Middle East Opinion on Obama's First 100 Days

/PRNewswire/ -- A recent survey by the market research company Real Opinions in the Middle East on the first 100 days since US President Obama was inaugurated shows that although the image of the US and leadership on the global stage has improved, performance on issues closer to home in the Middle East are dividing opinion.

There is success for Obama with overall opinion of the US from a Middle Eastern perspective improving by 42%. This is backed up with 35% believing the leadership of US on the global stage has also improved while 43% believe there is no change and just 9% believe it is actually worse. There are also encouraging signs on the subject of the economy with more than twice as many than his predecessor believing they are more confident with the global economy recovering under his leadership (37% improved, 15% worse).

However, in terms of key issues such as Middle East stability, the opinion is more closely divided with 20% believing it has improved and 14% believing it has become worse.

Dan Healy, the CEO of Real Opinions who conducted the survey commented 'Breaking some of these results down to the areas directly impacted by recent events such as those in the Palestinian Autonomous Area (PAA), 19% believed Middle East stability has worsened, 17% believe it has improved while just over half believe it has not changed (54%). When it came to the issue of the Palestinian & Israeli situation, 30% in PAA thought this was worse under Obama's leadership, which is twice as many as those who thought it had improved on 14%. For half of these respondents, they don't believe there is any change between Presidents Bush and Obama.

Healy added, "The overall acceptance of the image of U.S. has greatly improved but in terms of some key issues in the Middle East there is very little change. I think it's safe to say that under Bush's leadership and policies the goodwill and the favourable disposition towards the U.S. in the Middle East eroded away and now it's a new chapter, like a love affair, rekindled, very much awakened and I think it's a window of opportunity to leverage this favouritism in terms of policies to tackle some of these issues."

Research on the eve of the US presidential election showed the Middle East very much in favour of Obama over his then rival McCain in terms of being perceived as the best person capable of handling these key regional issues. Healy added "With the election of Obama, many have raised expectations in the Middle East of a change being made to policies and this appears to be transferring into dissatisfaction for some with the perception of little change being made by the time of this study."

On the eve of these results being released was the announcement by US officials that leaders of Egypt, Israel and Palestinians have been invited for talks in Washington in a new push for Middle East peace.

Healy commented 'Overall, these results suggest there is certainly a dramatic and favourable image change for the US in the Middle East with Obama as leader over the last 100 days. In terms of policy on some key Middle Eastern issues, there is certainly room for an improvement and this might be about to change with this invitation for talks.'

Research Methodology

The survey was conducted in both Arabic and English online from 10th to 20th April with n=2,789 respondents in the Middle East. Respondents were from the Real Opinion online panel and the results have approximately a 2%+/- margin of error with a CI of 95%.

About Real Opinions

Real Opinions is a full-service market research company, specialising in online media, with global and Middle East research expertise and best practice. Based in Dubai and London, Real Opinions has proven ability to help strategically guide communication, insight and assess the effectiveness of campaigns.

Real Opinions is an accredited member of ESOMAR, an international organisation for market research. For more information about us and this study, please visit http://www.real-opinions.com

   
   Q. The US President Barack Obama will soon have been in office for 100
      days and this is often a time to assess a political leader's progress.
      Please rate how you believe the following has changed under his
      leadership.

   Leadership of US on global stage

                Total   UAE  Bahrain Algeria Egypt Iraq  Jordan Kuwait

   Base: All    2789    334    51      191    487   32    251     54
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      35     52     35      23     35    47     25     39
   Worse          9      8     12       8      6     6     10     9
   No change     43     30     45      51     45    44     51     41
   Don't know    13     10      8      18     14     3     14     11


               Lebanon Libya Morocco  Oman    PAA  Qatar Saudi

   Base: All     37     44     288     27     116   32    538
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      59     32     31      33     32    38     36
   Worse          3      2     11      15     11    13     10
   No change     32     59     47      37     44    47     39
   Don't know     5      7     11      15     13     3     15


