Veronica Williams
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Speaker: now onto today's [00:01:00] episode, grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let's get started.
Speaker 2: Welcome to this week's episode of the Working Moms of San Antonio podcast. We have a guest on Veronica Williams and I'm gonna turn it over to her, um, to share about all the things that you're working on and what you've got going on.
Speaker 3: Thank you so much, Erica.
Speaker 2: Yeah,
Speaker 3: it is my pleasure to be here. I'm very grateful for this opportunity to hang out with you guys.
Yes, yes. Woo.
Speaker 2: Excited
Speaker: to have you.
Speaker 3: Thank you so much
Speaker: Uhhuh.
Speaker 3: So I'm Veronica Williams and I am an independent running for Congress, Texas District 23. And what I constantly tell people is that enough is enough with, uh, division.
Yeah,
Speaker 3: enough is enough with, uh, corruption.
Speaker: Yeah. Enough
Speaker 3: is enough with the economy that leaves too many [00:02:00] families behind.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's so
Speaker: true. It's, yeah. For have you always been, uh, considered an independent? Have you always felt that way?
Speaker 3: You know, um, just like many people, I've been caught up in my own life, right? Yeah. Raising children. I'm also a grandmother. Um, I own my own private practice, and so I was not always in tuned with politics.
The more that my own clients in therapy wanted to talk about politics and how scared and how concerned they were with the way that our country was going. I started to focus a little bit more on politics. So then naturally it was natural for me to become an independent, because first and foremost, all my background is in psychology.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And I know the way psychology works, you know, even when there's not a healthy candidate. Party will push everyone to be quiet, fall in line, we're all gonna support this person.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And you know, as an independent, I implement my critical thinking [00:03:00] skills and I really look at the candidate. Yeah. Is this a good candidate to lead us?
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: And so that's what really mostly led me to become an in.
Speaker: It's hard because you, I mean, I, I, I think growing up it wasn't a big deal in my household.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker: And then as I've gotten older, it's very much pushed onto social media. Right. It's hard to get away from, I, we used to get our, our news and information just from the news.
Right. You watch tv, five o'clock, six o'clock news. Mm-hmm. Um, sometimes in the morning, but beyond that, it wasn't always in front of us. And now you can't really get away from it like it's everywhere. So you see the younger generation really. In tune to what's going on, and I think that's been an issue with mental health.
Like with, you know, they're stressed. They're stressed out, we're all stressed out a little bit.
Speaker 3: Oh yes.
Speaker: You know,
Speaker 3: there's a lot of anxiety.
Speaker: Absolutely. Absolutely. You're worried. Mm-hmm. And I don't, and sometimes like, well, was it always like this? And we didn't know. Mm-hmm. We just didn't have the information.
Speaker 2: I don't feel like my, like politics is big with my parents. Mm-hmm. But I don't feel like it [00:04:00] was big until they got older. Like, they didn't talk about that stuff when we were younger, that I can recall. My parents know. Um, but as they get older, they get so very opinionated,
Speaker: oh, Mr. Rainey
Speaker 2: so opinionated, all the
Speaker: opinions,
Speaker 3: and now everyone has an opinion.
And we see this on social media. Yes,
Speaker: ma'am.
Speaker 3: You know, so now we're surrounded by it,
Speaker: which I, I think it's good to hear, but I, I don't think no one listens to each other. So I, I don't know if I've ever identified as an independent, but I always wanted to like, I need to hear both. How can you have the full picture if you don't listen to both sides?
But I'm like, isn't there another side? Like, wait, there's something missing.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: There's a part that's missing and I don't know what it is.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So share a little bit more about what it means to be an independent.
Speaker 3: Well, an independent also, you know, it, it, it says what Marie was talking about, listen.
We have to have politicians that actually listen to both sides and say, Hey, I don't identify as a Republican, but I really love that one of the [00:05:00] core messages about the Republican Party is having a budget and sticking to that budget. Yes, because let's face it. We all know that the United States is in severe debt, right?
So why are we sending billions or millions to Argentina, to Israel, to Egypt, and to other countries that money needs to stay right here at home.
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: You know, and so part of my training as a mental health professional. I listen.
Speaker: Yeah. I like that part.
Speaker 3: Yes. So I listen. So I've been really enjoying block walking and I know maybe two other politicians are like cringe.
I hate block walking, but I've been really enjoying it because I've been doing mostly listening.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: And hearing what we, the people need.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And we, the people are telling me that they're tired of the division.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 3: They're tired of the corruption because they feel like, you know, both parties really represent billionaires and big corporations and big money and
Speaker: no matter what side, like
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker: Even though Yes. [00:06:00] On both sides.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right. And so they wanna bring it back. They wanna support politicians that bring it back to we, the people.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And so if that's what you're looking for, then I'm your candidate.
