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Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration)
Margaret “Maggie” Williams' Subject Files
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 28, 1994
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S
CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from March 14, 1994 through
March 28, 1994. The report includes information about (i) the
volume of mail received and produced by the Office of First
Lady's Correspondence; and (ii) the Greetings Report.
Attached are the daily production reports for the time
period and folders containing letters which are representative of
those reviewed during the period.
During the period we received 5284 pieces of correspondence
addressed to the First Lady. The average number of letters
received daily has decreased from 460 to 440. Approximately 1500
letters received by this office were for the Health Care Reform
Information Center. Another 1000 letters were forwarded to other
offices or required no response. We responded to 2911 letters
during the time period.
We currently have 7500 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 5300 coded letters await a response and another 500
letters are in the data entry and proofing stages.
The Health Care Information Center is now operating at 1800
G Street. A liaison, Buddy Menn, has been assigned by Greg
Lawler, who reports to Harrold Ickes, to coordinate the work of
the agency representatives at this site. The Offices of First
Lady's Correspondence, Presidential Correspondence, Domestic
Policy, and the Health Care Delivery room are working with Buddy
in a joint effort to oversee this operation. The goal for this
week is to process the 7,210 letters which have been backlogged
since 1993. The responses to these letters will be signed by Ira
Magaziner. There will be a phone bank answering operation
somewhat similar to the Presidential Correspondence Comment Line,
which will be staffed by volunteers and supervised by the Agency
Representatives. The purpose of the Health Care Reform
Information Center phone operation is to receive comments and
questions from individuals about the President's Health Security
Act. Once comments or questions are received by an Agency
representative or volunteer, they will be logged, recorded, and
responded to, if necessary, with one of the approved form
letters.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
Support
30%
No Response Necessary
20%
Scheduling
12%
Issues
10%
Agency Liaison
10%
Childrens' Mail
8%
Requests
4%
Other
6%
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Government Reform
12%
Abortion (all are anti-abortion)
12%
Children's Issues
10%
Foreign Issues
10%
Health Care (Other than reform;
most were about FDA regulation
of vitamins. )
7%
Other
49%
I realize that the 49% "other" category is not giving us a
clear picture of the issues represented in the mail. I have
asked the volunteers who do the statistical analysis to give me a
more complete breakdown of that category for the next report.
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. We have submitted some individual
responses without signatures so that you may sign them
personally.
The Health folder contains one letter which was sent to us by
facsimile in December from Congresswoman Barbara Harmon's office.
Mr. Kaplan, a man who was one hundred and three years old at the
time of his letter to you last May, wrote about his lifelong
involvement with health care, and provided ideas about expanding
the Social Security System. We responded to Mr. Kaplan in
December with an individual response letter. In March of 1994,
Stacey Roth of our staff contacted the Congresswoman's office to
ascertain whether Mr. Kaplan was still in good health so that we
could send him a Presidential birthday card for his one hundred
and fourth birthday. At that time, Stacey was told of an article
about Mr. Kaplan in the New York Daily News (see enclosed) which
mentions the letter we sent to him in December. In addition, we
were informed that based on this article Mr. Kaplan had either
been nominated for, or received a mayoral award. Included in
this report is Mr. Kaplan's original letter, a cover letter from
Congresswoman Harmon's office, the original individual response
which was received by Mr. Kaplan, and a copy of the newspaper
article. We sent Mr. Kaplan a card for his one hundred and
fourth birthday on March 25.
The Issues folder contains three letters. The first letter
in the Issues folder is from a college student who relates her
personal story of date rape. Due to the sensitive nature of the
allegations the writer makes, we felt the letter should not have
your signature. Therefore, we have written a response for my
signature. Please indicate if you feel that the letter should
have your signature.
The second letter in the Issues folder is from a woman who
lives in Minnesota. She describes her daughter's academic
achievements, and the frustrations she has encountered in
attempting to receive a scholarship to her college of choice.
The individual response to this writer is being sent to you with
the computer generated digitized signature. Please indicate if
you would like to sign it personally, or if you prefer an autopen
signature. In addition, we would like to send a letter to this
woman's daughter. However, she did not include her daughter's
name in the letter. If you feel it is appropriate, we will call
and obtain her daughter's name so that we may draft an individual
response and send it to you for your signature.
The third letter in the Issues folder is from an elderly
woman who is an alumnae of Mount Holyoke college, and involved in
FCNC (Friends Committee on National Legislation). She encloses a
pamphlet entitled "The Peculiar Mission of a Quaker School".
The Support folder contains six letters. The first letter
in the Support folder is from a man from Ohio who recently wrote
about health care. He expresses his support for you and your
family. The individual response to this letter is being sent to
you with the computer generated digitized signature. Please
indicate if you would like to sign it personally, or if you
prefer an autopen signature.
The second letter in the Support folder is from a self-
described conservative Republican who expresses appreciation for
your past and present public service. The individual response to
this letter is being sent to you with the computer generated
digitized signature. Please indicate if you would like to sign
it personally, or if you prefer an autopen signature.
The third letter in the Support folder is from a mother who
lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She relates an amusing story
involving her young son and his statement about you. The
individual response to this letter is being sent to you with the
signature space left blank for you to sign. Please indicate if
you prefer that this letter receive the computer generated
digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The fourth item in the Support folder is a card from an
eighty-six year old woman who wishes you success with the health
plan. This writer will receive a support card unless you
indicate otherwise.
The fifth letter in the Support folder is from a nun. She
writes that you and the President are included in her daily
prayers. She finishes her letter on an amusing note. The
individual response to this writer is being sent to you with the
signature space left blank for you to sign. Please indicate if
you prefer that this letter receive the computer generated
digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The sixth letter in the Support folder is from a woman who
lives in Hawaii. She has contacted both Senator Daniel Inouye
and Patrick DeLeon to let them know of her support for you. In
addition, she offers to help you in Hawaii in any manner she can.
The individual response to this writer is being sent to you with
the signature space left blank for you to sign. Please indicate
if you prefer that this letter receive the computer generated
digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The Children's folder contains one letter. A twelve year
old girl, who lives in San Diego, California, writes of her
admiration for you and for the other females she considers role
models. The individual response to this letter is being sent to
you with the signature space left blank for you to sign. Please
indicate if you prefer that this letter receive the computer
generated digitized signature or an autopen signature.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
MARCH 15 - MARCH 28, 1994
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
SCHED.
INDIV.
KIDS
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
MAIL
LETTERS
TOTAL
3-15
114
16
130
3-16
153
61
2
1
105
322
3-17
65
32
48
71
216
3-18
31
71
40
177
319
3-19
---
3-20
---
3-21
81
0
32
163
276
3-22
49
145
45
169
408
3-23
149
96
20
265
3-24
150
53
89
292
3-25
83
120
125
17
29
374
3-26
---
3-27
---
3-28
63
185
33
1
27
309
PERIOD
258
657
816
107
234
839
2911
TOTAL
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
February 14, 1994
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF
FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S
CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from February 1, 1994 through
February 14, 1994. The report includes (i) information about the
volume of mail received and produced by the Office of First
Lady's Correspondence; and (ii) the Agency Liaison Report.
Attached are the daily production reports for the time
period and folders containing letters which are representative of
those reviewed during the period.
During the period we received 5193 pieces of correspondence
addressed to the First Lady. The average number of letters
received daily has increased from 320 to 430.
Approximately 1500 letters received by this office were
forwarded to the Health Care Reform Information Center. Another
1000 letters were forwarded to other offices or required no
response.
We responded to 1293 letters during the time period.
We currently have 7500 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 2500 coded letters await a response and another
1000 letters are in the data entry and proofing stages.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
No response necessary
25%
Scheduling
20%
Requests
15%
Children's Mail
10%
Casework/Agency Information
10%
Issue-Related Mail
10%
Support/Greetings
05%
Other
05%
Following is a breakdown of the issue-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Crime and Violence
20%
Childrens' Issues
15%
Health Issues (Other than Health Care Reform)
10%
Education
10%
Economy, Budget and Government Reform
05%
Other
40%
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. We have submitted some individual
responses without signatures so that you may sign them
personally.
As we noted in the last report, the Office of First Lady's
Correspondence has been coordinating the development of the
Health Care Reform Information Center. At this time the agency
representatives are situated at Suite 1126, 1800 G Street, N.W.
We are working on set-up of the phone bank and letter production
process at this site. We are still awaiting assignment of a
policy liaison for the agency representatives. We are including
two health care responses in this report with draft language from
the letters developed by the Health Care Resource Information
Group. Jennifer Klein has edited the language in the draft
letters, and at this point Larry Levitt and Walter Zellman have
added their edits to hers. Marge Tarmey has two other policy
people looking at these letters. The letters will be returned to
Jennifer for one final edit before they are entered in the
computer system.
The Health Care folder contains two letters. The first
letter is from a fifty-eight year old grandmother who is caring
for a retarded child of twenty. She does not qualify for medicaid
and writes that she is strongly in favor of universal coverage
for all Americans. The response to this letter is being sent to
you with the digitized computer generated signature. Please
indicate if you would like to sign it personally, or if you
prefer an autopen signature.
The second letter in the Health Care Folder is from a woman
who lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She includes an auction
notice which appeared in the Sunday, October 17, edition of the
Pittsburgh Press. The notice announces an auction of a family's
possessions to pay the cost of their baby's hospital expenses.
The individual response is being submitted with the digitized
computer generated signature. Please indicate if you would like
to sign it personally, or if you prefer an autopen signature.
The Issues folder contains three letters. The first letter
is from a survivor of the Long Island Railroad tragedy. Although
this letter is obviously a form letter that has been sent to a
number of elected officials, we feel that the sincerity of the
sentiment and the high visibility of the incident requires a
response. The writer asks that you re-evaluate the issue of
capital punishment and gun control enforcement. This writer is
receiving a letter from the President ( see attached). We are
submitting the draft of a heartfelt individual response which
does not address the gun control and capital punishment issues,
but rather, focuses on the effect this incident has had on the
writer. The response letter is being sent to you with the
digitized computer generated signature. Please indicate if you
would like to sign it personally, or if you prefer an autopen
signature.
The second letter in the Issues folder is from
a woman who lives in Chugiak, Alaska. She writes of the
continual anguish she has felt in the fifteen years since she had
the second of two abortions. Due to the sensitive nature of this
subject matter, the individual response to this writer is being
sent to you with the digitized computer generated signature.
Please indicate if you would like to sign it personally, or if
you prefer an autopen signature.
The third letter in the Issues folder is from a woman who
lives in Petaluma, California. She writes about the abduction
and murder of Polly Klaas in her hometown and the corresponding
need for child abuse prevention. The individual response draft
is being sent to you with the signature space left blank for you
to sign. Please indicate if you prefer that this letter receive
the computer generated digitized signature or an autopen
signature.
The Support folder contains two letters. The first letter
in the Support folder is from a former Republican member of
Congress. He writes of his and other Republicans' growing
support for both you and the President. The individual response
draft is being sent to you with the signature space left blank
for you to sign. Please indicate if you prefer that this letter
receive the computer generated digitized signature, or an autopen
signature.
The second letter in the Support folder is from a
grandmother who lives in Florida. She writes of her support for
the President and for you. The individual response has been
prepared with the signature space left blank for you to sign.
Please indicate if you prefer that this letter receive the
computer generated digitized signature, or an autopen signature.
The Children's folder contains three letters. The first
letter in the Children's folder is from an eleven year old who
includes her "resume", and asks your advice about how she can
become a lawyer. The individual response is being sent to you
with the signature space left blank for you to sign. Please
indicate if you prefer that this letter receive the computer
generated digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The second letter in the Children's folder is from an
elementary school student who is studying about human rights and
racism. The individual response is being sent to you with the
signature space left blank for you to sign. Please indicate if
you prefer that this letter receive the computer generated
digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The third letter in the Children's folder is a supportive
letter from a four year old girl, who lives in Silver Spring,
Maryland. She includes a creative drawing of a Platypus. This
individual response is being sent to you with the signature space
left blank. We recommend enclosing a picture of Socks. Please
indicate if you prefer that this letter receive the computer
generated digitized signature or an autopen signature.
Response to questions in January 31, 1994 report.
1. We have checked with Congressman Packard's office. They
are handling the problem reported by Mr. Ron Sullivan.
2. The abortion letter includes language both from the
approved text of our standard abortion response letter and the
draft response proposed for the Health Care Reform Information
Center letters. I will make certain that Melanne Verveer
approves the letter before it is sent.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
SCHED.
INDIV.
KIDS
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
MAIL
LETTERS
TOTAL
2 - 1
79
34
47
191
351
2 2
35
24
9
100
168
2 - 3
36
105
8
1.49
2 - 4
53
1
38
92
2 - 5
-
2 - 6
-
2 - 7
42
34
53
52
181
2 - 8
46
55
6
107
2 - 9
14
42
17
35
1
109
2 10
64
29
93
2 -11
-
2 12
-
2 -13
!
2 14
9
2
27
5
43
PERIOD
237
155
379
17
118
387
1293
TOTAL
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
February 28, 1994
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S
CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from February 15, 1994 through
February 28, 1994. The report includes information about (i) the
volume of mail received and produced by the Office of First
Lady's Correspondence; and (ii) the Greetings Report.
Attached are the daily production reports for the time
period and folders containing letters which are representative of
those reviewed during the period.
During the period we received 5860 pieces of correspondence
addressed to the First Lady. The average number of letters
received daily has increased from 430 to 470. Approximately 2000
letters received by this office were for the Health Care Reform
Information Center. Another 1200 letters were forwarded to other
offices or required no response. We responded to 3589 letters
during the time period.
We currently have 10,000 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 2500 coded letters await a response and another 500
letters are in the data entry and proofing stages.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
No Response Necessary
33%
Issues-Related
15%
Requests
15%
Children's Mail
12%
Scheduling
7%
Casework/Agency Liaison
5%
Support
5%
Other
8%
Following is a breakdown of the issue-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Crime and Violence
20%
Childrens' Issues
20%
Foreign Affairs
5%
Health Issues
5%
Economy & Budget
5%
Other
45%
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. We have submitted some individual
responses without signatures so that you may sign them
personally.
The Office of First Lady's Correspondence has continued to
coordinate and oversee the development of the Health Care Reform
Information Center. Stacey Roth from our office managed all
activities of this group during the initial development phases
(November through February). During February, we moved the
operation from the fourth floor of the Old Executive Office
Building to our new 1800 G Street, Suite 1126, location. Roger
Goldblatt from Presidential Correspondence is the on-site
production manager. We are still waiting for a policy liaison to
be assigned to us from the Delivery Room.
The Health Care Reform Information Center is composed of
agency representatives from the following Federal Agencies:
Health and Human Services, Department of Defense, Veterans
Affairs, and the Department of Labor. We initially had two
representatives from the Department of the Treasury who have now
returned to their agency. We are working with Cabinet Affairs
to replace these representatives, as well as, one from Defense,
one from labor, and one from Veterans Affairs, all of whom have
rotated back to their parent agencies. In addition, we are
working with Susan Otrin on obtaining either two representatives
or a consistent liaison from the Small Business Administration.
We are presently working with Dana Hyde of Cabinet Affairs on
obtaining two representatives from the Department of Education.
The agency representatives have drafted approximately eighty
form letter responses based on the subject areas addressed most
frequently in your correspondence. We have been working with
Marge Tarmey of Ira Magaziner's office and with Jennifer Klein on
getting our draft language approved so that we can respond to the
backlog of Health Care mail. We anticipate that the approval
process will be complete no later than March 7, 1994. Some of
the individual responses submitted in this report contain draft
language that is currently in the approval process.
This week, installation of both phone and computer
operations were completed at the 1800 G street location. Both
the staff and volunteers are looking forward to your visit to the
site.
The Health Care Folder contains one letter from an innkeeper
in Cooksburg, Pennsylvania. She writes of her difficulty in
providing health benefits for her employees due to the rising
costs of health care, business insurance and taxes.
This writer will receive the individual response submitted, which
includes some draft health care language, unless you indicate
otherwise. This individual response is being sent to you with
the digitized computer generated signature. Please indicate if
you would like to sign it personally, or if you prefer an autopen
signature instead. We have not addressed the welfare issue
raised in this letter because we feel that any statement made on
welfare reform may be interpreted by the writer as an endorsement
of her opinion. If you prefer that we address the reform issue,
please indicate that you would like us to rewrite the letter.
The Issues folder contains three letters. The first letter
is from a professor of Chemistry at Beaver College in Glenside,
Pennsylvania. He writes of the context in which he believes pro-
choice advocates in this country should both prioritize and
promote their position. He also includes a humorous piece
entitled Basic Guides For Scientists. This individual response
is being sent to you with the digitized computer generated
signature. Please indicate if you would like to sign it
personally, or if you prefer an autopen signature.
The second letter in the Issues folder is from a woman who
lives in San Jose, California. She expresses her disappointment
in reading Fred Barne's article which predicted a potential
departure of David Gergen from the White House staff. She has
sent a copy of this letter to David Gergen. Due to the sensitive
nature of this letter, the writer will receive a support card,
unless you indicate otherwise.
