If last Wednesday’s presidential debate left you with more questions than answers, here’s your chance for the presidential candidates to address the issues that most matter to you.
The next presidential debate will be a town hall meeting format at Hofstra University in Long Island, where voters will ask President Obama and Mitt Romney about domestic and foreign policy.
Patch is asking you, our readers, to participate by submitting questions for the candidates.
All you have to do is post your question in the comments section below, and we’ll send it to the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Commission is partnering with Patch's parent company Aol, along with Google and Yahoo, to take questions from web users across the country.
Don’t wait until Nov. 6 to have a say in this year’s election. Share your thoughts in the comments!
Matt
1:25 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
To President Obama: In June 2007, you gave a speech at Hampton University, in which you claimed that the 10% matching requirement for federal assistance had not been waived for New Orleans' effort to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Do you still believe that to be the case, and did you mean to imply that there was a racial motivation behind a difference in response to Katrina than to Hurricane Andrew or 9/11?
To Governor Romney: President Bush was largely criticized for the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. In light of your positions on cutting federal funding, how would you ensure an adequate federal response to disasters such as Katrina, and what do you view as the source of the problems with the federal response to Hurricane Katrina?
Garry Watkins
6:14 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Senator Obama was one of 13 senators who voted AGAINST the Stafford Act/relief effort for New Orleans, then eventually reversed his vote.
Bob Reif
12:40 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012
Ask Romney if his position on abortion is the same as his running mate: That all abortions will be illegal except in the cases of incest, rape or the life of the mother. Would he sign a bill endorsing the end of Roe v. Wade
Ask him to be specific on how he would pay for the tax breaks for the wealthy and the massive increase to defense spending. Exactly what deductions and programs would be eliminated.
Matt
12:59 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012
I'm certain that there will be an abortion question, but asking if he would "sign a bill endorsing the end of Roe v. Wade" would potentially only elicit an easy evasion - that to sign such a bill would currently be unconstitutional and thus against the oath of office, so of course not. I believe what you mean to ask is would you appoint supreme court justices that would overturn Roe v. Wade, opening the door for broad anti-abortion legislation? If so, and it were overturned during your presidency, would you then sign federal legislation outlawing abortion nationally in all cases except rape, incest, or the life of the mother, or would he leave abortion legislation up to individual states?
Matt
12:41 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012
To President Obama: Your "Urban Policy" page on whitehouse.gov says that you will, quote, "take a regional approach that disregards traditional jurisdictional boundaries, setting policy that takes into account how cities, suburbs, and exurbs interact" for urban policy. The "Sustainable Housing and Communities" initiative under your Department of Housing and Urban Development has been cited as directing funds for the benefit of cities at the expense of the suburbs, and the first step towards achieving regional tax bases where wealthier suburbs share tax revenue with poorer cities. Do you, in fact, support regional tax sharing at the local government level, and, if so, what would you do to encourage this with federal legislation? As a follow-up, do you support tax redistribution from suburbs to cities at the federal level?
Bob Reif
12:41 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012
Ask Romney to describe his plans for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in DETAIL
DG Guy
1:37 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012
Why wouldn't we ask Obama that as well? We need to stop letting people pretend these systems are OK. They are both failing and if nothing is done the results will be disastrous.
Pete Cole
1:52 am on Sunday, October 14, 2012
I agree with DG Guy. Why is it only Romney that has to describe his plans? The Dems always get a pass. Ryan puts out a budget that gets heavily criticized while there is no Democratic budget (except by President Obama that can't even muster 1 vote in the House or Senate). The Senate hasn't put 1 budget out since Harry Reid took over. Other than status quo what is President Obama's plan?
DG Guy
1:36 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012
Remind them both of this quote from the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees: "Projected long-run program costs for both Medicare and Social Security are not sustainable under currently scheduled financing, and will require legislative modifications if disruptive consequences for beneficiaries and taxpayers are to be avoided."
Then ask both Romney and President Obama what they will do to keep these systems from failing.
Pete Cole
1:39 am on Sunday, October 14, 2012
To President Obama...Given that many major companies such as Darden Restaurants, McDonalds and Wynn Resorts to name a few have publicly stated they would make many workers part-time instead of full-time in order to avoid paying for health insurance would you make any changes the "Affordable Care Act" to avoid this from happening.
Also to President Obama you have been very vocal in your desire to make sure millionaires and billionaires pay their "fair" share of taxes but seem to say the threshold is $250,000 for the taxes to begin. Meanwhile your Vice President on Thursday said that figure would be $1 Million. Which is it? If the taxes raised fail to put a dent in the national debt how much more would you be willing to raise taxes on the "millionaires and billionaires" of this country.
To both candidates Medicare and Medicaid are the two biggest drains on the national debt. What program would you put in place to fix this and specifically to President Obama why haven't you addressed this problem in your first four years in office.