                Sudan  Syria Tunisia  Yemen  Iran

   Base: All     72     151    39      38      7
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      40     25     33      39     29
   Worse         10      7      5      21      0
   No change     40     54     46      29     43
   Don't know    10     14     15      11     29


   Palestinian & Israeli situation

                Total   UAE  Bahrain Algeria Egypt Iraq  Jordan Kuwait

   Base: All    2789    334    51      191    487   32    251     54
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      12     13      8      10     10    16     12     17
   Worse         21     15     20      23     22    13     25     13
   No change     58     60     67      56     60    63     55     61
   Don't know     9     12      6      11      8     9     9      9

               Lebanon Libya Morocco  Oman    PAA  Qatar Saudi

   Base: All     37     44     288     27     116   32    538
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      16      9     14       7     14    13     11
   Worse         11     18     24      33     30    22     22
   No change     62     68     55      56     51    59     58
   Don't know    11      5      8       4      5     6     9

                Sudan  Syria Tunisia  Yemen  Iran

   Base: All     72     151    39      38      7
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved       8     11     15      18      0
   Worse         15     19     21      26      0
   No change     71     62     54      45     86
   Don't know     6      7     10      11     14


   Iran nuclear issue

                Total   UAE  Bahrain Algeria Egypt Iraq  Jordan Kuwait

   Base: All    2789    334    51      191    487   32    251     54
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      28     28     35      30     25    34     25     28
   Worse         13     11     14      10     12    25     13     9
   No change     43     46     41      36     45    34     48     46
   Don't know    17     15     10      24     17     6     14     17

               Lebanon Libya Morocco  Oman    PAA  Qatar Saudi

   Base: All     37     44     288     27     116   32    538
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      46     20     30      44     28    31     23
   Worse         11     11     13      11     20    19     14
   No change     32     50     41      41     35    38     46
   Don't know    11     18     17       4     17    13     17

                Sudan  Syria Tunisia  Yemen  Iran

   Base: All     72     151    39      38      7
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      36     28     38      39     71
   Worse          7     14      5       5      0
   No change     42     42     38      29     14
   Don't know    15     16     18      26     14


   Middle East stability

                Total   UAE  Bahrain Algeria Egypt Iraq  Jordan Kuwait

   Base: All    2789    334    51      191    487   32    251     54
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      20     20     31      13     15    22     17     26
   Worse         14     11      6      13     17     9     16     9
   No change     56     58     55      59     59    69     58     59
   Don't know    10     11      8      15     10     0     9      6

               Lebanon Libya Morocco  Oman    PAA  Qatar Saudi

   Base: All     37     44     288     27     116   32    538
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      38     14     22      26     17    25     21
   Worse          8     14     15      26     19    28     14
   No change     46     66     53      33     54    38     53
   Don't know     8      7     10      15      9     9     12

                Sudan  Syria Tunisia  Yemen  Iran

   Base: All     72     151    39      38      7
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      22     29     10      29     14
   Worse         14     11     23      18     14
   No change     58     52     51      45     57
   Don't know     6      8     15       8     14


   Confidence with global economy recovering

                Total   UAE  Bahrain Algeria Egypt Iraq  Jordan Kuwait

   Base: All    2789    334    51      191    487   32    251     54
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      37     46     37      28     38    41     35     37
   Worse         15     10      8      15     14    16     18     19
   No change     33     31     37      30     35    34     32     28
   Don't know    16     13     18      27     13     9     15     17

               Lebanon Libya Morocco  Oman    PAA  Qatar Saudi

   Base: All     37     44     288     27     116   32    538
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      41     27     35      37     41    50     37
   Worse          5     14     19      30     10    16     15
   No change     35     41     31      19     30    25     32
   Don't know    19     18     15      15     18     9     16