The third letter in the Issues folder is from a graduate of
Kent State University. She includes a letter she wrote to then
Governor Clinton approximately a year and a half ago. Although
she is no longer a student, she writes that she still feels as
strongly as she did when she wrote her initial letter about the
issues of the homeless, war, incurable diseases, environmental
decay, and economic hardship in our country. This individual
response is being sent to you with the signature space left blank
for you to sign. Please indicate if you prefer that this letter
receive the computer generated digitized signature or an autopen
signature.
The Support folder contains three letters. The first letter
is from a woman who lives in San Rafael, California. She
encloses a copy of a photograph of former First Lady Eleanor
Roosevelt taken when she visited a field hospital in Australia in
1943. This individual response is being sent to you with the
signature space left blank for you to sign. Please indicate if
you prefer that this letter receive the computer generated
digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The second letter in the Support folder is from a senior
citizen who lives in Houlton, Maine. He writes of his support
for both you and the President, and of his disappointment in not
being able to travel to see you in Orono. He includes his
picture and although we feel the caption underneath is a
misquote, the sentiment behind the words is evident. This
individual response is being sent to you with the signature space
left blank for you to sign. Please indicate if you prefer that
this letter receive the computer generated digitized signature or
an autopen signature.
The third letter in the Support folder is from a woman who
lives in Silver Spring, Maryland. She thanks you for your
involvement in the Winter Olympic Games. The writer will receive
a support card, unless you indicate otherwise.
The Children's folder contains one letter from a sixteen
year old girl who lives in Beaumont, Texas. She writes that she
lives in a children's village because her parents don't want her.
She expresses her admiration for. you as her role model because of
your intelligence, self-confidence, perseverance, and dedication
to others, particularly children. She expresses her own
insecurity and lack of self-esteem. This individual response is
being sent to you with the signature space left blank for you to
sign. Please indicate if you prefer that this letter receive the
computer generated digitized signature.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
SCHED.
INDIV.
KIDS
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
MAIL
LETTERS
TOTAL
2-15
137
15
263
415
2-16
22
25
25
10
107
94
283
2-17
7
48
37
16
52
160
2-18
288
5
1
29
312
635
2-19
--
2-20
--
2-21
--
2-22
20
16
24
463
523
2-23
17
26
58
3
48
842
994
2-24
62
77
12
100
251
2-25
52
106
25
183
2-26
--
2-27
--
2-28
16
1
88
40
145
PERIOD
464
177
476
42
239
2191
3589
TOTAL
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 14, 1994
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S
CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from March 1, 1994 through
March 14, 1994. The report includes information about (i) the
volume of mail received and produced by the Office of First
Lady's Correspondence; and (ii) the Agency Liaison Report
(included are an article featured in the Arkansas Democrat
Gazette about Sue Smith of the Office of Agency Liaison, and
letters received in response to the article.)
Attached are the daily production reports for the time
period and folders containing letters which are representative of
those reviewed during the period.
During the period we received 5507 pieces of correspondence
addressed to the First Lady. The average number of letters
received daily has decreased slightly from 470 to 460.
Approximately 1500 letters received by this office were for the
Health Care Reform Information Center. Another 1500 letters were
forwarded to other offices or required no response. We responded
to 1577 letters during the time period.
We currently have 9000 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 4000 coded letters await a response and another 500
letters are in the data entry and proofing stages.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
No response necessary
25%
Scheduling
15%
Casework/Agency Liaison
15%
Children's Mail
15%
Issue-Related
10%
Requests
10%
Support/Greetings
5%
Other
5%
Following is a breakdown of the issue-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Crime and Violence
15%
Childrens' Issues
10%
Economy, Budget & Gov. Reform
10%
Foreign Issues
5%
Health Issues (other than reform)
5%
Other
55%
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. We have submitted some individual
responses without signatures so that you may sign them
personally.
The Health Care folder contains two letters. The first
letter is from a professor of theology at Loyola University of
Chicago. She writes of her concerns for our nation's self-
identity and the recognition of responsibility in providing
health care coverage for its citizens. The individual response
for this letter has been prepared with the signature space left
blank for you to sign. Please indicate if you would prefer the
computer generated digitized signature or and autopen signature.
The second letter in the Health Care folder is from a woman
who lives in Fremont, Michigan. She writes that a small
businessman in her "conservative" community stated to her husband
that he would accept employer mandates on health care for the
reason that "it is the right thing to do". She further notes
that her husband who has been a physician for fifty-two years
feels that there is a need for health care reform in our country.
The individual response to this writer is derived almost in its
entirety from language which was edited by Jennifer Klein, Larry
Levitt, Walter Zellman and Rick Kronick.
The Issues folder contains four letters. The first letter
in the Issues folder is from a young woman who expresses her
fear about AIDS and she asks how the people of our country can
"fight the spread of AIDS". Due to the sensitive nature of this
issue, the individual response to this young writer is being sent
to you with the digitized computer generated signature. Please
indicate if you would rather sign it personally, or if you prefer
an autopen signature.
The second letter in the Issues folder is from a woman who
lives in El Cajon, California. She writes about the troubled
teenagers she has counseled in her capacity as director of a
school-aged parenting program at a local high school. She
discusses the problem of teenage pregnancy, and what she
perceives to be its cultural roots. The individual response to
this writer is being sent to you with the computer generated
digitized signature. Please indicate if you would like to sign
it personally, or if you prefer an autopen signature.
The third letter in the Issues folder is from a woman who
lives in Columbus, Ohio. She proposes a national bill to
establish "children friendly communities" throughout the United
States. The individual response to this writer is being sent to
you with the computer generated digitized signature. Please
indicate if you would like to sign it personally, or if you
prefer an autopen signature.
The fourth letter in the Issues folder is from a retired
Army Colonel who lives in Seminole, Florida. He writes to you
about the value he places upon having a living will, and encloses
an essay written by his granddaughter to underscore the meaning
that his own living will has for his family. The individual
response to this writer is being sent to you with the signature
space left blank for you to sign. Please indicate if you prefer
that this letter receive the computer generated digitized
signature or an autopen signature.
The Support folder contains one letter and one card. The
first letter is from a grandmother who lives in Monroe, New York.
She expresses her admiration for you and the President. She
relates that she has a copy of the Newsweek "Woman of the Year"
picture of you on a wall of her apartment so that her
grandchildren can see it every time they walk the stairs. She
writes that she considers you a role model for her own daughters
and granddaughters. The individual response to this letter is
being sent to you with the signature space left blank for you to
sign. Please indicate if you prefer that this letter receive the
computer generated digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The second item in the Support folder is a card from the
mother of a ten year old girl. She writes to thank you for
providing her daughter, Alexandra, with an excellent role model.
She expresses her hopes for her daughter's future opportunities
and choices as she becomes a woman in our society, options which
she seems to feel were somewhat lacking in her own life. The
individual response to this letter is being sent to you with the
signature space left blank for you to sign. Please indicate if
you prefer that this letter receive the computer generated
digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The Childrens' folder contains one letter. A thirteen year
old girl writes to thank you for being a role model for all
students, particularly females. The individual response to this
letter is being sent to you with the signature space left blank
for you to sign. Please indicate if you prefer that this letter
receive the computer generated digitized signature or an autopen
signature.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
SCHED.
INDIV.
KIDS
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
MAIL
LETTERS
TOTAL
3/1
151
38
29
20
238
3/2
110
11
121
3/3
27
35
1
3
66
3/4
86
26
3
24
7
146
3/5
3/6
3/7
68
35
2
14
8
127
3/8
1
84
85
3/9
24
84
33
118
259
3/10
4
7
1
291
303
3/11
3
15
137
155
3/12
3/13
3/14
51
22
4
77
PERIOD
TOTAL
363
134
261
12
219
588
1,577
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 11, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from August 29, 1993 through
September 11, 1993. The report includes (i) information
regarding the volume of mail received and produced by the Office
of First Lady's Correspondence, and (ii) an analysis of the
issues discussed in the mail reviewed during the period.
Attached are the daily production report for the time period
and folders containing letters representative of those reviewed
during the period.
During this period, we received 5039 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has dropped from 1192 to 470. The daily
mail average currently reflects only mail which this office
receives directly; previously, the figures also reflected mail
which the mailroom sent directly to the Health Care Task Force.
The daily average from the August 30, 1993 report of 1192 is a
reflection of the above mentioned Task Force mail as well as the
703 average received in this office directly during the last
report period.
Approximately 2500 letters were forwarded by this office to
the Health Care Reform Mail Intake Center. We responded to 1442
pieces of correspondence during the period as indicated in the
attached report.
We have a backlog of 1000 pieces of uncoded mail. This
backlog has developed because we have had a small number of
people to do mail analysis during the past few weeks.
Approximately 7,500 coded letters await a response and another
4,000 letters are in the data entry and proofing stages. During
the summer months our volunteer hours have decreased
considerably. In order to encourage the volunteers to establish
regular weekly hours in the fall and to thank our long-term
volunteers, we have planned a coffee reception on Tuesday,
September 21, from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. We have informed
Patti Solis of this event and have requested that she put it on
your schedule, if at all possible. We anticipate that in
response to our volunteer coffee and with the return of many of
our volunteers and a new group of interns, we will eliminate the
backlog and reduce the amount of mail awaiting action.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
Issues related Mail
-
21%
No response necessary
-
18%
Casework
-
18%
Scheduling
-
9%
First Lady's Image
-
4%
Other
-
30%
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Health
-
31%
Children's Issues
-
17%
Foreign
-
17%
Other
-
35%
REPRESENTATIVE LETTERS
For your information and review we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. Unless
otherwise indicated, all of the letters have received responses
from this office.
In this report we are including a separate folder of letters
which address the situation in the former Yugoslavia. Over the
past few months, we have received numerous letters from people
concerned about the atrocities being committed in this region.
Since Bosnia represents a sensitive foreign policy area, we have
sent very few individual responses to these writers and have used
the Presidential language in responding. The samples we are
sending you are particularly poignant. In order to remain
consistent with Presidential language, our present letter (copy
attached) does not refer specifically to women and children. If
you find it appropriate to change the letter, please advise us.
The office of First Lady's Correspondence has recently been
given the added responsibility of answering young people's mail
addressed to the First Lady. This mail was formerly answered by
the office of Student Correspondence. There are two examples of
students' correspondence included in this report.
In addition, we are including a report from the Office of
Agency Liaison and will establish a practice of sending you a
report from their office once a month, with periodic updates on
case work as appropriate.
The Health Care folder contains one letter. The writer is a
woman from Boston, Massachusetts who writes of the difficulty and
frustration she and her acutely ill mother experienced during an
extended wait in an emergency room.
The Issues folder contains three letters. In the first
letter a woman from Columbia, South Carolina raises issues such
as education, the economy and child support enforcement in
recounting the troubles her family has encountered in recent
years. The second letter is from a Professor at Smith who
graduated from Wellesley in 1963. She writes about her
impressions of gender bias during a recent White House Tour which
she took with her daughter. The third letter in the folder is
from Benjamin Stein who attended Law School with you, he writes
about the situation in the former Yugoslavia.
The Support folder contains four letters. The first letter
is from a nun who is highly supportive of the President even
though she disagrees with this administration's policy on the
issues of abortion and homosexuals in the military. The second
letter is from a woman who advises you to plan a meeting with
Mother Theresa. This letter will receive a support card.
The third letter is from a seventy year old legal secretary
who expresses her support and suggests that you advise the
President to read at least a portion of William Safire's The
First Dissident, which addresses the different types of loyalties
which exist in politics.
The fourth letter is from a formerly disenchanted voter who
is uninsured and struggling with medical bills and living in
poverty. She writes that since the election of President Clinton
she feels a renewed sense of hope for the future.
The Thank-You folder contains two letters. The first letter
is from a woman who thanks you for both a letter to the Office of
Personnel Management written on her behalf (she encloses a copy
of their reply) and for the follow-up call from a member of your
staff asking if she had received a reply. The second letter is
from Richard J. Davidson of The American Hospital Association in
Orlando. In his letter, he thanks you for your August 9 speech
for the Association and expresses how well received your words
were. The two Thank-You letters will not receive a response
unless you specify otherwise.
The Childrens' folder contains two letters. The first
letter is from a thirteen year old girl who for personal reasons
is strongly opposed to terminating community-based programs for
the mentally ill. The second letter is a support letter from a
ninth grade girl from Fort Pierce, Florida who views you as her
role model.
The contents of the Bosnia folder were discussed earlier in
the report.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
ISSUE
SUPPORT
ACKNOW.
PRESS
SCHED
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESP.
LETTERS
TOTAL
8/ 29
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8/ 30
77
15
20
20
28
160
8/ 31
2
-
-
-
59
1
31
93
9/1
41
-
-
30
66
3
71
211
9/2
115
44
15
-
57
2
143
376
9/3
-
-
89
-
11
33
73
206
9 / 4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9/ 5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9 / 6
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
9 / 7
-
-
-
-
40
-
48
88
9 / 8
-
-
-
-
47
-
120
167
9 / 9
51
-
-
-
89
-
1
141
9 / 10
11
-
-
-
35
5
-
51
9 / 11
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
TOTAL
FOR
386
70
35
30
446
11
515
1493
PERIOD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Maggie Williams
Chief of Staff, First Lady's Office
FR:
Barbara Allen
Director, Health Care Correspondence Office
RE:
Request for Reception for Volunteers
DATE:
September 19, 1993
The Health Care Correspondence Office is pleased to inform you
that it has completed answering the 175,000 letter backlog of
mail from the Health Care Task Force. We are currently answering
mail received after August 1 as well as providing assistance to
Communications in its efforts to promote the American Health
Security Act.
Our goal was to have the backlog answered prior to the President
offering the plan to Congress. We are proud to have accomplished
this task for Mrs. Clinton. As you can imagine, this could not
have been done without the nearly 200 volunteers' (some old and
some new volunteers) commitment to this effort.
In appreciation for their outstanding efforts, I respectfully
request that a reception be arranged to thank the volunteers for
all their hard work and dedication. It is my hope that something
can be arranged in the next week or two to coincide with the
announcement. Of course, my office will be happy to make
whatever arrangements necessary.
At the reception, the volunteers would like to present to the
President and Mrs. Clinton a "Memory Book" compiled of letters
written by the volunteers indicating their reasons for
involvement in the Task Force and what it has meant to them. I
have taken the liberty of enclosing three examples for your
review. Because we feel as do many people working on the health
care effort that we have been a part of history, we wanted to
express it in a form that every volunteer in health care
correspondence understands -- letters.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. I look forward
to hearing from you.
JOAN R. CHALLINOR
3117 HAWTHORNE STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20008
September 17, 1993
Dear President and Mrs. Clinton:
When I first began to read the health letters in the Old
Executive Office Building in winter 1993, I thought I was doing
the Health Care Reform Task Force a favor. But I soon learned
that the more you give, the more you receive. I learned how open
America is, what enormous good will there is throughout the
country, with what civility people express themselves, what the
real world is like outside of Washington, and how muddled is our
present health care system.
In most of the letters that I read, people described their
experiences as though they were sitting in their living room and
talking with old friends. The letter writers would say, "Let me
tell you what happened to me today.' Some of the letters, of
course, were heart wrenching, from people who had lost a loved
one. Others were from infertile couples who hoped that the
government might help them in their years of trial. Most of the
letters that I read were from people yearning to be led out of
the health care thicket by the President and Mrs. Clinton.
Thank you Bill and Hillary for giving me the opportunity to catch
a glimpse of this wonderful America. It has made me proud to be
an American, proud to be a Democrat, and proud to be associated
with the Clinton administration. I can ask for no more.
Sincerely,
loan Chellaros
Joan R. Challinor
September 17, 1993
Mr. President and Mrs. Hillary Clinton
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President and Mrs. Clinton:
It has been a real honor to work on your Health Care
Task Force. I have met so many interesting people and I have
become friends with many. I cherish the pictures taken at
the two receptions that were held on the South Lawn for the
Volunteers. It has been a marvelous, rewarding experience
and has provided me a host of wonderful memories.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading and responding to the
countless cards, letters, books, pictures, and magazines that
the task force received from people all over the world. I
was assigned to a special project, wherein I had to read
many, many case stories and select the most compelling ones
among them. These accounts were very interesting and in some
cases extremely sad and heartbreaking. I could especially
relate to a number of them, since I lost my only child
(Brennan) due to cancer on November 7, 1992. He would have
been 27 years old on December 23, 1992.
I love being involved with people from all walks of
life. I will continue my volunteer work with your staff,
after which I will return to working with patients and staff
at the Washington Hospital Center, where I have been a
volunteer for a number of years.
I hope you are successful in your efforts to
restructure our health care system. I was honored to be a
part of that effort. My only regret is that while working
with your staff, I didn't get the opportunity to meet you
personally.
In the future, if I can be of further help to you and
your staff, please do not hesitate to call on me.
