Dear President Barak Obama

Dear Mr. President Barak Obama,

First off thank you for all that you have done to help save the country from the mess it was left in by the Republican Party. I appreciate you doing many things like forcing a vote on health care reform and making government more transparent to citizens. It is very important that what happens in government for the people to be viewed by the people.

I hope eventually that lobbyist money and lifelong appointments to Congress and the Senate become a thing of the past. Some people just seem to live forever in office.
For some that is good, for many that is an inexcusable detriment to society. I also see what happens when government goes unchallenged in doing better than the status quo.

I see the billions spent on wars and wish it was spent on people within our country who suffer in poverty and quality of education such as in Utah. As for priorities in spending and research,that should be the spending on gang and drug deterrence in public school children starting in elementary school. I also hope that you reinvigorate the spending for national security starting on the street level with Law Enforcement, and public safety in general.
I request that you increase the requirements for public school children to help keep them out of gangs and substance abuse, violence.Mandate programs which have been proven successful.

I see the mess that government was in prior to your inauguration and I see also the many things that still need to be improved upon. I give you a high five for an outstanding job done so far considering how bad the economy and Wall Street had become prior to your election.

I have been in college for more than 5 years as a white working class member of society, I was fortunate to attend an excellent college but have massive student loan debt as part of the sacrifice. I have worked multiple jobs and gone without health care coverage for most of my lifetime.

I was raised in an upper class household and was blessed with incredible parents. I grew up as a child of prosperity.I also grew up around many working class poor people of many ethnicity's. Upon my marriage and subsequent later life I went without most of the quality things that I was acquainted with as a child. These things were simple, the ability to go to a dentist or doctor, or specialist without concern of the excessive costs. Life changed for me a lot after moving out of my parents’ home. Many people go thru similar circumstances.

I married young for all the wrong reasons and as many marriages the failure was imminent.The divorce was exceptional and very costly, it ripped apart both family,friends and relationships that were very important to me. It also was an exceptional learning lesson in how government is mismanaged and only doing the status quo at the State level.When you cannot overpay your child support to a State then there is a huge fundamental problem. That's right try to overpay your child support when you have excess, and get a "we do not accept over payments" letter with a refund. On the other hand the state will seize the federal refund if you are behind on payments! L.O.L. I would like to say that this stopped as an issue 16 years ago, it has not; this is an issue in 2010!

College education was the answer so I tried to focus on it with great hardship!Working multiple jobs at the same time just to financially survive, and trying to slowly complete college was a huge burden. I have a understanding for both working class, middle class and a taste of upper class lifestyles with my life and employment background.

I have worked for too many employers with low quality or unaffordable health coverage. For those Senators and Congressmen who gripe and groan about what an improved health care program can or cannot do for this country; I simply tell them to go without health insurance as a citizen and tax payer. I tell them to think of their extended family, the very poor working class extended family; then do the right thing!

I can prove that I was lucky to stay healthy and not have any pre existing conditions; I do not smoke either and even when skinny and physically fit could not get health insurance. Most of my life I have been without insurance. I was raised as a child of wealth, and after a failed marriage found out what it is like to go without what others take for granted.I am healthy at this time but could loose some weight for sure,those dress clothes do not lie!

A major ongoing grief is that I also cannot provide insurance to my daughter who now lives with her mother. I can suffer but it is not fair to my daughter and her quality of life. There are too many children whose parents are citizens and hard working going without what should be a fundamental part of the American Dream. Those who have health insurance sometimes work many extra hours to pay for it.If you get taxed heavily as I do (those living in Utah pay excessive taxes unless you have many children to deduct), and have been working for usually just barely above the single federal rate for poverty, then it really causes grief.

If the G8 Nations can do health insurance of good quality, then we in the United States should be the best at it!

I live in Utah but do not ski. The reason for example that I do not ski, is simple if I fall down and break a leg or hit a tree I do not have any health coverage. The family values State that I live in should also be ashamed of how they take care of their kids in the education spending, and without a doubt the health insurance coverage.

My extended family consists of caring for a quadriplegic elderly female and an elderly female struggling with cancer and dementia. For those who think citizens in Utah get excellent health care and have access to all the programs available; NOT! For those that think that health care for severely disabled people is straight forward and consistent with modern times, absolutely not. The cattle prod is the only way to get extended family members with health issues the appropriate care,the huge Health Care Management Organizations are ruthless!

I applaud your efforts also in promoting equality for all in the United States which are citizens. I am a gay male and not currently equally treated in society. I applaud the City of Salt Lake for passing non discrimination bill towards employment and housing. I can easily legally document my employment discrimination in the past based upon my sexuality.When you can document more than 10 heterosexual people in a company were treated much differently than you, then it is appalling that ones sexual orientation could be a basis of discrimination.

I have an incredible extremely well educated L.D.S. friend who lost a prominent position as the administrator of a college based upon his employer finding out he was gay. It is a sad day in America when you can excel in the church,go on a mission for your church,achieve very high levels of education in many areas of study,and when the same employer who gave you incredible reviews, students reviews finds out you are gay you lose your career!

I am outspoken in all aspects of the gay rights movement. I will quickly call out all who opposed gay rights, gay equality. I also remember that I am not the only one discriminated on in this country. For politicians that make ugly black baby comments and other comments they too are called out for being bigots and haters.If you do not apologize and well publicize the apology, then you have not changed your evil barbaric ways! I also call out those who generalize all into one lump category and promote hate. I will support only civil respect for one another and always oppose violence in any format.

President Barak Obama, I request that you repeal the Military don’t ask tell policy DOMA, many of my friends are past military and are gay. Many of my friends are currently LGBT and serving proudly.I respect that you have begun the review process on a policy that is needed to prove the respect that so many veterans and current people serving deserve.

I request that you work on federal hate crime enforcement and expansion of them into all applicable areas. I request that you work to the best of your ability to increase the quality of life for all in America by advancing equality for all citizens.America must be the leader in equality and democracy once again. We will by example show the rest of the world why America is the greatest nation.

I wish you the very best in longevity and a wonderful life with your family and friends.I have confidence in your abilities.

Best Regards!
Two 2nd Class Citizens in Utah
Sundance Film Festival 2010 WIG OF SHAME to be worn showcasing all who opposed gay rights! In the words of my beloved deceased Senator Edward Kennedy, “they can call me a liberal, if it means that I stood up for the rights of others!”