                Sudan  Syria Tunisia  Yemen  Iran

   Base: All     72     151    39      38      7
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      40     26     33      50     14
   Worse         14     15     21      21     14
   No change     33     43     36      16     43
   Don't know    13     16     10      13     29


   Overall opinion of US

                Total   UAE  Bahrain Algeria Egypt Iraq  Jordan Kuwait

   Base: All    2789    334    51      191    487   32    251     54
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      42     53     49      37     42    53     39     44
   Worse         10      9      6       7      9     6     10     6
   No change     30     25     35      30     31    31     34     39
   Don't know    19     14     10      26     18     9     18     11

               Lebanon Libya Morocco  Oman    PAA  Qatar Saudi

   Base: All     37     44     288     27     116   32    538
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %     %     %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      51     30     37      33     44    44     41
   Worse          3      7     13      33     12    16     10
   No change     24     32     31      15     23    19     30
   Don't know    22     32     19      19     21    22     19

                Sudan  Syria Tunisia  Yemen  Iran

   Base: All     72     151    39      38      7
   respondents
   Minimum        %      %      %       %      %
   Base: 20
   (**), Small
   Base: 50
   (*)

   Improved      40     40     46      50     57
   Worse          6      9     18       8      0
   No change     32     32     18      21     29
   Don't know    22     18     18      21     14

Federal Government Still Viewed as Secretive; Public Supports President's Directive on Transparency

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the first time in four years, public opinion about government secrecy has leveled off, although more than seven in 10 adults still consider the federal government to be secretive, according to the 2009 Sunshine Week survey by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University.

Since 2006, the percentage of adults who believe the federal government to be somewhat or very secretive has grown steadily; from 62 percent in 2006 to 74 percent in 2008. The latest survey finds 73 percent characterizing federal government as secretive.

This mood is perhaps buoyed by the nearly eight in 10 adults who think President Obama's Freedom of Information directive calling for a presumption of disclosure is the right thing to do.

"Trust in government has been on the decline for some time in the United States. The previous administration's disclosure policies certainly contributed to public skepticism," said Jerry Miller, director of the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University. "People now appear more optimistic, but still guarded, about President Obama and the current administration's disclosure practices under the Freedom of Information Act."

As in previous years' surveys, people see their state and local governments as more open than the federal system. At the state level, 54 percent view government as open, 44 percent as secretive. People also are more trusting of local public officials. More than half, 56 percent, say their local government is very or somewhat open, with 44 percent rating it as very or somewhat open.

"The more open our government, the more inclusive the processes that impact our everyday lives," noted Rich Boehne, president and chief executive officer of The E.W. Scripps Co.

Two-thirds of adults (67 percent) say they've heard of the federal Freedom of Information Act, and when told about it, slightly more (77 percent) think it is a good law. However, hardly anyone surveyed had ever used it. Nine in 10 adults (94 percent) have never requested information using a FOIA request. None of this, of course, dulls their skepticism about compliance with the law: 61 percent say they believe the federal government only sometimes, rarely or never obeys FOIA law.

"It's heartening there is a reversal in the downward trend of public confidence in the openness of the federal government," said Andy Alexander, co-chair of the American Society of Newspaper Editor's FOI Committee.

"But it's sobering to note that more than half of those surveyed said they still believe their government only sometimes, rarely or never abides by disclosure requirements mandated by law," added Alexander, who is ombudsman at The Washington Post.

The survey of 946 adults was conducted by telephone from Feb. 16 through March 11 by the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University under a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation. The survey has a margin of error of about 4 percentage points.

The survey has been commissioned by ASNE for Sunshine Week since 2006, Sunshine Week is a non-partisan open government initiative led by ASNE, with print, online and broadcast media; public officials; civic groups and non-profit organizations; public and special libraries; educators and students; religious leaders; and others. It is primarily funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

New Poll: Obama Voters Reject Big Labor's Card Check Agenda

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new national survey of 1,000 likely voters released by The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW) shows strong opposition to The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) from the individuals who sent Barack Obama to the White House.

