Former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa

8/25/2015

Senator Tom Harkin

Harkin Institute For Public Policy & Citizen Engagement

c/o Drake University

2429 University Avenue

Des Moines, IA  50311

USA

Dear Senator Harkin,

My name is Matt Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan and my favorite subjects history. These subjects are interesting to me because I want to learn more about how society works, learn from repeating the same mistakes, advance on Civil Rights to protect people who different like minorities, gender, people with disabilities, and people with different sexual orientation from discrimination, need to protect the environment with clean alternative energy to reduce pollution, and many others.  The main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain on how your sponsor with supporting the ADA helped benefit me, how I like your commitment on finding ways to improve Civil Rights to reduce discrimination, and dedicating my story about my disability to you for your hard work.

Senator Harkin, when you served in the U.S. Senate, I really liked on how you sponsored the ADA to help protect people with disabilities from being discriminated in transportation, education, jobs, and public places. I appreciated on how you worked with Republican Senator Bob Dole, Republican Senator Richard Lugar, Republican Alan K. Simpson, Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy, Democratic Harry Reid, and Democratic Senator George Mitchell on supporting the bill with making sure that it passed the Senate and the House and even get President George H.W. Bush to support it with singing the bill into law. I read an article about the reason why you created the ADA and worked hard to get it into law and I enjoyed reading it because I liked on how you worked hard to help your brother who had a disability get assistance and to make sure that people with disabilities get protection from being discriminated.  Besides the ADA, I really liked on how you worked to help improve Civil Rights by supporting repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell to help protect military troops from being discriminated on their sexual orientation, support expanding on hate crime legislation to help protect people who are different (women, minorities, people with disabilities, and people with different sexual orientation) from being targeted by a hate crime, and supporting equal pay for women to help protect them from being discriminated in pay based on gender. I really liked on how you worked with moderate Republicans on expanding on Civil Rights. Also I liked on how you worked with President George H.W. Bush and President Barack Obama on finding ways to advance on Civil Rights and to reduce discrimination.

Senator Harkin, I have Autism with a learning disability since when I was born and currently.  Having Autism with a learning disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different topics, have trouble with speech when communicating with other people, and sometimes I get teased about it by other people.  The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 helped benefit me to get an education and expand on Civil Rights to help protect me from being discriminated.  The ADA created accommodations like extra time on exams, have T.A. or tutors work with me completing assignments to help improve on my comprehension, have educational software including using a recorder to help me read with understanding the topic or to help improve on note-taking, and have special education including learning support services assist me on setting up accommodations or advising me on which classes I need to take. This legislation helped me get an education in elementary school through high school and it even helped me graduate from Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan with an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts.   My main focus in my degree is history, government, criminal justice, some business, and some science. I plan on using what I learn with my degree is to teach history to emphasize the need to improve society including the need to have Civil Rights to reduce discrimination. Another thing is the ADA helped expand on Civil Rights protect me from being discriminated.

                  The ADA made a great difference in my life by helping me get an education by providing accommodations to help me and to be protected under Civil Rights from being discriminated.  Senator Harkin, you have really inspired me to work hard on my disability and to continue on learning different subjects.  Thanks for sponsoring the ADA and working hard to pass this bill with bipartisanship support. Another thing is I’m proud of your commitment to make Civil Rights stronger to reduce discrimination.  Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a great difference for people with disabilities including me, and supporting Civil Rights. I wish you well for the future and please continue being an advocate for people with disabilities.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick

Mr. Paul A. Volcker

9/16/2015

Mr. Paul A. Volcker

Chairman of The Volcker Alliance

c/o The Volcker Alliance

560 Lexington Avenue, Suite 16B

New York, NY  10022
USA

Dear Mr. Volcker,

My name is Matthew Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan with a strong interest in studying history with some business. The main reason I have a strong interest in learning these subjects is to learn the need to advance on Civil Rights to reduce discrimination, need for job training programs to help train workers along with youth to help improve on their job skills, a strong need to have government reform to reduce corruption in elections including public officials, and have regulations on financial institutions along with Wall Street from committing fraud, waste, and abuse even crash on the middle class.  My goal in the future is to continue learning different subjects and to teach people about the need to improve society. Mr. Volcker, the reason I’m writing you a letter is because I find your work as Chairman of Federal Reserve, as President Economic Recovery Advisory Board under President Obama, and later as an activist to improve the economy.