Respectfully,
Chritie H. Sirmons
CHRISTINE H. SIMMONS
PS I like to help
Health Care Task Force
in the fight to make
Volunteer
our future strong
2501 K Street, N.W., #3B
Washington, D.C. 20037
September 13, 1993
President William Clinton and
First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President and Mrs. Clinton:
Last March 18th I received a call from Ms. Holly Nelson,
a White House volunteer, inviting me to participate in the
Presidential Health Care Reform Task Force. After some re-
scheduling of my "spare" time, I began working with a pro-
gram that would change my life and its values forever. I
was overwhelmed with the response, first from the people
of our nation, followed by the love and great caring with
which the members of the Task Force would review the corres-
pondence - which could number as many as 6,000 pieces per
day. Every letter has been treated personally and with con-
cern, before coding for an appropriate response. Hurt, and
sometimes angry, citizens reached out for help, believing in
your promise to answer their call to you. A change was needed
and many of their letters ended with a prayer for you and your
efforts to bring about that change. How lucky I am to have
been a part of that mountainous effort. How proud I am to have
been able to serve your administration. Thank you for the
opportunity.
Marifran Sincerely, Languardt
Mrs. Mary F. Langvardt
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 25, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from September 12, 1993
through September 25, 1993. The report includes (i) information
about the volume of mail received and produced by the Office of
First Lady's Correspondence, and (ii) an analysis of the issues
discussed in the mail reviewed during the period.
Attached are the daily production report for the time period
and folders containing letters which are representative of those
reviewed during the period.
During this period, we received 6129 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has risen from 470 to 511.
Approximately 3500 letters were forwarded by this office to
the Health Care Reform Mail Intake Center. Another 800 letters
were forwarded to other offices or required no response. We
responded to 1587 pieces of correspondence during the period, as
indicated in the attached report.
We currently have 1200 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 7,500 coded letters await a response and another
4,000 letters are in the data entry and proofing stages. We have
made a minimal addition to our backlog over this period.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
Issues-related Mail
-
16%
Scheduling
-
16%
Casework/Agency Information
-
10%
No Response Necessary
-
10%
First Lady's Image
-
8%
Other
-
40%
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Government Reform
-
23%
Health
-
18%
Foreign Issues
-
14%
Other
-
45%
REPRESENTATIVE LETTERS
For your information and review we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. In the future, if you would like us
to submit individual response letters with all or some of the
signatures left blank for your signature, please let us know and
we will proceed accordingly.
The Health Care folder contains seven letters. Six of these
letters are thank-you's for your help. The first letter is a
facsimile from Stephen R. Reed welcoming C. Everett Koop and
expressing support for your work. The second letter is from a
man who works at the Oakland Plant and Distribution Center in
Walnut Creek, California. He writes to express his appreciation
for your assistance in keeping the Center's Medical Unit open and
invites you and the President to visit the Center.
The third letter is from a woman who lives in Knoxville
Tennessee. She writes to thank you for your intervention in
obtaining home health care for her mother who lives in
Cincinnati. She expresses admiration for you and your "spirit of
selfless caring for the elderly".
The fourth letter is from Diane Peterson, the President of
D. Peterson & Associates, a health care consulting firm. She
heard your remarks at the Annual Meeting of the American Hospital
Association and expresses her support for both your work and the
articulate manner in which you present the "challenges and
solutions" surrounding health care.
The fifth letter is from Alison Burton, whose letter about
health care was included in writer Natalie Spingarn's article in
the Washington Post "Health" supplement on August 17, 1993 (see
attached). Alison Burton thanks you both for the honor of having
her letter published and for listening to her concerns. Please
note that the thank-you letters related to health care will not
receive a response unless you indicate otherwise.
The sixth letter is an original letter, a copy of which was
forwarded to the Health Care Mail Intake Center for a response.
This letter is one of support from a dentist in Golden, Colorado
whose practice consists of three rapidly expanding dental clinics
in the Denver metropolitan area which serve primarily middle and
lower income patients. He encloses a "Viewpoint" article
outlining his concern that the dental profession is rapidly
evolving into one of elitism.
The seventh letter is from a woman who has been employed in
the insurance industry for sixteen years. She writes a highly
critical letter of both the insurance industry itself, and the
high price of medical services. She bases her criticism on
her personal experiences both as an employee in the insurance
industry, and as someone who has utilized medical services. A
copy will be forwarded to the Health Care Mail Intake Center for
a response unless you indicate otherwise.
The NAFTA folder contains two letters. As our office
considers NAFTA to be an international subject, we propose
answering these letters with a letter from the President. The
letter will begin with a line thanking the writer for sending you
his or her comments on NAFTA and will continue with the same
language as the President's letter on this subject. A copy of
both our proposed letter for your signature and the President's
letter are enclosed.
The first NAFTA letter is from a man who is dying of
cancer. He writes a highly critical, angry, and impassioned
letter against NAFTA. His perception is that environmental
concerns have been entirely disregarded in the preparation of the
NAFTA agreement. He writes of the "volatile organic compounds"
found in the air and water in his hometown of Nogales, Arizona,
their connection to the high rate of cancer existing in this
region, and of his fear for the life of his daughter. He feels
that NAFTA will only benefit those who are profiting at the
expense of the citizens of Nogales. We think that the form
response to this letter (see example) should be altered so that
environmental issues are addressed before the economic issues.
The second letter is from a Professor of Law and Economics
at Tulane University. He relays his thoughts about NAFTA and
GATT. He feels that adding the Dunkel Draft Gatt side agreement
to NAFTA would weaken the United States ability to "supervise and
regulate our own trade flows." In addition he encloses two
essays, the first advocates moving away from GATT, the second is
an assessment of the President's progress in the areas of jobs
and industrial rejuvenation, deficit reduction, and trade.
The support folder contains two letters. The first letter is
from an elementary school librarian who writes of her excitement
in using you in her first lesson plan as an example of someone
who is a " bibliophile". We have enclosed both a response letter
to the librarian and a separate one to her students. If there
are books which you would like to recommend to these students, we
can include them in the response letter which is sent. The
second letter is from a woman originally from England, who
decided to become a United States citizen based on her
impressions of you and the President. She writes that you have
inspired her to return to school at a later age than most
students to pursue her dream of a career in the law.
The Thank-you folder contains three letters. The first
letter is from a woman who works at Jackson Memorial Hospital in
Florida in the office next to Dr. Frederick Schlid who met with
you concerning Health Care Reform. She heard both you and the
President speak at the Democratic Welcome Reception at the
Fountainbleau, and she thanks you for giving her husband your
autograph. The second letter is from the wife of a picture
editor at TIME magazine who herself works in management
consulting. She is a strong supporter of yours and thanks you
for autographing Alex Quesada's 'cowboy' picture of you. The
third letter is a thank-you on behalf of a family who were
provided with information which made it possible for a family
member to travel to the United States from the Philippines.
The childrens' folder contains one letter from an eleven
year old girl who expresses strong support and admiration for you
and confides her dream of becoming the first black woman
President of the United States. She thanks you for "making '93
The Year of The Woman." "
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
SEPTEMBER 12, 1993 - SEPTEMBER 25, 1993
ISSUE
SUPPORT
ACKNOW.
PRESS
SCHED
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESP.
LETTERS
TOTAL
9/12
:
9/13
16
16
9/14
37
22
9
3
1
72
9/15
8
75
83
9/16
69
15
9
133
226
9/17
6
160
166
9/18
--
9/19
:
9/20
25
23
3
51
9/21
88
52
40
2
166
348
9/22
52
128
39
219
9/23
62
6
209
277
9/24
30
17
82
129
9/25
:
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
TOTAL
FOR
317
143
23
0
231
8
865
1587
PERIOD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 12, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from September 26, 1993
through October 9, 1993. The report includes (i) information
about the volume of mail received and produced by the Office of
First Lady's Correspondence, and (ii) analysis of the issues
discussed in the mail reviewed during the period.
Attached are the daily production report for the time
period, folders containing letters which are representative of
those reviewed during the period, and the bi-monthly Agency
Liaison Report.
During this period, we received 7282 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has risen from 511 to 607.
Approximately 5000 letters received by this office were for
the Health Care Reform Mail Intake Center. These letters have
been retained in our office pending a new analysis of this mail
and a reorganization of that office, as discussed below. Another
1200 letters were forwarded to other offices or required no
response. We responded to 1880 pieces of correspondence during
the period, as indicated in the attached report.
We currently have 2000 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 6000 coded letters await a response and another
4000 letters are in the data entry and proofing stages.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
Issues-related Mail
-
25%
Casework/Agency Information
-
24%
No Response Necessary
-
13%
First Lady's Image
-
7%
Other
-
31%
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Health Issues
-
22%
Government Reform
-
17%
Foreign Issues
-
11%
Other
-
50%
REPRESENTATIVE LETTERS
For your information and review we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. As suggested in the previous report,
we have submitted some individual responses without signatures so
that you may sign them personally.
The Health-Care folder contains two letters. The first
letter is from a man who lives in Akron, Ohio. He expresses his
support for the President's speech presenting the Health Care
Plan to the American people and commends you and your staff for
the long hours dedicated to working towards health care reform.
The second letter is from an individual writing from a
business in San Francisco, California, who expresses appreciation
for your work on the Health Care Plan.
The Health Care letters submitted in this report are thank-
you's, and therefore will not receive a response unless you
indicate otherwise. In regard to mail that does require a
response, we are currently involved in an intra-office effort to
develop form letter and individual response language which will
highlight the points you wish to emphasize in relation to health
care issues while at the same time responding accurately and with
precision to the issues raised in the incoming letters. We are
holding all health care letters until we have an appropriate
plan. We hope to render this by the end of this week.
The Issues folder contains one letter. A man from New
Jersey, who is disabled, writes about the challenges facing
disabled people in our country. He offers solutions for coping
with the emotional issues surrounding disability. He includes a
copy of his resume for the implied purpose of demonstrating what
he has achieved while living with a disability.
The Thank-You/Support folder contains three letters. The
first letter is from a woman who lives in Brooklyn, New York.
She writes to thank-you for making the world a more caring place
for her two year old son. This letter will receive a support
card unless you indicate otherwise.
The second letter is from a man who lives in Wayland,
Massachusetts and is a volunteer for the Foundation for Global
Community which is based in Palo-Alto California. He writes to
thank-you for the inspiration he derived from your "Politics of
Meaning" speech. This letter will receive a support card unless
you indicate otherwise.
The third letter is from a woman who lives in Los Angeles,
California. She discusses the "violence, drugs, racial tension,
and homelessness" that exist in her community. A divorced mother
with two grown sons, she expresses how you have been an
inspiration for her as she works hard to establish herself in the
business world.
The Professional Services folder contains two letters.
The first letter is from a man who offers his services as a White
House Santa Claus for the upcoming Christmas season. We thought
this letter might be an amusing respite for you from the
intensity of the last several weeks. We have drafted a letter
thanking him and declining his offer which we will send unless
you indicate otherwise.
The second letter is from a woman who lives in Randolph,
Vermont. She responds to your statement during the Tom Brokaw
interview regarding the taste of Tofu. She submits a recipe for
preparing Tofu and offers her services to the White House Chef.
We have drafted a letter thanking her and declining her offer
which we will send unless you indicate otherwise.
The Childrens' folder contains two letters. The first
letter is from an eighth grade student who is entering an
accelerated high school program. She expresses her admiration
for you and confides her ambition of becoming an Attorney.
The second letter is from the Principal of a Catholic School
who sends you a first grade student's writing project which is
inspired by you and entitled "Princess Hillary."
The Heartfelt Folder contains one letter. It is a mother's
moving account of the courageous battle her step-son waged
against colon cancer with the care and support provided by St.
Jude's hospital. She expresses her support for you and proposes
that you consider implementing non-profit regional cancer centers
throughout the country that would provide people, regardless of
income, treatment much like that provided for children through
St. Jude's.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
ISSUE
SUPPORT
ACKNOW.
PRESS
SCHED
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESP.
LETTERS
TOTAL
9 / 26
9 / 27
1
44
1
287
3
6
342
9 / 28
92
91
1
184
9 / 29
94
17
13
13
5
142
9 / 30
53
65
1
168
3
290
10 / 1
22
85
107
10/2
10 / 3
10 / 4
27
15
264
5
99
410
10 / 5
1
85
3
71
160
10 / 6
21
3
21
45
10/7
44
1
22
67
10 / 8
67
3
12
3
48
133
10 / 9
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
TOTAL
FOR
357
144
100
988
16
275
1880
PERIOD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 23, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S
CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from October 10, 1993 through
October 23, 1993. The report includes (i) information about the
volume of mail received and produced by the Office of First
Lady's Correspondence, and (ii) analysis of the issues discussed
in the mail reviewed during the period.
Attached are the daily production report for the time
period, and folders containing letters which are representative
of those reviewed during the period.
During this period we received 6825 pieces of correspondence
addressed to the First Lady. The average number of letters
received daily has remained fairly constant, increasing slightly
from 607 to 620.
Approximately 3500 letters received by this office were
designated for the Health Care Reform Mail Intake Center. In our
last report we indicated that these letters were being retained
in our office pending a new analysis of this mail and a
reorganization of the Intake Center. An analysis of the health
care mail received in this office was completed on October 8, and
the results are enclosed (see attached). We have forwarded the
health care mail we were holding and are currently sending new
incoming mail to the Intake Center to be held in that office
pending a final decision on reorganization.
Another 2700 letters were forwarded to other offices or
required no response. We responded to 2000 pieces of
correspondence during the period, as indicated in the attached
report.
We currently have 1600 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 6000 coded letters await a response and another
3000 are in the data entry and proofing stages.
On October 14, we conducted a tally of two full days of
incoming mail, and the results were comparable to the percentages
we garnered from our normal sampling techniques. The analysis of
both the complete tally and the sampling is as follows.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
No Response Necessary
-
21%
Issues-related Mail
-
18%
Casework/Agency Liaison
-
16%
First Lady's Image
-
12%
Other
-
33%
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Health Issues
-
18%
Foreign Issues
-
14%
Abortion
-
11%
Crime/Violence
-
11%
Other
-
46%
REPRESENTATIVE LETTERS
For your information and review we have attached original
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. We have left blank the signature
space on some of the letters so that you may sign them
personally. Please let us know if you would like us to continue
this practice in future reports.
The Health Care folder contains three letters. The first
letter is from a Republican insurance broker who was elected as a
delegate to the Republican National Convention. She writes of
her support for the Health Security Plan and describes the means
by which she is publicly expressing her positive view of the
plan.
The second letter in the Health Care folder is from the
commencement speaker at the 1993 graduation exercises for the
Harvard School of Public Health. She writes of her support for
the Health Security Plan and includes a copy of her speech. In
her speech, she questions the course of both the education and
health care institutions in our country today comparing the
crisis of faith in our nation's health care due to rationing
along socio-economic lines to violence in our nation's schools
due to similar factors. The speaker submits that prioritizing
our limited resources through preventive care is crucial to our
future.
The third letter in the Health Care folder is from a man who
expresses support for your work on health care reform, but writes
of his concern that the tax on cigarettes will not achieve the
desired effect on the revenue stream and will therefore have a
negative impact on the public perception of the plan. He
proposes as an alternative a tax on automobile insurance.
The Issues folder contains two letters. The first letter is
from a senior citizen whose grandparents traveled west on the
Oregon Trail in the 1800's. She herself has lived through the
Depression and two World Wars. Her anxiety is evident as she
describes her fear that if the United States continues to open
it's borders to an unlimited number of immigrants this will
constitute an undue burden on the country's citizens who must pay
for the social services provided for these immigrants.
The second letter in the Issues folder is from the
headmaster of the Chicago Academy for the Arts. He expresses his
appreciation for the President's and your messages at the White
House Presidential Arts Medal Ceremony. He writes of the program
"Good Vibes" which he and Ben Vereen co-founded. The goals of
this program as he outlines them are to use artistic video
vignettes to address the issues facing teenagers in our country
today. He emphasizes preventive measures analagous to your
efforts in health care reform to help teenagers realize that they
can choose better, healthier lives.
The Support folder contains four letters. The first letter
is from a woman living in Long Beach, California who watched your
interview with Larry King. She relays her pride in you as the
representative of women of her generation. She further expresses
how touched she was by your statement on the show relating to the
contributions made by the First Ladies who preceded you. This
letter will receive a support card unless you prefer that an
individual response be sent.
The second letter in the Support folder is from a staunch
Republican from Birmingham, Alabama who writes to thank you for
raising the "consciousness of a few more American males " This
letter will receive a support card unless you prefer that an
individual response be sent.
The third letter in the Support folder is from a woman
living in South Carolina who describes herself as ill and
disabled and at least ocassionally depressed. She expresses her
support for your work on health care reform. In addition she
encloses a recipe booklet with suggestions for "Clinton Corn and
Gloss Starches.
The fourth letter in the Support folder is from an
administrator of a Community Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.
She expresses her pride in your accomplishments from the campaign
through the Health Security Plan. She offers her nursing and
management skills to contribute to the health care effort.
The Thank-You folder contains one letter from the President
of Sistemas Corporation, a consulting and training firm based in
Princeton, New Jersey. She thanks you for hosting the Hispanic
Heritage Reception to which she was invited.
