With a handful of protestors outside, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, a Democratic candidate for president, spoke with about 700 supporters Thursday at the AFL-CIO office in Phoenix about his plans to improve problems people commonly face in the work force.
Richardson said if he was elected president he wanted to increase wages, decrease the amount of jobs outsourced, wipe out all right-to-work states, improve working conditions for unions and union workers, and implement a national universal health care program.
Though the crowd cheered for Richardson's plan for universal health care, ASU student Christine Ostrowski, an exercise and wellness senior at the Polytechnic campus, said she didn't like the idea of a universal health care program because she thinks it will cost people more money in the long run.
"It sounds like a good idea but it will cost people a lot of money," she said. "Canada has a universal health care program and the people have a big chunk of money taken out of their paychecks for it. And people who don't work, we have to pay for them too."
While Richardson's statements were met with roaring applause from the crowd, visual communications senior Brooke Stanley said she doesn't feel she will face the same problems when she graduates.
"It doesn't really sound like graphic design would have a labor union just because usually it's just individuals," she said. "Obviously everybody has a different situation, but in my personal situation I've been really blessed in the fact that I don't have to worry about a lot of stuff like that. I've always worked for great companies."
Ostrowski, who plans to go to physical therapy school after graduating from ASU, also said she wasn't worried about wage or benefits issues when she starts working.
"The average salary of a [physical therapist] coming out of school is $60,000 so I'm not too worried about that," she said.
The event was part of the AFL-CIO's "Working Families Vote 2008" endorsement process, said Dana Kennedy, the Arizona AFL-CIO's Communications Director. In the process, they invite all of the presidential candidates to do a town hall meeting with union members so they can hear the candidates' positions and better be able to make up their minds about who to vote for, she said.
The process will culminate with a multi-candidate forum with all of the presidential candidates in Chicago on Aug. 7, and if a candidate gets two-thirds of the union members' votes they will get the endorsement of the AFL-CIO, along with all of its resources, she said.
Kennedy said the process is only for the Democratic candidates because "at this point in time, Democrats support working foundations and workers' rights to form unions."
Richardson said he has always fought for unions and working people because they were always there for him in his elections. He said that many of the changes he wants to make would benefit the labor worker.
In addition to increased wages, universal health care, the elimination of all right-to-work states, and a decrease in outsourcing jobs, Richardson said he doesn't want to privatize social security and instead would stop government officials from using the funds, and that he would double border enforcement and work with Mexico to stop the flow of illegal immigrants.
Richardson also said that he would change the No Child Left Behind program to place more emphasis on teacher training, dropout rates, and teaching English, and that he would give more funds to underachieving schools to help them improve.
Richardson has a widespread background in politics and government, formerly serving as a congressman, the U.S. secretary of energy, a U.N. ambassador, and now as the governor of New Mexico.
Richardson said that his experience as the governor of New Mexico and all of the legislation he has passed there would help him get things done as president.
"I hope that I don't just sound like a guy who's making a lot of promises and [talking about] what I want to do," Richardson said. "I not only have done it, but I know how to get it done."
The most recent Gallup poll for the Democratic nomination shows Richardson at five percent, ranking below Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, former Vice President Al Gore and former Sen. John Edwards.
"Arizona is important," Richardson said.
Because Arizona's primary was moved to Feb. 5, one of the first state primaries, western issues are now more important in presidential races, he said.
"I hope you all [will] be really involved in the election to fulfill this responsibility," he said.
