Issue Position: Attack the Roots of Poverty

Issue Position

There's not one of us who has not needed help coping at some time. For me it was shame of poverty and not measuring up.

We are going to help those who need it. This state will not give up on those who have stumbled.

People
New Mexicans are good and hardworking people. Sadly, many have given up hope of finding a job. New Mexico has some of the highest unemployment in the nation. At the same time, thousands of high paying jobs are going unfilled in the state. The job of pairing people needing jobs with the jobs available is a high priority. Thousands of New Mexico workers could have a job, supporting their families, and paying taxes to support critical services if we focus on providing the training or support they need to fill those jobs.

It is my commitment as Governor I will concentrate on providing hope to those who have lost it, courage to those who need, and training where it is required for anyone who wants to reenter the work force.

Those adults who have lost belief that they can get and hold a job will receive encouragement.

Those who are able bodied and just can't find the courage to try to get a job will receive a helping hand to be paired with work.

Those with no skills will receive training.

New Mexico will not lose faith in any of her citizens.

We often complain that there are those who choose to not work when jobs are available. Actually, the poor are making a rational choice that gives them the most money to live on. We should adopt a sliding scale for benefits that will allow new entrants into the workforce to obtain a job without immediately losing all their benefits.

Attacking poverty starts with education.
A Brookings Institute study show that avoiding poverty can be accomplished by 3 basic steps:

Get a high school diploma
Wait until age 21 to get married and have children
Get a full time job
Of those who follow these rules, only 2% end up in poverty, 75% join the middle class. These are simple rules; we are all capable of doing them.

71% of poor families with children are unmarried. Poverty rate among unmarried white families was 22%. Poverty among married black couples the same year was 7%. Poverty is more from decisions being made than the race or culture. Crime destroys communities.

Your life is in your own hands. You get to decide if you have a successful life or not. Take control. Work hard, make smart decisions and not hurting other people.

Women

Women out of college in 147 of 150 largest cities women make 8% more than men in their peer group. That gap is growing not shrinking. 55% of people in college are women. 58% of graduate degrees are women. The reason there is a statistical difference is that there are women who take time out to have kids. Studies from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. James Chung, Reach Advisors.

Teaching those 3 basic steps to every New Mexican will be a goal which helps attack poverty at its roots. IRS studies show that poverty in the US is transitory. In this country you can make your way out of poverty with a little discipline and hard work. New Mexico will strive to help every person out of poverty.

Watching the people who are trying to escape from bad choices, from not having the tools to succeed. Watching them struggle without help is almost unbearable. They are covered up with day to day responsibilities and sometimes lose their foothold and slip all the way back to the bottom.

Replace all welfare programs with a simple supplement to wages and earned income tax credits. (tax credits to encourage hiring do not work)

Apprenticeship Programs in High Schools
Not every student will attend college, nor should they. But their educational needs are just as important as the college-bound student.

Our current practice of ignoring or minimally addressing the plight of those not headed to college will stop.

We will work to establish Apprenticeship Programs in every school district so that those students who do not intend to go to college will graduate with a diploma and a journeyman certificate which along with the experience gained while in the program will qualify them to get a job the day they graduate.

Giving students a purpose and a skill should be a requirement of every high school.

Behaviour, Mental Health, and Homelessness
Any effort to combat poverty must acknowledge the devastating effects of behavior and mental health and the long-term homelessness that affects New Mexicans. Budgets must reflect an increased commitment to addressing these difficult problems.

Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment benefits were meant to be short term relief for those who are laid off or face other interruptions. The program is useful but is being abused by some who want to avoid work.

The Labor Department will be provided a mobile phone APP that allows employers to identify people drawing unemployment who apply for work. The App will allow the employer to post immediately that the person is in fact looking for work. But they will also be able to post if the person refuses the job or if they take the job and do not show up. Those persons who turn down work or who do not show up for work will see reductions in their unemployment checks.

People abusing the system meant solely as a safety net will not be allowed to continue. By stopping the abuses, the program will be strengthened for those who need it.

Medicaid
Able bodied people without children will have a work requirement.

Adults with children who are not taking financial responsibility for their children will have a work requirement.

Drug Screens
I believe the government has a moral responsibility to help those struggling with dependency. Virtually every job requires passing a drug screen. If a person cannot pass a drug screen to get a job, they will be encouraged to enter a treatment program to cure their drug habits to pave the way for them to lead productive lives.

Take Jobs into the Deep Pockets of Poverty
Many companies have great latitude in where to locate. Companies will be encouraged to locate in areas of poverty where the people have shown the capacity to be trained to become good employees. Taking the jobs to the poverty will help those trapped in circumstances beyond their control.

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