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Thursday, January 10, 2008

Calling Gov. Richardson and All Legislators: Required Reading

As we head towards another New Mexico Legislative Session, the repetitive message we hear coming from our Governor and most of our Legislators is that they can't support universal healthcare coverage under the Health Security Act because (fill in your own answer). I want every single one of them to read this letter. Read it carefully. Read it with an open mind and heart. Try to connect with the human being behind the letter, rather than perceiving her as another lifeless, abstract statistic. Try to remember her when you are tempted once again to concoct a getaway plan you can use to avoid the truth, the facts, the real suffering, the deaths and the poverty you are causing by failing to act in a meaningful way to solve this problem.

I don't care how hard it is. I don't care how upset insurance industry profitmakers will get. I don't care what political price you think you will pay. You know in your heart it is necessary, moral and compassionate to act now to achieve universal coverage the only way it is possible and affordable -- via a co-op plan like the Health Security Act or some kind of single-payer plan. If you don't do it, I KNOW you will all pay a political price because I KNOW voters will set out to unseat every single one of you who refuses to do the right thing. This Session. Now. There are lives in the balance and they're in your hands.

January 10, 2008 at 05:11 PM in Healthcare, NM Legislature 2008 | Permalink

Comments

Maybe we can "study" plans more and have more "community forums" so we can put off doing anything for more years.

Now that Richardson has quit the presidential race I doubt he'll want to tackle this. He'll stand in the way of real change as he has done for his entire term.

Posted by: C. Gutierrez | Jan 11, 2008 9:15:29 AM

let's hope not C Gutierrez.
Richardson in my mind should be full of passion to get passed in his state what he could not get done for the country. Right?
"Get er done gov"

Posted by: meb | Jan 11, 2008 10:44:58 AM

All those hearings were held with the public and then Richardson sticks in his own plan and ignores all the input. Don't let him pass a bill for a controlling commission that he has total control over.

Posted by: Watch Sicko | Jan 11, 2008 12:11:01 PM

We must attend all the committee hearings during the legislature that deal with health care reform. If we don't have a big turnout nothing, NOTHING, will be done.

Posted by: Old Dem | Jan 11, 2008 2:17:09 PM

As important as the Health Care issue is I am not to optimistic it will get anywhere near the attention it deserves this Legislative secession. I think the Primaries will be too big of a distraction this time around.

Posted by: VP | Jan 12, 2008 5:14:48 PM

I'm afraid you may be right VP. Too bad that Richardson has kept delaying real action on health care reform for a couple legislative sessions now. Trying to do something like this in a 30 days session will be very hard. I agree with Watch Sicko that the most important thing is to get a health authority approved that WON'T be under the governor's sole control. We can't have that.

Posted by: Karen D. | Jan 14, 2008 10:02:59 AM

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