Subject: Communications Suggestion Comment: Learning from the difficulty that ANY change encounters [Social Security], I would urge: 1. The panel builds an immediate project plan to PILOT individuals' and businesses' particiaption in a model sample of potential changes. Specifically, these people woulde use past years tax submissions and model them under the possible set of changes. 2. Funding be established for University participation on a regional basis to engage the communications process. In this step, business faculty and graduate students would steer step 1 above. 3. A Web site be immediately funded to allow wider participation and dissemination of information to the press and public. Individual registration is encouraged to prevent distortion. Under full disclosure, I am an owner of DiscoverWhy. The firm has worked in real time, political, media, and consumer Web based polling. For example we worked with MSNBC during the Bush /Gore debates of 2000 to give MSNBC a real time analysis of the public response to the debate. Poling panels can be put on-line, and other citizens could then react with the on-line panel group. In summary, communications is an imperative step to overcome the fear of change. Participation by recognized schools would provide an independence, that could make the public more comfortable. Regards, Robert J. Doyle Wilmington, Delaware 302.559.3859 |