Bill Richardson on Welfare & Poverty Democratic Governor (NM); Secretary of Commerce-Designee

Strategy to deal with poverty: unions; living wage; EITC

New Mexico ranked 48th worst in poverty, but moving forward

A: We’ve made enormous progress in all of those areas. Let me talk about child poverty. I followed eight years of a Republican administration that did not invest in health care. What I have done as governor is I’ve insured every child under five. I’ve gotten rid of junk food in schools. We’ve increased immunization rates. As president, I would expand the earned income tax credit. I have cut taxes for the middle class in New Mexico. I have cut taxes for working families. We have significantly improved in the poverty area.

Q: But these rankings are troubling.

A: Well, we’re a poor state, but the fact is that we have been moving forward. We’ve increased spending on education and health care to attack some of those problems.

Increase tax deduction for charities

Indicate which principles you support regarding the poor & homeless.
• Provide tax incentives for companies to hire & train homeless people who want to work.
• Increase programs that help alcoholics & drug addicts recover.
• Increase the minimum wage.
• Provide homeless families with apartment vouchers.
• Increase the income tax deduction on individual contributions made to charities that help the poor and homeless.
• Implement enterprise zones in communities with high unemployment.