The Children's folder contains one letter. A child from
Vermont writes to dispute a statement she believes you recently
made concerning peas.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 8, 1993
POST-SPEECH HEALTH CARE CORRESPONDENCE
[September 23 and following, directly reflecting on plan]
Comments on the First Lady
and/or the Plan
Unconditional Support of HRC
-
18%
Approval of HRC, Concern about Health Care
Reform
-
11%
Unfavorable
-
10%
Questions or Requests for
Information
Request for Plan or Information on
Plan
I
3%
Questions on Impact of Plan on Certain
Programs or the Nature of
Facilities
-
3%
Questions on Effect of Plan on Personal
Coverage or Situations
-
6%
Opinions or Suggestions
about Plan
Suggestions about Implementation of
Plan
-
17%
Requests for Specific Coverage or
Inclusions in Plan
-
18%
Opinions or Suggestions on the Use of
Sin Taxes
-
14%
random sample size: 200
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
ACKNOW.
SCHED
INDVID.
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
LETTERS
TOTAL
10/10
10/11
10/12
2
223
35
260
10/13
97
57
154
10/14
82
143
2
7
234
10/15
82
117
1
33
233
10/16
94
19
113
10/17
10/18
44
207
4
1
256
10/19
6
166
2
1
175
10/20
39
1
40
10/21
72
105
132
34
343
10/22
62
78
50
2
192
10/23
PERIOD
342
191
1174
106
187
2000
TOTAL
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 1, 1993
Ms. Barbara Khan
18-24 Williamsburg Court
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts 01545
Dear Ms. Khan:
Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your words of
encouragement mean a great deal to me.
Your enthusiasm regarding the Health Security Plan is
invaluable as the President and his Administration work
toward meaningful and lasting change in our health care
system. Your support and the support of individuals like
you will help him to put into effect a system of universal
health care coverage for all Americans that can never be
taken away.
Thank you again for your support and your own efforts
to promote the plan at the local level.
Sincerely yours,
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
October 4. 1993
Mrs. Hillary Clinton
The White House
Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mrs. Clinton,
I want to give you the most heart felt congratulations on your
exemplary work on health care reform. I am a insurance broker,
specializing in medical insurance, and I think the proposal the
Clinton has put forth 1S better than 99% of the insurance I sell.
Furthermore I felt sick about all the people I could not help due
to their "pre-existing" conditions. You have addressed virtually
every issue I witnessed working out there in the field. My market
is primarily small businesses. The doom and gloom sayers are doing
their best to scare them silly about this new proposal but I have
not one doubt that they, along with the general populous, will come
out ahead. Poll after poll has indicated that Americans are
willing to pay more in order to allow everyone coverage. Those
greedy detractors of the health care proposal are simply self
serving individuals whose vision does not go beyond their
bankbooks.
You should know that I am a Republican. I was elected delegate to
the Republican National Convention. It doesn't matter, I want
what's best for our country, and those 37 million people who are
just winging it right now. I will probably be put out of business,
as a broker, but my vision is larger. I am not big on entitlement
mentality, but I believe our Government should provide decent
health care for our citizens. Your plan appears to me an excellent
way to deliver that service. If I can be of any help please let me
know. I am voicing my opinion everywhere I can: to my small
business clients, to the newspaper, to my representatives. I want
to see this proposal become a reality and I thank you and President
Clinton for having the courage to make changes. God bless you
both.
Sincerely,
Barbara K Khan
Barbara K. Khan, Broker
18-24 Williamsburg Ct.
Shrewsbury, MA 01545 508-842-8242
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 10, 1993
Ms. Michelle Bowdler
24 Chestnut Street
Framingham, Massachusetts 01701
Dear Ms. Bowdler:
Thank you for your thoughtful letter and the copy of
your timely and eloquent commencement address.
I appreciate both the views on the health care system
which you expressed in your commencement address, and the
support you have expressed to me in your letter. Your
enthusiasm for the Health Security Plan is invaluable as
the President and his Administration work toward meaningful
and lasting change in our health care system. As the issue
of health care in the United States is addressed, the goal
of the Administration is to keep people healthy instead of
treating them after they become sick.
Thank you again for your support. I congratulate you
on your scholastic achievements, commend you on being
chosen as director of a community based cardiac center, and
wish you continued success in your future endeavors.
Sincerely yours,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
10/4/93
Hillary Rodham Clinton
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C.
Dear Ms. Rodham Clinton:
I wanted to write a quick note to add to the many who support your efforts in addressing health
care reform. You have approached this effort with intelligence, and a most impressive,
comprehensive effort to include so many Americans in creating a system that is innately more
fair and consistent with the ideals of democracy than the one which we currently have.
I was at the Harvard School of Public Health last year when professors who had been talking
about national health care for over a decade were being requested to go to Washington to meet
with you, President Clinton and the Gores, finally! After so many years, there is an
administration of which I can feel proud.
I was the commencement speaker at the Harvard School of Public Health and sat on the stage
with Dr. Elders, our keynote speaker. I am sending along a copy of the speech I delivered as
it sounds so many of the themes I have heard you address in the last few weeks.
As a result of this speech, I was offered a job at a community health center in one of Boston's
poorest, most violence-ridden neighborhoods. We will be opening a community-based Cardiac
Center to prevent and treat cardiac disease in people of color, and I will serve as its director.
It is a unique collaboration between three Harvard teaching hospitals and a community health
center.
Good luck in the months and weeks ahead, and if there is ever anything I can do to help, I
would be most honored to contribute.
Sincerely,
Mihell
Michelle Bowdler
24 Chestnut Street
Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 788-1273
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS - JUNE 10, 1993
I am very pleased and proud to have been chosen for this honor and I welcome all of you.
Today I plan to speak about both education and health, two topics relevant to today's joyous
proceedings.
Let me begin with some remarks on education. My father was the Principal of a high school
on the south side of Chicago in the early 1960s. Every day he drove over an hour to get to
work. Even though I was only a few years old, I knew that there was something about his job
that consumed him, that he felt passionate about, although I didn't have the words for it at the
time. He was a man who loved his job and truly loved the children he worked with, although
along with his hope was a pervading sadness and frustration. Even then, almost thirty years
ago, conditions existed which made learning difficult for the students at this "inner city" school.
One difference from today is that my father's desk drawer was filled with knives he had taken
away from students rather than guns, but otherwise conditions were very similar. Kids were
hungry, angry, hurt and scared; books were out of date; and violence was commonplace.
Many evenings, my dad would ask my older sister to help a student of his by writing down math
problems he could bring back to school: 5 X 9; 63 divided by 7; 112 + 113. The tragedy of
this situation was that at the time, my sister was nine years old and in the third or fourth grade
and the students her work was tutoring were sixteen and seventeen. They were about to
graduate from high school and many of them could barely read or write. And of course, these
young men and women wanted to learn and needed to learn, just like today.
My father died a very young man in 1967. He lived with hopes and dreams about making this
country more fair for those citizens who were born into poverty. Poverty doesn't mean just
having less money to buy things. It often means being hungry, which can make it harder to
concentrate in school; being too cold at night to sleep fitfully and falling asleep in overheated
school rooms; trying to learn in a school where the books are so old that the civics lessons are
out of date and so worn and written in they're less easy to read and enjoy; and it can mean
feeling angry and alienated because you don't have what the TV, movies, radio, and athletes tell
you ought to own to be a worthwhile person. All of this had a devastating impact on my
father's students 30 years ago, and I am sad to say little has changed in all that time.
As we so proudly graduate today, we should reflect on the fact that our opportunities to be here
today (even though we've all had separate and distinct journeys) started a long time ago, and we
must remember and acknowledge the thousands of young men and women who never had a
chance to even consider or be considered for this education. To the extent that we keep these
individuals invisible, it is easier to feel less emergent about doing what is necessary to ensure
opportunities for all of our nation's children. If we could see them as living side by side with
us and could feel their sense of loss, sadness or even rage, our sense of pleasure with today
would carry with it a bittersweet edge. Our pride should be tempered by this awareness.
How many young men and women never even considered applying for a Harvard education
because they were busy simply trying to survive; because the extent of their dream was to learn
how to read or write; because the highest combined SAT score coming out of their high school
was 700; or because they were a teen mother who had to forego college to care for her child?
I simply ask that we recognize the context in which our accomplishment has taken place and for
each of us to develop our own inner resolve to address these inequities.
Let us remember the young men and women for whom my father cared for so many years ago,
for their lost dreams, and resolve to clasp hands with them across the ever widening divides of
racism, classism and educational divisions which so threaten the fabric of our nation today.
I want to make similar comments in relationship to the health care in this country. Recently,
there has been a growing debate about whether the "rationing" of health care being tried, for
example, in Oregon is ethical. Is it all right with us if the government or some medical
committee decides who is appropriate for certain interventions and which types of medical
procedures will be paid for. Shouldn't everyone get treated if they are ill? Somehow the idea
of rationing seems so cruel, that needed services will be meted out and may not be offered to
the sick and suffering. But I ask you, what is 37 million uninsured if not rationing? What is
certain types of care offered if you can afford it and not recommended if you cannot if not
rationing? Unfortunately, there have been rationing lines drawn for a long time but we haven't
called them that: we know them better as Rich and Poor, Insured and Uninsured.
We are having a crisis of faith in our nation's health care system as a result. On the one hand,
we fear that if we are poor we won't get what we need, but only what we can afford. And if we
can afford health care, there's a growing unease that maybe we are being offered more than
what we really need. All of us pay the price when this is how our profession is perceived.
If you were to sit in a closed room with 20 people and in the middle of all of you was a plateful
of food, you would know that every bite you took affected how much your neighbor would
receive. And, you would also have to look your neighbor in the eye if he or she were to go
hungry, or if you were passed a steak and they were given a crust of bread.
I propose that our nation needs to begin to see health care in this way. For so long, we have
approached health care as if resources were unlimited and that we could have as much as we
want of an unlimited supply. Those who are uninsured or have been uninsured at some time in
their lives could tell us well the consequences of not being able to get any of what others were
gorging themselves on. But resources are always limited.
There's always only so much to go around and it is up to us to decide how to prioritize.
Otherwise, we just let things happen and then feel dismayed by the results -- that many of our
nation's children feel frightened every day because of the violence in their schools and
neighborhoods while somewhere else kids feel safe and able to learn, that some people can get
liver transplants while others cannot afford basic medicine or immunizations for their children.
We as a society need to feel involved, and then proud of the decisions we make so that we can
look ourselves in the mirror in the morning instead of hanging our heads in shame.
I suggest that one of the ways we prioritize our limited resources is to pay more attention to put
more effort into preventing illness instead of merely treating disease.
We at the School of Public Health are committed to the above approach, as illustrated in the
following story many of us are fond of: A man is walking through a meadow and sees a stream.
He walks over to the stream and sees someone drowning, grasping onto a log calling for help.
He jumps in and brings the man to shore. Barely recovered, he hears someone else calling for
help and jumps in to rescue him. All day long this goes on until he is absolutely exhausted.
Our hero is so busy trying to save the lives of drowning folks that he has no time to go to the
top of the stream and find out why people are falling in.
Walking to the top of the stream to find and PREVENT people from falling in is Public Health.
It is cheaper, less dramatic, and more effective. And, most importantly, it prevents the
unnecessary suffering all those scared folks experience once they have fallen into the river and
are terrified for their lives. This is what we have been trained to do and I am confident we will
meet this challenge, to get to the top of that stream and prevent illness rather than just treat
disease.
This debate about reform of the health care system is not one of socialism versus democracy;
or the free market versus massive government intervention. It is about the fundamental
requirements and cost of living in a civilized society, where the human rights of all are respected
and nurtured. Both basic education and health care are two necessities in the pursuit of life,
liberty and happiness that should not be income based -- not unlike national security, police
protection, or free speech. We in this nation supposedly are all entitled to certain privileges and
protections regardless of income or status so that the ideals of democracy can be sustained. How
ironic, then, that such basic tools individuals need to survive are out of reach, and not to small
numbers I might add. The cost of ignoring the needs and rights of so many is greater than any
new tax bills could ever be. They go to the heart and soul of the future of our nation, and I ask
all of us to have the courage to insist that collectively we refocus the debate from how much it
will cost us if we do work to change them to how much it will cost us if we don't.
My hope in making these comments is to acknowledge all of those in need, deprived of their
dreams of a future and robbed of their peace of mind because they cannot afford to keep their
families safe, well and healthy. And encourage each of us to continue to question the course
that both of these institutions--education and health care--have been on for a very long time and
at a minimum continue to work to slow down the train long enough to alter the course; to slow
it down so that more who need to can ride and fewer will be passed by.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 1, 1993
Mr. Edward Epstein
Woulfe-Miller Communications
3379 Maiden Voyage Circle North
Jacksonville, Florida 32257
Dear Mr. Epstein:
Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your support of
the Health Security Plan is invaluable as the President and
his Administration work toward meaningful and lasting
change in our health care system.
I appreciate your concern both about the effects the
proposed cigarette tax will have on the economy and on the
public's perception of the plan itself. Your comments are
very much appreciated. As this important issue is
addressed, the views of all Americans will be considered.
Thank you again for writing. I hope that you will
continue to support the Health Security Plan as the
Administration works toward the goal of guaranteeing every
American a comprehensive package of benefits that can never
be taken away.
Sincerely yours,
Hillary Rodham Clinton Clinton
Woulfe-Miller
September 29, 1993
Mrs. Hillary Rodman-Clinton
The White House
Washington, D.C.
United States of America
Dear Mrs. Clinton,
I'm writing to congratulate you on the most magnificent presentations before
congress I've ever heard. I hid from my staff just to hear both hearings on
September 28, 1993 and I'm glad I did. I took no calls, scheduled no meetings
and canceled all appointment for the day. But no alarm! I'll make up my share
of our GNP with plenty to spare.
Last evening while meeting with members of my oldest daughters PTA I asked
several of my doctor friends to come by the house for a snack and a round of
trivia. Trivia brings out the best in knowledge to many of us and sends the
rest to the vegetable garden. What year did the Arab oil countries stop
shipping oil to the United States, one question asked. Alarmed that none of
the doctors knew the answer I suggested a few clues. Do you remember the gas lines?
Do you remember utilities rates going sky high? Do you remember "conservation"
radio, television and newspaper ads? No one had the answer. Like a four foot
high crane straining to see something afar, I jumped from my seat with such
excitement one doctor thought I was having a stroke! What's wrong, what's happen-
ing? "Nothing," I said.
But something did happen. Like hurricane Andrew sweeping through south Florida
I remembered the year, of course, but more than that I remembered what happened
in my community as a result of conservation. Utility rates went up because: we
concerved.
Yes, our utility company told us not enough revenues are available to buy oil
and run the utility company too. My friends and neighbors were outraged. Some
planned to move their companies over the county line. Others wanted to march on
city hall, write letters to the White House and there were those who wanted
the mayor's neck on display at the children's museum or arts and sciences.
Mrs. Hillary Roadman Clinton
Page Two
After returning from the moon we put aside the game, reviewed your healthcare
plan and all at once the thought occurred to me! The cigarette tax. A trap?
Mrs. Clinton, I support the tax
and I'm a smoker. I support the tax because
it benefits all Americans, period. But what if everyone quits? What if only
fifteen percent of smokers quit? What affect what effect will this have on
the revenue stream from the tax?
Has someone set you up ready to see you and
the president take a nose dive?
Just a thought but it could happen. It happened with oil.
Then the thought came to me. Why not include in some fashion taxes from automobile
insurance. Automobiles cause deaths, poor air quality. Not another gasoline
tax, but an added value tax on all automobile and truck sales, service. A national
transportation tax that's fair to all.
Just a thought. After such a presentation to congress I thought it necessary to
share my thoughts with you and the president.
You have my support and if I can come to the aid of the plan in my community or
others
I stand ready.
Thank you for taking the time to review my thoughts and God bless you, the
president and these United States.
Sincerel yours,
Edward S. Epsteín
Father of Two
ESE:s
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 10, 1993
Ms. Bernice Verstoppen
104 South West 9th Street
Pendleton, Oregon 97801
Dear Ms. Verstoppen:
Thank you very much for your thoughtful letter. Your
words of support mean a great deal to me.
I am pleased that you shared with me the memories of
your adventurous family. You have portrayed your relatives
and yourself as wise and caring individuals who have lived
through times of enormous change in our country.
I appreciate your sharing your views on many of the
important issues facing this country today such as poverty,
crime, drug abuse and disease. As the Clinton
Administration works to address these and many other
pressing issues, it is important to have your comments, and
those of other writers, in order to understand the concerns
of people throughout our country.
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me in a
way that reveals the perspective and knowledge which you
have gained throughout the years. I hope that you will
join with the President and me to make the coming years a
time for renewed opportunity in America.
Sincerely yours,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
I
Pendleton, Oregon
Dear Mrs. Hillary Clinton,
October 5, 1993
For some time now I've thought of writing you,
but knowing all the problems that our President and
you have been facing since our President took office,
I felt like you could not, not that you would not,
have the time to invest in reading a letter from an
uneducated, ill senior citizen. But the concerns I have not
just for myself but for my fellow citizens are SD deeply
imbedded in my heart have made this urge to write you
uppermost important in my life, for I feel if I don't speak out,
I could never give you food for thought.
