The US Congress Needs a Caring Physician

As a family physician, I have spent my 30 year professional career caring for my patients and 26 years in a nurturing relationship with my husband and 3 step-children. Now it is time to care for our country. I believe that the democratic protections we have taken for granted are under threat. The very nature of honesty and integrity has been under assault. Truth is flat-lining and needs CPR. There is an objective reality out there, and, as a woman of science, I intend to protect that reality. My current representative in Congress, Jason Chaffetz, has been deaf to the concerns of his constituents and has claimed that they are “paid protestors.”

More medically trained people are needed in government. We can critically examine symptoms, synthesize them, and render an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Congress is ailing and we have a prescription.

My Background:

I received a B.A. in psychology from the University of Redlands, CA in 1975. Immediately after college, my first employment was as a Congressional Aide to Honorable Shirley N. Pettis, of the 37th Congressional District of California, my native state. I worked in this capacity for about 3 years, and learned a great deal about how the federal government functions and fails to function. I then worked in a County Housing program for 2 years while I finished preparing for medical school. Duties of this job included going out into the desert near 29 Palms and enrolling senior citizens in a housing repair program. I visited many residences that did not have indoor plumbing; some were literally shacks.

My professional training as a physician entailed four years at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, where I graduated in the top third of my class. I then moved to Salt Lake City to pursue a 3 year residency in Family Medicine through the University of Utah, completed in 1987. I practiced in the West Valley area for most of my career, running my own business. I personally experienced the problems of small business owners. Toward the end of my tenure in private practice, it became difficult to make ends meet and to keep abreast of onerous regulations. I sold my privately owned practice to a large corporation with the intention of continuing to work for them for 5 years. I only lasted 3. The moral dilemma of choosing whether to do what I thought was right for my patients kept bumping up against the organization's desires that I make decisions that would enhance their bottom line. I am much happier in my current employment working in a private clinic run for the employees and staff of the Utah Transit Authority.

Past Leadership:

For about 25 years, I have been active in organized medicine. I am a past president of the Salt Lake County Medical Society. In the Utah Medical Association, I held many positions of leadership, including Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice-Speaker of the House of Delegates. I was usually in a small minority of left-leaning voices. The underdog role is one with which I have intense familiarity. The UMA Women's Section awarded me the Deborah Robinson Memorial Award for my activism.

My Philosophy:

I have been a democrat for most of my life. My husband and I, along with a group of friends, visited Scandinavia last year. One thing that struck us in these social democracies was how seriously their citizens pledge to look after one another's welfare. In America, we state that we are created equal and have certain unalienable rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There are parts of the world which take this commitment to heart. I believe that people are not only created, but continue to actually be equal throughout their lives. I am dismayed by our elected leaders’ unrealistic promises to people whose livelihoods are threatened by technological changes in our world. The funds earmarked for the California coal port were originally intended to stimulate the economies of rural areas of Utah. Once again, the greed of a few individuals overcame what could have been a real effort to bring clean industries to our rural areas and re-employ our rural citizens.

Personal Life:

I have been married for 26 years to Craig Fineshriber, retired Utah Symphony Principal Percussionist. Craig devoted 40 years of his life to high art. I have three grown step-children and two grandchildren. Step-parenting is a skill that requires both kindnes and firmness.

My interests are varied. I direct a Balkan Women’s Choir called “Darena” which presents the music of the Balkan countries. We performed during the 2002 Winter Games here in Salt Lake City. I am also on the leadership team of the Mountain Jubilee Chorus, a chapter of Sweet Adelines International (lady’s barbershop) and play several musical instruments, including the accordion. I am quite fluent in French and have enjoyed international travel. Reading has always been important to me. I love the theater.

My Principles:

*Health care is indeed a right and most developed societies acknowledge this right. I have seen what happens when people do not have health insurance, and we cannot go back. No one should face bankruptcy due to medical bills. Illness is not a moral failing. Prevention is hugely important, but we cannot rail against the sick that the illness was their "personal responsibility." A mature society takes care of its needy, its sick, and its hungry and homeless. I am strongly against the privatizing of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

*Jobs feed both the table and the soul. As jobs have been displaced by technology and outsourcing, it is essential that we embrace new technologies and training programs and move forward to produce jobs for the 21st Century. Small businesses need access to an affordable work force, but individuals need to support their families; these two forces must always be counterbalanced. However, I believe the minimum wage should be increased to a livable standard. Technological change has an inexorable forward progression and is rarely reversible. We will not be returning to vacuum tube TVs, rotary dial telephones, or surgery with ether as an anesthetic. When discussing ways to stimulate our economy, these facts must be acknowledged, and our focus should be on cutting edge and future technologies, not dying ones.

