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AFSCME Federal Candidate Questionnaire
Carol Miller for NM 3rd CD – completed by the candidate herself
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1. Perhaps the clearest way Congress can help state and local governments is during the annual congressional appropriations process. While the traditional emphasis is on the merits and popularity of specific programs, many of the programs additionally provide funds to state and local governments for necessary public services. Will you work with AFSCME to encourage the various appropriations subcommittees to maintain and, where possible, give real dollar increases to those programs that are most important to funding key state and local government initiatives?
I have been working on federal appropriations for many years and will continue to advocate for the funding of essential public services and infrastructure projects. I have led the effort among rural community development organizations to fully fund the PILT owed to federal lands counties. I agree that the appropriations work is important and participate in various coalitions to impact the approps committees and have personal contact and relationships with various Members in both the House and Senate.
However, there are other ways to help state and local government outside of the appropriations process. A lot can be accomplished through other committees as well as the caucuses and coalitions in the House. I have experience in writing legislations, amendments, technical amendments and Committee Report language. I know how to insert the correct type of language in Committee Reports that result in funding clarification related to large and/or omnibus bills. I know how to question the administration and agency heads so that the public record of hearings can be used to hold their feet to the fire on their departmental regulatory and policy procedures.
DC staff of the NM delegation can vouch for my legislative abilities. I have helped new staff learn the process and am a resource for them. I am tenacious and know that no fight is ever lost in Congress. There is always another day, and another chance.
2. In order to restore equity in the federal budget and to avoid major reductions in domestic programs and entitlements, it will be necessary to make changes to our nation’s tax policies. Do you support rolling back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Do you oppose extensions of the Bush Administration tax cuts? Do you oppose full repeal of the estate tax for millionaires? Will you support tax increases that close corporate loopholes? Will you oppose any additional tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest Americans?
I will work for a fair and progressive tax policy. I am in favor of eliminating the tax cuts for the rich. Because of the regressive nature of the tax policy of the United States, the system is upside down and needs a total reform. Low income and poor people pay the highest percentage of their income in taxes while many of the wealthiest either pay no taxes or get refunds. The EITC should be increased and extended to all low income tax payers whether or not they have children.
Corporate income taxes are at their lowest level since before World War II. Despite all the corporate welfare they have received on the backs of working people, they still pack up their jobs and move them to other countries in the global search to pay the lowest wages. Corrupt corporations should face huge penalties for setting up in offshore tax havens and banned from federal contracts. Worst among these is Halliburton that takes billions in taxpayer money and moves its corporate headquarters to Dubai to avoid paying taxes in the US.
3. While many states have reduced their budget gaps over the past two years, almost all states still face daunting challenges generating sufficient revenue to support all the essential services they provide including education, homeland security, transportation, and health care. The bridge collapse in Minneapolis is a tragic example of what can happen if states don’t have the resources to fix or replace unsafe infrastructure. Will you support adequate funding for existing programs, services, and infrastructure, including emergency fiscal relief in programs like Medicaid or for deteriorating roads and bridges, when necessary?
I will absolutely support the funding of essential services. The best investment the nation can make right now is in rebuilding our infrastructure; bridges, water systems, mass transit, schools, clinics – all suffer from decades of neglect. I call this the RENEW DEAL. Jobs in the US infrastructure are jobs that cannot be outsourced. I support Davis-Bacon and assuring that all workers in the RENEW DEAL be well paid.
4. Will you support states’ efforts to modernize and streamline the collection of sales taxes, which are already owed, but uncollected, on Internet purchases so that states and local governments can begin collecting millions of dollars in lost revenues that are badly needed to fund vital public services? Will you support legislation in Congress that recognizes the rights of the states to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases? Will you oppose efforts to enact a permanent moratorium on the collection of Internet access charges and oppose efforts to change the existing definition of Internet access that deny state and local governments millions of dollars in telecommunications fees that they are already collecting?
I believe states have to look at all of their taxing authority so that it is very hard to look at taxes on Internet purchases in isolation. States should assure a progressive tax policy. Sales taxes are regressive. NM needs to reconsider its own tax breaks for the rich and reduce its reliance on GRT. Studies have documented that low income New Mexican pays twice as much of their income in taxes as someone in the higher income brackets.
5. During the Bush Administration, outsourcing and contracting-out has soared at the federal level and has been increasingly allowed at the state level in the administration of federally-funded programs, like Food Stamps and welfare benefits. Will you oppose any legislation that would encourage or mandate the contracting out, privatization or off-shoring of public services, and will you support efforts to curtail state and local privatization efforts of federally-funded programs?