My grandparents came west on the old Oregon Trail in
the 1800's. They had endured many hard times, not only on
the trek west but in settleing in untamed country. They
installed in their children the sense of pride of achieving
almost unsurmountable challenges, uneducated, they carved out
a home and a way of living from the land. They went to
country schools, none ever went to a University but they were
all taught faith in God, faith in self worth and that they
could be anything they wanted to be if they were willing to
work for it. This philosophy was called 'Good Horsesense'. These
were the principles of life I was born into. I never achieved
any lofty goals in life, never graduated from any university, I
chose to be a wife and mother.
In my lifetime I have seen, I feel, the most amazing,
changing, challenging part in the growing pains of the history
of our beloved United States. On the knee of my grandfather
I learned the tales of the war between the states, I learned
of the hard trials that they endured on the wagon train west
2110 The nearidreali they suffered of leaving loved ones, (family
members) behind that they Knew they would never see again. And.
when I asked "why did they come west grandpa?" He said" "We were
very poor and it was a chance of giving our family ct better way
of life with free land to farm, "(Today free anything has to be over,)
I seen the great depression come and go. I seen the great
wars our men fought and died in after the great depression. I sow
the hearbreak in OUT families over the loss of our sons. I've seen
the early days of the movies and movie stars. I've seen getting
the first telephone, I've seen the beginning of television, I've seen
in person, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mr. Dewey, Joe Lewis, Joe DiMaggio,
Marilyn Monroe, Richard Nixon, and many other celebrities of the
world that truly did not impress me. It was more like wanting to
see them, to hear them to have an understanding about what made
them tick, The thing that seemed to impress me most of all in my
lifetime was the great catastrophies, the mass destruction, the
cruelty that man has perpetrated upon the masses, the suffering
that man has had to endure. I understand these things have gone
on since the beginning of time, but I had never lived to hear or
see of it.
Now our country is SO over populated as well as the
world. We, the people of United States, not only have the
burden of fighting poverty, drugs, crime, and over-population,
homelessness, cancer, aids, I say to myself how can these
problems ever be solved, if ever!
I am old, low income, not well, I am in pain constantly
but I feel so thankful, SD greatful to God with the ancestry
I had that they installed one thing in me, and that is " Good
Horsesense" My mother always said, A rolling stone gathers no
muss," and have d home before you start a family."
II...
Also she said no one asked you to bring more children into the
world than you can care for and she wasn't talking about
abortion. She always said never invite guests into your home
to stay over more than what you have beds for, She always
said work was not a burden but a blessing. Also when you
bake bread and glean your garden. always have one loaf
of bread and a basket of vegetables for the poor,
What I'm trying to say to you. Mrs. Clinton, there
comes a time when a house cannot hold anymore people
and you have to shut the door. There comes c) time
when there is not enough bread for the poor. not
enough jobs, not enough medical treatment or the money
to provide it. If we continue on the path that we have
been on, accepting everyone that knocks at the door, it
will be our total destruction. There comes a time when
you have to say no more. We the people are expected
to pay for their care, their housing, aids, drugs, crimes
when we can hardly take care of ourselves. My mind
and my heart is very troubled over this and I wonder
where will it all end,
I never thought I'd see the day when I would have to keep
my doors locked, When I would hear a strange noise in the
night, to be fearful of walking down the street with my
purse on my arm as young men approached me. The pain of
giving money to charity then finding out that it had gone
for graft, maybe it was only 3 or 4 dollars, but when you live
on $425.00 a month that has to cover the cost of everything it
is a big sacrifice given willingly from your heart,
Yes, Mrs. Clinton, I am old, not well, not rich, but I have
one thing that today's generation does not have, the ability to put
rescraint on my lite IT need De, to De able to say I've done
the best I can, I can do no more. I ferventhy ask our government,
as a citizen of the United States, don't open OUT borders like flood
gates to any and all that want to come in any more. Instead we should
be closing the door for there are no more beds in the house. I don't
want to seem crule, but I don't want our people to have to take on
more than one's country can take care of and God Knows we have
Long ago surpassed this goal. We the people that have settled our country,
who carved out homes from nothing. No state aid or hand-outs. who
fought for this country and died. We were raised by the Bible. An
eye for an eye. We have so much crime because they go to jail and
are back on the street in a few days or a few months even after
killing someone. YOU know in your heart this is not right, that we
the old have to live daily in fear of every sound, We must have
the death penalty in all states or ПО one will be safe any more.
I'm glad I'm old because us I won't have to live in fear much
longer like all the Test of seniors who live alone- All the things
we once did we are afraid to do. We live behind locked doors,
only the criminals are free. I can stand not having the medical
I need, not enough food at times. what I can't hardly stand is
the fear I have to live with, and this area isn't even a big city.
Fear eats away at your heart. How I miss my evening walks.
Thank you Kindly for your time in reading this letter.
God Bless you and our President.
Sincerely,
Bassice Destappen
104 &. w. 9th
Dendleton, Oregon
97801
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 25, 1993
Mr. Richard Odell
Headmaster
Chicago Academy For the Arts
1010 West Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60622
Dear Mr. Odell:
Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your words of
encouragement mean a great deal to me.
I appreciate your enthusiasm for the President's
speech and my comments on the ocassion of the White House
Presidential Arts Medal Ceremony. President Clinton and I
both feel that fostering appreciation of the arts is
vitally important to our country.
Groups like "Good Vibes" are invaluable in the
promotion of the arts as a means of expression and growth
for young people who are facing many complex and difficult
issues.
Thank you for your support and for sharing your ideas.
I wish you continued success in your efforts on behalf of
young people.
Sincerely yours,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
1010 West Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60622
312.421.0202
312.421.3816 FAX
October 12, 1993
ARTS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
Essee Kupcinet
The White House
Life Honorary Chair
Washington, D.C.
20036
OFFICERS
Stephen P. Thomas
Chair
Dear Mrs. Clinton:
Zelda W. Werner
Vice Chair
William Louis Gaines, Ph.D.
Congratulations! Your message and the President's
Secretary
anecdotes on the south lawn made each of us in the
Jeffrey A. Usow
Assistant Secretary
arts and humanities feel we are no longer the
Paul Detlefs
family's black sheep. As Headmaster of an arts high
Treasurer
school, I wish your words could have been heard by
Stanley I. Rosenthal
Assistant Treasurer
the entire country. They were "words of change"
TRUSTEES
capable of creating a new level of understanding
Ralph Arnold
about the importance of arts and humanities in the
Ben A. Borenstein
Donald Brenner
lives of everyone.
Baird Brown
Mary A. Dempsey
I know many of us came away feeling we had just
Larry Edwards
Aline Funk
attended a big family reunion because the qualities
Sue Gin
you both extol; confidence, trust, responsibility,
Norman L. Lawrence
Marta Pappert
humor, respect and goal-oriented leadership are the
Morton Ries
virtues that involvement with the arts brings to
Judith Rothschild
kids. If we want the next generation to manage the
Faye Schwimmer
Joyce Sloane
gift of democracy, they must have a greater
Eric Weber
understanding of self and be willing to reach for
REPRESENTATIVE TRUSTEES
goals as you and the President have so ably
Baird Brown and
demonstrated.
Marta Pappert
Academy Benefit Committee
James Armstrong
Creative Council
For the last 21 years I have worked in education
John and Susan Genell
helping young people understand the meaning of self
TAPA
confidence, respect, teamwork and showing them that
SUSTAINING TRUSTEES
no obstacle is too big if one sets goals and goes
Jack D. Beem
Joan M. DeWitt-McKean
about achieving them in a systematic manner. I
Emma Getz
believe this is the same approach you have used in
Marion Gifford
Myron B. Goldstin
trying to reform health care and I would like to
Sandra Guthman
suggest another vehicle that may strengthen the
Stanley J. Horn
cause.
Richard Melman
Edward Rosewell
Jay B. Ross
A little over a year ago, a good friend, Ben Vereen,
Mary Ella Smith
Dori Wilson
and I began talking about the many social issues
LIFE TRUSTEE
that kids must address while growing up. We decided
Carl A. Kroch
that since most youth identify with either music,
HEADMASTER
Richard F. Odell
Chicago's only high school for the visual and performing arts
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton
October 12, 1993
Page 2
dance, theatre or humor, maybe we could incorporate
all those elements into a fast paced 45-60 minute
show which simultaneously deals with the social
issues; drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sexual behavior,
relationships, physical abuse and disrespect, etc.
Our group, called "Good Vibes" is made up of 10 kids
ages 12-20. Each artistic vignette goes to the
heart of an issue and helps kids realize life can be
about choices not just alternatives. A discussion
with the audience, pre and post meetings with
faculty and/or advisors usually helps everyone get
on a healthier track.
We further believe that an effective way to reduce
the cost of health care is letting kids show other
kids how a healthier life is a better life. The
Good Vibes company of young people are committed to
helping you achieve the goal of better health care
for all. If each performance gets just one child to
adopt a personal goal of not succumbing to unhealthy
behavior, we will in one year save this country
millions of dollars. In reality, the amount
actually saved per show is far greater. However, we
would rather focus on the positive energy that gets
transferred when one feels good about themselves.
Ben and I would enjoy the opportunity to discuss
further how our efforts can be easily replicated
around the country. We hope to speak with you or a
member of your staff soon.
Sincerely,
Richard F. Odell
Headmaster
Wesley United Methodist Church
1100 Freeman Avenue
Long Beach, California 90804-3805
LYNNE HUNDLEY, Pastor
Church (310) 439-2081
October 5, 1993
Dear Ms Clinton,
I watched your interview with Larry King and was reminded
again of how proud I am of you. You are competent and you are
caring. You are common sense and you have dreams. You are calm and
you are passionate.
You represent the women of our generation and all the women
of the United States very well -- and you do it by being yourself.
I was especially touched by the way you spoke about all of the
First Ladies having made their own contribution in their own way.
May God give you the grace and courage to continue being
who you are during the rest of your time in the White House.
Yours,
Synne Hundley
Lynne Hundley
Corresponde THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 6, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S
CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from October 24, 1993, through
November 6, 1993. The report includes (i) information about the
volume of mail received and produced by the office of First
Lady's Correspondence, and (ii) analysis of the issues discussed
in the mail reviewed during the period.
Attached are the daily production report for the time
period, folders containing letters which are representative of
those reviewed during the period, and the bi-monthly Agency
Liaison Report.
During this period we received 6427 pieces of correspondence
addressed to the First Lady. The average number of letters
received daily has declined from 620 to 570.
Approximately 3000 letters received by this office were for
the Health Care Reform Mail Intake Center. Another 2500 letters
were forwarded to other offices or required no response.
We responded to 1834 letters during the period. In
addition, 472 letters were sent to Congressional and Cabinet
spouses inviting them to a briefing about the Health Care
Security Plan.
We currently have 2500 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 5000 coded letters await a response and another
2000 letters are in the data entry and proofing stages.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
Issues - related Mail
-
22%
Casework/Agency Information
-
15%
No Response Necessary
-
16%
First Lady's Image
-
9%
Other
-
38%
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Health Issues
-
14%
Crime/Violence
-
10%
Children's Issues
-
8%
Economy, Budget & Government Reform
-
6%
Abortion
-
4%
Foreign Issues
-
2%
Other
-
56%
REPRESENTATIVE LETTERS
For your information and review we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. As suggested in previous reports, we
have submitted some individual responses without signatures so
that you may sign them personally.
There are currently negotiations between the Office of
Presidential Correspondence, and Margaret A. Williams, Chief of
Staff for the First Lady, concerning the status of the Health
Care Mail Intake Center. Pending resolution of this question, we
have developed two separate general Health Security Act cards
with which to respond to the backlog of mail which is being held
in the Health Care Mail Intake Center. ( See attached). One card
will bear the Presidential seal, include the approved
Presidential language, and will carry the Presidential signature.
The other card will have the White House inscription at the top,
will include language approved by Margaret A. Williams and a War
Room representative, and will carry the First Lady's signature.
The Health Care folder contains two letters. The first
letter is from a woman who expresses dissatisfaction with the
California Hospital Association's Conference in San Diego at
which she was a designated exhibitor. She is highly critical of
the actual format as opposed to the program promised as an
"interactive live video.' " She feels that the program as
presented interfered with valuable client time because
those attending who were not allowed to participate as they had
expected, could have listened to the taped speech at a later and
more convenient time.
The second letter in the Health Care folder is from a High
School student who lives in Boyes Hot Springs, California. She
writes to express her concerns about Health Care. Specifically
she is worried about medical care coverage for the homeless in
our country.
The Issues folder contains one letter from an enlisted Navy
man who writes to dispute the statement about peas which was
recently attributed to you.
The Support folder contains two letters. The first letter
is from a single mother who has a four year old son and describes
herself as the "sole provider" for her family. She writes to
congratulate you on your recent work on Health Care and expresses
her admiration for the example you are setting for future
generations of Americans.
The second letter in the Support folder is from the
Promotion Coordinator, Corporate Communications Division, of
Children's Television Workshop. He expresses his excitement at
meeting you when you visited the Sesame Street studio, and
encloses a photograph he took of you, Big Bird, and Rosita. He
also relates his goal of applying to law school next year and his
commitment to working in the health care field.
The Heartfelt file contains one letter. A woman who lives
in Illinois writes a poignant account of the economic struggle
she and her family have endured in the pursuit of her dream to
earn a doctorate in Education. She writes that she traveled to
hear you speak at her campus in Illinois and of how your words
rejuvenated and inspired her to continue to reach for her goals.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
ACKNOW.
SCHED
INDVID.
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
LETTERS
TOTAL
10/25
1
53
54
10/26
149
135
2
1
287
10/27
46
50
96
10/28
6
21
53
18
51
149
10/29
295
91
2
101
489
10/30
10/31
11/1
34
128
2
13
177
11/2
129
59
52
47
287
11/3
17
55
109
63
244
11/4
47
4
51
11/5
3
469
472
PERIOD
TOTAL
447
318
0
665
28
848
2306
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
fill
November 20, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S
CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from November 7, 1993, through
November 20, 1993. The report includes (i) information about the
volume of mail received and produced by the office of First
Lady's Correspondence, and (ii) analysis of the issues discussed
in the mail reviewed during the period.
Attached are the daily production report for the time period
and folders containing letters which are representative of those
reviewed during the period.
During this period we received 6133 pieces of correspondence
addressed to the First Lady. The average number of letters
received daily has decreased from 570 to 510.
Approximately 2500 letters received by this office were for
the Health Care Reform Mail Intake Center. Another 2500 letters
were forwarded to other offices or required no response.
We responded to 1859 letters during the period.
We currently have 2500 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 4200 coded letters await a response and another
2000 letters are in the data entry and proofing stages.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
No Response Necessary
-
25%
Issues-related Mail
-
20%
Scheduling
-
10%
Casework/Agency Information
-
7%
First Lady's Image
-
4%
Other
-
34%
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Crime/Violence
-
20%
Economy, Budget & Government Reform
-
10%
Children's Issues
-
5%
Other
-
65%
REPRESENTATIVE LETTERS
The majority of issues mail during the period fell into a
variety of categories, none of which were representative enough
of a particular issue category to constitute a reportable
percentage.
For your information and review we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. We have submitted some individual
responses without signatures so that you may sign them
personally.
Our office is presently coordinating the development of a
Health Care Information/Communications group composed of members
from the following agencies: Health and Human Services,
Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Department of Labor, and
Treasury. The agency members have been working on drafting
Health Care Form letter responses and Individual Responses in the
subject areas addressed most frequently in your incoming health
care correspondence. We are awaiting the assignment of a liaison
from the Health Care Delivery Room and are working with the
Office of Domestic Policy on expediting this process so that we
can have the language in these letters approved and begin
processing in earnest. The Individual Responses submitted in the
Health Care folder were derived from language in the briefing
books provided to our office by the Delivery Room for use by the
agency representatives.
We are adding a new feature to this report. We are
including a list of the greetings which our office has provided
to groups and organizations on your behalf during the time
period, as well as, examples of greetings which have been sent.
The Health Care folder contains three letters. The first
letter is from a man who attended your speech in Kansas City. He
expresses his support for your message and discusses his family's
recent difficulty with health care costs.
The second letter in the Health Care folder is from a woman
who owns a family business with her husband. She expresses her
difficulties in obtaining health insurance coverage for herself
and her husband after he lost his job. Their respective ages and
non-coverage of pre-existing conditions are the reasons she cites
for her inability to obtain coverage.
The third letter in the Health Care folder is from a man who
lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He writes in support of your
remarks criticizing the insurance industry.
The Issues folder contains two letters. The first letter in
the issues folder is from a college student. She writes about
the issue of violence which she feels affects not only the
students in the affluent school district in which she grew up but
young people across the country, as well.
The second letter in the Issues folder is from a former
President of the Cleveland Bar Association who was instrumental
in establishing the Task Force on Violent Crime. He offers what
he learned during the "Cleveland Experience" as the basis for a
national model to address the issue of violent crime in this
country. Please note that there is currently no approved
language from Presidential correspondence in the area of crime.
