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ENDORSEMENT - Las Vegas Optic
Miller for U.S. Congress
After a decade representing northern New Mexico, Tom Udall is running for U.S. Senate, so his congressional seat is open this year. Three candidates are vying for the 3rd Congressional District -- Democrat Ben Ray Lujan, Republican Dan East and Independent Carol Miller.
Lujan, the son of state House Speaker Ben Lujan, is the Democratic machine candidate who has little experience. His career had amounted to state jobs that heavily depended on his dad’s influence.
East, on the other hand, is a typical Republican candidate who calls for tax cuts and touts supposed “family values” — not much different from President Bush.
Of the three candidates, we favor Carol Miller, a public health leader for decades. Her proposed solution for the lack of health care in this country is quite simple: Eliminate the words “over 65” from the law authorizing Medicare, a popular program that works more efficiently than private insurance. She sees health care as a right, not a privilege. With everyone in the same healthcare pool, society should be able to drive down prices and make healthcare more affordable. As it stands, we pay more for health care per capita than nearly every other industrialized country in the world.
As a longtime resident of northern New Mexico, Miller passionately believes in helping the underdog. She wants to restructure the tax system to help the working and middle classes. This promise seems believable because she doesn’t seem concerned with the needs of the powerful special interests.
While her interests are in New Mexico, she is no stranger to the ways of Washington. In 1993, she was appointed to the health-care task force headed by Hillary Clinton. That’s the group that came up with President Clinton’s proposed universal health-care package.
In previous elections, Miller has run under the Green Party banner. But she decided to run as an independent this time. She points out that she has a nonpartisan approach to politics...
We encourage voters to back Miller for Congress.
http://www.lasvegasoptic.com/cgibin/storyviewx.cgi?080+OpinionEditorial.2008020-2546-080-080007.Full+OpinionEditorial
