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Pat Paciello
Initially, I would be gratified and humbled that the American people would elect me to the highest office in the land. Especially, since the only other position that I was elected to was assistant blackboard monitor in the fourth grade. Once I was sworn in, I would announce that I would not be running for a second term. This would serve two purposes. I could spend four full years executing my vision and not spend time planning and worrying about my re-election. Also, since I would not be running again, I would be immune to the special interest groups, my poll numbers, and the other minutia that would detract me from doing my job. I would adopt a radical new platform for my presidency. I would call it Government By the People for the People. My presidency would focus on three major points: * Require politicians to give honest answers to legitimate questions that are posed to them. Vague, rambling speeches that pander to the public but have no basis in fact will not be tolerated by either party in my administration. We can solve this problem with technology. All elected officials will be required to wear belts implanted with an electrical device which will emit a shock when it is obvious that the people are being deceived. Eventually, the politicians will get the message. *I would deport all attorneys, people that blame America for every problem in the universe, and every celebrity that has been in rehab at least twice, but feels they are experts in running the country. This policy would have many beneficial benefits for the population. We would end all the frivolous lawsuits that suffocate our legal system, and people will buy lottery tickets instead of suing to make their fortune. With the, I Hate America crowd gone, the news will be presented in a more positive light and might even become watchable. Since there would be no celebrities left, we could get our kids to pay more attention to real role models, who would be people of substance. *Lastly, I would implement my program called, If you can't beat um ' Join um'. I would radically shift the countries work force during my four years. I would eliminate the private sector completely. You could only work for the Federal, State or local government. If you are real lucky you could become a member of the teachers or police union. Many states are going broke because of the bloated pension funds, which include lifetime health benefits, cost of living increases, and in some cases double-dipping pensions that invite corruption. Since this huge voting block helps to elect our officials, this process is not about to change. However, by following my plan, look at what we can accomplish. We now no longer have a health care crisis. Everyone will have good benefits for life. Who needs Social Security - that will be pocket change to most people. The retirement crisis will be a thing of the past. Everyone will have a solid lifetime pension. If your state has missed the boat and has not padded their government retirement plan, don't despair, you can contact representatives from New York and New Jersey and several other states to bring your program up to speed. Remember in four years I'm outta here. So let's get started!

About Pat Paciello
Pat Paciello is fifty-eight years old, has three grown children, and has been happily married for the past thirty-four years. (The first year wasn't so hot.) He has been retired from the workforce for almost eight years. During that time span Pat has been particularly adept at enjoying leisure pursuits, and earning the highest recommendation from his peers for his "I do nothing, but I do it well attitude." His book, Has Anyone Seen My Reading Glasses? offers a unique and fresh approach to the subject of Baby Boomer retirement. First, it's written by a Baby Boomer who is actually retired. Second, the book is long on humor and personal anecdotes, and short on statistical analysis.

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Wendy Reid Crisp
If I were President? My emphasis would be on rebuilding the family-owned manufacturing businesses in this country; compassionate immigration policy/reform; public works a la the programs of the New Deal to rebuild America's infrastructure; minor drug offenders out of prisons; full-time summer camps with for-credit college student counselors as part of university systems for children of incarcerated women. More, of course, but I've got to go back to work.

About Wendy Reid Crisp

For over 30 years she was a writer, magazine editor, book publisher and public speaker, and has just found her favorite job of all. As editor-in-chief of Grand Magazine, she is dedicated to celebrating, assisting and documenting the changing role of grandparents in today's society. She is a novelist and author who's editorials have been published in newspapers across the country. Celebrating sixty as the age of independence, she wrote the book, When I Grow Up I Want To Be Sixty, which is a follow up to her other must-read book, 100 Things I'm Not Goin to Do Now That I'm Over 50. Both present a series of fun-filled and wise life lessons for all of us about love, support, respect.