The letters from which the language for our individual responses
was taken are currently either on hold pending approval or being
revised. Once Presidential letters are ready we can adjust cur
individual responses accordingly.
The Support folder contains four letters. The first letter
is from a retired Methodist minister who lives in Frankfort,
Indiana. He includes you in his Thanksgiving tradition of
writing a note of thanks to people he feels have contributed
significantly to his life.
The second letter in the Support folder is from a woman who
lives in South Orleans, Massachusetts. She writes of her
appreciation for the help she received from the Office of Agency
Liaison, and the resulting positive feelings she has for the
Administration.
The third letter in the Support folder is from D'Arcy Dixon
Pignanelli, the Policy and Legislative Analyst for the Utah
Hospital Association and former Vice Chair of the State
Democratic Party. She writes of the "great bathroom debate" on
the President's Health Security Plan between herself and her
husband, Utah House Minority Leader Frank Pignanelli. They are
touted in a local paper as the "Bill and Hillary Clinton of
Utah".
The Fourth letter in the Support folder is from a middle
school teacher in rural Southside, Virginia. She writes of the
commitment she and her husband have to the public school system
and to work with students in an area she describes as culturally
deprived. She further expresses her respect and support for you
as the role model that adolescent girls need today. She
requested that we obtain your autograph for the November cover of
NEA today on which you appear. As a matter of policy we do not
provide autographs of this type, therefore, we sent her an
inscribed photo of you. We have also left your signature blank
on the letter so that you can sign it if you feel this would be
appropriate.
11/7-11/19
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
ACKNOW.
SCHED
INDVID.
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
LETTERS
TOTAL
11/7
11/8
216
5
51
272
11/9
91
63
2
81
237
11/10
102
17
119
11/12
89
98
39
173
399
11/13
11/14
11/15
29
145
2
1
177
11/16
25
72
15
112
11/17
36
81
127
244
11/18
48
2
1
51
11/19
36
90
52
21
49
248
PERIOD
TOTAL
224
0
818
32
515
1859
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
January 31, 1994
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S
CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from January 1, 1994 through
January 31, 1994. The report includes (i) information about the
volume of mail received and produced by the Office of First
Lady's Correspondence; (ii) analysis of the mail reviewed during
the period; (iii) a report on greetings sent from this office.
Attached are the daily production reports for the time
period and folders containing letters which are representative of
those reviewed during the period.
During the period we received 8035 pieces of correspondence
addressed to the First Lady. The average number of letters
received daily has increased slightly from 300 to 320.
Approximately 2500 letters received by this office were for
the Health Care Agency Group. Another 2500 letters were
forwarded to other offices or required no response.
We responded to 2068 letters during the time period.
We currently have 6000 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 2500 coded letters await a response and another
1000 letters are in the data entry and proofing stages.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
No Response Necessary
25%
Scheduling
16%
Support/Greetings
11%
Casework/Agency Information
10%
Requests
10%
Children's Mail
08%
Issues-related Mail
08%
Other
12%
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Health Issues (other than health care reform)
40%
In this category, the issue most frequently discussed
is the recent regulatory action taken by the FDA
regarding vitamin supplements. The greatest
concern in this area seems to be that
vitamins will no longer be available. We have
prepared a response for this. A copy is included for
your information. The text has been approved by both
Counsel's office and Carol Rasco's Office.
Welfare and SSI
20%
Crime/Violence/Gun Control
10%
Economy, Budget & Government Reform
05%
Other
25%
For your information and review we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. We have submitted some individual
responses without signatures so that you may sign them
personally.
As we noted in the last report, the Office of First Lady's
Correspondence has been coordinating the development of the
Health Care Reform Information Center. At this time, we are
preparing to move the agency representatives who have been
staffing this center from the fourth floor of the OEOB, to Suite
1126, 1800 G Street, N.W. We plan to begin set-up of the phone
bank and letter production process at this site on February 14,
1994. We have approximately sixty completed form letters and
15 form letters in the draft stage.
Roger Goldblatt from the Office of Presidential
Correspondence has been selected as production manager of the
Health Care Reform Information Center. We are still awaiting
assignment of a policy liaison for the agency representatives so
that we can expedite approval of all form letters and have rapid
updates regarding important policy changes which will impact both
the content and tone of all letters sent from the Health Care
Reform Information Center.
The Health Care folder contains two letters. A man from
California expresses support for the White House response to the
victims of the recent natural disasters in our country. The main
subject of his letter, however, is his family's personal
experience with the health care system. Specifically, he
describes the difficulty he encountered in attempting to secure
insurance coverage for his terminally ill wife after their family
lost their insurance. He includes a copy of a letter he sent to
Congressman Packard. This letter will receive the individual
response submitted unless you indicate otherwise. The signature
portion of this letter was left blank for your signature. If you
decide not to sign this letter, we can send the letter with
either the digitized computer generated signature or an autopen
signature.
The second letter in the Health Care folder is from a high
school senior who lives in Michigan. She expresses her view that
abortion should not be covered under the President's Health
Security Act. She further states that "abortion is just plain
wrong". This writer will receive the individual response
submitted, unless you indicate otherwise. In addition, this
letter is being sent to you with a digitized computer generated
signature. Please indicate if you would like to sign it
personally, or if you prefer an autopen signature instead.
The Issues folder contains three letters. The first letter
is from a man who characterizes himself as having "a strong
feminine voice
He describes the difficulties and joys he
experienced in raising a family of four as a single parent. He
relates his feelings about the issue of violence against women in
our country. This writer will receive the individual response
letter submitted unless you indicate otherwise. In addition,
this letter is being sent to you with the digitized computer
generated signature, please indicate if you would like to sign it
personally, or if you prefer an autopen signature.
The second letter in the Issues folder is from a fourteen
year old girl who writes of her personal experience with divorce,
drugs, guns in school, and pre-marital sex. This letter will
receive an individual response. We have left the signature space
blank for your signature. If you decide not to sign this letter,
please let us know if you would like the signature handled in one
of the ways mentioned above.
The third letter in the Issues folder is a very negative
letter about the Whitewater allegations. A sampling of sixteen
letters representative of those received during the time period,
and related to this topic showed that eleven were positive and
five were negative. The positive letters are receiving support
cards. We will not be responding to negative letters unless you
indicate otherwise.
The fourth letter in the Issues folder is a supportive
letter relating to the Whitewater allegations. The writer
includes a letter which he wrote to the editor of "The
Springfield Newspapers" in his hometown of Springfield, Missouri.
The Support folder contains three letters and one card.
The first letter in the Support folder is from a woman who lives
in Kentucky. She writes in support of the emphasis on American
crafts in the White House Christmas celebration. She relates
that she teaches handicrafts to the people of her hometown of
Berea, " the craft capital of our state". She further writes of
the multi-generational involvement in handicrafts in her
community and the appreciation of heritage that participation in
handwork instills in its citizens. This letter will receive the
individual response submitted, unless you indicate otherwise. In
addition, this letter is being sent with the signature space left
blank for your signature. If you prefer not to sign this letter
please let us know if you would prefer it to have the computer
generated digitized signature, or if you would prefer and autopen
signature.
The second item in the Support folder is a card which we
felt you might like to see. The sender did not include a return
address, so we will not be able to respond to this card.
The third letter in the Support folder is from a woman who
lives in Michigan. She expresses her admiration for the
President, and her support for you. This letter will receive the
individual response submitted, unless you indicate otherwise. In
addition, this letter is being sent with the signature space left
blank for you to sign. Please let us know if you prefer that the
signature be handled in another manner.
The fourth letter in the Support folder is from a twenty-
three year old woman who lives in Massachusetts. She writes that
her meeting with you in Providence, Rhode Island in 1992 affected
her life. She considers you a role model for herself and other
women across the country. This letter will receive the
individual response submitted, with the signature space left
blank, unless you indicate otherwise.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 15, 1994
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
SCHED.
INDIV.
KIDS
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
MAIL
LETTERS
TOTAL
1-1
-
1-2
-
1-3
0
1-4
107
::
107
1-5
10
21
1
9
23
64
1-6
64
82
3
149
1-7
58
46
1
14
31
150
1-8
-
1-9
-
1-10
20
10
48
78
1-11
68
14
82
1-12
60
53
5
138
1-13
58
44
25
60
167
1-14
90
39
66
195
SUB-
TOTAL
175
228
345
2
130
250
1130
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
JANUARY 16, 1994
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
SCHED.
INDIV.
KIDS
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
MAIL
LETTERS
TOTAL
I
1-16
I
1-17
1-18
31
7
15
53
1-19
31
58
89
1-20
0
1-21
66
5
4
75
1-22
-
1-23
-
1-24
63
120
27
210
1-25
29
4
68
4
105
1-26
62
62
1-27
50
13
61
46
170
1-28
48
19
24
91
1-29
-
1-30
-
1-31
1
56
18
8
83
SUB-
114
118
338
16
166
186
938
TOTAL
PERIOD
TOTAL
289
346
683
18
296
436
2068
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
February 14, 1994
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF
FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
ALICE PUSHKAR
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR FIRST LADY'S
CORRESPONDENCE
This report covers the period from February 1, 1994 through
February 14, 1994. The report includes (i) information about the
volume of mail received and produced by the Office of First
Lady's Correspondence; and (ii) the Agency Liaison Report.
Attached are the daily production reports for the time
period and folders containing letters which are representative of
those reviewed during the period.
During the period we received 5193 pieces of correspondence
addressed to the First Lady. The average number of letters
received daily has increased from 320 to 430.
Approximately 1500 letters received by this office were
forwarded to the Health Care Reform Information Center. Another
1000 letters were forwarded to other offices or required no
response.
We responded to 1293 letters during the time period.
We currently have 7500 pieces of uncoded mail.
Approximately 2500 coded letters await a response and another
1000 letters are in the data entry and proofing stages.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
No response necessary
25%
Scheduling
20%
Requests
15%
Children's Mail
10%
Casework/Agency Information
10%
Issue-Related Mail
10%
Support/Greetings
05%
Other
05%
Following is a breakdown of the issue-related mail reviewed
during the time period.
Crime and Violence
20%
Childrens' Issues
15%
Health Issues (Other than Health Care Reform)
10%
Education
10%
Economy, Budget and Government Reform
05%
Other
40%
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses to these letters subject to your
approval. The responses will be sent after you have had the
opportunity to review them. We have submitted some individual
responses without signatures so that you may sign them
personally.
As we noted in the last report, the Office of First Lady's
Correspondence has been coordinating the development of the
Health Care Reform Information Center. At this time the agency
representatives are situated at Suite 1126, 1800 G Street, N.W.
We are working on set-up of the phone bank and letter production
process at this site. We are still awaiting assignment of a
policy liaison for the agency representatives. We are including
two health care responses in this report with draft language from
the letters developed by the Health Care Resource Information
Group. Jennifer Klein has edited the language in the draft
letters, and at this point Larry Levitt and Walter Zellman have
added their edits to hers. Marge Tarmey has two other policy
people looking at these letters. The letters will be returned to
Jennifer for one final edit before they are entered in the
computer system.
The Health Care folder contains two letters. The first
letter is from a fifty-eight year old grandmother who is caring
for a retarded child of twenty. She does not qualify for medicaid
and writes that she is strongly in favor of universal coverage
for all Americans. The response to this letter is being sent to
you with the digitized computer generated signature. Please
indicate if you would like to sign it personally, or if you
prefer an autopen signature.
The second letter in the Health Care Folder is from a woman
who lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She includes an auction
notice which appeared in the Sunday, October 17, edition of the
Pittsburgh Press. The notice announces an auction of a family's
possessions to pay the cost of their baby's hospital expenses.
The individual response is being submitted with the digitized
computer generated signature. Please indicate if you would like
to sign it personally, or if you prefer an autopen signature.
The Issues folder contains three letters. The first letter
is from a survivor of the Long Island Railroad tragedy. Although
this letter is obviously a form letter that has been sent to a
number of elected officials, we feel that the sincerity of the
sentiment and the high visibility of the incident requires a
response. The writer asks that you re-evaluate the issue of
capital punishment and gun control enforcement. This writer is
receiving a letter from the President ( see attached). We are
submitting the draft of a heartfelt individual response which
does not address the gun control and capital punishment issues,
but rather, focuses on the effect this incident has had on the
writer. The response letter is being sent to you with the
digitized computer generated signature. Please indicate if you
would like to sign it personally, or if you prefer an autopen
signature.
The second letter in the Issues folder is from
a woman who lives in Chugiak, Alaska. She writes of the
continual anguish she has felt in the fifteen years since she had
the second of two abortions. Due to the sensitive nature of this
subject matter, the individual response to this writer is being
sent to you with the digitized computer generated signature.
Please indicate if you would like to sign it personally, or if
you prefer an autopen signature.
The third letter in the Issues folder is from a woman who
lives in Petaluma, California. She writes about the abduction
and murder of Polly Klaas in her hometown and the corresponding
need for child abuse prevention. The individual response draft
is being sent to you with the signature space left blank for you
to sign. Please indicate if you prefer that this letter receive
the computer generated digitized signature or an autopen
signature.
The Support folder contains two letters. The first letter
in the Support folder is from a former Republican member of
Congress. He writes of his and other Republicans' growing
support for both you and the President. The individual response
draft is being sent to you with the signature space left blank
for you to sign. Please indicate if you prefer that this letter
receive the computer generated digitized signature, or an autopen
signature.
The second letter in the Support folder is from a
grandmother who lives in Florida. She writes of her support for
the President and for you. The individual response has been
prepared with the signature space left blank for you to sign.
Please indicate if you prefer that this letter receive the
computer generated digitized signature, or an autopen signature.
The Children's folder contains three letters. The first
letter in the Children's folder is from an eleven year old who
includes her "resume", and asks your advice about how she can
become a lawyer. The individual response is being sent to you
with the signature space left blank for you to sign. Please
indicate if you prefer that this letter receive the computer
generated digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The second letter in the Children's folder is from an
elementary school student who is studying about human rights and
racism. The individual response is being sent to you with the
signature space left blank for you to sign. Please indicate if
you prefer that this letter receive the computer generated
digitized signature or an autopen signature.
The third letter in the Children's folder is a supportive
letter from a four year old girl, who lives in Silver Spring,
Maryland. She includes a creative drawing of a Platypus. This
individual response is being sent to you with the signature space
left blank. We recommend enclosing a picture of Socks. Please
indicate if you prefer that this letter receive the computer
generated digitized signature or an autopen signature.
Response to questions in January 31, 1994 report.
1. We have checked with Congressman Packard's office. They
are handling the problem reported by Mr. Ron Sullivan.
2. The abortion letter includes language both from the
approved text of our standard abortion response letter and the
draft response proposed for the Health Care Reform Information
Center letters. I will make certain that Melanne Verveer
approves the letter before it is sent.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
DATE
ISSUES
SUPPORT
SCHED.
INDIV.
KIDS
MISC.
DAILY
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
RESP.
MAIL
LETTERS
TOTAL
2 - 1
79
34
47
191
351
2 - 2
35
24
9
100
168
2 - 3
36
105
8
149
2 - 4
53
1
38
92
2 - 5
|
2 - 6
-
2 - 7
42
34
53
52
181
2 - 8
46
55
6
107
2 - 9
14
42
17
35
1
109
2 -10
64
29
93
2 11
-
2 12
-
2 -13
I
2 -14
9
2
27
5
43
PERIOD
237
155
379
17
118
387
1293
TOTAL
Forespondence
THE
WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 21, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
KELLY H. CARNES
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR THE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
This report contains information regarding the volume of
mail received and produced by the First Lady's Correspondence
Office during the period beginning on June 27, 1993 and ending on
July 15, 1993 (the "Period"). Attached are the daily production
report for the Period and folders containing letters
representative of those reviewed during the Period.
We have not included an analysis of the issues discussed in
the mail because the representative data sample collected during
the Period was inconclusive.
VOLUME OF MAIL
During the Period, we received 12,186 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has declined from 971 to 812.
Approximately 20,000 letters were forwarded to the Health
Care Reform Intake Room during the Period. Approximately 13,000
letters were forwarded to Records Management for filing without
response (propaganda/form letters, illegible letters, foreign
mail, etc.), and approximately 7,000 letters were forwarded to
Agency Liaison and other offices for handling during the Period.
As indicated in the attached report, we responded to 7,196
pieces of correspondence during the Period. Approximately 1,500
letters are in the analysis and coding cycles.
I am pleased to note that once again we reduced dramatically
the size of our backlog during the Period. I attribute this to
the reduced volume of incoming correspondence, the stabilization
of our volunteer program, and the success of our summer
internship program. We estimate that our backlog of unread mail
at the end of the Period was between 10,000 and 15,000 pieces of
correspondence, down from approximately 50,000 pieces of
correspondence. At the current rate of production, the operation
should become current by no later than August 1, 1993.
CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION DATA
Since this will be my final status report, I thought it
would be interesting to review our production data for the six
month period following the Inauguration.
