Honorable Dan Maffei from New York (Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York 24th district including 25th district and current Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission )

 

2/23/2022

Honorable Dan Maffei

c/o Federal Maritime Commission

800 North Capitol Street NW

Washington, DC  20573

Dear Honorable Maffei,

My name is Matt Winick from Ann Arbor, Michigan and I have a strong interest in learning history including social justice. In these subjects, I like to learn the need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution,  and many others, Honorable Maffei, the main reason I’m writing you a letter is to explain how I find your work when you served as Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York 24th district 25th district and your work as Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission to be very inspiring to me.

When you served as Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York 24th district 25th district from 2009-2011 and 2013-2015, I truly appreciated on how you were a strong supporter of civil rights by advocating for people with disabilities’ rights and supporting funds for women including minorities businesses to help them compete in the economy. Also on civil rights, I liked on how you supported repealing DADT policy to help protect people who served in the military from being discriminated based on their sexual preferences, voted in favor of Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help allow filing for equal pay discrimination lawsuit when being discriminated in pay based on gender, and  pushing for Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crime Prevention Act to expand on protection for minorities, gender, people with disabilities, and people with sexual orientation from a hate crime. Voted in favor of the American Recovery Act of 2009 a stimulus bill to fund job training programs to help workers including youth improve on the job-skills, voting against unfair free trade policies due to people losing jobs to overseas, and supporting expanding unemployment benefits for people whop were laid off or are affected by losing their job from unfair free trade is common sense to help improve the economy. Supporting funds for renewable energy resources including biofuel to help reduce addiction to oil with gas, pushing for legislation to help fund programs to combat against ocean including coastal area pollution to help protect wildlife while keep people safe from toxic chemicals, and advocating for the need for companies including industries to use energy efficient products to reduce high energy cost while reduce pollution are great ways to protect the environment. On health care, I like on how you supported funds for stem cell research to help find different medicines to combat diseases like Parkinsons diseases or other diseases and have the courage to vote in favor of Affordable Care Act to help people who are under 26 to stay on their parent’s health insurance including help protect people with pre-exiting conditions from being discriminated in the health insurance.  On ethics reform, I like on some of your approach to reform congress like pushing for No Budget No Pay to get passed to have no congressional pay raise when the budget doesn’t pass and support the idea of disclosure of earmarks including which candidates including members of congress gets donation to help the public know who is donating  to help reduce lobbying influence. Another thing that I liked about your work in congress was voted in favor of reauthorizing The Violence Against Women Act to help protect women from domestic violence and express the need for investigation into free trade policies that violate human rights.  In your current role as Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission, I like on how you work on expansion of investigating ships including other transportation ships that illegally pollute the ocean,  expand educational awareness about ways to reduce ocean pollution, and many others. 

Honorable Maffei, 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. Your commitment to be a strong supporter of civil rights including people with disabilities’ rights really inspires me to work hard on my disability.  In 2009 the American Recovery Act helped me get into a job-training program called the B-side of Arts in Michigan at EMU college of Business. At my job-training program they had lectures about how business works, had classes to help youth including other people learn different job skills, and learned how to work on resumes including practicing job interviews. As a result of the American Recovery Act, I developed job skills and it helped prepare me to get a full-time job.  Your role as former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York 24th district 25th district and your work as Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission  helps give me motivation to continue to learn history including social justice. My future goals is to someday work in these areas to help emphasize the need for need for civil rights to be stronger to reduce discrimination, protect the environment from pollution, have health care reform to help people who can’t afford health insurance or people with pre-existing conditions get help,  and many others. 

I strongly believe that you made a great difference when you served in congress and currently in Federal Maritime Commission. I’m very proud on how you worked hard to support civil rights, expand on environmental protection, advocate for common sense ideas, and many others. You truly inspire me to work hard on my disability,  learn more about your work, be able to develop job skills from The American Recovery Act, and continue to learn different subjects.  Thanks for taking the time to my letter, working hard to make a great difference, and inspiring me. Please continue to advocate for common sense ideas.

Sincerely,

Matt Winick