Robert Blendon Quotations

When there would be changes, they'd staff up the Social Security offices. Every congressman would staff up the office. Every mayor had a Social Security specialist so at the local level they could help people see how their benefits changed. The aggregate long list of choices - calling an 800 number, going to a website - is just very hard for seniors.

If they can't bring back these people, you're going to see the city's infrastructure fall apart.

We have what is called an historic piece of legislation to try to cover 11 million uninsured children. That's the good news. The bad news is we have a nation that does not know that we've enacted this legislation.

You have this very stable support for a principle, but a willingness to limit it in lots of circumstances over the last decade.

Bam, if it hits their community, they're going to stop doing everything.

A lot of Americans don't pay attention to their leaders on a day-to-day basis. They measure presidents, governors and mayors on how they handle big events like a hurricane. This event is not over because the bodies are going to be discovered day by day.

There was a real skepticism about the ability to rebuild and make things work in the future at the state and local level.

In the rush to have people pay more out of pocket, I don't think there's a recognition that we need to protect people with serious illness,

If there is a breakdown as was seen with Katrina, it will be very hard to convince people they can count on government to do what's necessary to protect their lives.