I am opposed to the privatization of government services. I have worked in NM state government, for several counties in NM and for the federal government. My husband has been a NM state employee for 20 years.
I am especially opposed to the trend for military contractors taking over human services; for example a subsidiary of Lockheed managing human services in Texas.
We have to take back our government programs and re-establish the concept of public service to the public sector. Medicare is a good example of a huge federal program that must be re-publicized. Corporate Medicare (HMO) costs more per person per year than “traditional” Medicare. The administrative costs of private insurance are more than 3 times (300%) of the administration of Medicare.
6. Will you oppose so-called “faith-based” initiatives that would displace public workers and allow for discriminatory hiring practices?
Yes.
7. Will you oppose any proposal to amend the Constitution to require a balanced federal budget?
Yes
8. Our health care system is broken, but some of the prescriptions for reform would just shift cost and responsibility to workers and families. Do you support comprehensive health care reform to ensure affordable coverage for everyone? Would you insist upon a plan that requires fair financing to ensure that everybody, including all employers, contribute to our system? Do you favor mechanisms that spread risk through the largest pools possible?
No candidate is better qualified to work on this issue than me. I support access to health care professionals, wellness programs, clinics and hospitals that provide quality care. Access to care is very different from just the mandate to have an insurance card for sickness care. I favor a single national risk pool, universal health care system. I also know we have to reform the health professional training system so that we are training a health care workforce to meet the needs of communities and the changing demographics of the country.
9. Would you support repeal of the Bush Medicare prescription drug benefit passed by Congress and signed into law and replace it with a program that provides real benefits to seniors and clamps down on skyrocketing drug costs, and at the same time gives the federal government the authority to negotiate with drug manufacturers for reduced prices for Medicare beneficiaries?
I opposed the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) and fought its passage. I favor repealing Medicare Part D, the prescription drug non-benefit, and adding access to prescriptions to the Medicare program just as it had previously been a Medicaid benefit. I favor negotiating with drug companies. Most drugs in the US are developed with large amounts of federal funds, tax breaks and other public resources. All drugs developed with public funds should be in the public domain and not the source of private profits.
There are several sections of the MMA which are good and were inserted to gain votes to pass the bad parts - such as the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, Frontier Extended Stay Clinic, geographic equalization of physician payments, etc and should not be repealed.
10. Will you support extending OSHA coverage to all public employees? Will you oppose efforts to eliminate existing health and safety standards or to curtail enforcement authority?
My public health training was focused on occupational and environmental health and I have always supported a fully funded, viable OSHA programs. There should be not only whistleblower protection for workers but incentive programs for workers that report violations and protect health and safety in the workplace. State and federal OSHA must be expanded with no exceptions.
11. Defined benefit pensions offer guaranteed pensions to workers in retirement, yet the number of workers with such coverage has declined steadily in recent years. What steps would you take to stop the erosion of guaranteed pension benefits for future retirees?
The entire pension and social security system must be overhauled and very quickly. The job of the government should be to protect the retirement security of workers and not let these be eroded through privatization schemes and the skimming off the top by fund “managers.” Companies and governments should not be allowed to recalculate pension holdings. Defined benefit plans are promises made to workers. Current plans should be maintained and new workers should also have access to defined benefit plans.
12. Congress has been asked by President Bush to approve legislation which essentially privatizes the Social Security system. Will you stand with us in opposition to efforts to weaken Social Security, including efforts to privatize?
I am absolutely opposed to the privatization of Social Security. I will not support even the so-called partial privatization. We have to lift the cap so that upper income workers pay their fair percentage of the social security tax.
13. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would enhance workers’ ability to make their own choices about whether to have a union by increasing penalties for illegal management interference and allowing ‘card-check” recognition of unions. Do you support this legislation?
I support repeal of Taft-Hartley and rebuilding a strong labor movement. The labor movement fought and won better working conditions for all workers and we need that solidarity and strength again in the US. We have seen how 60 years of Taft-Hartley have hurt workers who waited 11 years for a pathetic increase in the cruel minimum wage, are losing retirement security, health insurance, face worsening working conditions, off-shoring, outsourcing and a whole litany of abuses with little recourse through a stacked NLRB.
The country is facing an economic disaster and a strong, revitalized labor union engaged in a RENEW DEAL offers one of the best ways to come out of the recession.