From the Inauguration through the end of the Period, we
received approximately 290,000 pieces of correspondence addressed
to the First Lady. Between 275,000 and 280,000 of these items
were processed by the end of the Period. of the total
correspondence processed, we opened, stapled, reviewed and
forwarded approximately 185,000 to 190,000 items to the Health
Care Reform Intake Room for handling. In addition, after an
initial reading, approximately 50,000 items were either (i)
forwarded to Records Management for filing without response, or
(ii) forwarded to Agency Liaison or other offices for handling.
We have mailed approximately 40,000 responses from our
office since the Inauguration. This is an average of 1,600
responses per week, which represents an increase in production of
900 items per week over the production level of the previous
First Lady's correspondence unit. In addition, Agency Liaison
mailed 1,500 letters in response to Casework correspondence,
and forwarded approximately 1,000 items to agencies for handling
without generating outgoing correspondence.
Of the 40,000 responses mailed from our office,
approximately 10,500 were letters, and 29,500 were notecards.
As these statistics indicate, we handled correspondence with a
mix of 65% notecards and 35% letters. During the start-up phase,
we were able to complete only a limited number of individual
responses; five or ten were completed each week on average. To
provide the quality of response I deem appropriate for the
office, I believe that the mix of responses should be closer to
35% notecards, 55% form letters and 10% individual responses.
Ideally, we would eliminate notecard responses entirely; however,
that probably will not be practical for some time given the
limited resources available to support the operation.
SAMPLE LETTERS
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses for all of the letters and postdated them
for July 26. They will be mailed when you return to the White
House. Copies of our responses are attached.
The Health Care folder contains three letters. One letter
expresses the writer's encouragement for the enormous task you
have undertaken. The second letter is from the Director of
Community Relations and Development of Milford Hospital in
Connecticut letting you know of an outstanding member of the
medical staff who recently celebrated her 102nd birthday. The
third letter is from a woman who is having great difficulty
paying her family's medical bills.
The Children's Issues folder contains three letters. One is
from Catherine Bonner, who is married to actor Frank Bonner of
Little Rock. She discusses the difficulties she had in obtaining
the right education for two of her sons: one, gifted, the other,
learning disabled. The second letter is from a mother who is
concerned about parenting. The third letter is from the mother
of a developmentally disabled young man. She is concerned about
the lack of educational opportunities for her son once he turns
twenty-one.
The Suggestions folder contains one letter from a woman who
wants the President to invite this year's Rhodes Scholars to a
White House reception.
The Support folder contains a letter from a woman who is
concerned about problems in the inner cities, and is glad that
they are being addressed by the President.
The Heartfelt folder contains three letters. One is from a
young man inviting you to his high school graduation. He
overcame a debilitating illness and is preparing to begin
college. The second letter is from a nineteen-year-old mother of
four who recently received her high school diploma and who will
be attending college in the fall. The third is from a young man
describing a new piece of equipment which helps him walk.
The Education folder contains a letter from a teacher whose
student is interested in learning more about your health care
plan.
The Letter Writing Campaign folder contains three letters.
The first is from Nassau County, New York asking for your
assistance in obtaining more funding for breast cancer research.
The subject of the second letter is the POW/MIA issue. The
writer asks for your support for new legislation. The third
letter is from family and friends of prisoners who believe that
strict parole rules have unjustly kept their loved ones
imprisoned. Because these are form letters, no individual
responses are necessary.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
JUNE 27 THROUGH JULY 15, 1993
ISSUE
SUPPORT
PRESS
SCHED.
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESPONSE
LETTERS
TOTALS
6/27
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
6/28
177
110
--
37
2
442
768
6/29
86
18
--
131
--
433
668
6/30
106
37
--
36
9
543
731
7/1
154
18
--
116
--
396
684
7/2
--
9
--
2
--
66
77
7/3
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
7/4
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
7/5
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
7/6
--
--
54
--
--
28
82
7/7
200
95
--
119
--
306
720
7/8
153
96
--
34
--
34
317
7/9
48
--
--
111
--
49
208
7/10
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
7/11
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
7/12
54
--
--
203
--
49
306
7/13
564
--
--
127
--
249
940
7/14
198
252
--
183
--
280
913
7/15
387
175
51
86
--
83
782
TOTAL
2127
810
105
1185
11
2958
7196
FOR
PERIOD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 21, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
KELLY H. CARNES
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR THE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
This report contains information regarding the volume of
mail received and produced by the First Lady's Correspondence
Office during the period beginning on June 27, 1993 and ending on
July 15, 1993 (the "Period"). Attached are the daily production
report for the Period and folders containing letters
representative of those reviewed during the Period.
We have not included an analysis of the issues discussed in
the mail because the representative data sample collected during
the Period was inconclusive.
VOLUME OF MAIL
During the Period, we received 12,186 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has declined from 971 to 812.
Approximately 20,000 letters were forwarded to the Health
Care Reform Intake Room during the Period. Approximately 13,000
letters were forwarded to Records Management for filing without
response (propaganda/form letters, illegible letters, foreign
mail, etc.), and approximately 7,000 letters were forwarded to
Agency Liaison and other offices for handling during the Period.
As indicated in the attached report, we responded to 7,196
pieces of correspondence during the Period. Approximately 1,500
letters are in the analysis and coding cycles.
I am pleased to note that once again we reduced dramatically
the size of our backlog during the Period. I attribute this to
the reduced volume of incoming correspondence, the stabilization
of our volunteer program, and the success of our summer
internship program. We estimate that our backlog of unread mail
at the end of the Period was between 10,000 and 15,000 pieces of
correspondence, down from approximately 50,000 pieces of
correspondence. At the current rate of production, the operation
should become current by no later than August 1, 1993.
CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION DATA
Since this will be my final status report, I thought it
would be interesting to review our production data for the six
month period following the Inauguration.
From the Inauguration through the end of the Period, we
received approximately 290,000 pieces of correspondence addressed
to the First Lady. Between 275,000 and 280,000 of these items
were processed by the end of the Period. of the total
correspondence processed, we opened, stapled, reviewed and
forwarded approximately 185,000 to 190,000 items to the Health
Care Reform Intake Room for handling. In addition, after an
initial reading, approximately 50,000 items were either (i)
forwarded to Records Management for filing without response, or
(ii) forwarded to Agency Liaison or other offices for handling.
We have mailed approximately 40,000 responses from our
office since the Inauguration. This is an average of 1,600
responses per week, which represents an increase in production of
900 items per week over the production level of the previous
First Lady's correspondence unit. In addition, Agency Liaison
mailed 1,500 letters in response to Casework correspondence,
and forwarded approximately 1,000 items to agencies for handling
without generating outgoing correspondence.
of the 40,000 responses mailed from our office,
approximately 10,500 were letters, and 29,500 were notecards.
As these statistics indicate, we handled correspondence with a
mix of 65% notecards and 35% letters. During the start-up phase,
we were able to complete only a limited number of individual
responses; five or ten were completed each week on average. To
provide the quality of response I deem appropriate for the
office, I believe that the mix of responses should be closer to
35% notecards, 55% form letters and 10% individual responses.
Ideally, we would eliminate notecard responses entirely; however,
that probably will not be practical for some time given the
limited resources available to support the operation.
SAMPLE LETTERS
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. We
have prepared responses for all of the letters and postdated them
for July 26. They will be mailed when you return to the White
House. Copies of our responses are attached.
The Health Care folder contains three letters. One letter
expresses the writer's encouragement for the enormous task you
have undertaken. The second letter is from the Director of
Community Relations and Development of Milford Hospital in
Connecticut letting you know of an outstanding member of the
medical staff who recently celebrated her 102nd birthday. The
third letter is from a woman who is having great difficulty
paying her family's medical bills.
The Children's Issues folder contains three letters. One is
from Catherine Bonner, who is married to actor Frank Bonner of
Little Rock. She discusses the difficulties she had in obtaining
the right education for two of her sons: one, gifted, the other,
learning disabled. The second letter is from a mother who is
concerned about parenting. The third letter is from the mother
of a developmentally disabled young man. She is concerned about
the lack of educational opportunities for her son once he turns
twenty-one.
The Suggestions folder contains one letter from a woman who
wants the President to invite this year's Rhodes Scholars to a
White House reception.
The Support folder contains a letter from a woman who is
concerned about problems in the inner cities, and is glad that
they are being addressed by the President.
The Heartfelt folder contains three letters. One is from a
young man inviting you to his high school graduation. He
overcame a debilitating illness and is preparing to begin
college. The second letter is from a nineteen-year-old mother of
four who recently received her high school diploma and who will
be attending college in the fall. The third is from a young man
describing a new piece of equipment which helps him walk.
The Education folder contains a letter from a teacher whose
student is interested in learning more about your health care
plan.
The Letter Writing Campaign folder contains three letters.
The first is from Nassau County, New York asking for your
assistance in obtaining more funding for breast cancer research.
The subject of the second letter is the POW/MIA issue. The
writer asks for your support for new legislation. The third
letter is from family and friends of prisoners who believe that
strict parole rules have unjustly kept their loved ones
imprisoned. Because these are form letters, no individual
responses are necessary.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
JUNE 27 THROUGH JULY 15, 1993
ISSUE
SUPPORT
PRESS
SCHED.
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESPONSE
LETTERS
TOTALS
6/27
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
6/28
177
110
--
37
2
442
768
6/29
86
18
--
131
--
433
668
6/30
106
37
--
36
9
543
731
7/1
154
18
--
116
--
396
684
7/2
--
9
--
2
--
66
77
7/3
--
--
--
--
--
--
:
7/4
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
7/5
--
--
--
--
--
:
--
7/6
--
--
54
--
--
28
82
7/7
200
95
--
119
--
306
720
7/8
153
96
--
34
--
34
317
7/9
48
--
--
111
--
49
208
7/10
--
--
--
--
--
--
:
7/11
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
7/12
54
--
--
203
--
49
306
7/13
564
--
--
127
--
249
940
7/14
198
252
--
183
--
280
913
7/15
387
175
51
86
--
83
782
TOTAL
2127
810
105
1185
11
2958
7196
FOR
PERIOD
MAW copy
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
File
Correspondens
June 16, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
KELLY H. CARNES
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR THE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
This report covers the period from May 29, 1993 through June
12, 1993 (the "Period"). The report includes (i) information
regarding the volume of mail received and produced by the First
Lady's Correspondence Office, and (ii) an analysis of the issues
discussed in the mail reviewed during the Period.
Attached are the daily production report for the Period and
folders containing letters representative of those reviewed
during the Period.
VOLUME OF MAIL
During the Period, we received 16,055 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has declined from 1,730 to 1,235.
Approximately 32,000 letters were forwarded to the Health Care
Reform Task Force during the Period.
As indicated in the attached report, we responded to 3,935
pieces of correspondence during the Period. Approximately 1,000
letters are in the analysis and coding cycles, and another 1,000
letters are in the data entry and proofing cycles.
I am pleased to note that we reduced the size of our backlog
substantially during the Period due to both a significantly
reduced volume of incoming correspondence and the success of the
Students' Mail Day on Saturday June 12, 1993. We estimate that
our current backlog of unread mail is approximately 100,000
pieces of correspondence, down from approximately 120,000 pieces
of correspondence.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the Period:
Health (other than Health
- 23.0% (most from letter
Care Reform)
writing campaigns on
Lyme disease and
Rett Syndrome)
Economy/Government Reform
- 23.0%
Children's Issues
- 8.5%
Abortion
- 8.0% (2% pro-choice, 6%
anti-choice)
Foreign Affairs
- 6.5% (Bosnia 4%)
Education
- 3.5%
Gays in Military
- 3.0% (1% pro, 2% con)
Women's Issues
- 2.0%
Other
- 22.5%
These statistics were compiled from correspondence received
during the Period. Older mail is no longer included in the data
collection sample.
SAMPLE LETTERS
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. Except
as otherwise indicated, all of the letters have received
responses from this office. Copies of our responses are
attached.
The Foreign Affairs folder contains a letter from a cousin
of the late Deputy Prime Minister of Bosnia who was assassinated
last year. She makes a plea for United States intervention in
Bosnia and requests a meeting with you.
The Women's Issues folder contains a letter from a member of
the Park Ridge chapter of the National Organization for Women.
The writer mentions an essay contest sponsored by the
organization, and encloses an essay about you that won honorable
mention.
The Children's Issues folder contains a letter urging you to
support art programs for inner city youth.
The Health Care folder contains copies of the form letters
we have received in connection with the Lyme disease and Rett
Syndrome letter writing campaigns. We are not responding to
individuals participating in the letter writing campaigns unless
they add personal notes to the form letters. However, when we
identify the sponsor of each campaign, we will respond to the
sponsor.
The Suggestions/Criticisms folder contains four letters.
The first three are from people who are generally supportive of
the President, but who are disappointed with his performance.
The fourth letter requests your help in securing a
Presidential Medal of Freedom for the entertainer Martha Raye. We
have been informed by the Presidential Correspondence Department
that the medal may be awarded to her within the next few weeks.
The Support folder contains three letters. The first two
were written in response to recent articles about you in the New
York Times and the Washington Post, respectively.
The third is a letter of appreciation for your response to
an expression of sympathy. This letter requires no response.
REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
MAY 29 THROUGH JUNE 12, 1993
ISSUE
SUPPORT
PRESS
SCHED.
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESPONSE
LETTERS
TOTALS
5/29
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
5/30
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
5/31
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
6/01
--
--
--
--
--
130
130
6/02
--
11
--
35
--
300
346
6/03
--
--
--
18
--
289
307
6/04
42
--
--
126
4
379
551
6/05
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
6/06
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
6/07
41
--
--
72
5
266
384
6/08
9
2
22
18
--
187
238
6/09
232
--
--
--
--
25
257
6/10
21
--
--
14
--
483
518
6/11
903
--
--
28
9
264
1204
6/12
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
---
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
:
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
:
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
TOTAL
1248
13
22
311
18
2323
3935
FOR
PERIOD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Fillespondence
June 30, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
KELLY H. CARNES
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR THE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
This report contains information regarding the volume of
mail received and produced by the First Lady's Correspondence
Office for the period beginning on June 13, 1993 and ending on
June 26, 1993 (the "Period"). Attached are the daily production
report for the Period and folders containing letters
representative of those reviewed during the Period.
We have not included an analysis of the issues discussed in
the mail because we are once again changing our method of data
collection. To simplify our procedures, and on advice of a
statistician, we have asked the Mail Room to collect a random
sample of five percent of the correspondence received each day
for our review. However, the system has not been in place long
enough for us to obtain a representative sample.
VOLUME OF MAIL
During the Period, we received 11,657 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has declined from 1,235 to 971.
Approximately 25,000 letters were forwarded to the Health
Care Reform Intake Room during the Period. Between 20,000 and
30,000 letters were either (i) forwarded to Records Management
for filing without response (propaganda/form letters, illegible
letters, foreign mail, etc.) or (ii) forwarded to other offices
for handling during the Period and during subsequent periods.
As indicated in the attached report, we responded to 7,957
pieces of correspondence during the Period. Approximately 1,000
letters are in the analysis and coding cycles, and another 1,000
letters are in the data entry and proofing cycles.
We reduced our backlog significantly during the Period due
to (i) a reduced volume of incoming correspondence, (ii) a higher
than normal volume of health care reform correspondence and
propaganda, and (iii) the success of the Women's Bar Association
Volunteer Mail Day on Saturday June 19, and the Volunteer Mail
Day held on June 25 for our regular volunteers. As a result, our
current backlog of unread mail is between 50,000 and 60,000
letters, down from approximately 100,000 unread letters during
the previous reporting period. We have also reduced our average
response time for mail received on or after June 15 to twelve
weeks or fewer.
Given the progress we have made in the past several weeks
toward reducing the backlog, I believe that it may be possible to
eliminate the backlog entirely within ninety days, assuming the
volume of incoming mail continues at the current level and no
major disruption of our operation occurs (e.g. loss of full time
volunteers). The key to this effort will be sponsoring between
eight and thirteen additional large group reading days over the
next three months. Based on our past experience, we can expect
to process between 5,000 and 7,000 pieces of correspondence at
each event. Four of these events are planned for July.
SAMPLE LETTERS
Attached are copies of letters representing common themes in
the correspondence. Except as otherwise indicated, all of the
letters have received responses from this office. Copies of our
responses are attached.
The Interview Reaction folder contains three letters in
response to your interview with Katie Couric. All three writers
are supportive; thus far, we have not received any negative
comments regarding that interview.
The Health Care folder contains one letter from a New York
health care attorney expressing support and offering suggestions
for reform.
The Children's Issues folder contains one letter from a
clergyman in Florida. This man writes of the terrible abuse he
received as a child.
The Employment Discrimination folder contains two letters.
The first letter is from two women who comment on their
perception of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The
second letter is from a woman who shares her experience of
working in a male dominated industry.
The Student Mail folder contains a report written about you
by a sixth grade student from Miami, Florida. The report, which
was forwarded to us by Senator Bob Graham's office, discusses
your position as a role model.
The Support folder contains four somewhat unusual letters of
encouragement.
In the Follow-Up folder, we have included three responses
from people who received letters from our office. We thought you
might be interested in seeing how people are reacting to our
letters. None of these letters requires a response.
