Podcast appearances and mentions of Tony Coelho

This week on Here's What We Know, we're sitting down with one of the most respected legal minds in the country—Stanley M. Brand. Stan is the former General Counsel to Speaker Tip O'Neill and has tackled some of the highest-profile political and public corruption cases, representing figures like George Stephanopoulos, Tony Coelho, and Dan Rostenkowski. Beyond the courtroom, he spent over 30 years as Vice president of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, shaping the future of America's favorite pastime. Now, as a Distinguished Fellow at Penn State Dickinson Law, he's sharing all his knowledge with the next generation of lawyers. Tune in now for a conversation full of stories, wisdom, and a few surprises along the way!In This Episode:Defending the Powerful: Go behind the scenes of high-profile political trials and hear how Stan kept his cool under the weight of media scrutiny.From the Courtroom to the Classroom: Why did one of Washington's sharpest legal minds trade trials for teaching? Stan shares how he's shaping the next generation of lawyers with hands-on, experience-driven learning.FBI, DOJ & The Trust Gap: Stan offers bold insights on government overreach and why many Americans are skeptical of federal investigations today. Think you know how the system works? Think again.Baseball Meets the Law: 30+ years as VP of Minor League Baseball means Stan has stories—from antitrust showdowns to how economic shifts are reshaping the game.Old-School Wisdom Meets Today's Chaos: What Tip O'Neill taught him about bipartisan leadership—and why that kind of political wisdom is sorely missing in today's climate.A Real-Life Perry Mason Moment: You'll love the jaw-dropping story where Stan turns a trial on its head—live in court—with a single question.This episode is sponsored by: Mike Counsil Plumbing & Rooter (Use code “Gary” to get $89 off any service!)Bio:Stanley M. Brand supervises the Semester in Washington internship program. Professor Brand is senior counsel in Akin Gump's litigation practice in Washington, D.C., and has enjoyed success representing corporations, trade associations, labor unions, and individuals in major justice department, grand jury and independent counsel investigations and trial proceedings including Whitewater, HUD, the savings and loan crisis and the campaign finance task force investigations. Earlier in his career, Professor Brand served as general counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives and was the chief legal officer responsible for representing the House, its members, officers, and employees in connection with legal procedures and challenges to the conduct of their official activities. With over thirty years of experience, Professor Brand offers students a particularly sharp insight into federal regulatory and legislative practice in Washington, DC. In addition to his legal work, Professor Brand serves as the Vice-President of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stan-brand-3293501/Connect with Gary: Gary's Website Follow Gary on Instagram Gary's Tiktok Gary's Facebook Watch the episodes on YouTube Advertise on the Podcast Thank you for listening. Let us know what you think about this episode. Leave us a review!

The Americans with Disabilities Act is unquestionably in the premiere class of landmark legislation in American History. On this episode, Greg sits down with the original author and co-sponsor of the ADA -- avid disability rights advocate, the Honourable Tony Coelho, former Representative from California. Tony first introduced the ADA alongside Senator Lowell Weicker in the 100th Congress in 1988 and battled the red tape, opposition and criticism to finally get the bill passed and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990.  Greg is joined by his Talk About It partner Ken Lowenberg to talk with Tony about his personal history with epilepsy, how the bill came into existence, the importance of enforcing the ADA by presidential administrations, and the dangers of stigma. This episode is so important to listen to, because it's easy to overlook how widespread the impact of the ADA is, touching every American in ways that might be subtle or even hidden. Don't miss it! The Talk About It podcast is excited to be sponsored in part by Neurelis. The Talk About It podcast is excited to sponsored in part by Seizures Are Signs — dedicated to educating families on the importance of early and specific diagnosis by providing an assessment to help get the conversation started, educational information, stories from families who have found a diagnosis, links to advocacy groups, and more. For more information, go to SeizuresAreSigns.com. Seizures are Signs is made available by Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Tony Coelho has spent his entire adult life helping advance the lives of people with disabilities. He calls this his “ministry”.  Congressman Steny Hoyer, former House Majority Leader, says that the disability community call him their “voice” and “champion.”Diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 22 years old, Tony's ministry is marked by significant milestones: primary author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — the most important piece of civil rights legislation in the last 40 years; advocating for the ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and convincing President Bill Clinton to establish the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor.  Tony continued to advocate for civil rights for individuals with disabilities by convincing President Barack Obama to issue an executive order enforcing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to hire people with disabilities as they have been doing since 1973 for women and minorities.  He went on to work with the Biden White House to improve access to the internet for individuals who are blind, deaf, and physically impaired.Tony is a former six-term United States Congressman from California, elected in 1978 and serving until 1989. He served on the Agriculture, Interior, Veterans Affairs, and Administration Committees during his tenure, specializing in disability rights. In 1986, Tony was elected House Majority Whip, the third most powerful position in the House of Representatives.After leaving Congress, Tony joined Wertheim Schroder & Company, Inc., an investment-banking firm in New York, where he served as a Managing Director and then as President and CEO of Wertheim Schroder Investment Services, a firm that he grew from $400 million to $4 billion in managed investments. He formed ETC w/TCI, an education and training technology company in Washington, D.C., where he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Currently, he serves on a number of corporate boards of directors and i  the founding partner of a national public affairs firm.© 2024 Building Abundant Success!!2024 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23bAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

