Chrisonomicon

Monday, April 7, 2003

This month's Art & Understanding Magazine cover story features an inteview with Democratic presidential hopeful, Howard Dean, on the topic of AIDS and healthcare. Dean has the most lucid, straightforward and simple plan I've seen for guaranteeing everyone the option of healthcare coverage -- as currently practiced in his former constituency, Vermont -- and plans to fund the program by repealing Bush's tax cuts and balancing the national budget. Regarding the increasing HIV diagnoses in the US:

"The African countries that are really serious in trying to deal with AIDS are really so far ahead of Americans in terms of public education. We really need to be much more frank in a national discussion about sexuality because that's how AIDS is principally spread."

Dean is not afraid of frank discussion, imploring gay men -- particularly the younger generation -- to remember or acknowledge how terrible the AIDS epidemic was and open up public discussion on infection prevention and sexuality. He struck me as sounding almost overly idealistic but his resume speaks volumes of his experience and success:

• Bachelor's degree from Yale University; Medical degree from Einstein College of Medicine
• Owned a private medical practice with his wife
• Served in the Vermont House from 1982-1986
• Elected lieutenant governor in 1986
• Became governor in 1991 after the death of then-Governor Richard Snelling
• Subsequently re-elected five more times by wide margins
• Known both for getting his state's government in good shape fiscally and for advancing it through progressive social programs. The governor's fiscal accomplishments were noteworthy because he inherited the largest budget deficit in the history of the state—at a time when that state also had the highest marginal tax rate in the country.
• Reduced child abuse in Vermont by nearly half, increased the rate of immunized children to one of the highest in the country, and lowered uninsured rates to one of the lowest
• Sanctioned same-sex civil unions, reasoning, "It is about basic human rights."

To say the least, I'm excited to see how far Dean's campaign takes him. During my short, few years of political involvment, I've never experienced the sort of excitement and resonance I feel reading his stances on important issues, particularly education and gun laws ("If you say "gun control" in Vermont, Tennessee or Colorado, people think it means taking away their hunting rifle. If you say "gun control" in New York City or Los Angeles, people are relieved at the prospect of having Uzis or illegal handguns taken off the streets. I think Vermont ought to be able to have a different set of laws than California."). While I'd had a rather deflating experience working for a few candidates last November, I'm looking forward to the possibility of joining a few inspiring people and taking up the cause this election.