"Obama voters did not go to the polls last November to eliminate the secret ballot, and Congress should think twice about taking it away from millions of American workers," said Brian Worth with the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. "This bill is opposed by Democrats, Republicans, Independents, rank and file union workers, and President Obama's voters by roughly the same margins. The only support card check has is among the leaders of Big Labor who are willing to sacrifice worker privacy and put our economy at further risk to boost their membership roles."

Key findings of the poll include:
-- 73% of Obama voters are opposed to EFCA.
-- 86% of Obama voters believe that a worker's vote should be kept
private in a union organizing election.

-- 81% of Obama voters believe that secret ballot elections are the best
way to protect the individual rights of workers.

-- 81% of Obama voters believe that Congress should focus on other issues
like jobs and health care before dealing with EFCA.

-- 68% of Obama voters believe the binding arbitration provisions in EFCA
are risky and unwise.

-- 61% of Obama voters would be less likely to vote for a Member of
Congress who voted to take away the secret ballot from workers.


The findings reinforce why Big Labor's top priority is losing momentum. Even while he announced several labor-friendly initiatives at the White House last Friday, with prominent labor leaders in attendance, President Obama did not mention EFCA. This lack of recognition speaks volumes about the growing unpopularity of the legislation and its negative impact on worker privacy and job creation.

Voters don't support EFCA, and they want President Obama and Congress to focus on other issues like jobs and health care. This is a major set-back for the nation's labor bosses who were hoping for a win on EFCA in the early days of the 111th Congress.

"It's becoming clear why President Obama wants to put card check on the sidelines. This bill will strip away worker privacy and undercut his efforts to jumpstart the economy. It also happens to be wildly unpopular with the American people," Worth concluded.

Methodology: This poll of 1,000 likely general election voters in the United States was conducted from January 7th - 11th, 2009 by McLaughlin & Associates. The poll included 477 individuals who voted for President Obama last November. All interviews were conducted via telephone by professional interviewers. Interview selection was random within predetermined election units - in this case, the fifty states. These units were structured to correlate with actual voter turnout in a general election. This poll of 1,000 likely general election voters has an accuracy of +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence interval.

New Poll: Union Members Oppose Big Labor's Card Check

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new national survey of voters released today by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW) shows opposition coming from an unlikely source - union households. A special polling oversample of 400 union households shows both union members and all voters strongly opposing The Employee Free Choice Act, often called the "card check" bill.

The findings indicate widespread concern among both voters and union households about this legislation that threatens secret ballots, worker privacy and job growth. Both voters and union members tell pollsters that Congress should focus on other more important issues and put Big Labor's agenda aside.

"The strong opposition from current union members to the Employee Free Choice Act should send a clear signal to President Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress that the EFCA lacks popular support, both among a key Democratic constituency and voters as a whole," said Brian Worth with the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. "The only support card check has is among the leaders of Big Labor."

The poll was conducted by nationally respected polling firm of McLaughlin & Associates. It surveyed 1,000 likely voters with a sub-sample of 400 union households. The poll was conducted from January 7 to 11, 2009.

Key findings of the poll include:

-- Three out of four voters (74%) oppose the "The Employee Free Choice
Act." Union households also strongly oppose the Employee Free Choice
Act, 74% oppose to only 20% support.
-- When given a more detailed description of the Employee Free Choice
Act, nearly 9 out of 10 voters, 86%, feel the process should remain
private and only 8% feel it should be public information. Again, even
union workers feel strongly that the process should be kept private,
as 88% said private and only 8% said public.
-- Four out of five voters, or 82%, favor having a federally supervised
election as a means to "protect the individual rights of workers."
The voters clearly see this as a basic right, especially given that
only 11% of voters feel the card check would be the best way to
protect the individual rights of workers. Support increases to 85%
among union households.
-- The majority (52% to 26%) of American voters believe that the Employee
Free Choice Act is not good for job creation. Even among union
households, the plurality (48%) believes that the Employee Free Choice
Act will cost America jobs.
-- In the current economic climate, 52% of voters are particularly
opposed to any measure that would risk jobs or job growth.
-- Further exemplifying the electorates' distaste for the Employee Free
Choice Act, 71% agreed that this legislation would be "unwise" and
"risky." In today's economic climate, the electorate has little
confidence in the federal government's ability to make such major
business decisions.