Patient rights: do you know about the rights you have in regard to healthcare? There is a lot of information for you that Sara and Thayer serve to you here, in terms you can understand.  They both work for the Partnership to Improve Patient Care, or PIPC (a coalition).Sara Traigle van Geertruyden is the Executive Director at PIPC. Thayer Roberts is the Deputy Director.  Sara, an attorney, joined PIPC in 2011 and serves at the firm, Thom Run Partners.  Sara focuses policies to advance a patient centered health system, from patient engagement in research to driving outcomes that matter to patients in healthcare payment and delivery.  Sara is a healthcare and welfare policy expert with over 25 years of experience, beginning her career on Capitol Hill working for former Senator John Breaux (D-LA) from 1996-2003, and later as an attorney at the law firm Patton Boggs.  Thayer joined PIPC in 2019. Thayer works with PIPC's diverse membership of patients, healthcare providers, researchers, and other groups to ensure that patient centricity is at the core of the nation's health care system.  Thayer has expertise in health care value assessments and their implications on patients and people with disabilities and continues to engage in this topic both at the Federal and State level. Chair of PIPC: (From their website) Tony Coelho is a former United States congressman from California, and primary author and sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Tony was elected to Congress in 1978 and served for six terms until 1989. He served on the Agriculture, Interior, Veterans Affairs, and Administration Committees during his tenure, specializing in disabled rights. In 1986, Tony was elected House Majority Whip. As the chief vote counter for his party, Tony oversaw a series of Democratic victories in the House on measures ranging from the budget to cutting off funds for the war in Central America. Tony was the original author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. By 1994, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that some 800,000 more people with severe disabilities had found employment than were employed when the bill was first enacted. Tony currently serves as the DNC Disability Council Chair, seeking to ensure that the political process is accessible to people with disabilities. President Bill Clinton appointed Tony to serve as Chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, a position he held from 1994 to 2001. He also served as Vice Chair of the National Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities. In 1998, Clinton appointed Tony as the United States Commissioner General at the 1998 World Expo in Portugal. Clinton also appointed Tony as Co-Chair to the U.S. Census Monitoring Board, a position he held until his appointment as general chairman of the Gore presidential campaign.Sara and PIPC work with nonprofit organizations, like The Bonnell Foundation to help us to understand and keep track of all the legislation on the books, and coming down the pipeline. To contact PIPC go to: https://www.pipcpatients.orgTo find PIPC on social media check them out at: @PIPCpatients (on twitter and LinkedIn)Another resource Sara and Thayer suggest: https://www.patientaccessproject.orgAcronym's used during this podcast: Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB)Rare Disease Advisory Council (RDAC)National Association for State Health Policy (NASHP)Institute for Economic and Clinical Review (ICER)Equal Value of Life Year Gained (EVLYG)HR 485 Protecting Healthcare for all Patients Act   Read it here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/485 Please like, subscribe, and comment on our podcasts!Please consider making a donation: https://thebonnellfoundation.org/donate/The Bonnell Foundation website:https://thebonnellfoundation.orgEmail us at: thebonnellfoundation@gmail.com Thanks to our sponsors:Vertex: https://www.vrtx.comViatris: https://www.viatris.com/en

To kick-off National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Joyce welcomes Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN, and The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act to the show. Disability:IN is a global, non-profit, non-partisan business to business network empowering businesses to achieve disability equality and inclusion. The guests will highlight the progress we have made in disability employment and the historic collaboration between Bender Consulting Services, the first certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE), and Disability:IN.

