Obama, Romney debate at Hofstra Tuesday

The David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex at Hofstra University, site of the second presidential debate. Courtesy Hofstra University

Hempstead, NY (New York News Connection) -  The second of three presidential debates will be held Tuesday at Hofstra University in Hempstead. It’ll be “town meeting” style, with participants selected by the Gallup organization from a pool of undecided voters.

If you could attend the debate, a number of civic leaders were asked, what would you ask Barack Obama and/or Mitt Romney?

Michael Petit, president of the Every Child Matters Education Fund, says he would ask about children’s issues.

“What are their intentions on addressing the nation’s skyrocketing rate of childhood poverty, which is now at 22 percent and is the highest among the industrialized, rich countries?”

Patrick Young, director of legal services for the Central American Refugee Center, says he would ask President Obama what he would do to secure immigration reform in the face of opposition from Republicans. He’d ask Romney what he would do about the estimated 1.7 million undocumented students benefiting from Obama’s Deferred Action program.

“Is he going to try to deport them? Is he going to continue this program, or will he pledge to support the DREAM Act that will give them permanent relief?”

Juan Cartagena, president and general counsel at Latino Justice, says he would ask both candidates what specific new polices they would promote “to stop the endless cycle of violence that surrounds the drug trade.”

Martha Maffei, executive director of Sepa Mujer, a Latina rights organization based at Touro Law Center, says her question would be for both Obama and Romney…

“As president of the United States, what will you do specifically to protect immigrant victims of domestic violence and their children – and, more generally, to craft immigration policy that is sound and fair?”

Lynette Batts, director of youth services at Littig House, Port Washington, has this question for both candidates.

“What is your stance on the No Child Left Behind Act? It is an under-funded mandate. How would you make sure that it is funded properly?”

Lucia Gomez-Jimenez of the group La Fuente would ask President Obama what he would he do differently in his next term to ensure the passage of immigration reform. She would ask Mitt Romney, “Absent passage of a broader DREAM act and immigration reform, would the candidate continue the administrative policy of deferred action on childhood arrivals currently put in place by President Obama on Aug. 15 of this year?”

Shanequa Levin with the group Every Child Matters would ask each candidate if he is going to be the president that children and families need to address their concerns. She wants the next president to do more for some of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

“How are you going to make sure that government plays an important role in strengthening families not just economically, but physically and emotionally, too?”

It’s not these folks who will get to attend the town hall at Hofstra. Gallup will choose the participants from undecided voters.

SmithtownRadio.com will stream the debate Tuesday at 9p.

Editor’s Note: New York News Connection compiled this report