Reader survey: What should be Obama's or McCain's top presidential priority?

A week before the election, Times video journalist Katy Newton asked commuters in Los Angeles' Union Station one question: What would you like to see the new president do in his first 100 days in office?

She filmed their answers and plans to follow up with the same people early next year for their reactions. (So, stay tuned to The Ticket.)

Now it's your turn. What would you like to see the new president do in his first 100 days in office? Comment below, and please keep your answers brief.

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Comments

[plankbob]

President Obama's top priority should be convincing Senator McCain to live up to his vaunted ability to reach across the aisle legislatively to work with Senate Democrats and with members of his own party (even the ones he's mad at).

[Scott Resnick]

The first thing the next president should do is to eliminate everyone of President Bush's signing statements.

[G. GdG]

Fix the economic mess, healthcare, and foreign policy, for starters.

[Trey]

Cutting taxes for ALL taxpayers, not just the "chosen" ones selected to pander for votes. Cut government spending by 30% (spending on Medicare disability, for instance, is out of control), and we'll see REAL economic growth.

[Curly]

An Obama win is starting to look more rather than less likely. I'd like to know what an Obama Presidency would mean for Britons.

[rob]

Obama has to repeal the executive orders that deprived Americans of their liberties and privacy. The government works for the people, not visa versa. It's true the economy is important, and national security too, but when people don't have liberty, they aren't willing to work to make life better.

[Andrew]

Just want to say that video (and the concept of following up) is awesome. Hope to see more creative work like that on The Ticket and The Times.

[cecile]

Great video, I love it. Both creative and informative.

[buz]

Getting out of Iraq is number one on the list for this life-long conservative. And how about fining the be-jesus out of corporations that mass hire illegal immigrants. Employ I would add with NO health insurance, disability and with minimum wages? Mexico's problems are for Mexico to solve NOT us. Let the Narco billionaires and oligarchs of that country deal with its own people for a change.

[John]

Start work on the economy by first cutting off benefits and aid to those who are in this country illegally. Close the southern border and bring the troops back so that they can guard the border. Begin mass deportation of illegal aliens.

[Patrick]

FIrst thing is to discuss the 9.3 trillilon dollars of debt, much owed to foreign govt. We are going to have to cut some mjaor govt programs to accomplish this and dedicate a significant amount of money to pay of this debt.

I would say 250 billion a year with a balanced budget will get half the debt payed off in 8 yrs....wishful thinking, Obama probably will add another 3-4 trillion of debt....see IOUSA to get informed.

[litmus mateo]

In regards to the presentation itself, WELL DONE L.A. Times (and I haven't necessarily thought that about the site too much in recent times) ! Great shots, editing and overall presentation… kudos to all concerned and hope to see more of this type of content in the future. –longtime reader (both print and web)

[Jerry Waters]

Reestablish diplomacy (a forgotten art), end the war, spend that money in the US to rebuild infrastructure and create jobs, allow credit card debt to be extinguished in bankruptcy (make banks responsible for handing out cards) replace the restrictions on banks (they were there for a reason), place restrictions on executive pay and bonuses - especially stock options. Enforce rules against conflicts of interest of directors where they must manage companies for the company and stockholders not run up stock prices so they can bailout. Go back to regulating monopolies like the utilities. Take the legal system back to 1950 and restore a government "of the people and by the people."

[Burton Helms]

(1) Take the government out of the hands of Texas oil companies. (2) Prosecute the crimes of the Bush administration, including treason. (3) Target the economy like a laser beam, like Clinton did.

[mando]

Less government in my life and more tax breaks, so I can continue to take care of my family. It's my responsibilty, not the government's.

[Drew]

Repeal the Patriot Act, FISA, NORTHCOM and the Federal Reserve and have every Executive Order Bush had done reviewed by constitutional lawyers to determine validity.
It will not happen, they will "praise" the previous acts and place more restrictions on your civil liberties, both parties are the same. Do your homework.

[Art FitzSimmons]

1st thing begins with Iraq and leads to environment.
1a get out of Iraq
leads to
1b economy on track by saving money and leads to next thing
1c environment. Fund the Green Economy.

[Paula]

Hopefully first he will scale down the number of troops in Iraq. By us spending so much money on this needless war, we are in an economic downward spiral. I know that the housing market has a lot to do with the economy, but if we were not in Iraq our economic situation would not be as bad. I would also like to see the civil liberties taken away from the citizens of the United States reinstated. There are so many things that went wrong in the present administration that are equally important to the citizens of the U.S., that anywhere the Obama administration starts would be good.

[Diane Lipson]

Everyone will be working on the economy - that's a given. Fundamental change needs to occur, such as;

1. Dramatically revamp rules governing lobbying.
2. Eliminate pharmaceutical advertising, revamp the FDA, and give the regulations some teeth - including new laws against needless prescriptions, and limiting psyche drug scrips to psychiatrists only.
3.Enforce labor laws, and enforce property management regulations on behalf of renters.
4.Eliminate severance packages for CEOs that reward them for getting fired.
5. By example, and by legislation, mandate ethics. Businesses that indulge in unethical practices should lose their licenses.
6. Discourage political hate and fear mongering, and foster real bipartisanship.
7. Enforce FCC regulations while stopping the practice of fining for political funding.
8. Regulate trading in energy stocks to prevent wild speculation, develop responsible nuclear power, and pronounce nuclear "new-clee-ar".
9. The business of medicine is medicine, not business. Drastically revamp insurance, leash HMO's, and prosecute medical price gouging.
10. Make privately run correctional institutions as illegal as possible.
11. STOP spying on americans without judicial oversight, and conform Guantanamo to the geneva convention.
12. Stop unrealistic copyright practices that tell people how they can use their technology. Prevent corporate greed from controlling or manipulating the internet.

I could go on and on, but that would be a good start. Oh - and in regards to Trey's comment - yeah - lets take medical care away from disabled people, and not just better manage our military problems, [ cause its the disabled people that cost us one trillion dollars - not administrative mismanagement and blatant cronyism], except for the operation to remove the stone in your chest and replace it with a heart.

[DonM75]

1. Do something about removing 11 million illegals from here.
2. Do something about the black gangs that are allowed to run free in out larger cities.
3. Name a white President for still the majority population
of this country so people like me will have some one to
look up to.
4. Wear an American flag on his lapel.
5. Put his hand over his heart during the Star Spangled Banner.
6. Take the oath of office on the Bible.

[Ashraf Sada]

I think that what the president should do first is to improve and amend the damaged image of the USA worldwide because of the war on Iraq.
At the time of Mr. Bill Clinton the USA seemed looking much more better that now.
He should try to regain that image.

[Abe Lincoln]

The very first thing the new President must do is issue arrest warrants against George W Bush, Dickhead Chaney, Paul Wolfowitz for war crimes, for crimes against the American people for crimes against humanity, they should be given a short trial after which they should hang.