To kick-off National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Joyce welcomes Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN, and The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act to the show. Disability:IN is a global, non-profit, non-partisan business to business network empowering businesses to achieve disability equality and inclusion. The guests will highlight the progress we have made in disability employment and the historic collaboration between Bender Consulting Services, the first certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE), and Disability:IN.

To kick-off National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Joyce welcomes Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN, and The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act to the show. Disability:IN is a global, non-profit, non-partisan business to business network empowering businesses to achieve disability equality and inclusion. The guests will highlight the progress we have made in disability employment and the historic collaboration between Bender Consulting Services, the first certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprise (DOBE), and Disability:IN.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act. As we approach the 34th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 2024, Mr. Coelho will share the history of how the ADA came to be and share work that still needs done to improve the lives of people with disabilities 34 years after the landmark legislation became law of the land.

To wrap up this week of talking mainly about the Olmstead Decision, we hear from one of the authors of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Tony Coelho. During an Olmstead observance at the Whitehouse he talked both about the progress we've made and the importance of advocating and protecting the rights of people with disabilities. Blaise wraps up the show by promoting a Blaisin' Access Disability Pride Month Pledge Drive! All proceeds will go toward equipment and resources to continue bringing you quality, accessible content. Please consider making a donation at blaisinshows.com. What do you think? Let Blaise know, Subscribe, and get in touch on Facebook/X @blaisinshows. Support Blaisin' Access Podcast by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blaisin-access-podcastRead transcript

Joyce will be joined by the Honorable Tony Coelho, Author of the America's with Disabilities Act, and the Honorable Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. Ms. Jarrett will discuss her feelings about receiving the prestigious Tony Coelho award, recognizing her work in furthering the employment of people with disabilities in America.

Joyce will be joined by the Honorable Tony Coelho, Author of the America's with Disabilities Act, and the Honorable Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. Ms. Jarrett will discuss her feelings about receiving the prestigious Tony Coelho award, recognizing her work in furthering the employment of people with disabilities in America.

Joyce will be joined by the Honorable Tony Coelho, Author of the America's with Disabilities Act, and the Honorable Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. Ms. Jarrett will discuss her feelings about receiving the prestigious Tony Coelho award, recognizing her work in furthering the employment of people with disabilities in America.

Joyce will be joined by the Honorable Tony Coelho, Author of the America's with Disabilities Act, and the Honorable Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. Ms. Jarrett will discuss her feelings about receiving the prestigious Tony Coelho award, recognizing her work in furthering the employment of people with disabilities in America.

Joyce will be joined by the Honorable Tony Coelho, Author of the America's with Disabilities Act, and the Honorable Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. Ms. Jarrett will discuss her feelings about receiving the prestigious Tony Coelho award, recognizing her work in furthering the employment of people with disabilities in America.

Joyce will be joined by the Honorable Tony Coelho, Author of the America's with Disabilities Act, and the Honorable Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation. Ms. Jarrett will discuss her feelings about receiving the prestigious Tony Coelho award, recognizing her work in furthering the employment of people with disabilities in America.

On this episode of the DefAero Report Daily Podcast, sponsored by Bell, Former Reps. Tony Coelho, D-Calif., and Martin Frost, D-Texas, of the Council for a Secure America, discuss the energy lessons from Russia's war on Ukraine, the importance of energy independence and bridging to a sustainable energy future; and Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute on the think tank's new report be helped co-author — “Rocket's Red Glare: Modernizing America's Energetics Enterprise” — with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Cats At Night, John Catsimatidis is joined by Keechant Sewell, Tony Coelho, Miranda Devine, Ryan Payne, and Dr. Peter Michalos! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we continue to recognize November as National Epilepsy Awareness Month, Joyce welcomes back to the show, The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mr. Coelho will share his story of living with epilepsy and discuss the mission of The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy, and Innovation at the Loyola Law School to collaborate with the disability community to cultivate leadership and advocate innovative approaches to advance the lives of people with disabilities.