Speaker: Wow. It is, it's hard. We actually had this conversation with my boys not too long ago.
They're, they're very. Like they love listening to stuff and I'm like, okay, I need to back off. Like come, come back. But I love that they, they want to know, but I, I, I truly stressed and I didn't know how to until you actually just said it. You need to hear both sides. But there's also, like I said, a piece that was missing, like mm-hmm.
There's, I, I love the conservative part of a Republican where we need to have a budget money. Mm-hmm. Ma money numbers matter.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: Because we gotta make that matter. But I love the heart of the Democrat where we got, I wanna take care of people.
Speaker 3: Oh
Speaker: yeah, I want, I want that part. So we have to figure out how to make those two ideas in my world fit together.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker: And that's what I'm trying to like, one's not. None of them are great. They're none. None of 'em are great. Right. So you gotta find a solution.
Speaker 3: Absolutely. You know, no one is gonna be perfect. Not a [00:07:00] party, not a system, not an individual. We're human and we're made to error. So the way I see it is that we need a politician that will apply empathy and understanding for we the people, but strength and assertiveness towards people that wanna destroy our democracy.
Speaker 2: Yes. Yeah,
Speaker: I agree.
Speaker 2: I mean, I think it's an interesting point that was made before where it's like. They will push up. These parties will push up whomever. I mean, I know and, and I'm not a very political person, but I know like during our last presidential election, I sort of thought to myself like, is this the best of what we have?
This is what we, this is what we're doing. I'm smarter than it feels like there are other choices.
Speaker: Remember? I'm like, I'm smarter than that. Wait
Speaker 2: a
Speaker: minute. Hold
Speaker 2: on. Yeah. But it was just like, Hey, that's who, like, that's who that party had and that's who they had and that was what it was. Let's go. Really? Yes.
And I was like. That's interesting. Like this is the best, I guess.
Speaker: But I think as we, the, we, the, the common person feel like, do we have any really power? I mean, we're not billionaires. We don't [00:08:00] have the voice, but Yeah. I mean, we had another candidate that I was running local, local government, and she's like, it's more important to truly vote local.
Right? Yeah. Because that, that affects your daily life more. Mm-hmm. But at the end of the day, like, do we have. If we can get voices up there that can see all the sides.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: Maybe there's not just two sides, maybe there's five sides. I don't know. Yeah. Whatever the sides are. See all the things and have some critical thinking skills.
Yeah, that would be great. Yeah, let's work on that. Just
Speaker 3: like
Speaker 2: as a society.
Speaker: Yeah,
Speaker 3: absolutely. You know, and I like what you touched on, Marie, that you know, we look at each other or we think to ourselves, do I have what it takes to run. You know, and we actually do. Mm-hmm. You know, in private practice, within my sessions with clients, after teaching my clients skills, I would empower them.
I would encourage them, apply these skills and jump into action if you wanna create positive change in your life. You know, so this is me as a mental health professional, jumping, jumping in into action to [00:09:00] create positive change. Not only locally, but you know. Because of my skills, I'm able to zoom out.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: So not only am I thinking about my constituents within District 23 Yeah. But I'm zooming out and everything that I do for my constituents, I will also be thinking how can this also help all US citizens?
Speaker: Yeah. Well, and and I'm sorry, I what district 23. What is that? What area is that? People don't know.
Speaker 3: Oh my goodness. It is massive. It's a big area,
Speaker: isn't it? It's a big area.
Speaker 3: It's massive. It goes into El Paso, it comes down to the border Del Rio Eagle, PAs, and then it creeps up into San Antonio. And um, A Lotus
Speaker: Yes. Got, it's a very large
Speaker 2: district. I knew that. Like
Speaker 3: very large.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And how many people are in the running.
Speaker 3: Currently on the Republican side, I believe there's four candidates to include the incumbent. Mm-hmm. And on the Democratic side, there's about five people.
Speaker 2: Okay.
Speaker 3: So yeah. So I have to wait. Yeah. So the process for an independent is that I need to, I need to collect 500 [00:10:00] signatures.
Speaker: Oh, okay.
Speaker 3: Which to me is doable.
Yeah. You know, it might seem overwhelming to other people, but to me it's very doable and I have to wait until after the primaries are over. Because then those people that will sign my petition, those 500 signatures cannot vote in the primaries because essentially what we're doing is when people vote in the vi, in the primaries, they're saying, I want this Democrat to represent me, or I want this Republican to represent me.