Despite opposition from their own rank and file workers, labor bosses have made support for the EFCA, or "card check" bill, a top priority this year and are pressuring Congress to act quickly to pass it. Unfortunately for Big Labor, 79% of union workers and voters want Congress to focus on other issues like jobs and healthcare.

"Workers aren't fooled by Big Labor's attempt to increase their power at the expense of worker privacy," said Worth.

More information about the poll and CDW's efforts to protect secret ballots and worker privacy can be found at www.MyPrivateBallot.com.

Methodology: This poll of 1,000 likely general election voters in the United States was conducted from January 7th - 11th, 2009 by McLaughlin & Associates. An oversample of 193 union households was conducted, which brings the combined total of union households to 400. All interviews were conducted via telephone by professional interviewers. Interview selection was random within predetermined election units - in this case, the fifty states. These units were structured to correlate with actual voter turnout in a general election. This poll of 1,000 likely general election voters has an accuracy of +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence interval. The 400 sample of union households has an accuracy of +/- 4.9% at a 95% confidence interval.

Americans' Confidence Level Increases Regarding Nation's Issues After Obama's Inauguration Speech

/PRNewswire/ -- A study conducted among 1,819 self-reported Democrats, Republicans and Independents revealed that the majority of Americans are more confident that the key issues facing the nation will improve during the next four years after viewing President Barack Obama's inauguration speech.

The study was conducted by HCD Research on January 20 to obtain Americans' perceptions of President Barack Obama and what effect his presidency will have on the nation's critical issues, including the economy, health care, education, the war in Iraq and energy supply and creation.

Participants were asked to respond the questions before and after viewing the inauguration speech to determine if their perceptions changed after viewing the speech. Participants were also asked to rate Barack Obama based on 8 leadership attributes. To view detailed results, visit: www.mediacurves.com.

Among the findings:

After the speech, 51% of Republicans were confident that the economy would improve over the next four years compared to 38% before watching the speech. Democrats were more confident with regard to the issue of Iraq. There was an increase of 17% of Democrats who believed that the issue of the war in Iraq would improve in the next presidency after watching the inauguration speech.

Republicans' perception of President Obama's leadership also improved after the inauguration speech. Participants were asked to rate President Obama on an agreement scale based on 8 leadership attributes before and after watching the inauguration speech. Republicans increased their level of agreement for every leadership attribute after viewing the speech. The highest increases were seen in the following attributes: "Obama is firm and consistent in his views" (increase of 15%), "Obama is representing my values (increase of 14%) and "Obama is honest" (increase of 13%).

Participants' emotions were also measured while viewing the speech. The emotion that was felt the most by viewers during the inauguration speech was hopefulness. Hopefulness was the top emotion felt by Democrats (68%), Republicans (36%), as well as Independents (57%). Democrats and Independents also reported that they felt confident and attentive, while Republicans reported that they felt some skepticism.

'President Obama: Make Clarity, Transparency, Simplicity a Priority,' Say 79% of the American People

/PRNewswire/ -- "People are desperate for clarity and simplicity in order to make informed decisions," says Alan Siegel, Founder and Chairman of global brand consultancy Siegel+Gale. "There is a huge opportunity for government and business to overcome cynicism and regain lost trust through the way they communicate with their constituents and customers."