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Terri Dennis
I don't want to be President of the United States - I want to be Queen or Diva, lol. (Ha, my secret service code name would be Q.O.T.U.S. or D.O.T.U.S.!) But if I couldn't successfully engineer a bloodless coup and there was a write in vote and I won? Work towards abolishing the electoral voting system. Work towards getting a national health care system. Work towards ending lifelong terms for the Chief Justices. Write a bill to reduce all senatorial and congressional salaries to minimum wage with no benefits other than standard social security. Abolish the lobbyists - maybe we could send them all to a remote island - with Gilligan and the Skipper too. Reestablish the social security retirement age to 55 - those political salaries might cover part of it. Abolish income tax - but then who'd pay my salary? Oh, wait I could just put up a website - DISH-WITH-DOTUS.COM, (the dirty little secrets of politicos from the diva of politicos!) monetize it with google ads, get a few sponsors - wow, the hits, the Google Rank, ka-ching! I could redecorate Air Force One!

About Terri Dennis

The Pop Art Diva is an artist unlike any other. She's a baby boomer and proud of it! So proud, that even though she grew up during the Golden Age of TV, Rock 'N Roll and other classics of American Pop Culture she has embraced modern technology to advance her art. She's found the computer to be a great tool to feed her passion in art inspired by pop culture. She's also fascinated in how American history relates to pop culture mythology and understanding the influence it's had on our society.

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Bobbe Lyon
Of course I would try and get our military people home from the Far East as soon and safely as possible. I would demand affordable health care for all. I would cut the tax breaks for the rich and try to make taxes a little more equitable. And I'd appoint a Secretary of Humor to my cabinet. God knows we need one.

About Bobbe Lyon

Bobbe Lyon, M.D. (mirth dispenser) is a believer and practicioner in the power of humor. She thought her life was over at age 45 when her husband died. After wallowing in despair, humor became her primary tool for survival. It worked so well the Laughing Lyon earned a BA in Journalism and an MA in Counseling. Soon she decided to take her humorous ideas public. She has been a National Speaker ever since.

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Pat Bond
I can honestly say that I would not want to be President, but if I was, we would not be at war and we would not be occupying countries all over the globe. We would be doing public works projects instead of sending everybody money to spend and we would be making this country a better, safer and healthier place to live. We would be providing quality public education and health care. We would be regulating big business and industry. To be honest I have recently switched my affiliation to Independent and I have not decided which of the candidates I will actually vote for in the upcoming election.

About Pat Bond
If working out is something new to you, you're not alone! Patricia didn't get serious about it until she was in her 40s. She stuck with it, and before she knew it, fitness had changed her life in more ways than she ever expected. She wasn't the only one who noticed. She was chosen Florida Senior Athlete of the Year back in 1999 and she's still going strong. Swimming and cycling are the events she says help her live her life to the fullest.

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Sherrie Mathieson
I would never run! It's the most thankless, disrespected job in this society. The world has serious troubles and everyone looks to the US to save them (we are a generous nation), while we're simultaneously maligned. We all are guilty of only addressing problems when our backs are finally against the wall (inoperable the doctor might say). The next president will inherit problems that began decades ago (way before this administration)... and no one addressed these problems in time. His job will be difficult (the understatement of the century).

About Sherrie Mathieson

She's made an indelible mark as an award winning Costume Designer and Fashion Stylist. You've seen her work in countless feature films, TV shows, music videos, commercials and print. She's styled Academy Award winning actors, sports figures, rock stars and many others. Now, she's offering to style you! Sherrie created a manual to help bring you and your clothes into the 21st century. Her book, "Forever Cool: How to Achieve Ageless, Youthful and Modern Personal Style" is tailor made to give baby boomers a tailored look!

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Christine Schwab
I would pass a law forbidding contributions. All money for campaigns would come from the government, with a limit of spending per candidate. Television, radio and print time would be donated by the sources. This way our next President wouldn't owe favors to anyone. I would also drill for oil so we don't destroy our economy. Major safety measures have been added to drilling over the past eight years. We need to avail ourselves of them and stop being dependent on others who are trying to financially ruin us.

About Christine Schwab

Turning forty, fifty, or sixty is not about getting older, it's about becoming ageless. Renowned style expert and television fashion reporter Christine Schwab sees aging as an opportunity to revitalize your style and enliven your attitude. In her frank, opinionated, and provocative style, she wrote "The Grownup Girl's Guide to Style", a book that defies many of the fashion and beauty industry philosophies. In this honest and empowering book, she offers the first open-minded approach to style, beauty, health, and well-being that will help every forty-plus woman achieve a classic look while maintaining her edge and personality.