But when people decide to sign my petition, they're saying, I want Veronica to represent.
Speaker 2: Oh, I see. That's so interesting. And so by signing that they are not vote, like they're saying, we are not voting for these other people, correct?
Speaker 3: Yeah, they're, they're just saying we're not gonna vote in the primaries.
Speaker 2: I see.
Speaker 3: That's it. But then let's say that, um. They changed their mind about whoever voted for their Democrat or their Republican, because then they got to talk to me and they were like, wow, Veronica, she just didn't talk about herself. She actually listened. Mm-hmm. You know? So then in the general election, even [00:11:00] though they voted in the primaries, they can still say, actually, I think Veronica's a better candidate, so I'm just gonna go ahead and vote for her.
Speaker 2: Oh, that's
Speaker 3: an interesting process.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: It is. Yeah. Who
knew?
Speaker: I, I think it's just the, the fact that we have. More and more people like, Hey, we need to have a third option. Yeah. Like the two options are just not cutting it. And I, there's, like I said, there's more sides to all the things and we focus on two things, what happened to the rest of all the other stuff that we care about.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker: You know?
Speaker 3: Absolutely. And with that in mind, the Associated Press, just yesterday, they came out with an article stating that the younger generations, the millennials, the Gen Z. They are not loyal to the Democrats or the Republicans because they felt, they feel left behind. They feel like they're not, their issues, their interests, their concerns are not really being addressed.
So they're leaning more into independence.
Speaker: Well, I, I wanna say they, they and us got screwed in the end.
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Like, we feel that way. [00:12:00] We feel very, very left out. We feel very forgotten. All the things we're doing, all the changes that were made in the past have, and they said that, I mean, if you read and, and look back, it's going to affect.
Younger generations than it is. And we're seeing that now, the, the economy, all the changes in, in our, in our industry, the, the market.
Speaker 2: Sure.
Speaker: Right. You can't buy, buy a home, like homes are not affordable. Why, what, what happened?
Speaker 2: What is the average age now of the first time home buyer?
Speaker: 38, almost 4
Speaker 2: 38.
Speaker: I bought my first home.
I'm very blessed and I, I'm in the industry. I don't think I would've, but I bought my first home at 23 years old. Same. Mm-hmm. My, and I'm looking at my son and I'm like. He can't even get an apartment like he's gonna graduate and he, he can't. No,
Speaker 3: no.
Speaker: Yeah. You know?
Speaker 3: Yeah. That's why we're seeing younger generations, they're staying with their parents a lot longer because, you know, just homes are, they're unaffordable.
Rents are super high.
Speaker: The
Speaker 3: rent, groceries, yes. Expensive. Car insurance, all those things that matter.
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: You know, that once gave [00:13:00] older generations, like myself, gen Xers and baby boomers mm-hmm. You know, we were able to purchase homes very affordable. When I purchased my first home, I only paid $123,000.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: That now it's unheard of.
Speaker: Yeah. No, you, it's not livable. The homes are not livable. Mm-hmm. They're not health. They're health and safety issues and Yeah. It's, it's crazy. So the things that I think millennials, um. And, and, and gen, gen Z are really focused on finding, like, this can't be the only way to do things.
And we've been doing the two parties for so long.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker: That's, and you've, I don't think most people realize there is other options.
Speaker 2: Yeah,
Speaker 3: absolutely. And you know, I'm really hoping and crossing my fingers that we actually get a third party. Yeah. You know, and let's give a third party a chance of what they can bring to the table, you know, because I think you're gonna see a lot of other people like myself, stepping up to the plate and saying.
This is an option here. I'm, I'm here to listen. Yeah. You know, not just brag about myself and I've done this and I've done that. Yeah. You [00:14:00] know,
Speaker: why think all the other parties have forgotten what it is to be us? Like they don't, they don't know what the day-to-day SCRU goals are and they live in Lala land is what I think.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: How interesting. Yeah. Yeah. So is affordable housing like one of your points, like on your platform?
Speaker 3: Oh, yes. You know, um. When I was doing my research as I'm running for this political position, I found out that private equity firms, and just one example, Blackstone, they've been purchasing a lot of single family units.
We heard that. We heard that. Yeah. And then they're not turning around. It's not like they're fixing them and then selling them. To, you know, young homeowners, you know, they're actually renting them out and their goal is not to sell them, it's to rent them. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: Sure.
Speaker 3: You know, I'm sure you guys have recently heard about the 50 year mortgage.
Oh
Speaker 2: yeah.