As we continue to recognize November as National Epilepsy Awareness Month, Joyce welcomes back to the show, The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mr. Coelho will share his story of living with epilepsy and discuss the mission of The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy, and Innovation at the Loyola Law School to collaborate with the disability community to cultivate leadership and advocate innovative approaches to advance the lives of people with disabilities.

Newt Gingrich begins to climb the political ladder. He takes charge of GOPAC, a group that makes cassette tapes to train Republican candidates. He wants to nationalize elections, to teach Republicans nationwide to campaign with the same conservative message. And the GOP has a new ally to amplify their message, radio host Rush Limbaugh. When, in 1987, Gingrich starts to go after the Democrats' leader in the House, Jim Wright, it's with the blessing of the old guard of his party. They even reward him with the Number Two spot in GOP leadership. Gingrich doesn't stop there. In 1990, his next target is the Republican president, George H.W. Bush.

This week, Erin talks with former member of the US House of Representatives Tony Coehlo, who was the primary sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, about his life and experience as a disability rights advocate, the passing of the ADA, and the future of disability rights.*CONTENT WARNING* This episode includes discussions of depression and suicide. If you or a loved one needs support, there are resources available. To reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988.To learn more about the Delco Skatepark Coalition and to support its mission, go to: www.skatedelco.org

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to the show. Tony discusses his experiences living with epilepsy and work to pass the ADA and the ADA Amendments Act throughout his career in the U.S. House of Representatives and as an on-going advocate for the disability community. He shares his pride in the achievement of getting both passed and his continued passion for helping people with disabilities live productive lives.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to the show. Tony discusses his experiences living with epilepsy and work to pass the ADA and the ADA Amendments Act throughout his career in the U.S. House of Representatives and as an on-going advocate for the disability community. He shares his pride in the achievement of getting both passed and his continued passion for helping people with disabilities live productive lives.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to the show. Tony discusses his experiences living with epilepsy and work to pass the ADA and the ADA Amendments Act throughout his career in the U.S. House of Representatives and as an on-going advocate for the disability community. He shares his pride in the achievement of getting both passed and his continued passion for helping people with disabilities live productive lives.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to the show. Tony discusses his experiences living with epilepsy and work to pass the ADA and the ADA Amendments Act throughout his career in the U.S. House of Representatives and as an on-going advocate for the disability community. He shares his pride in the achievement of getting both passed and his continued passion for helping people with disabilities live productive lives.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the show. Tony will reflect on the 32nd Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and share what work still needs done today to ensure that all Americans with disabilities continue to maintain the freedoms that the ADA protects.

