New Mexico is constantly losing doctors.

The risk of frivolous lawsuits is driving many of them out of the state. Nationwide, doctors every year are declaring their retirement. A big factor in many retirements is the threat of frivolous lawsuits. Why does the Governor ignore this loss of business? Obviously Richardson understands that frivolous lawsuits kill jobs. He is willing for that to happen, just not with the Spaceport.

According to an AP article on March 15th:

"A bill signed Feb. 27 by Gov. Bill Richardson, is similar to laws approved earlier in Florida and Virginia. It protects New Mexico's spaceport and its operators from legal liability if there are injuries or deaths during a spaceflight catastrophe.

"Without the legislation, Landeene said New Mexico was at risk of watching business go elsewhere.

Under New Mexico's law, spacecraft operators still can be sued if a judge determines gross negligence or willful disregard for safety resulted in death or injuries."

I applaud the legislation. However, it does not go far enough... let's give doctors the same protection as the Spaceport. In fact, let's give all businesses the same protection as the Spaceport.

When I was in Congress, American Express officials in New York City told a group of us Congressmen visiting Wall Street that if the country did not address the frivolous lawsuits that there would not be Fortune 500 company left in the country in 20 years.

The nation is bleeding jobs. I suggest we do the same thing as New Mexico did with the Spaceport: make them liable if a judge rules gross negligence or willful disregard for safety that results in death or injury.

When Republicans were in the majority in my first 4 years in Congress, we passed several kinds of lawsuit abuse protection. The Senate Democrats killed each measure with the filibuster. That is the 60 vote rule they are now ignoring to pass Healthcare.

It is time to clean out the obstacles to job creation.