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Ed Shadle
I think one of the first things I would do is to take over Mexico before they take over the USA and disolve their constitution and run Mexico under the US constitution. The next thing I would do is disolve the border between Canada and the US. If we removed the border check points across both North and South we could concentrate on protecting the entire North American Continent from unwanted intruders. A common currency should also be developed like they have done in Europe. I would also force large corporations to either bring their manufacturing businesses back to North America or force them to pay foreign employees on par with US wages. That would go far to level the playing field. Putting Americans out of work (by shipping work offshore) in order to increase profits is great for the short term but over the long haul, eventually North America will not be able to purchase those items manufatured overseas and shipped to us because we won't have jobs to make money to pay for the products. It's kind of like selling your furniture to make money and eventually you have no furniture, then you sell your home to make more money, then you have no home and you wind up living under a freeway overpass!

About Ed Shadle

At age 60, Ed Shadle is a speed demon who's attempting to steal something the British have had for 20 years -- the world land speed record. And he plans on doing it with a jet-powered car he created himself. Shadle, who worked with IBM for 30 years, created the car from an old fighter plane. The North American Eagle is an old Lockheed F-104 Starfighter that he modified to not lift off the ground. But Shadle doesn't want to be the driver of the car when the record attempt is made in Nevada, so he's looking for a driver by holding an essay contest. Shadle says the car will go up 800 mph, which is more than half of the speed of the old airplane that flew 1,400 mph.

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Sister Madonna Buder
I would listen to the people rather than listen to Congress. How would I do that? I would have to arranged it by overriding Congress with a PEOPLES COURT!

About Sister Madonna Buder

She started running at age 48. That was thirty years ago! She found running to be a panacea with the power to cure depression and harmonize the mind. Her first long distance race was the Boston Marathon. Since, she's run dozens of marathons and hundreds of triathlons. She's raised thousands of dollars for charities and has motivated countless people to get in shape, to have faith and to overcome their challenges. Sister Madonna says even at the age of 78 she has no intention of slowing down.

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Jack Lawrence
As President of the U.S. I would immediately solve two national headaches: the outrageous gas prices and immigration. I would put an immediate stop to buying gasoline. Car owners would then hire small groups of immigrants at affordable prices to push their cars wherever they had to go. Maybe I'll sell that solution to Obama!

About Jack Lawrence

Jack was born in 1912. After seven decades in the entertainment industry as a composer and lyricist for the greatest bands, singers, movies and plays of the 20th century, he has joined the cyberspace age! He's been nominated for an Academy Award, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He wrote Dinah Shore's first record, he wrote Frank Sinatra's first hit, Rosemary Clooney's trademark song, he wrote Beyond The Sea for Bobby Darin and wrote songs for close to a dozen Broadway plays. He's written an amazing autobiography entitled, Bing, Frank, Ella, Tony, Dinah, Nat, Patty, Maxene and LaVerne, They All Sang My Songs.

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Lou Whitney
If I were President of the United States, I would do everything in my power to energize congress and the senate to work in unison to achieve resolution of the major issues facing us today, such as the energy crisis, domestic and international economic stability, health care, and the list goes on. The main thing is getting government to work as a TEAM.

About Lou Whitney

At 72, Lou does things not many people at any age can do. Whitney is not only a pioneer in Veterans Motocross racing -- he's a competitor. Whitney is a part of the fastest growing division of the sport, and staged the Veterans Motocross Championships in February of 2008. He also does another type of riding -- adventure riding. He goes on an annual ride to places like Mexico, the West Coast and Canada.

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Wanda Urbanska
With an upcoming change in administration, I am counting on some paradigm shifting at the highest levels. I'd like to see a quicker move to develop and embrace green energy-saving technologies. We were asleep at the wheel when the opportunity to own the hybrid car market came along. Let that be the last technology we lose. I'd like us to be more proactive domestically and internationally and to use this time of challenge and change as an opportunity for growth. There you have it. Thanks for asking!