Friends,Much of today's Republican Party is treacherous and treasonous. So why are Democrats facing midterm elections that, according to most political observers, they're likely to lose? Having been a loyal Democrat for some seventy years (my father liked Ike but my mother and I were for Adlai), including a stint as a cabinet secretary, it pains me to say this, but the Democratic Party has lost its way. How? Some commentators think Democrats have moved too far to the left — too far from the so-called “center.” This is utter rubbish. Where's the center between democracy and authoritarianism and why would Democrats want to be there? Others think Biden hasn't been sufficiently angry or outraged. Please. What good would that do? And after four years of Trump, why would anyone want more anger and outrage?The biggest failure of the Democratic Party — a disease that threatens the very life of the party — has been its loss of the American working class. As Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg concluded after the 2016 election, “Democrats don't have a ‘white working-class' problem. They have a ‘working class problem' which progressives have been reluctant to address honestly or boldly. The fact is that Democrats have lost support with all working-class voters across the electorate.”The working class used to be the bedrock of the Democratic Party. What happened? Before Trump's election, Democrats had occupied the White House for 16 of 24 years. Democrats controlled both houses of Congress during the first two years of the Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations. During those years, Democrats scored some important victories for working families: the Affordable Care Act, an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, for example. I take pride in being part of a Democratic administration during that time. But I'd be lying to you if I didn't also share my anger and frustration from those years — battles inside the White House with Wall Street Democrats and battles with corporate Democrats in Congress, all refusing to do more for the working class, all failing to see (or quietly encouraging) the rise of authoritarianism if the middle class continued to shrink. (I offer the following video clip not in the spirit of “I told you so” but as a way of sharing my frustrations and fears at the time.)The tragic reality is that even when they've been in charge, Democrats have not altered the vicious cycle that has shifted wealth and power to the top, rigging the economy for the affluent and undermining the working class. Clinton used his political capital to pass free trade agreements, without providing millions of blue-collar workers who consequently lost their jobs the means of getting new ones that paid at least as well. His North American Free Trade Agreement and plan for China to join the World Trade Organization undermined the wages and economic security of manufacturing workers across America, hollowing out vast swaths of the Rust Belt. Clinton also deregulated Wall Street. This indirectly led to the financial crisis of 2008 — in which Obama bailed out the biggest banks and bankers but did nothing for homeowners, many of whom owed more on their homes than their homes were worth. Obama didn't demand as a condition for being bailed out that the banks refrain from foreclosing on underwater homeowners. Nor did Obama demand an overhaul of the banking system. Instead, he allowed Wall Street to water down attempts at re-regulation. Both Clinton and Obama stood by as corporations hammered trade unions, the backbone of the working class. They failed to reform labor laws to allow workers to form unions with a simple up-or-down majority vote, or even to impose meaningful penalties on companies that violated labor protections. Biden has supported labor law reform but hasn't fought for it, leaving the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to die inside the ill-fated Build Back Better Act. At the same time, Clinton and Obama allowed antitrust enforcement to ossify, enabling large corporations to grow far larger and major industries to become more concentrated. Biden is trying to revive antitrust enforcement but hasn't made it a centerpiece of his administration. Both Clinton and Obama depended on big money from corporations and the wealthy. Both turned their backs on campaign finance reform. In 2008, Obama was the first presidential nominee since Richard Nixon to reject public financing in his primary and general election campaigns, and he never followed up on his re-election promise to pursue a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United vs FEC, the 2010 Supreme Court opinion opening the floodgates to big money in politics. Throughout these years, Democrats drank from the same campaign funding trough as the Republicans – big corporations, Wall Street, and the very wealthy. “Business has to deal with us whether they like it or not, because we're the majority,” crowed Democratic representative Tony Coelho, head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 1980s when Democrats assumed they'd continue to run the House for years. Coelho's Democrats soon achieved a rough parity with Republicans in contributions from corporate and Wall Street campaign coffers, but the deal proved a Faustian bargain. Democrats became financially dependent on big corporations and the Street.By the 2016 election, the richest 100th of 1 percent of Americans – 24,949 extraordinarily wealthy people – accounted for a record-breaking 40 percent of all campaign contributions. That same year, corporations flooded the presidential, Senate and House elections with $3.4 billion in donations. Labor unions no longer provided any countervailing power, contributing only $213 million – one union dollar for every 16 corporate dollars. **Joe Biden has tried to regain the trust of the working class, but Democratic lawmakers (most obviously and conspicuously, Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema) have blocked measures that would have lowered the costs of childcare, eldercare, prescription drugs, healthcare, and education. They've blocked raising the minimum wage and paid family leave. They've blocked labor law reforms. Yet neither Manchin nor Sinema nor any other Democrat who has failed to support Biden's agenda has suffered any consequences. Why does Manchin still hold leadership positions in the Senate? Why is Manchin's West Virginia benefitting from the discretionary funds doled out by the administration? Why hasn't Biden done more to rally the working class and build a coalition to grab back power from the emerging oligarchy? Presumably for the same reasons Clinton and Obama didn't: The Democratic Party still prioritizes the votes of the “suburban swing voter” – so-called “soccer moms” in the 1990s and affluent politically independent professionals in the 2000s – who supposedly determine electoral outcomes. And, as noted, the party depends on big money for its campaigns. Hence, it has turned it back on the working class. The most powerful force in American politics today is anti-establishment fury at a rigged system. There is no longer a left or right. There is no longer a moderate “center.” The real choice is either Republican authoritarian populism (see here, here, and here) or Democratic progressive populism. Democrats cannot defeat authoritarian populism without an agenda of radical democratic reform — an anti-establishment movement. Democrats must stand squarely on the side of democracy against oligarchy. They must form a unified coalition of people of all races, genders, and classes to unrig the system. Trumpism is not the cause of our divided nation. It is the symptom of a rigged system that was already dividing us. Please consider a paid or gift subscription to help sustain this work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

The ADA changed the lives of millions of Americans. But, even more than 30 years after being passed, many people do not fully understand or comply with the law. There is work still to be done.   For the resources and links mentioned in this episode, please visit us at disabilitygarrison.org.