*National parks and monuments fulfill a unique niche wherein human beings can appreciate that they, too, are natural beings in a complex ecosystem. I do not accept the premise that we can “give lands back” to those who never owned them in the first place. From the evidence I have seen of how the State of Utah manages its public lands, I prefer that their stewardship remain under federal control. Like most Utahns, I was pleased by the designation of the Bears Ears National Monument, which is within the 3rd Congressional District.

*Facts are part of verifiable reality. Ignore them at your peril. Lies are attempts to manipulate the vulnerable. Repeating them ad nauseam does not turn them into truth.

* Climate change is real and we, as stewards of our planet, need to recognize it and combat it aggressively. Putrid air has dire health consequences for human beings and for Planet Earth. We must protect the planet for our children and our grandchildren.

*Tax cuts for the wealthy are unnecessary. The gap between those most and least fortunate keeps widening. Millionaires do not need tax loop holes. Trickle down economics does not work and what really trickles down is increased income disparity. Fiscal responsibility in spending is indeed important, and this is one of my more moderate views.

*The needs of public education are acute. A democracy cannot be nourished without an informed public. Critical thinking skills should be taught from an early age. Children should be exposed to music and other arts. Studies show that exposure to music enhances intellectual development. Public education should teach people how to communicate in cogent and respectful ways, even when communicating with those with whom they do not agree. We need to listen to those with expertise about the education process, and adhere to methods with proven success in the classroom. Diverting money from public schools weakens them. We can’t afford that.

*The principles of embracing diversity and inclusion are ideals of the Democratic party, and they are mine as well. I firmly believe that humanity is part of a tapestry that links us with all other life forms on the planet. Often in our day-to-day lives, we may not appreciate this interconnection and interdependence, but it is there nonetheless. Humans caring for one another is not a platitude; it is a necessity.

*I believe in equal pay for equal work. The powers in our world today are out of balance due to many factors, one of which is that the feminine archetype is largely missing. Government needs women who can build consensus, foster tolerance, and show compassion. We can nurture an idea just as we nurture our families. Our collective wisdom needs to be outed.

*The scientific method, while not perfect, is the best model we have for ascertaining whether a theory is correct, whether physical laws of our universe are valid, whether a medication is safe and effective, and whether vaccines cause autism. My campaign will be run on scientifically verified data. Vaccines do not cause autism and climate change is real.

*I wholeheartedly support the arts. They feed and nourish us, especially at times when we are collectively stressed. They lift us out of ourselves and propel our culture to examine itself. The idea that the NEA and public radio could be defunded is appalling to me.

*Substance abuse and addiction problems are draining our world of potential. We need effective programs to prevent and rehabilitate those who have been afflicted by this scourge. It tears families apart and causes unbelievable pain.

*We need immediate reform of campaign funding. One should not be able to buy a public office. Corporate America is overly influencing our elections. I would like to see public financing of campaigns without reliance on large Super Pacs and other huge donations from Corporations. I do not want to be on the floor of Congress and forced to vote against my conscience because of some donation I received from the corporate world. Citizens United should be re-visited by the Supreme Court.

*Veterans deserve timely medical care in state-of-the-art facilities. They deserve primary care doctors and specialists customized for treating loss of limb, PTSD, and other needs. Most of all, they deserve our thanks.

*Gerrymandering is akin to a botched surgery. Our legislative districts should not be resected into pieces specifically designed to disenfranchise a political party, a minority, or the non-religious. I am working actively on this issue with others.

*Coalitions of citizens are important for effecting change. It is my hope to bring together moderate democrats, moderate republicans, liberals, and democrats of all stripes to fight against an administration which has threatened freedom of speech and freedom of the press and other of our cherished liberties. If an administration is corrupt, it needs to be exposed and expelled. The emoluments clause is a part of our Constitution and it was put there for a reason. Public officials should not benefit financially from their positions of power.

*Pets are family members for many of us. I will fight any legislation to lessen their protections.

*Acknowledging that complex problems do not have simple solutions is an initial step toward solving those problems. We need realists who can acknowledge the gravity of a situation while simultaneously thinking creatively and inventively about possible solutions. Let's talk values; values are the root of the humanity tree just as issues are its top growth.

*Patience and persistence are what produces change. It may not come as quickly as we wish, but citizens must engage for the long-run and celebrate small victories as they come. We face daunting obstacles and it will take stamina to make positive change happen. We need to set minor differences aside for the greater good, and unite in a common cause to protect our rights and freedoms.