14. What will you do to ensure access to quality and affordable child care for millions of families that depend on it nationwide? Will you actively promote increased funding for the Child Care Development Block Grant to fund increased reimbursement rates for child care providers and expanded subsidies for low income families?
I support expanding worksite childcare and public early childhood programs. I favor a real living wage and increase in the EITC. Parents on shift work must have guaranteed access to high quality 24/7 childcare.
15. Recent campaign finance reforms have restricted the legitimate activities of unions to conduct grassroots activities that encourage the general public to support endorsed candidates for state and local office. What is your position of this issue and whether unions should be prevented from supporting independent 527 organizations that are active in the political process?
I favor public financing of elections. I am a strong election reform advocate who thinks there are many reforms needed to assure that we live and vote in a democracy where our votes are counted.
16. What is your position on the privatization of public services? Have you ever been involved in any battles over the privatization of AFSCME members' jobs? Please explain.
I oppose privatization. Three examples of this follow. In NM I have fought (unsuccessfully) to keep Medicaid a state program without the insertion of 3 private insurance companies between the state and the providers. I opposed turning mental and behavioral health services over to ValueOptions, a for profit corporation. I am opposed to private prisons.
17. Do you oppose all privatization of public services? Please be specific with regard to federal and state health, veterans, and correctional facilities.
I find the question too general since it asks if I oppose all privatization. I cannot say yes. I am absolutely opposed to privatizing any government services to for-profit corporations.
However, when NM DOH contracted out some rural public health functions to state and federally funded community health centers, I think this was a good thing. When the VA contracts rural services to state and federally funded community health centers, I also think that is a good thing. So I cannot say I will always oppose, because I might not.
Yes No
Additional comments:
See above response
18. Do you support collective bargaining and the unions’ right to negotiate a contract containing wages, benefits, hours, and conditions of employment?
Yes XXXX No
Additional comments:
19. What is your opinion of minimum wage laws generally and the current minimum wage laws specifically?
Yes No
Additional Comments:
No one should earn less than $20,000 a year in 2008. That requires a minimum wage of $9.62 per hour. However I prefer a living wage, which pays people a fair wage taking into account the cost of living in their community.
20. Would you support inflation indexing once the minimum wage is raised?
Yes No
Additional comments:
I support inflation indexing of a living wage.
21. Do you pledge to never vote for a Congressional salary increase without raising the minimum wage by at least the same percentage?
Yes XXX No
Additional comments:
22. Do you oppose tax increment financing for greenfield developments and other big-dollar subsidies of developers?
Yes No
Additional comments:
Public money should be focused on rebuilding the infrastructure of the country.
23. What are your proudest pro-labor accomplishments or moments? Are you now or have you ever been a union member?
I have not been a union member. I come from a union family and married into a union family. I have been on picket lines since childhood. I have supported 1199 since it first came to NM to organize, I have been on picket lines in NM with UPS workers, CWA workers.
24. How do you believe you can win the election? How would you differentiate yourself from your opponents in this race?
I am running a grassroots campaign to build a coalition of voters that want to have an Independent community voice working for them in the House. I am honest, experienced and known as a hard worker for the people of New Mexico. I am a coalition builder.
25. What do you see as other major issues facing New Mexico and the country, and how can you address them if elected?
I am anti-war and believe the US should fund its debt to the UN and help rebuild it as an institution of global peacemaking. There is no military solution to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the troops should be brought home.
Militarism and the stranglehold of the obscene military industrial complex on most congressional districts must be dismantled so that those wasted resources can be directed to human needs; healthcare, education, the new energy economy, infrastructure investment through the RENEW DEAL, etc.
I have been fortunate in having traveled with human rights delegations to other countries where I met with labor and social movement leaders. I believe my experience with grassroots international work will be helpful in Congress.
Now is the time to raise up New Mexico from its decades of placement on the bottom of many lists and I believe I can work with the people of the District to make the needed changes in Congress.
26. If elected would you be willing to meet on a regular basis with union leadership?
Yes
27. Do you wish to receive a public endorsement from AFSCME?
Yes
28. Tell us about yourself! What is your birthdate? Where were you born? Where did you grow up? What is your current occupation? Any previous occupations? What is your educational background? In what ways are you or have you been involved in the community?
I have been a community organizer for many years. Before I became a public health worker, I was a tenants union organizer that won a rent control agreement after a hard fought rent strike. I have been a community organizer working on health care, economic justice, land and water struggles and human right issues around the world. I am an acequia commissioner and have served on numerous nonprofit boards in NM and nationally.