A new survey of 1,214 American homeowners and investors conducted by Siegel+Gale between December 29, 2008 and January 5, 2009, released today, shows an overwhelming majority demand more clarity in communications from companies and the government. Fully 84% of all consumers say they are more likely to trust a company that uses jargon-free, plain English in communications. And 79% say they think it is "very important" that President Obama "mandate that clarity, transparency, and plain English be a requirement of every new law, regulation and policy."

"Transparency and authenticity are the new marketing imperatives," says Lee Rafkin, Siegel+Gale's Global Director of Simplification. "People are fed up and desperate for institutions and brands that offer simple and honest communications they can understand. That's the clear message from our most recent research survey."

Complexity Up; Trust Down

Three-quarters of survey respondents (75%) say that complexity and lack of understanding have played a significant role in the current financial crisis. Moreover, 63% of those surveyed feel that "banks, mortgage lenders, and Wall Street intentionally make things complicated to hide risks or to keep people in the dark."

Trust in companies is predictably down, the survey shows. Compared to one year ago, 37% are less likely to trust their mortgage lender, 36% are less likely to trust their broker or financial advisor, and 35% are less likely to trust their bank.

However, consumers agreed they should shoulder some of the blame for the financial crisis. Over half of all surveyed admitted to not reading or attempting to understand the complicated documents they sign. And 50% agreed with the statement, "Financial products are inherently complicated. It's the final responsibility of the customer to make sure they understand all the risks."

The survey asked how much of an impact jargon-free, plain-English explanations and disclosures would make on consumer interest in a number of categories. Consumers reported:

-- a 79% increased interest in investing in a financial product,
-- a 73% increased interest in selecting a broker or a financial advisor,
-- a 67% increased interest in purchasing a life insurance policy,
-- a 63% increased interest in taking out a loan, and
-- a 63% increased interest in applying for a credit card.

Caregivers Need a Bailout Too! (or 1% for Families)

/PRNewswire/ -- There are more than 50 million Americans today providing unpaid care for family members and loved ones: an aging or ailing parent, a friend with a chronic health condition, a spouse with Alzheimer's, a sibling with a traumatic war injury, a child with physical or mental challenges. Family caregivers represent a huge but invisible "silent workforce" over 150 times larger than Wall Street's workforce and over 176 times larger than the automobile industry workforce.

While the deteriorating economy has hit all Americans hard, it has hit these Americans even harder. Family caregivers are struggling to pay their own bills and, increasingly, those of their loved ones as well; expenses continue to rise and the hours of care they provide each day continue to go uncompensated. The average caregiver spends $5,534 per year out-of-pocket for caregiving expenses. Like Wall Street, the auto industry, and homeowners, family caregivers need help from Congress to make it through 2009.

Caring.com and the National Alliance for Caregiving, are calling on President Obama and the 111th Congress to target up to 1% of the upcoming economic stimulus package toward supporting family caregivers. They have jointly developed five priority initiatives to help family caregivers that are posted on the Caring.com website, and are asking caregivers to add their voices and vote on which initiatives would help the most. Caring.com and the National Alliance for Caregiving will present the list, votes, and recommendations to President-Elect Obama's transition team for Long-Term Care and key members of the 111th Congress.

"These five initiatives could provide essential relief to family caregivers," said Gail Gibson Hunt, President & CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. "President-Elect Obama cared for his mother and grandmother and knows how difficult it is to provide caregiving on top of other family responsibilities."

The five recommended priorities to support family caregivers are:


1. Provide Adequate Funding for the National Family Caregiver Support
Program. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) is the
only federal program that recognizes family caregivers; it helps
individuals who serve as unpaid caregivers for persons sixty or older.
The program provides respite services, counseling, support groups and
other community services to relieve the emotional, physical, and
financial hardships of providing care. For many of the nation's family
caregivers of aging parents, the NFCSP is the only program to sustain
and support them in their caregiving role. It's also an incredible
value. If services provided by informal caregivers had to be replaced
with paid services, the price tag would be in excess of $375 billion.
Yet the NFCSP has experienced level or only modest increases in
funding since its inception in 2001, with current funding at $158M.
Funding for the NFCSP should be doubled, from $158M to $320M, to
address the current under-funding of this vital program.