Speaker 3: You know, I mean that to me, even though I'm a homeowner, I'm worried for our future generations. 'cause I have children that are millennials [00:15:00] and grandchildren that are Gen Z. So what, what is there for them to purchase?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 3: You know, so that's who I'm concerned about.
Speaker: Fair. And I, I, and since I am in financing, while I'll talk about that with the, the 50 year, the 50 year mortgage team's, crazy doesn't have to be fully 50 years.
It does give people some options and you have choices. It gives them another choice. But again, you need to have people who are out there looking on, out on behalf of people and teaching them and, and advise them, what does this mean? Because I don't think most people understand. What 50 years means? Mm-hmm.
Like, what does that look like? Mm-hmm. In terms of how much you're actually paying. Are you really saving? And if, if, and give the numbers to them and make, allow them to have that choice.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: But why do we have to go to a 50 year if things are affordable? It's not the interest rates right now. It's not, it's not, you know, the, the, the things, it's all the regulations that are put on that industry right now that's causing the expense, but it's truly the home cost.
And what drives that. So home costs go up, your income [00:16:00] costs go up. We, we have not caught up. Like if I remember seeing something from the 1930s, forties, whatever it was, what prices were and what you made, there was a decent. Ratio, right? Mm-hmm. So we've increased so much that we, we we're, we're suffering here.
We can't afford anything because of the gap of income versus what things cost.
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
Speaker: We just can't catch up.
I
Speaker 2: mean, for me, on being on the sales side of it, and I can't speak to other parts of the country. Yeah. But I know that like during COVID, there was such a huge, like, influx of cash. I've never seen more cash in the market.
Where did cash
Speaker: come from?
Speaker 2: It came from California and it came from New York where you sell a house that's. $5 million and you can buy one over here for 750,000, you know, and it's a similar house. And I just remember, I mean, even I had some of these clients where we were in these bidding wars and stuff and they were like, just give them another 50.
They have it. Like crazy. I know. Just give 'em another 50. Give 'em 50 more than what they're asking.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Okay. You know, I guess I can't tell you not to. Um, but it drove up the price of [00:17:00] these houses and our income for the people that are from here and living here, um, has not gone up to meet
Speaker: that. No, we can't, we can't catch up.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: But you have these large corporations that are in cahoots with all the different parties and somehow Yeah, exactly. And have allowed them to do things like that. And you, you just don't have. A fighting chance. Mm-hmm. It's kinda like, that's why monopolies are bad. You can't have one thing control everything.
'cause then you have no competition there. Yeah. So that's what we've seen. And, and both parties have not done what's right for the common person, like just us.
Speaker 3: Right.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 3: It hasn't been addressed, you know, and this is why, um, pro raising salaries and wage. I'm pro universal healthcare. And some people say, well, we can't afford universal healthcare.
And I say, I call BS today. Yeah. You know, and we can afford universal healthcare if we stop policing the world, if we start sending our American tax dollars overseas, absolutely. If we stop bombing one bomb cost thousands of dollars. You know, and if we keep that money here at [00:18:00] home, we can afford universal healthcare.
To include mental health, you know, to include pharmaceuticals. Yeah. To include seeing a dentist because too many times it seems like it's a luxury just to go to the dentist.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I know. It's wild. And I mean, you see, I guess there's truth in that because you see these other countries that kind of stay out of everybody's business.
They can afford it. Just
Speaker: take care of their own thing. Yeah,
Speaker 2: absolutely. Absolutely. And I suppose their taxes must be high. I mean, it must be high.
Speaker: I know, I, I'm, I'm sure we don't have to reinvent the, I'm
Speaker 2: like, I don't really know,
Speaker: but I think there's other things involved that are causing a huge, there's a huge gap in where we fall versus where.
Our parties fall financially
Speaker 2: excellent.
Speaker: You know, like there's this huge in, in corporations. Like, I, I don't mind, believe me, I, I love, I work hard. Make money. Yes. All the day. I want you to, if you, the harder you work, the more money you work. I I more money, or excuse me. Mm-hmm. I think that's all day long. I love that.
I love that ability. I like, that's why I do what I do.
Speaker 3: Sure.
Speaker: The harder I work, the more money I can make. If I don't wanna work, I don't have, I don't make money. Yes, it works, but there has to be some kind of fair. [00:19:00] Game. It's not a fair game.
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Because we can't catch up.
Speaker 3: That's right. And I like the way you put it, Marie.
Mm-hmm. You know, we don't have to reinvent the wheel. We don't have to, you know, we can look at how other countries do it. We can look at Europe and see how they implement universal healthcare. You know, we can look at our neighbors to the North Canada.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And see how they have done it, you know. Even our neighbors to the South Mexico, they have universal healthcare.