About Wanda Urbanska
Wanda is a television host who really practices what she preaches. She believes in simplifying life. She and her husband moved out of the city and and headed for life in small town North Carolina. Urbanska is the host of the "Simple Living" show on PBS and she's also the author of three books on the subject. She and her husband wrote their first book of the same name in 1992 and haven't stopped downsizing since. She's a Harvard graduate who has written for big-time papers like the Washington Post and LA Times.

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Susan Silver
First I would start a program to deal with global warming. I'm at the Aspen Institute and they have said that we have only 10 years to deal with this problem! Then I would get out of Iraq... sensibly but soon. I would fix Health Care for all Americans. Finally, I would call George Clooney to come visit me!

About Susan Silver
Susan was a writer for many of the greatest TV shows of all time, including "The Bob Newhart Show," "Mary Tyler Moore," and "Maude." These days, she writes a hilarious relationship column called, "The Search for Mr. Adequate." She is a frequent guest on the Growing Bolder Radio Show and Today on NBC.

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Dr. Ronda Beaman
I would move...sorry, but seriously, there are so many things to be done, I will pick one area of particular interest to the Growing Bolder network... If I was President, I would make it mandatory for every high school student to spend one year before graduating working in his/her community running libraries, picking up trash, creating entertainment, tutoring, manning hospitals, what ever and where ever they could be of assistance. Then, on the other end of the spectrum, I would mandate that no social security could be cashed in unless senior members of the community did the same, worked as teachers in schools, aides in hospitals, served on planning boards, tried out for plays, whatever and wherever. There is just too much talent, energy, innovation and initiative wasted in our country, in our states, in our communities and in our neighborhoods. If we expect more, we get more, if we give more, we get more. There is greatness in everyone, no matter age or stage of life, we need programs and opportunities that empower and enhance possibilities for people. Since I am not President, and since you are reading this, why not start here, start now. Who needs you, what can you contribute and what is your legacy? The world is waiting for you...

About Dr. Ronda Beaman
She is President of Second Wind, Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Pay It Forward Foundation. Her current, award-winning book, "You're Only Young Twice", is the definitive guidebook for growing younger, personally and professionally. She's also an internationally recognized expert on leadership, resilience, health and wellness, education, and coaching. She is also a certified executive coach and personal trainer with credentials from the Aerobic Research Center.

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Ted Skup
If I were President I would send a Maya Culpa (It's Our Fault) letter to every nation in the world. Then invite each nation that is not part of the UN (United Nations) to join. Our agenda would then be to TALK about our differances, and then keep talking!!!!

About Ted Skup

He believes that with obesity levels at an all-time high, fitness needs be a national priority. He says despite the fact we have an arsenal of exercise options at our disposal, the ultimate choice is, the simple push-up. Skup takes on the 35-billion-dollar fitness industry and explains why it is failing us, with its bogus claims, magic bullets, and quick fixes. Although the fitness industry may not want to hear it, push-ups are free, no equipment, no gimmicks and totally portable. He is the author of Death, Taxes & Push-ups.

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Howard Stone
Free healthcare and a decent education for every citizen; GI Bill back in full swing, and accelerate windpower development in the middle of the country.

About Howard Stone

The internet is an essential component of our business to educate boomers and beyond how to craft a life that matters after transitioning from full time work. Essentially we're about empowering mature adults to grow bolder, and not to waste their gifted years on trivia. I use it consistently during working hours to run our business, and to update my knowledge of world events and the baseball scores. I leave TV news to those that enjoy being scared out of their wits. I am a proud member of Growing Bolder. Because of that, I have no need for My Space or Facebook. I do have a blog I hope you'll all look at. You'll find it at http://2young2retire.com/wp/

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Dotsie Bregel
If I ran for President of the United States I would find a health care solution for this country. With 78 million boomers needing more health care in future years, we must have a better solution.

About Dotsie Bregel

Since launching her Web site, BoomerWomenSpeak.com several years ago, Dotsie has been connecting, encouraging, and supporting boomer women on a daily basis. With her finger on the pulse of this spirited generation, Dotsie has learned that boomer women desire to feel empowered and enriched. She has dedicated her career to creating opportunities that inspire women to explore their passions and live them to the fullest. Her goal is to embrace all women and provide them with the means to soar.

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