When faced with hardships, Tony Coelho found purpose through helping others. Join Michael and Holly in this discussion with Tony about the darkest time of his life. They also talk about how it all led to him authoring the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).   For the resources and links mentioned in this episode, please visit us at disabilitygarrison.org.  

Being diagnosed with epilepsy changed everything for Tony Coelho. He learned to find his voice, and became a voice for others in the process. Tune in to hear him tell Holly and Michael about the time he went off-script when meeting the Pope.   For the resources and links mentioned in this episode, please visit us at disabilitygarrison.org.

Local Democracy is Working - Mayor Sue Zwahlen The Not Old Better Show, Leadership Interview Series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show. I'm Paul Vogelzang. So great to be with you today, following another great week of talk, music, and community for our older adult audience.  We have an excellent show today, jam-packed for our Not Old Better Show audience.  Our guest today is Modesto California, Mayor Sue Zwahlen.  We're talking about local government, its power, effectiveness, and what it means to govern in US cities today. Everybody in The Not Old Better Show audience who watched it remembers what Ronald Reagan did to Jimmy Carter in the closing moments of their 1980 presidential debate. Reagan stared straight into the camera and asked the voters a simple question: “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” Enough of them answered in the negative to give the challenger Reagan a decisive victory over the incumbent Carter at the polls that November.   I was working in the House of Representatives at the time, for local congressmen Bernie Sisk, and then his successor Tony Coelho, and I remember that time, and that question well. It was a fair question. Most of us have a clear enough memory of the recent past to provide a meaningful answer, at least in regard to our own lives. But what if we ask ourselves about a much longer period of time -- say 40 years? Then many of us become unreliable witnesses. The warm glow of nostalgia begins to take over. The current period of widespread public discontent has made “are you better off?” into a more urgent question. The one thing I won't say, and it's clear “we are NOT better off,' when it comes to the political process getting better. Conventional wisdom alone tells us differently. Unyielding partisanship, legislative gridlock, incessant name-calling, and the overall corrosion of public discourse give most people the impression that we have been living through a period of demoralizing decline.  But, what if we took a different view. What if the national political culture is just as bad as most of us believe, but another corner of the political system is steadily getting stronger? Our guest today, Mayor of Modesto California, Sue Zwahlen, will tell us just that, in so many words.  I'll introduce Mayor Zwahlen in a moment, but for our national audience, Modesto, California is located in the Central Valley of California, a city, really of 219,000 people, a city built on agriculture, and famous as George Lucas' hometown, while not filmed in Modesto, was based on Lucas' life growing up there. Mayor Sue Zwahlen was elected Mayor of Modesto in February 2021 and is a former two-term member of the Modesto City Schools Board, who was first elected in 2009, re-elected in 2013, and served two terms as president of the Board.  Mayor Zwahlen is also a 40-year registered nurse, who spent most of her career in the Emergency Room, a lifelong Modesto resident, and a fourth-generation Californian from Portuguese and Swiss-German immigrant dairy farmers, who settled in the Modesto area in the early 1900s.  Mayor Zwahlen cares about the people of Modesto, cares about her service to the community, and is representative of how democracy is working in small cities across the US. My thanks to City of Modesto Mayor, Sue Zwahlen.   Mayor Zwahlen is just completing her first year as mayor and has accomplished the task of governing an American city. My thanks to you my dear Not Old Better Show audience for your company today, and I hope you'll join me next time.  Be safe, be healthy, and please practice smart social distancing, and remember, Let's talk about better. The Not Old Better Show. Thanks, everybody.

Tony Coelho, father of the ADA, talks about his upbringing and experience with epilepsy. From cattle farms to witch doctors, hear how his childhood adventures helped shape civil rights in the United States.   For the resources and links mentioned in this episode, please visit us at disabilitygarrison.org.

Joyce welcomes the Honorable Tony Coelho, author, and principal sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Tinamarie Duff, Global Lead, with the Disability Focused Employee Resource Group at Bristol-Myers Squibb to the show. To see the employment of people with disabilities increase, we need the business community and disability community to work together. Hear both distinguished guests discuss this issue in-depth.