The first letter is a response to one of our casework form
letters. The sentiment expressed is fairly typical, although
certainly not shared by everyone. Most recipients of this letter
seem to believe that you have given their case your personal
attention, and appreciate having their case forwarded to an
agency.
The second letter is a follow-up letter from someone who
offered to perform services for you, and who received a regret
letter signed by me. Her views represent those of about half of
the people who write a second time. The remaining letters are
from individuals who are unhappy that you were not personally
given the opportunity to consider their offers.
The final letter is from George Steinbrenner. The letter he
received is also attached.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
JUNE 13 THROUGH JUNE 26, 1993
ISSUE
SUPPORT
PRESS
SCHED.
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESPONSE
LETTERS
TOTALS
6/13
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
6/14
182
160
--
74
2
75
493
6/15
240
114
--
91
--
63
508
6/16
354
51
--
--
1
102
508
6/17
157
--
--
129
9
28
323
6/18
94
46
12
70
1
212
435
6/19
--
--
--
--
--
2348
2348
6/20
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
6/21
9
--
--
39
1
317
366
6/22
121
40
--
61
--
431
653
6/23
288
--
--
88
:
206
582
6/24
61
79
--
19
3
380
542
6/25
139
--
--
27
--
1033
1199
6/26
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
TOTAL
1645
490
12
598
17
5195
7957
FOR
PERIOD
WHITE HOUSE
Homa
all mari of the THE
WASHINGTON
April
Masha
June 1, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
KELLY H. CARNES
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR THE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
This report covers the period from May 8, 1993 through May
28, 1993 (the "Period"). It provides information regarding the
volume of mail received and produced by the First Lady's
Correspondence Office. The report does not include an analysis
of the issues discussed in the mail reviewed during the Period.
We decided not to take our mail analysts away from coding to
spend the time necessary to collect data regarding issues. We
will provide that data in the next report.
We have attached the daily production report for the Period
and folders containing letters representative of those reviewed
during the Period.
VOLUME OF MAIL
During the Period, we received 31,097 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has declined to 1,730. Approximately
25,000 letters were forwarded to the Health Care Reform Task
Force during the Period.
As indicated in the attached report, we responded to 7,960
pieces of correspondence during the Period. Approximately 2,000
letters are in the analysis and coding cycles, and another 2,500
letters are in the data entry and proofing cycles.
We estimate that our backlog of unread mail is between
115,000 and 120,000 pieces of correspondence. The backlog did
not grow during the Period.
SAMPLE LETTERS
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. All of
the letters have received responses from this office, copies of
which are attached.
Two letters of condolence on the death of your father are
included in the Condolences folder.
The Donations folder contains a letter of support that was
accompanied by a check for $2000 to be used for deficit
reduction. The check has been sent to the Treasury Department
for deposit in the Deficit Reduction Fund.
The Health Issues folder contains a letter from a woman who
directs a Lead Poisoning Prevention Project in the Bronx.
The Heartfelt folder contains two letters. The first is a
touching letter to Parade Editor Walter Anderson from a ten year
old boy, and Mr. Anderson's response to the young man. The
second is from a mother whose son was recently shot to death.
She asked for your help expediting a request to the FBI, but no
longer believes such assistance is necessary. Also, she simply
wanted you to know something about her son, who was a Clinton
supporter.
The Womens' Issues folder contains a letter from a Wellesley
alumna who writes about the death of a cherished friend due to
breast cancer, and her dismay about the number of women dying
from this disease, despite early detection and medical care.
The Miscellaneous folder contains two letters of support.
The first is a lovely letter from a 96 year old woman who is a
Wellesley alumna, an Arkansan and a big fan of the Clintons. The
second is from a man in Kansas who writes with great enthusiasm
about you and offers an idea about setting priorities.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
MAY 8 THROUGH MAY 28, 1993
ISSUE
SUPPORT
PRESS
SCHED.
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESPONSE
LETTERS
TOTALS
5/08
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
5/09
--
--
--
---
--
--
--
5/10
--
--
--
--
2
55
57
5/11
--
--
--
-
5
75
80
5/12
75
--
--
44
10
151
280
5/13
240
--
--
35
2
129
406
5/14
1
--
--
18
--
105
124
5/15
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
5/16
60
8
--
--
--
--
68
5/17
102
213
--
21
--
398
734
5/18
396
115
--
169
7
209
896
5/19
254
52
--
--
--
318
624
5/20
212
81
--
37
31
--
361
5/21
238
--
--
16
--
--
254
5/22
1192
400
--
--
--
--
1592
5/23
--
--
--
-
--
--
--
5/24
353
---
--
-
--
98
451
5/25
551
62
--
29
2
135
779
5/26
231
783
--
36
3
75
1128
5/27
--
--
--
6
--
120
126
5/28
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
TOTAL
3905
1714
--
411
62
1868
7960
FOR
PERIOD
MAW
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
May 13, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
KELLY H. CARNES
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR THE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
This report covers the period from April 17 to May 7, 1993
(the "Period"). It provides information regarding the volume of
mail received and produced by the First Lady's Correspondence
Office. Also included is an analysis of the issues discussed in
the mail reviewed during this Period.
Attached are the daily production report for the Period and
folders containing letters representative of those reviewed
during the Period.
VOLUME OF MAIL
During the Period, we received 41,210 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily was 2,300. Approximately 25,000
letters were forwarded to the Health Care Reform Task Force
during the Period.
As indicated in the attached report, we responded to 5,725
pieces of correspondence during the Period. Approximately 1,000
letters are in the analysis and coding cycles, and another 1,000
letters are in the data entry and proofing cycles. We estimate
that our backlog of unread mail is between 115,000 and 120,000
pieces of correspondence.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
Following is a breakdown of the issues-related mail reviewed
during the Period:
Abortion
- 5.0% (1% pro-choice, 4% anti-choice)
Budget, Economy & - 9.5%
Government Reform
Children's Issues
-
16.5% (Child abuse is the top issue)
Education
- 3.5%
Foreign Affairs
- 7.0%
Gays in Military
-
7.0% (About 6% pro, 1% con)
Health Concerns
-
9.5% (Other than Health Care Reform)
Women's Issues
- 5.0%
Other
- 37%
This data was compiled by reviewing all mail received on one
day per week for each week during the Period. Therefore,
although this information reflects views expressed currently, we
are relying on a smaller sample of mail for the data than the
sample used during previous reporting periods. This method of
data collection is more efficient, but we have not determined
whether it is as accurate as the method we used earlier.
SAMPLE LETTERS
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. All of
the letters have received, or will receive, responses from this
office.
Two letters of condolence on the death of your father are in
the first folder.
The Childrens' Issues folder contains a letter from a
Wellesley alumnae who writes about child nutrition and the foster
care system.
The Economy folder contains two letters offering
recommendations regarding the use of military bases that are
being closed.
The Education folder contains a letter which argues for
continued funding of the Upward Bound program.
The Womens' Issues folder contains a letter regarding
support by the federal government for women-owned businesses.
The Miscellaneous folder contains two letters of support.
The first is from a principal, and accompanies a photo album from
students at Belington Elementary School. These students
transformed their school rooms into various rooms of the White
House as a school project. Attached is the response we sent to
the principal and students.
The second letter is from an Arkansan who was a delegate to
the William Randolph Hearst Foundation Senate Youth Program.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
APRIL 19 THROUGH MAY 7, 1993
ISSUE
SUPPORT
PRESS
SCHED.
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESPONSE
LETTERS
TOTALS
4/19
--
100
--
41
--
--
141
4/20
127
49
--
29
--
202
407
4/21
127
47
--
48
--
102
324
4/22
--
--
---
---
3
98
101
4/23
425
50
--
73
2
623
1173
4/24
--
--
---
--
--
--
--
4/25
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
4/26
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
4/27
--
--
--
--
--
76
76
4/28
--
--
--
--
--
116
116
4/29
--
--
--
--
--
405
405
4/30
148
50
29
--
2
182
411
5/01
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
5/02
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
5/03
11
--
--
13
1
171
196
5/04
162
--
--
--
--
257
419
5/05
268
333
14
36
--
444
1095
5/06
--
80
--
38
2
254
374
5/07
113
--
--
38
14
322
487
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
TOTAL
1381
709
43
316
24
3252
5725
FOR
PERIOD
]
MW copy
THE WHITE crusport HOUSE
WASHINGT
33
April 19, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
KELLY H. CARNES
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR THE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
This report provides information regarding the volume of
mail received and produced by the First Lady's Correspondence
Unit during the period from March 27 through April 16, 1993 (the
"Period").
We have not prepared a detailed analysis of the issues
discussed in the mail reviewed during this Period. We have begun
using a new method of data collection and have not yet recorded
data on a representative sample. We will resume the issues
analysis with the next status report.
VOLUME OF MAIL
During the Period, we received 46,813 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has dropped to 2,600 from 3,600 during
the previous reporting period. Approximately 15,000 letters were
forwarded to the Health Care Reform Task Force during the Period.
As indicated in the attached report, we responded to 3,466
pieces of correspondence during the Period. This reflects a
significant improvement in productivity during the last week. We
expect this improvement to continue, and hope to reach our weekly
production goal of 2,000 responses this week.
Approximately 1,200 letters are in the analysis and coding
cycles, and 600 letters are in the data entry and proofing
cycles. We estimate that our current backlog is between 105,000
and 110,000 pieces of correspondence.
SAMPLE LETTERS
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. All of
the letters will receive responses from this office.
Ten especially touching letters of condolence on the death
of your father are in the first folder. We are receiving about
300 letters of condolence daily.
The Children's Issues folder contains two letters. The
first is about women caught in the poverty welfare cycle and
their children. It includes a recommendation to train some of
these women to be day care providers. The second letter
discusses serious flaws in the way decisions are made regarding
child custody at the time of a divorce.
The Miscellaneous folder contains a letter of support from
the wife of Charlie Grimm, the Cubs manager who led the team to
three National League Championships in 1932, 1935 and 1945.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
MARCH 27 THROUGH APRIL 16, 1993
ISSUE
SUPPORT
PRESS
SCHED.
INDV.
MISC.
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
LETTERS
LETTERS
RESPONSE
LETTERS
TOTALS
3/27
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
3/28
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
3/29
--
--
--
32
--
--
32
3/30
--
--
--
43
--
--
43
3/31
--
--
--
56
--
91
147
4/1
67
110
--
--
--
80
257
4/2
57
346
--
--
--
67
470
4/3
165
--
--
--
--
--
165
4/4
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
4/5
269
48
21
26
--
--
364
4/6
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
4/7
176
55
--
108
--
--
339
4/8
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
4/9
--
--
--
73
--
--
73
4/10
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
4/11
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
4/12
356
--
--
--
--
--
356
4/13
167
94
--
12
--
--
273
4/14
22
261
9
50
--
78
420
4/15
53
27
69
28
--
--
177
4/16
266
--
--
18
66
--
350
TOTAL
1598
941
99
446
66
316
3466
FOR
PERIOD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 1, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
FIRST LADY
MARGARET A. WILLIAMS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
KELLY H. CARNES
ACTING DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE
FOR THE FIRST LADY
SUBJECT:
STATUS REPORT FOR THE GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
This report covers the period from March 14 through March
26, 1993 (the "Period"). It provides information regarding the
volume of mail received and produced by the First Lady's
Correspondence Office, as well as an analysis of the mail sorted
during the Period.
VOLUME OF MAIL
During the Period, we received 40,109 pieces of
correspondence addressed to the First Lady. The average number
of letters received daily has increased from 2,450 during the
previous two-week period to 3,600 during the Period.
Approximately 6,000 letters were forwarded to the Health Care
Reform Task Force during the Period.
As indicated in the attached report, we responded to 499
pieces of correspondence during the Period. Approximately 600
letters are in the analysis and coding cycles, and 800 letters
are in the data entry and proofing cycles.
We estimate that our current backlog is between 79,000 and
81,000 letters. The backlog has grown dramatically since the
last reporting period due to both the increase in the volume of
incoming mail and a significant decrease in the unit's
productivity. We have taken several steps to address the
productivity problems, and hope to complete a greater volume of
mail during the next two weeks.
ANALYSIS OF THE MAIL
Issues-related Mail
-
55%
First Lady's Image Mail
-
10% (Almost 100%
supportive)
Other (Casework, requests,
-
25%
scheduling, foreign, personal
and priority)
No Response Necessary
-
10%
Following is a breakdown of the issues most frequently
discussed in the issues-related mail reviewed during the Period:
Leonard Peltier
- 16% (All support his release)
Abortion
- 12% (25% pro-choice, 75% against
choice)
Children's Issues
- 12% (Child abuse is the top issue)
Education
- 11%
Health Concerns
- 10% (Other than Health Care Reform)
Budget, Economy &
-
9%
Government Reform
Foreign Affairs
-
8% (About 70% of these writers
support U.S. action in Bosnia)
Gays in Military
-
7% (About 40% pro, 60% con)
Social Security
- 5%
Women's Issues
- 2%
Chelsea's School
-
1% (Virtually all writers were
supportive of decision)
Other Issues
- 7%
Please note that because of the size of the backlog, the
majority of the mail reviewed during the Period was received
during the first three or four weeks following the Inauguration.
Therefore, we cannot identify changes in the composition of the
mail or trends which may have developed over the past several
weeks.
SAMPLE LETTERS
For your information and review, we have attached copies of
letters representing common themes in the correspondence. All of
these letters have been or will be answered by our office.
The Children's Issues folder contains three unusual letters.
The first expresses concern about children of homeless parents.
The second is from a female prisoner who writes regarding the
contributions that prisoners can make to support all children and
the problems experienced by children of prisoners. The third
letter is from a parent whose child had a severe reaction to an
inoculation and is disabled as a result.
The Education folder contains two letters. One of these
discusses school violence. The other is from an elementary
school principal who discusses budget cuts in the art, music and
gym programs in his school. He enclosed a third grade student's
original drawing of the First Lady.
The Economic Issues folder contains four letters. The first
is from an elderly woman who is concerned about losing her social
security benefits. The second is from a Californian advocating a
Federal Youth Employment Program similar to one existing in that
state. The third letter is from an eighty six year old man who
wants to contribute to deficit reduction by naming the U.S.
Treasury as the contingent beneficiary on a Certificate of
Deposit. The final letter discusses tax increases and the
President's promise to cut the White House staff by 25 percent.
The final folder contains a special letter from Sarah
Galbraith, a third grade student at Deer Park Elementary School
in Deer Park, Washington. She wrote to inform you that Ryan
Elledge, one of Sarah's classmates, is in need of a four organ
transplant. She also requested that you provide an item for an
auction being held to raise funds to help pay for Ryan's surgery.
Although we could not accommodate the auction request, we
sent the attached response to Ryan Elledge. Ryan's teacher let
us know that the auction was a success, and that Ryan's class was
very excited to receive a response to the letter. Ryan is still
waiting for a donor, but is in stable condition.
Marsha Scott may also provide a copy of this letter to the
President.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CORRESPONDENCE
PRODUCTION REPORT FOR GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE UNIT
MARCH 14 THROUGH MARCH 26, 1993
ISSUE
SUPPORT
SCHED/
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
MISC.
TOTALS
*MAR 14
I
-
-
-
MAR 15
-
-
-
-
MAR 16
15
15
-
-
MAR 17
34
34
-
-
MAR 18
67
15
82
-
MAR 19
152
34
186
I
MAR 20
39
39
-
-
*WEEKEND-No Production numbers
ISSUE
SUPPORT
SCHED/
DAILY
DATE
CARDS
CARDS
MISC.
TOTALS
MAR 21
-
-
-
-
MAR 22
25
25
-
-
MAR 23
21
35
56
-
MAR 24
-
-
-
I
MAR 25
62
62
-
-
MAR 26
-
-
-
-
TOTAL
FOR
67
173
259
499
PERIOD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 23, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR THE FIRST LADY
FROM:
DEBRA WOOD DW
DIRECTOR OF PRESIDENTIAL
STUDENT CORRESPONDENCE
THROUGH:
MARSHA SCOTT
DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND
DIRECTOR OF CORRESPONDENCE AND MESSAGES
SUBJECT:
The White House: The House of the People
I am pleased to present you with the final mock-up of The White
House: The House of the People.
The White House book has been produced during almost every
President's administration. It is distributed to people who tour
the White House, to students and classes who write to the
President and First Lady, and to other citizens who request it.
Our goal in creating this publication was to show the American
people that they are welcome in the Clinton/Gore Administration
and in the White House. It is the differences and the
similarities of the people that unite us as a country. These
ideals are reflected throughout the text and photographs of this
book. In addition, we have made it an educational tool that
students and teachers can use in their classrooms.
As you review this book, please bear in mind that this is only a
mock-up. The colors and photographs do not appear as they will
in the final version. The actual colors are primary red and
blue, and the background is a light beige. Most importantly, the
photographs that you see are scanned into a computer. They will
be lightened or darkened as needed, and the focus will be sharp.
The paper stock will be that of magazine quality.
I have also attached a copy of the book done during President
Bush's Administration to give you an idea of the types of changes
we have incorporated.