You know, and like you said, Marie, we don't have to reinvent the wheel. You know, we can look at those systems and then say, okay, I see how you guys are doing it. But us Americans, we like to do it better.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 3: So why not look at, you know, where it's failing or where it's not so good. You just do it better.
Speaker: Yeah. It's hard. I mean, I, I was watching, I don't know if this is the watching something on social media. And it was, it was a person calling on regarding a bill they received. Yeah. And they called and said, Hey, we got this bill for whatever procedure we had. And I don't think you included our, our, our [00:20:00] insurance.
Right. Our, our health insurance. Let me give you that information. Great. Got that health insurance information. They got another bill a month later. The bill's higher. Oh. Um, wait a minute. Um, we, you, I, I gave you my health insurance and now this bill's even more. And she said, oh yeah, well you don't, you don't get the discount 'cause you were a cash buyer.
Before and you got a discount, but now you, now that you're using insurance, you have to pay more. What?
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker: I was like, how does that work?
Speaker 3: It doesn't
Speaker: like how do, there, there sure. There's some, there's a piece missing that a lot of us, I don't have the, the knowledge or the expertise to, to really there, but I know there's something missing.
Yeah. Right. There's, so that doesn't make any sense where if you're a cash buyer, you get a discount or it doesn't cost as much, but if you use insurance
Speaker 2: mm-hmm.
Speaker: Then it's more. That shouldn't be the case.
Speaker 2: Maybe because they feel like they can get more out of the insurance company. Like they, they, the bill, I mean, that's the only thing I can think of.
They think they're gonna get more out of them. So your bill goes up, but then as your bill goes up, your responsible party goes up.
Speaker: Well, there's [00:21:00] also regulations.
Speaker 2: I mean, that's not right, but I think that's maybe the train of the, well,
Speaker: like in my industry, right? So when, when. Things changed in the industry and Fannie and Fred became now, you know, government property basically, and stuff like that.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: All these regulations came in. Well, in order to implement those regulations, it costs more money to do loans.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: Period. So the banks are gonna eat it.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: I can't eat it. So guess where it gets passed on to? It goes on to the consumer.
Speaker 2: It,
Speaker: well, it's cheaper if you pay cash long term because you don't have all the The issues, right?
So same thing here. If you have insurance that is involved with healthcare. You have all these, I'm assuming, regulations, things they have the, um, billing, all the things that you add on when you have insurance now have added to the cost of that procedure.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: So how do we fix that so then everybody can have affordable healthcare.
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Like that should be just a human thi like that's just, we should be able to take care of, of that. That should be simple. Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker: And we
Speaker 3: can figure
Speaker: it out, you know,
Speaker 3: as human beings, we're gonna get sick. We're gonna need to go [00:22:00] see a dentist. Right? So this is why I'm so much pro universal healthcare.
Well, let's take a look at the current system that we have. You know, and the reason, the reason why a lot of these health insurance companies make millions and billions is because it's very common to hear that they do not provide the services that they say they're gonna provide. Mm-hmm. Right? Denials.
Experiencing denials as patients, as consumers of these insurance companies. We get a lot of denials, but the unique thing that a lot of people don't know is that on the other end as a provider, because as a mental health professional, I used to be on these insurance panels and sometimes they would not pay us.
Speaker: Oh
Speaker 3: yeah. As professionals. As providers, because oftentimes I'd had to constantly fight with insurance companies. Even months after I had already provided mental health services to my clients, they would say, no, we're not gonna pay you. And I would have to resubmit, and sometimes it would take me weeks, if not months, to get paid and sometimes I wasn't [00:23:00] paid at all.
Speaker 2: Yeah. I
Speaker: believe that
Speaker 2: we have, my husband is a veteran and we have VA insurance. Um, and there are so many, and in a town where there are so many military, there are so many people that will not take my insurance. Because they know they're gonna get stiffed. And I mean, believe me, I get it. The VA does what it does.
Like I understand.
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: Um, and so I don't blame them, but it is a pain, you know? So I believe that, I believe that as that these professionals probably are being paid or aren't being paid what they're supposed to be paid. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Because of the hassle they have to deal with in order to even try to get paid.
Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.
Speaker: Then it's gonna cost you. Yeah, you're more of a pain in ass. You're gonna gotta be more expensive.
Speaker 3: Yeah,
Speaker 2: totally.