When you served as 12^th Chairman of the Federal Reserve, I liked on how you worked with Democratic President Jimmy Carter on finding ways to reduce stagflation in the 1970s and also I liked on how you advocated for the need to regulate financial institutions to reduce a crash in the economy when both political parties supported deregulation on banks including financial institutions which caused a damage on the economy.  After you left being Chairman of the Federal Reserve I liked on you worked with the U.N. on researching corruption in the Iraqi Oil for Food Program to help reduce waste on taxpayer’s money and to even reduce conflict of interest.  I liked on how you decided to be a participate on a documentary called Inside Job to express the need to end abuse, fraud, and corruption on Wall Street with the need to reduce high pay raises for Wall Street CEOs.  When President Obama Got elected for his 1^st term I liked on how you accepting being appointed as Chairperson of President Economic Recovery Advisory Board to work with the President on finding ways to improve the economy.  When you were President Economic Recovery Advisory Board, I liked you advised on President Obama on the need to have the American Recovery Act, a stimulus package to create job-training programs to help train people to develop job skills to help improve the economy with the work force. Also In your role I like on how worked with President Obama on creating the idea called “The Volker Rule” to add regulations on Wall Street including financial institutions by prohibiting deposit-making institutions including commercial banks from investing in hedge funds, proprietary trading, and private equity.  When you left the advisory board, I liked on how you continue being an activist for campaign finance reform to reduce money from financial institutions from corrupting elections including public officials, advocating for the need to break up the big banks so they won’t crash again, and expand on regulatory laws to combat against waste, fraud, and abuse caused by the financial institutions to help protect middle class, home owners, taxpayers, and students.

Mr. Volcker, your work on economics with being an advocate for the need to regulate Wall Street including financial institutions from crashing again got me really inspired to take “Intro to Business”, a business class at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In “Intro to Business” class, I got to learn about how business including small business works, learn different business terms, and how laws affect a business including the economy.  I had a great instructor named Kimberly Hurns because she went the extra-mile to show the class including me documentaries and giving lectures about the need for regulations on financial institutions to prevent them from committing fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption against middle class, the history about how the financial institutions played a role in causing an financial collapse.  After taking the class I really enjoyed learning about how the economy works, the need for regulations on financial institutions to prevent them from crashing with abusing their power, and continue watching documentaries about the need for reform to make society better by reducing corruption, abuse, waste, and fraud.  

Mr. Volker, thanks for taking the time to read my letter, inspiring me to become more aware about the need to reform financial institutions to protect middle class, students, taxpayers, and the economy from fraud including abuse caused by financial institutions, and working hard to make society better through your role as an activist, as 12 Chairman of Federal Reserve, and as Chairperson of President Economic Recovery Advisory Board.  I wish you well at The Volcker Alliance where you can continue pushing for advocacy for the need to end the abuse, fraud, waste, and even corruption caused by the financial institutions including Wall Street.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick

Mr. Paul A Volcker sent me financial reports from his foundation.

