Bill Richardson: Does His Long Resume Include Fighting for Low-Income Americans?

Today Senator Obama is spending the day with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, creating additional buzz about the VP selection. Richardson remains in the mix because of his unique combination of experience, which includes representing his state for 15 years in the United States Congress and 6 years as governor, and serving as U.S. Secretary of Energy and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during the Clinton administration. He would bring executive and foreign policy experience to the ticket, and some argue that he could help win over Hispanic voters - a key voting bloc - this November.

Let’s take a look though at Richardson’s lengthy and diverse public service resume to see how he would help low-income Americans in the number two spot.

Gov. Bill Richardson (NM)

Richardson, a fiscal conservative, has been able to bring relief to low-income families in New Mexico, while also cutting waste and maintaining a balanced budget. Recently he increased his state’s minimum wage to $7.50 per hour. When this increase goes into effect on January 1, 2009 it will surpass the federal $7.25 minimum wage hike that will go into effect in July of 2009.

He has partnered with companies to create New Mexico’s Job Training Incentive Program, which funds training for newly created jobs in expanding or relocating businesses. This program has worked with 66 companies since its inception, and has created nearly 2,000 jobs with hourly wages of $13.58.

Richardson has also been committed to reforming New Mexico’s education system by offering a voluntary statewide pre-K program for every child that wants to attend high-quality pre-K. He has called for frequent audits of New Mexico’s schools to determine their performance, and match progress with a proposed teacher pay raise. As he said in his second inaugural address:

For too long, some have believed that certain children can’t learn. They have the wrong environment at home, the wrong attitude in class, or come from the wrong side of the poverty line. No more. We are living by a new belief matched by strong actions -a belief in ourselves, our educators, our parents, and in our children. We must demonstrate that it doesn’t matter where you come from, every single child can learn. We must raise our expectations of them, and their expectations of themselves.

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Richardson worked to bring jobs and services to rural New Mexico. He sponsored a bill that improved rural health care and increased the number of nurses in his state. He also brought a new dairy factory and high-tech business parks that created new jobs for New Mexico citizens.

When people cite Richardson’s vast experience they typically tout his experience in energy policy or foreign affairs. However, if elected Vice President, he would also bring a desire to help low-income Americans scale the economic ladder.