Speaker 3: And and I think that's what insurance companies are also hoping that US providers get so burnt out and so frustrated that we say goodbye to the insurance companies. 'cause that honestly happened to me.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: You know, I'm here to be completely transparent and what burned me out in private practice was not helping clients. Right. What burned me out was dealing with insurance companies. So I said goodbye to all of them and now I'm [00:24:00] completely private paid. Yeah. You know? And you know, while I have this microphone mm-hmm.
I wanna bring attention to Dr. Elizabeth Potter. I don't know if you guys have heard about her story online, but she's a surgeon and I'm not gonna name the insurance company 'cause I just wanna be respectful. Right. But she was actually pulled out of surgery, an insurance company called her. To talk to her about a patient, which mind you, they had already approved the procedure.
She was already scrubbed in and about to conduct her expertise, the surgery, and she had a scrub out to take that phone call from the insurance company
Speaker: because they, they were changing the approval or what were they?
Speaker 3: They wanted to discuss, well, does this patient really need this surgery? God, and mind you, this patient.
Experiencing cancer.
Speaker: Yeah. So, yeah.
Speaker 3: So yeah. She needs
Speaker: this. How crazy. That's wild. Absolutely. And right now we don't have a party [00:25:00] that will stand up to whatever's happening. I, I, I don't know something's happening. I don't know what it is, but something's happening between the government insurance and stuff like that.
So if we have no one saying, Hey, we gotta fix this problem.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: You know?
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. And I think because too many politicians are taking, uh. Big corporate funds, you know? So at the end of the day, they ask us, the common people vote for me, vote for me. But then when they're up in DC you know, how are you helping me, sir or ma'am?
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: You know? And I need you to advocate for me and not advocate for these corporations. And as a mental health professional, that's another piece that I've been trained. I have to advocate for my clients, and that's the skills that I'm gonna take to Washington. I'm gonna advocate for US citizens.
Speaker: My husband always says, he said, I think politicians should stand up with jackets that are covered in like label, like a NASCAR driver.
So you can know like who, okay, that's okay. That's United Healthcare, that's Aetna or whatever. Yeah, all down. That's funny.
Speaker 3: No, I agree.
Speaker: This is so, I mean, and, and that's where, and if [00:26:00] that's where you got funds and that's who you support, great. But let us all know that so then we can Yeah. Have that information up front so we kind of know.
Speaker 3: Yes. I love it. Mm-hmm. Transparency. And this is why other websites like Track APAC and uh, there's another one, open Secrets. You know, we can look into those and see, yeah. Who is supporting these politicians? Who have they taken funds from?
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: You know, and I think a lot of people are gonna be pleasantly surprised that when they're looking at my website.
Under the donation tab. There you go. They can see clearly. I do not accept corporation money and I do not accept APAC money. My campaign is a hundred percent fully funded by we, the people, because that's who I will represent today and tomorrow. And always.
Speaker: Well, it's just, and it's, it shows that you have a passion to care.
I mean, it is a, a, a servant's heart, like you want to serve the people and that's what everyone in politics should be like. And I think we've forgotten that.
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
Speaker: In general. And it, and, and I feel bad for our generation, our, our kids generation that's coming up because I'm like, they don't have any hope.
I mean, I, [00:27:00] I want hope, but it, it's hard, like I said, with all the information that's out right now, it's just, we gotta have a different option out there.
Speaker 3: Absolutely. Mm-hmm. And that's what I'm hearing about, uh, from the young people. Um, I'm constantly on TikTok 'cause that's like a popular app and I conduct lives there.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3: And so I got a lot of people that say, especially Gen Z, you know, that they feel anxiety, that they feel fear because, uh, like we spoke about earlier, the option, the opportunity to purchase a home is not there for them. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: You
Speaker 3: know, to have livable wages and salary is not there for them to be able to afford going to college.
It's not there for them. Yes. Even trade schools. Trade schools are expensive nowadays.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: You know, so they're like, what's the purpose of life? And that just totally hurts my heart.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: You know, as, as an American, it hurts my heart. As a mental health professional, I'm like, look. Um, we need more politicians that are really addressing these issues, right?
Yeah. That jump in and say, I'm gonna work hard for [00:28:00] you. I'm gonna work hard to say, um, these private equity firms can no longer buy these homes, so we make them more affordable for you. We need politicians to say, Hey, we're gonna encourage more home building. Right? Because if we increase the amount of homes that there is that also more also
Speaker: supplying them
Speaker 3: in.
Exactly. So that will bring down. The prices of homes. You know, regulation is not a bad thing.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: You know, as a mental health professional, I know that people can get addicted to money and power.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: So we need more politicians that are gonna put boundaries towards themself, you know, and I'm that type of person.
