill
Individuals Act Amendments of 1988; Developmental Disabilities
Assistance And Bill Of Rights Act Amendments of 1987 and 1991. 
Harkin has also introduced legislation to create a national
Personal Assistance Services Program.   

Paul Tsongas was a US Senator from Massachusetts for many years.
Tsongas believes we will only be a great society if we are able
to maximize the positive contributions every citizen can make to
our country.  Unfortunately, millions of Americans with
disabilities are still being denied their right to participate
fully in society because of discrimination, lack of opportunity
and other obstacles.  Tsongas believes this must end.

He supports various legislation that relates to individuals with
disabilities including the ADA, Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the
National Voter Registration Act of 1991.  He believes that
government must make a full commitment to implement the ADA.  As
for the Civil Rights Act of 1991, he would eliminate the cap on
damages that can be awarded in cases of discrimination against
people with disabilities.

As for health care, Tsongas' "Health Care for All Americans"
plan calls for "no-pre-existing condition limitations." 
Furthermore, Tsongas is committed to increase funds for Personal
Care Assistants, and education for the disabled is his top
priority.

Overall he believes that Americans must change their attitude
towards the disabled.  Tsongas plans to take a lead in this
effort to make this change a reality.

Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton's campaign information was not
specific to disability issues.  His campaign office sent copies
of four speeches on poverty, technology, welfare and education.

Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey believes in the full implementation
of ADA.  He also believes in a comprehensive national health
care for all Americans.  His plan, "Health USA" calls for
flexibility in terms of choice of doctors, hospital etc., pays
for long term care and eliminates discrimination on the basis of
a pre-existing condition.

Health USA also calls for the separation of health care coverage
from employment so that individuals will no longer be locked
into jobs they don't want out of fear of losing their health
insurance.

The republican candidates in order are:

Patrick J. Buchanan's campaign office only sent his brochure, a
fund raising letter and a bumper sticker.  He did not send
anything specific that related to individuals with disbilities.

Former Ku Klux Klan member David Duke's campaign office did not
return phone calls.

President George Bush has been in office for nearly four years. 
Prior to that, he was Vice President for eight years.

President Bush states that for too long, the 43 million
Americans who suffer from disabilities have been the victims of
segregation and discrimination.  He believes that we must remove
the physical barriers that we have created for the disabled and
the social barriers that we have accepted.  We will never be a
prosperous nation until all within it prosper.  Individuals with
disabilities represent a tremendous pool of talent that brings
diversity, loyalty and a proven low turnover rate to America;
work force.  They ask only one thing; a chance to prove
themselves.

Each year, federal, state and local governments spend a combined
$200 billion to support Americans with disabilities -- in effect,
to keep them dependent.  He wants to promote their desire to be
independent, to be a part of our economic mainstream.

As President, he will continue to embrace all Americans for
their abilities and for their disabilities, for their
similarities and for their differences, and, of course, for
their past courage and their future dreams.