Immediately following his Spanish-language kickoff, Mike headed across the city to the National Forum on Wages and Working People, a large event organized by the Center for American Progress, and the Service Employees International Union.
The governor listened to the other speakers while waiting for his turn to talk to the crowd made up of mostly academics and unionised workers. He was opting to attend the event rather than the healthcare round table organized by the Westra campaign, and appeared to the the only candidate to have made that decision.
When it was his turn to speak, he confidently took the microphone and delved into his remarks.
“Hello, my name is Governor Mike Veléz, I am the newest member of the field of candidates running for President, and I am the field’s designated representative at this event.”
There were chuckles from the audience.
“Seriously, I would like to give a hand to Senator Westra and the rest of the field for organizing a healthcare round table taking place in Washington today. Access to adequate healthcare is one of, if not the most important issues we are faced with as a nation. I applaud them for keeping it in the conversation.”
He clapped a few times.
“While what they are doing is important, grassroots events like this are even moreso. Healthcare doesn’t need to be kept in the conversation through fancy round tables and glossy photo-ops. Around the dinner tables of working families, on job sites, and and even between our kids, already is the conversation. I can attest to that. When my parents first got to this country from Colombia and had me, it was the biggest concern on their minds, and boy did I know it. I don’t need to tell you all that, though. The SEIU’s main task, like most unions here in Nevada, is to fight tooth and nail, day in and day out for adequate healthcare plans for their members. And for undocumented people, workers trapped in the gig economy, and other un-unionised folks, healthcare has been turned into a luxury. Hell, I know people who have had to choose between buying groceries for their family or going to the doctor. In the wealthiest country in the world, healthcare has become inaccessible for many working people. This is absolutely unacceptable. Healthcare is not a commodity, healthcare is a human right!”
There was cheering from the audience.
“I believe that the way forward is ‘Medicare for All Who Want It.’ What this includes is first and foremost a re-expansion of the Affordable Care Act, to offer Americans greater options and protections should they choose to use private insurance. This would include, of course, measures against discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions, federal action to cap extortionate drug prices, and a massive expansion of the healthcare income tax credit. Most important, Medicare for All Who Want It is exactly that- Medicare for All Who Want It. Under this system, all Americans would be offered full coverage by Medicare, with no premiums. However, they may opt-out if they so choose, to use private healthcare plans. This maintains a freedom of choice, but forces insurance companies to compete with Medicare, driving down premiums and raising quality. This would give unions like the SEIU even greater collective bargaining power, and unlike Medicare for All, would allow their members to keep their hard-fought, quality private insurance. Medicare for All Who Want It will give working families a safety net that Lord knows my mother and father wished we had.”
There was some applause from the audience.
“You know, my parents were lucky in many ways- so were yours. They came to the United States during a time of great prosperity in this country, the 1960s. And for all of this country’s faults, during the post-war period we had a strong minimum wage, workers had more money in their pockets, and unions were strong. Of course, healthcare is the most important issue for working people, but we are also here to talk about just this- wages and the economy. And we can’t do that before understanding what went wrong.”
Velez wiped his brow.
“Now, I believe in capitalism, even if it is a dirty word these days. I believe that the markets can be a force for good, a rising tide that can lift all boats. But it’s our job as people who control the levers of power to make sure that all boats do rise with the tide. Right now, most boats are allowed to sink. We no longer have a minimum wage that is adequate, the Reagan and now the Wolf tax cuts have shifted the tax burden from the wealthy onto working families, deregulation has steadily reached dangerous heights, and the stock market portfolios of the wealthy are booming while working and middle class incomes haven’t grown in decades. This all has to change, and it’s exactly why my campaign is calling for something we haven’t had in recent memory: responsible stewardship of the economy.”
There was some mild clapping.
“It’s not too late to fix this. What we need to do, is bolster union membership. I’ve worked hard to strengthen the teacher’s union in Florida, by giving them a voice in government and facilitating their right to organize as best I could. But it takes more than just offering unions a seat at the table, when the system has been set up in such a way that the table is this high, and the seat is only this high.”
He gestured with his hands to chuckles from the crowd.
“We need to overturn restrictions on starting unions. You should be able to start a union with a majority of workers and a single piece of paper in this country. Cold War era procedural hoops have made it a gargantuan task. We need to punish companies restricting union activity with fines. And we need to overturn so-called ‘right to work laws.’ Unions are the engine of wage growth, as I’m sure everyone in this room understands!”
There was applause.
“We need to raise the federal minimum wage- it’s been 10 years- and actually enforce it across the country. Just as importantly, we need to peg it to inflation. We also need to ensure the wealthy are paying their fair share, by reversing the Wolf tax cuts, raising taxes on the top income bracket, and most importantly, creating a system with 0 tax liability for the lowest income bracket, to give a helping hand to those living well below the poverty line. We also need to greatly expand worker’s comp and federal unemployment benefits, and implement federally guaranteed paid sick leave.”
There was applause.
“You all have been fighting for these changes for decades. I believe that together, we can create an America with true economic justice. I have gone to bat for working families in Florida, and succeeded against conservatives and special interests, even in a state dominated by the Tea Party and Wolfism. It’s time we bring new politics into this new decade, and bring back American ingenuity. Let’s bring this country down a path toward a better future for ourselves and our children. A future where working families earn an honest wage for honest work, and actually benefit when our economy grows. A future where healthcare is treated as the human right it is. A future where the United States is not made great again, but is made the greatest it has ever been.”
The governor replaced the microphone and returned to his seat, with applause from the audience. He was introducing himself to Nevada.