Ms. Betty White

8/26/2015

Ms. Betty White

P.O. Box 491965

Los Angeles, CA  90049-8965
USA

Dear Ms. White,

My name is Matt Winick and I am a fan of your comedy work in different tv shows The Golden Girls, Hot in Cleveland, and Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.  In The Golden Girls I liked on how you worked well with Ms. Beatrice Arthur, Ms. Rue McClanahan, and Ms. Estelle Getty on making the comedy great and making the characters interesting to watch. I liked The Golden Girls tv show about four older women living together in a house in Miami Florida and enjoyed watching the first episode because it did a great job of explaining on how the four older women became friends and living in one house. Also the show did a great job on making the four women work on their friendship.  Ms. White, thought you did a great job playing Rose Nylund because I liked on how you made Rose have a comedic humor personality while the other girls had different personalities.  Betty White’s Off Their Rockers was another great comedy because I liked on how you were the host of the show where you worked with different celebrities including different comedians on doing funny things.  One of my favorite episode of  Betty White’s Off Their Rockers is where you and PSY do Oppa Gangnam Style with old people because Oppa Gangnam Style is one of my favorite songs with PSY and I thought you with him did a great job making it along with the dancing fun and funny to watch.  Also I liked on how you connected with PSY because both of you are very talented at being funny and clever.  Hot in Cleveland was another great comedy show because I liked the story line about 3 women from an entertainment industry live in a home where they deal with Elka, a caretaker of the house played by you.  In the show I thought it was funny on how an old women hanged out with young women on exploring different things with having fun.

Beside your acting career including your comedic role I really like on how you are an advocate for improving animal health and an activist to help protect animals from being abused. Also I liked on how you work with different animal organizations like L.A. Zoo Commission, Morris Animal Foundation, and African Wildlife Foundation.  Your work on animal rights and helping animals helped me get inspired to learn about the need to protect animals from being abused and the need to help them rehabilitate before going back to the wild.  Another thing I liked was on how you became an activist for women to have jobs in USDA Forest Services to improve diversity. Another thing to add is that I like on how you are an activist on supporting people with disabilities' rights causes to help protect people with disabilities' from being discriminated. Ms. White, I have autism with a learning disability. Having a disability is hard for me because I have trouble comprehending on learning different advance subjects, sometimes I struggle to communicate my thoughts, and get teased.  Another thing that I struggle with a disability is when other people including other adults get judgmental about me being different from them and have struggles to find different methods to improve myself.  Your commitment to be a strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights causes really inspires me to work hard on my disability.  Your character Rose Nylund in Golden Girls helps give me motivation to work hard on my disability, try to find different methods to improve myself when there are challenges, and learn the importance of kindness including friendship when there are challenges in life.

Ms. White, I am proud of your hard work on making comedy tv shows fun to watch with humor. Also you do such a great job making your character have an interesting personality with a comedic side. I like on how you do such a great job working with other actors or actresses or celebrities on finding ways to make entertainment fun to watch. Your activism on helping protect animal’s health with protecting them from being abused and being an advocate for people with disabilities' rights causes makes a great difference for society. You truly inspire me to work hard on my disability, be a fan of your acting, and try my best to continue to understand life while find different methods to improve myself.  I’m sending you a card thanking you for your hard work, thanking you for taking the time to read my letter, and a $5 donation as a gift for you to help protect animal’s rights or support people with disabilities' rights causes. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, making a difference for society, and making comedy fun to watch.  Keep up the good work, have a great year, and continue making entertainment fun to watch.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick

Former Department of Fair Employment and Housing Ms. Phyllis Cheng of California

8/25/2015

Ms. Phyllis Cheng

c/o DLA Piper LLP (US)

550 South Hope Street, Suite 2300

Los Angeles, CA  90071-2678
USA

Dear Ms. Cheng,

My name is Matthew Winick, an Asian American from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I have a strong interest in studying history, culture, criminal justice, and social justice. These subjects are my favorite because I like to learn with understand the need to advance on Civil Rights to reduce discrimination, find ways to improve education to improve learning, protect the environment from pollution, and many others. Ms. Cheng, I find your work in education and later as a California Department of Fair Employment and Housing to be very inspiring to me with your commitment to make a great difference.

