Healthcare for All
I believe healthcare is a right. Our state has the second highest number of uninsured in the country. And many more are underinsured. We can't wait for Washington to solve this problem. We must lead the country in implementing universal, comprehensive, affordable health care for all New Mexicans.
I will fight for comprehensive healthcare reform with the following components:
- Universal access - everyone should be covered and have access
to quality care
- Prohibit the exclusion from a healthcare plan because of pre-existing
conditions
- Cost controls to stop premiums from spiraling out of control
Ethics Reform
Without campaign and ethics reform to reduce the influence of special interests, reform on issues like healthcare, education and taxes becomes that much harder to achieve. New Mexico needs serious ethics reform to restore public trust in our government and curb the undue influence of those powerful corporate interests in the public policy process.
As City Councilor, I sponsored, and the voters passed, the "Clean and Ethical Government" referendum making Albuquerque the second city in the nation to publicly finance local elections. As State Senator, I will work for publicly financed campaigns for not only statewide offices, but for legislative offices as well. I will work to pass campaign contribution limits for those running for state office and I will support the creation of an independent ethics commission that reviews and investigates complaints against state officials, state employees and lawmakers.
Education
We must begin by adequately funding education from early childhood through college, so that our children are set up to succeed. New Mexico ranks 47th in high school drop out rates. This is unacceptable. We need smaller classes, smaller schools, and teachers who are paid fairly to teach students for the future, not for standardized tests. I will work to strengthen public education with a focus on the classroom and professional development for our teachers.
Economic Development and Clean Energy Jobs
Our economic development strategy should not just focus on recruiting big new companies, but should also help small local businesses compete and promote home grown entrepreneurs. We need to invest in the infrastructure to create high-wage jobs, while preserving our state's environment. Our best hope for a high-wage economy is to promote and invest in clean energy development and train our workforce for these jobs of the future.
Protecting Our Water and Preserving Our Rural Areas
The Rio Grande is the lifeblood of New Mexico and runs the length of Senate District 14. Protecting the health of the river is critical for our district - from clean drinking water for the urbanized areas in Albuquerque to the acequias in rural parts of the South Valley and agricultural areas in Valencia County.