STEVE NEEDS YOUR HELP TODAY
So much of public debate and campaign rhetoric reflects big-moneyed and corporate interests. In 2000, Vermont's groundbreaking campaign finance reform law went into effect. Sadly, most politicians have turned their back on the law, saying they support campaign finance reform without putting their mouths where their campaign spending will be.
Steve Hingtgen is the only candidate running for statewide office who has agreed to run a clean-money campaign -- free of corporate, special-interest and out-of-state political contributions. To do so, Steve is attempting to qualify for public financing under Vermont's campaign finance law.
To qualify, Steve needs to receive at least 750 small contributions from registered Vermont voters by July 15 -- just two weeks. Please help Steve qualify for a clean-money campaign. Download the qualifier form from hingtgen.com <http://hingtgen.com/PDF/contributionform.pdf> and mail your check for no more than $50 today.
HINGTGEN PUSHES DEBATE TOWARD UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE
On May 10, Steve Hingtgen announced his candidacy for Vermont Lieutenant Governor. He is running as a Progressive.
"This is the year I will challenge voters to expect more from politicians, to expect every candidate to make health care reform their number one priority," said Hingtgen. "My campaign is here to guarantee that this is the year the empty rhetoric stops and the action begins."
In the month since Hingtgen made that announcement, nearly every candidate for Governor and
Lieutenant Governor has done exactly what Hingtgen was hoping: declare health care their #1 issue.
Clearly, Hingtgen's entry into this race is lighting a fire under his opponents and the candidates for Governor. At every debate, Hingtgen will focus on universal health care. And unlike other candidates, he won't be letting the insurance industry set the rules of the debate.
"Tweaking the old system isn't going to solve anything," says Hingtgen, "We need to create a single insurance policy for everyone in this state."
Hingtgen knows there are powerful, moneyed interests that
will try to stand in the way of reforms that take the profit out of health care financing.
But with increasing anger from employers, workers, taxpayers, and health care professionals about high premiums and insurance industry bureaucracy, Hingtgen believes now is the time to push for universal health care reform.
"I want to transform the office of Lieutentant Governor. For too long it has been little more than a ceremonial office and a stepping stone to higher office."
"I want to change that. I want to make the Lieutenant Governor's office 'Health Care Central' in Vermont."