No one else knows how to place boundaries better than I do. Yeah. Right. So I've already told my people when I'm block walking. I'm gonna implement a self boundary in regards to term limits. You're not gonna see me die in office. That's so embarrassing, right? Yeah, first and foremost. So if my voters allow it, I will love to serve three terms.
The terms are two years a piece, so no more than six years. And after that I'm gonna say goodbye. [00:29:00] But from day one, I wanna implement a mentorship program so that I'm helping young people, Hey, these are the ins and outs of politics. So at the end I can say, I've been mentoring this. Pass
Speaker: the baton.
Speaker 3: Exactly.
Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Beautifully said. I'm gonna pass the baton to this person. This is who I endorse. Right. And did you guys know that politicians in DC get the ultimate insider trading knowledge? And then they take that knowledge to the, uh, stock market. So if they don't walk in as millionaires, they leave as millionaires.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: But once again,
Speaker 2: does that happen? I dunno. It's too easy. They're the only people that don't have to go to work and still get paid. Exactly. You see those rooms when they're voting, they're freaking empty. I'm like, in what other job do you just not have to turn up and you're still getting paid.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: None.
Speaker 3: Absolutely. You know? But once again, I'm gonna implement a boundary. I pledge not to use that insider trading information, and I'm not going to place bets or invest in the stock market. You know, I don't
Speaker: think you should be allowed to. No, I think the, the, [00:30:00] the biggest thing when it comes to there's no new blood.
There's no new ideas. Not, let's say they've done great, great, but you get stuck, right? You get stuck in the same ideas, and if new blood doesn't get in, you, like when you have a business, you bring in someone from the outside who might have experienced something different or had a different company policy or whatever.
You bring them into your company like, Hey, that's a great idea. Let's implement that here. We don't have any new ideas coming into our government at all. It's the same. Over and over and over. Like it's the same book. Like we got get new ideas in here.
Speaker 3: Yes. Wash plants and repeat.
Speaker: Yeah. New blood.
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
Speaker: New blood, definitely. And it's never a bad thing, having new ideas come in. It might work, it might not, but we haven't tried anything new.
Speaker 3: Absolutely. Try
Speaker: something new.
Speaker 3: Yeah. You know, and I think that's where I come in, where I can come in because like I said, I don't plan to die in office. You know, we see too many politicians, for example, you know, miss Nancy Pelosi, you know.
40 years. That's a long
Speaker: time. That is
Speaker 3: a long
Speaker: time. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: Mitch McConnell?
Speaker: Long time. Yeah.
Speaker 3: [00:31:00] Maybe 30 years or something like that, you know? Yeah. So I don't wanna pick on a certain party. Right. Because both of them have politicians that have served a lifetime.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 3: And we need to create space for. Other ideas,
Speaker: new ideas, that's all like absolutely, thank you for your service, but let's have some new ideas that have, and that might have been part of the, I would say, in quote normal world.
Mm-hmm. When you've been in politics for 30, 40 years, you haven't experienced the day-to-day life that we're experiencing today. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker: You've been so far removed from it 'cause you've been so long serving. That's right. So have some new people who've, who've had a family recently who have grandchildren, who have like in the real world, that have come up and actually can share ideas that they, hey, like this is what we're seeing today.
You're, you're remembering things that were 50 years ago, 40 years ago.
Speaker 3: Right?
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Right. You know, so the old way of doing things is not necessarily healthy Yeah. For the new generations. Mm-hmm. You know, I've had some interesting conversations with new candidates. Right. And so Veronica, what are you doing to communicate your message?
I'm [00:32:00] like, grassroots, a hundred percent. I'm block walking. Mm-hmm. You know, very quickly when I put my name in the hat, I started block walking. And one candidate in particular, I'm not gonna name him. Mm-hmm. But he said, you know what? That's kind of old fashioned, isn't it? I'm like, you're talking about old fashioned?
He's like, yeah, we could just pay for people to go knock on doors. And I was like. You're missing the point.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: You know, we have to build relationships. I'm not trying to talk to people, I'm trying to listen, but in my goal of implementing Healthy Boundaries, I'm also creating healthy relationships with my constituents because all of those people are gonna be my accountability partners.
So we need to stay grounded. And the only way we do that is by having conversations and listening to we the people.
Speaker: If you're not listening to your people, who are you listening to?
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: You just yourself like,
Speaker 2: yeah,
Speaker: like where the, where are ideas? Where, how do you know what we need or want?
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: If you don't listen
Speaker 3: and you're disconnected.
