our future president?

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Rumors abound that NM's Gov. Bill Richardson may run for president, next time.

In addition to his apparant "need" for helicopters, international junkets, and an Albuquerque office with marble walls, he has squandered state (and we're one of the poorest in the Union) taxpayers' money by the boatload.

We're running a state surplus, thanks to inflated petroleum prices.

But I can't get my teeth fixed.

It's hard to eat. I can't speak normally -- on the phone, in person, and CERTAINLY not on a radio microphone. When I smile --even when I merely speak normally-- people see my teeth and become suspect. I've been refused service, had security called on me, been physically attacked on the streets and DEFINATELY refused employment, based on my teeth.

I have a chronic infection, due to absesses in my jaw and skull.

I went to First Choice Dental, community clinic for low income, today. I tried to schedule an appointment. My Medicaid doesn't cover dental.

I'll have to pay a $25 copay, per visit.

My income's $640; my rent's $450.

So, I called the state's Income Support office. They handle my Medicaid and food stamps (a whole $62 per month).

I wanted the telephone extension and name of my worker. The receptionist refused. Instead, without being qualified to do so, SHE insisted SHE would solve the problem! I STILL don't know my worker's name and number!

When I described my situation, she REPEATEDLY told me to go to First Choice, in spite of my insistance that $25 per visit was beyond my means. She said that's a really low copay, compared to other insurance companies. I replied, "sure, if you're middle class. But I'm not!"

I said, "what can I do?"

She said, "Well, I WORK for a living!"

She continuously asserted that I was not qualified for Medicaid dental.

When I'd ask why not, she first said, "because you're elderly."
"I'm only fifty!"
"Well, then, you're on SSI."
"I'm on SSDI!"
"Well, then, I don't know...."
"What do I DO?"
"Are you homeless?"
"No, that's why my rent is over four hundred a month..."
"Oh, that's right! Well, go there and lie. Tell them you ARE homeless. You know, you have to lie occasionally, when it's necessary."

That's the official position of the State's Income Support Division.

The clinics are broke. They'll have no budget again until July. They're accepting no new appointments, except emergencies.

So, next month, I'll forgo repairs to my electric bike. I'll illegally drive an unregistered, uninsured vehicle (without a driver's license) to the clinic. They accept emergencies ONLY by 6am. There's always a long line. There is NO bus service that early in the morning. It's too far to walk.

I have to risk jail to go. I have to give up repairing my only source of independent transportation to go.

But the governor has marble bathrooms and a helicopter.