This is a good example of how the voters in New Mexico are way ahead of the political leaders in New Mexico.
The Health Security Act (which began 12 to 15 years ago as New Mexicare) has evolved over time and it's always had
consistently, strong, enthusiastic support not just from the rank and file out there, but also from city councils, and
county commissioners. Everybody who has a chance to hear about it wants it.
But, we still don't have it. Why not?
Because the political leadership of the State of New Mexico listens
more to the insurance companies than it does to the people of the state.
This is the exact same reason we don't have national health care reform of any meaningful sort emerging out of Washington
this year. Because the insurance companies tell the elected leaders of both parties how they should vote.
We need to have the Health Security Act in New Mexico. We need to make sure Congress gives the state the latitude to have
its own health program in this new health care reform.
Other Health Care Issues
Jerry has also sponsored legislation to expand health care programs for disabled children, veterans exposed to depleted uranium, urban
Indians, and children living apart from their families.
He supports a woman’s right to choose. Jerry steered the medical marijuana
bill through the 2007 legislature. Hundreds of New Mexicans with
serious medical conditions now benefit from this victory.
He has also
sought to stop wasteful, privatized, managed-care contracts for
Medicaid, behavioral health, and long-term services. Not only
do these duplicate what state government should be doing, it can
cost as much as 60 million dollars for privatized management of
a billion dollar contract - money that should not be going out
of state.
JERRY WILL HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE GOING INTO OFFICE AS LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR, THAN ANYONE BEFORE
Having worked for decades
as a social work professional working within the health care system
at various levels,
as an activist, as a community leader and as a State Senator,
Jerry is prepared as no one has been before to take on a role
as someone who can expedite the system, as a state government
leader.
The Lieutenant Governor could have a primary role in expediting
the hundreds of ways that various state agencies would need to
go into action to respond to the Governor’s executive orders following
the passage and then enactment of law.
Leadership means knowing how the process works from experience and being like the car mechanic who understands the engine really well and can diagnose
where the workings of the system need to be addressed.
It is harder to climb the learning curve in office, because what
tends to happen is that everyone is so friendly that it may take
a while to get used to the difference between the way things appear
and they they really are. It works a lot better for someone who
has years of experience going in, and has a track record of success
before taking office.
That is where the difference between someone who knows to use
the word “leadership” and someone who knows how to actually lead
comes from.
