Vermont's Governor Dean Gives Health Policy Speech in New Hampshire

By Chris Bracken on Monday, June 10, 2002.

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Vermont governor and presidential hopeful Howard Dean was in New Hampshire over the weekend.

Although he came to speak at a college graduation ceremony, Dean was clearly hoping to attract some attention to his bid for higher office.

Correspondent Chris Bracken has more.

THE SPEECH TO 118 GRADUATES OF DARTMOUTHï¿½S MEDICAL SCHOOL LAID OUT A MAJOR THEME IN GOVERNOR DEANï¿½S PRESIDENTIAL RUN.

THE COUNTRY, HE TOLD THE NEXT GENERATION OF DOCTORS, needs to do more to provide ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, especially for its children....

"Today in Vt., if your a family that makes $52,000 a year or less, for a family of 4, every child under the age of 18 in that household is entitled to health insurance. Now, if we can do that in a small state that ranks 26th in the country in income, surely the richest and most powerful nation on earth, can do that for their children."...

DURING DEANï¿½S NEARLY 12 YEARS IN OFFICE, Vermont HAS BECOME #1 IN THE NATION FOR ITS LOW PERCENTAGE OF UNINSURED CHILDREN.

AND DEAN, who is A doctor, says the country should ALSO DO WHAT IT CAN TO PROTECT THE NATIONï¿½S ELDERLY BY PROVIDING prescription drug benefits for those over 65.

THE VERMONT GOVERNOR says he ALSO has a plan to help uninsured workERs get health benefits....

"We need to build on the existing system. We need an employer based system with federal subsidies for those people, all of whom work, who don't have health insurance. That is an easy solution. The 80% of people who have health insurance aren't going to be threatened by that. We can do better and we can accomplish that. I believe that it is fundamentally Immoral, in the richest country on earth, not to make sure that everybody has a basic need, like adequacy and access to health care."

Dean FILED PAPERS LAST MONTH ANNOUNCING HIS INTENTIONS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2004.

Last October, he formed a political action committee, or PAC, to fund that campaign.

During the first six months of the PAC's operation, it HAS raised over $110,000.

Dean's speech was politely received by the graduates, many of whom said they had no idea WHO HE WAS OR THAT HE was running for president.

Lack of name recognition even ACROSS THE CONNECTICUT RIVER IN HANOVER is one of the major obstacles to Dean's presidential ambitions.

Guy Macmillan is the editorial page editor of the Keene Sentential....

"I think the idea that someone would be the favorite son candidate simply because he or she lives next door, is not always the case. Gov. Dean who is not covered widely in the newspapers in this state, or on the radio, or on television, is not any better know probably than some of the other candidates from further afield.".....

Macmillan says Granite Stators usually are more acquainted with Massachusetts politicians.

IN PART HE SAYS THATï¿½S Because, people in the more populated southern part of New Hampshire watch television originating from MASSACHUSETTS.

Kathy Sullivan, the Chairwoman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party says Dean can gain name recognition in New Hampshire if he works at it..

"Gov. Dean has to continue doing what he's been doing for the last 4 or 5 months. He's been going around the state making various appearances at events. That's what he has to do. Just keep getting out the and meeting people and getting his name out there"....

Getting his message and name out are not Dean's only problems.

Back in Vermont, he is facing shrinking revenues and a legislature still squabbling over redistricting three weeks after the session was scheduled to end.