When you served as a Title IX coordinator in the Los Angeles Unified School District I liked your commitment on finding ways to reduce discrimination based on gender and monitored Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to make sure women were getting hired for jobs related in education including school administration without being discriminated.  In California, I liked on how worked hard to make California have a their own version of the federal law Title IX of Education Amendments of 1972 to ban discrimination in education based on gender or sex. I liked on how you worked on researching on finding ways to reduce school desegregation, help children including girls at risk get the care they need in your role as a director of a mentoring program in USC, helping Asian Americans including Asians communities grow, and being an advocate to help protect minorities, women, and people with disabilities’ rights from being discriminated.  In 2008, I was very proud of you accepting to be Director of Department of Fair Employment and Housing under Republican Governor Schwarzenegger and later continuing your role under Democratic Governor Brown.  When you became director of California DFEH I liked on how you reform the department by using technology to help citizens set up appointments or file a complaint to the department about the need to help assist them from being discriminated, create different resources to help educate the public about Civil Rights legislation with understanding about how to file Civil Rights compliance, and worked with different institutions including your department on training Civil Right lawyers including investigators on learning how to deal with Civil Rights cases along with helping them understand more about the need to make Civil Rights stronger. Also in your role, I liked on how you worked with people with disabilities and Law School Admissions Council on reaching a settlement by allowing test takers with disabilities get accommodations when taking an exam or taking a bar exam in a law school to reduce discrimination against people with disabilities in education.

Ms. Cheng, your work as an advocate and as California DFEH on finding ways to improve Civil Rights, make education more diverse, reform the department to improve combating against discrimination, and supporting protecting women, minorities, and people with disabilities’ rights from being discriminated inspires me to be interested in studying history with learning how Civil Rights is an important issue and to understand the need to advance it to make society better and to reduce discrimination. Your work on helping people with disabilities including test takers with disabilities to get protection from being discriminated on education or taking an exam for Law school by allowing them to get accommodations on taking exams inspired me to work hard on my disability which is Autism with a learning disability. Having Autism is hard because I have trouble comprehending on learning different subjects and sometimes I have trouble communicating when speaking with other people.  In education the ADA with special education program helped me get accommodations like extra time on exams, use educational software with recorder to help improve my comprehension or record lectures, allow tutors or T.A. help me work on assignments, and many others. Even these things helped me I had some difficulty because some schools including higher education had been hard at giving me accommodations when taking courses including homework with exams.  Your commitment to help people with disabilities gave me the confidence to continue working hard to study different subjects and feel comfortable having a disability. In May 2014, I graduated with an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. My main focus is history, government, some science, some business, and criminal justice system. My main goal is to use what I learn to find ways to make history a better place, teach people about the need for Civil Rights to help protect people who are different from discrimination, and work on ideas to improve society.  Also your work on helping Asian American including Asian communities on diversity helped me get interested in studying Asian American history with Asian history and culture and it gave me motivation to be proud of being an Asian American with a disability.

Ms. Cheng, you make a great example of what Civil Rights need to be to help protect people who are different like women, minorities, and people with disabilities from discrimination, implement laws to help protect women to be protected from being discriminated in education with jobs, reform DFEH on making them more effective on dealing with finding ways to reduce discrimination, help educate public about Civil Rights with their role in society.  I am proud to call you a true role model for me because you help inspire me to work hard on Autism, to feel confident about being an Asian American by having a strong interest in studying their culture when other Asian Americans or Asians tease me because they believe that I don’t fit well with them based on my disability, and have a strong interest in history with having a huge interest in studying Civil Rights with how they make society better.  I’m sending you a story about my life with a disability where I dedicate my story to you for working hard to make Civil Rights a better place and inspiring me to be interested in history. I want to wish you well at DLA Piper where you can continue advocating for equal opportunity, Civil Rights, and reform to help reduce discrimination and make our country a better place. Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, working hard to make a great difference for society with Civil Rights, and inspiring me.

Sincerely,

Matthew B. Winick