Joyce welcomes the Honorable Tony Coelho, author, and principal sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Tinamarie Duff, Global Lead, with the Disability Focused Employee Resource Group at Bristol-Myers Squibb to the show. To see the employment of people with disabilities increase, we need the business community and disability community to work together. Hear both distinguished guests discuss this issue in-depth.

Following the passing of Bender Consulting Services President, Mary Brougher, Joyce Bender, Founder and CEO, has joined forces with former Member of Congress, Tony Coelho, the primary author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to expand Bender's decades of service in honor of Mary's lifelong work to engage corporations in the fight for disability rights. This new program called Bender/Coelho Disability Leadership Initiative, will focus on the retained search of people with disabilities for corporate, organizational and advocacy board seats. Guest host, Laura Randa, Chief Commercial Officer at Curio Digital Therapeutics, Inc., Board Member of American Association of People with Disabilities, and Co-Chair Executive of Women in Bio, Capital Region will interview Joyce Bender and Tony Coelho on their partnership and goals for this new initiative.

Joyce welcomes former democratic congressman from California and statesman, The Honorable Tony Coelho, and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to the show. Since we celebrated the 31st anniversary of the signing of the ADA into law, on July 26, 1990 yesterday, Mr. Coelho will share his personal story of living with epilepsy. Also, he will share the steps in the effort to get the ADA signed into law and the progress we have made since the ADA was passed. 31 years ago.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable, Tony Coelho to the show. The former congressman from CA is an author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He will reflect on the significance of the 30th Anniversary of this landmark legislation and share with us the history behind making it the law of the land.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, former democratic congressman from California and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the show. As we get ready to celebrate the 28rd anniversary of the signing of the ADA into law, on July 26, 1990, Mr. Coelho will discuss the progress we have made since the ADA was passed, but he will also discuss the dangers facing the ADA if HR 620 ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 passes the U.S. Senate, and what we can do to prevent its passage.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, former democratic congressman from California and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the show. As we get ready to celebrate the 28rd anniversary of the signing of the ADA into law, on July 26, 1990, Mr. Coelho will discuss the progress we have made since the ADA was passed, but he will also discuss the dangers facing the ADA if HR 620 ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 passes the U.S. Senate, and what we can do to prevent its passage.

Continuing with the recognition of November as National Epilepsy Awareness Month, Joyce welcomes The Honorable, Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the show. As a person living with epilepsy, Mr. Coelho will discuss his experiences and how he has overcome the stigma often associated with epilepsy.

Joyce welcomes Tony Coelho, Author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Christine Griffin, Executive Director of Disability Law Center of Massachusetts, and Andy Imparato, Executive Director of The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). The guests will discuss the mission of AUCD. AUCD is a membership organization that supports and promotes a national network of university-based interdisciplinary programs. Members consist of University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Programs, and Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Centers (IDDRC). These programs serve, and are located in, every U.S. state and territory and are all part of universities or medical centers.

Joyce welcomes disability leader, Christine Griffin, and executive director of the Disability Law Center of Massachusetts to the show. Also included will be Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They will discuss the future for people with disabilities in 2017 and beyond.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, former California congressman and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He will discuss his personal journey with epilepsy and the importance of increasing understanding about epilepsy during National Epilepsy Awareness Month.

Joyce welcomes disability leader, Christine Griffin, and executive director of the Disability Law Center of Massachusetts to the show. Also included will be Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They will discuss the future for people with disabilities in 2017 and beyond.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the show. Mr. Coelho will discuss the efforts to pass the ADA leading up to July 26, 1990 and his tireless work on both the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). CRPD is an international human rights treaty intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the Convention are required to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities and ensure that they enjoy full equality under the law.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the show. Mr. Coelho will discuss the efforts to pass the ADA leading up to July 26, 1990 and his tireless work on both the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). CRPD is an international human rights treaty intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the Convention are required to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities and ensure that they enjoy full equality under the law.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable, Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to the show. As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the ADA, Mr. Coelho will reflect on the passage of the landmark legislation, and share his thoughts on the work that still needs to be done to enhance the lives of people with disabilities.

In continuing with Epilepsy Awareness as the topic for November, Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act and former congressman from California to the show. Mr. Coelho will discuss his journey living with epilepsy, and the progress that has been made nationally to end the stigma.

Joyce welcomes The Honorable Tony Coelho, author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He will discuss the progress we have made since the ADA was passed, and the work that still needs to be done to enhance the lives of people with disabilities.