Impeccable Timing

Mon Jul 26 2010 19:30:00 GMT-0400 (EDT) | by Arjun Jaikumar

Well, this is unfortunate: Florida Republican Jeb Bush held a fundraiser for tea-powered Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul today, which just happens to be the 20^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The ADA, a landmark piece of legislation which was signed into law by Jeb Bush’s father (the first President Bush), made it illegal for employers to discriminate against the disabled. Yet Rand Paul has his reservations:

Tucked away in that same interview was a similar question about ADA. Did the legislation go too far, asked NPR's Robert Siegel.

"I think a lot of things could be handled locally," Paul said. "For example, I think that we should try to do everything we can to allow for people with disabilities and handicaps... I think if you have a two-story office and you hire someone who's handicapped, it might be reasonable to let him have an office on the first floor rather than the government saying you have to have a $100,000 elevator. And I think when you get to solutions like that, the more local the better, and the more common sense the decisions are, rather than having a federal government make those decisions."

The campaign of Paul’s Democratic opponent, Kentucky attorney general Jack Conway, would like to know: does Jeb Bush stand with Rand on the ADA? Does he, like Rand, truly believe that the federal government shouldn’t be “making decisions” about protecting disabled Americans from discrimination in the workplace?

Or will it be Rand Paul who flips once again and backtracks on his position, as he has done on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and on holding BP accountable for the disastrous oil spill?

Comments

ADA Tue Jul 27 2010 10:19:16 GMT-0400 (EDT) | by

Happy Anniversary ADA! obviously Rand Paul is not aware of tax credits for accomodations and how ADA works for small businesses. It's all about hiring qualified ppl for the job. I hope Jeb Bush does not support this since in Houston we proudly celebrated the 20th anniversary of the ADA and President George Bush Sr. sigining it in 1990.
And Handicap is not the politically correct word, it's disabled and it's person first then the disability..individiual / person with a disability. The disability does not define the person.

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Political controversies Fri Jul 30 2010 18:12:14 GMT-0400 (EDT) | by Mary Ellen Pearson

We vote now, I got my mail in ballot today. I'm afraid if the democrats want my vote they are going to have to do more than bash the republicans. They are going to have to expose their records; BUT NOW!~!~!

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The Economy and the Deficit Tue Jul 27 2010 11:59:19 GMT-0400 (EDT) | by

A national economy is not like a household budget. It is like a circulatory system. Money flows around the economy, being reused again and again. Our wealth lies in what we produce - and what we do for each other. Any teacher, fireman, policeman, person who maintains our roads, power system, communications, water, and on and on who is fired makes us poorer. Periodically, national economic systems crash. IT IS THEN THE JOB OF GOVERNMENT TO ACT AS AN ARTIFICIAL HEART, KEEPING THE FLOW GOING UNTIL THE PATIENT COMES BACK TO NORMAL. Those who prate about the deficit are killing us.

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Thu Jul 29 2010 13:10:28 GMT-0400 (EDT) | by Shovling B.

Hello ! Could you spend your way out of a money problem! If you can you will be the first. The best way to get growth is not through the government giving us back some of our money , but not taking it and spending it in the first place. Also you can not keep spending more than you are bringing in , the National Debt is a burden for our children and grandchildren. God Bless

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ADA Tue Jul 27 2010 19:42:30 GMT-0400 (EDT) | by wes

My experience with ADA is personal as my wife is wheelchair-bound. Even modern medical facilities have horrible restroom access. Doors are a big problem, especially those with strong closers. No way can 5 lbs of push open them and most swing outward into small spaces so no pusher can assist only if someone inside will open the door. I've said for a long time that maintenance people should be made to spend a day in a wheelchair doing their maintenance work. I bet changes would be made quick, especially trying to get into a restroom without leaving the w/c. The ADA standards are worefully inadequate as to space requirements in public/private room arrangements and facilities.

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Economy & Deficit Tue Jul 27 2010 19:50:30 GMT-0400 (EDT) | by wes

Trouble is that the money flow stops once it gets to the wealthy as the squirrel it away into investments without a social conscience as to how those companies are run from top to bottom. Their only concern is to earn tax-free dividends and to protect capital gains from taxation A big help in getting this country working again will be to sunset those big tax cuts made by the Bush Administration. Those that argue for minimal government oversight and strictly (as they would think) restrict the federal government, fail to realize that battle was fought with great loss of life in both the North and South over a century ago. Those who tea-party need to review their history lessons and learn from them.

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Americans with Disabilities Act and Rand Paul Thu Jul 29 2010 13:13:13 GMT-0400 (EDT) | by ramonsanti@gmail.com

If we were to allow each state or business to determine which is the best accommodation for its employees with disabilities, we would end up with best practices in some states and worst practices in others, hence unleashing a cloud of inconsistency and potential discriminatory acts all around the country. That why we need a national standard. Mr. Paul's vision on this is narrow and limited. I'd say, No, Sir, to his position. I don't expect Jeb Bush to support Rand Paul's position on ADA either.

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