2. Expand Medicare and Medicaid Benefits to Better Support Family
Caregivers. Medicaid and Medicare must do more help to ease the burden
on family caregivers. Family caregivers are the backbone of the US
long-term care system. Four out of every five adults receiving long-
term care at home rely exclusively on family and friends to provide
assistance. With the annual cost of nursing home care averaging over
$75,000 per person, the ability to keep our aging loved ones at home
longer adds up to huge savings for the government, private insurance,
and families. Medicaid and Medicare are vital to supporting the needs
of family caregivers, and we recommend two essential first steps.

o Under Medicaid, family caregivers should receive a comprehensive
Caregiver Assessment to help identify and support their own needs in
providing care to a friend or loved one.

o Under Medicare, healthcare professionals, including doctors, will
promote educational resources for caregivers and referrals to local
caregiver support organizations.

3. Encourage States to Adopt Paid Family Medical Leave Programs. The
concept of paid family leave is here to stay, with several states and
growing bipartisan support helping the U.S. to catch up with many other
industrialized nations that have long offered such programs. The issue
also became a topic in the presidential election, with President-Elect
Obama proposing a "50-state strategy to adopt paid-leave systems,"
stating, "You shouldn't be punished for getting sick or dealing with a
family crisis." In California, the nation's first state to adopt a paid
family medical leave program in 2004, employees are entitled to up to
six weeks of partial pay each year while taking time off from work to
care for a seriously ill parent, child, and spouse or registered
domestic partner. Most workers receive approximately 55% of their pre-
taxed weekly wage, up to a maximum of $917, while on leave. Using
successful state models already underway in California, Washington, and
New Jersey as prototypes, Congress should provide incentives for
additional states to develop paid family leave policies.

4. Fund the Lifespan Respite Act. In 2006, the Lifespan Respite Care Act
was signed into law to make respite more accessible and affordable to
family caregivers, regardless of age or disability. To date, Congress
has provided no funding. This is unacceptable. The economic value that
accrues from respite is exceptional. Respite has been shown to help
avoid or delay more costly nursing home or foster care placements.
Delaying nursing home or institutional placement of just one individual
with a chronic condition for several months can save Medicaid, private
insurance, or the family thousands of dollars. Congress should fully
fund Lifespan Respite (PL 109-442) at $53.3 million for FY 09, $71.1
million for FY 2010 and $94.8 for FY 2011 to help the nation's 50
million family caregivers regardless of age or disability.

5. Tax Relief for Family Caregivers and Employers. A number of bills with
bipartisan support have been introduced in Congress in recent years to
provide caregiver tax incentives to help offset the thousands of
dollars in lost wages and other expenses that family and informal
caregivers at all income levels incur. Among the approaches currently
under consideration: an annual refundable tax credit for persons with
long-term care needs or their family caregivers, credits for specified
caregiving expenses (such as home care services, respite, food, and
transportation), a tax deduction to help consumers pay long-term care
insurance premiums for policies that meet consumer protections, and
inclusion of long-term care coverage in employer cafeteria plans.
There's no shortage of good ideas for providing tax report for family
caregivers. There has been a shortage of results. We encourage the
111th Congress to act.


"Funding these five initiatives would cost less than 1% of the proposed stimulus package, yet would provide material relief to millions of families struggling with caregiving today," said Andy Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Caring.com.

Family caregivers are asked to visit Caring.com to add their voices to these recommendations, vote on which initiatives would be most helpful to them, and share their experiences with other individuals caring for family members and loved ones. The results of the vote will be presented to the Obama Transition Team for Long-Term Care.

To access the poll on Caring.com, visit:

http://www.caring.com/polls/message-to-president-obama-dont-forget-family- caregivers.