Reply #76: that was a summary fron his brief statements at the forum

[bigtree]

his vision is much more than a reliance on a 'Massachusetts plan' . . .

from April 2005: http://www.rtnda.org/resources/speeches/richardson.shtml

Health care really tops the list of concerns. The explosion of health care costs hurts families and businesses across the country. In 2004, the cost of health benefits increased five times higher than wages. And in the last four years, a family's share of health coverage has increase more than 60 percent.

The costs of taxpayer-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid are unsustainable. These programs protect our most vulnerable citizens, but in recent years they are hurting state budgets and economies. Overall entitlement spending-which includes Medicare and Medicaid-consumes some 44 percent of federal spending. It's the fastest growing area of government spending.

There are similar problems when it comes to under-funded schools, rural areas struggling with low-paying jobs, or neighborhoods battling drugs and crime.

But Washington is more stifled with partisan gridlock than ever before, and stuck in a permanent political campaign cycle. The focus there always seems to be on the political game. And Congress and the president pass the buck on the real issues to the states.

And while a lot of media attention is focused on Washington; the public policy laboratories are no longer found inside the Beltway. Rather, they are in the states across the country, where the role of government meets the real world face-to-face.

States are not waiting for the federal government to act. States themselves are taking on the challenge of finding solutions on health, and also on jobs, education, and other important issues. That's because governors are activists. We don't just make proposals, we get things done.

In Illinois, Governor Blagojevich has implemented a prescription drug plan, which provides residents in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas savings of up to 50 percent on their medicines.

In Michigan, Governor Granholm has created a new program that puts family resource and health centers in troubled schools. She's also struck a deal with a major automaker to build a research center in Michigan that will development technology for the next generation of automobiles-creating high-wage jobs.

In New Hampshire, Governor Lynch created a low-interest loan program for companies that pledge to create jobs.

Governor Henry started a $500 million education bond program in Oklahoma to fund 140 higher education projects, create an estimated 4,000 jobs, and generate nearly $800 million for the state's economy.

Governor Rendell started an initiative to expand resources supporting alternative fuel projects.

Governor Sebelius has an initiative in Kansas-similar to ours in New Mexico-providing tax credits to promote and encourage employers and small businesses to offer health care coverage.

Governor Gregoire just signed a law in Washington requiring mental illness to be treated just the same as physical illness-helping some 900,000 people whose illnesses are not currently covered by insurance.