Speaker: [00:33:00] Yeah. And that's the biggest thing I think maybe I feel when I look at politics and I try not to, but when I try to see there, it's very disconnected from how I see the world.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker: Like when you listen to them like, well, no, that's kind of weird. Nope. Mm. I don't get to not go to work. Even when I'm sick, I still get up and go to work.
We don't have vacation days. Like you, we don't have months off at a time. That's, we still gotta show up. If not, I don't get paid. If I don't get paid. My kids don't eat
Speaker 3: the trick.
Speaker: So
Speaker 3: trick and I agree a hundred percent with that, you know, um, if and when I get elected, you know, and young people say, speak it into existence.
Yes. So this is me, the universe. That's right. So this is me speaking it out to existence. Right. So when I get elected, I'm gonna try to implement term boundaries, term limits, right? And also, if we don't show up to work, we don't get paid. Now, I know I'm not naive. I know I'm gonna get pushback, but I'm a hundred percent pro if we don't show up to work.
We don't get aid. I mean, that's
Speaker 2: just crazy
Speaker: how Yeah. Are right. And what other world does that happen?
Speaker 2: It just doesn't, it never does. And job, like, you know, [00:34:00] you watch the news and stuff and you see these rooms and there's like four people in there.
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2: And I'm like, you're
Speaker: right.
Speaker 2: What?
Speaker 3: Yes.
Speaker 2: How?
Speaker 3: Yes.
Absolutely. And just like you ladies, you know, Marie, you were saying, if I don't hustle, I don't get money. Mm-hmm. I make very little. Or you know, my Hampton. Yeah. Yes. My family doesn't eat.
Speaker: Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3: Yeah. So likewise for politicians, you know, with the current shutdown. Wow. Big. All of them got paid. They
Speaker: should be on commission like us.
Speaker 2: Oh gosh.
Speaker: I'm a hundred percent commission. They couldn't it, they couldn't handle it. You know what, that's not a salary. We, if we don't work, you don't get paid. That's just how it works. You know, you shouldn't no salary. You should be a hundred percent commissioned.
Speaker 3: Absolutely. You know what, I'm for it. Let's do it.
You know, because your girl here is okay with eating bean and cheese tacos. There you go.
Speaker: Yeah. It just, it really is. I, I like, and I, I don't wanna fault anyone. I think I, I, well, I pray, I pray. People go in with the heart that they're trying to help and their ideas are just, they're outdated. They're outdated.
We need new blood. You need new ideas. And, and because what they're, [00:35:00] whatever they're voting for is not what we need or whatever they're doing for us. It's not, it's not, it's not cutting it. That's right. You know, and. I have a blessed life, but I, I am fearful for my children who are now becoming adults very slow.
You know, and they're like, I'm like, what do they have? Like, just, we were just, for example, just trying to buy a used car truck for my son. Right. And I, I, I always used to be an advent Dave Ramsey follower and, you know, get that beater and he doesn't need a brand new car. Dad. Yes. I can't find one. I can't find a, you know, a thousand dollars, $1,200 car, you know, so he can have to go to school.
Like it's thousands and thousands of dollars. Mm-hmm. Like, there's, because, and I'm like, how do, how do people afford this?
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker: This should not, this is not, this is not reasonable. So when I remember when I bought my first car, I'm like, it was, you know, 1500 bucks, you know, way back when. This is increased tenfold.
Speaker 3: Mm-hmm.
Speaker: Yeah. Like, and, but money hasn't, so it doesn't, it doesn't make sense. Like, why is this like this?
Speaker 3: You know? With that, I also believe that we need to [00:36:00] allow other industries to come into the United States, you know? Other car makers to come in and just as an example, I'm gonna talk about our neighbor to the south.
You know, they have been investing in creating their own car line. You know, is it the super luxury Mercedes? Will it, is it comparable to Mercedes? Absolutely not. You know, it's, it's a small, smart car type vehicle for the common person, just for a person to have an affordable vehicle to get to work. That's it.
So we should be open-minded to allow those industries to come, especially if it's our neighbors. And if so, Canada has something like this, I would be open to, Hey, let's bring these other vehicles into the market. 'cause us Americans, we need more affordable options. Yeah. Instead of a car that costs $60,000 or you know, we can't get an affordable use card.
Speaker: Can't get a beater. It's affordable.
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
Speaker: I was looking online the other day and I was like, oh, hey, there's one $3,500. Oh wait, there's, wait it, it's just a shell. There's no motor. Nevermind. Oh, next one. It had no motor. Oh, you
Speaker 2: need [00:37:00] that.
Speaker 3: So it's like a Flintstone scar. Right. You're gonna have to start running
crazy.
Speaker: Well.
Speaker 2: This has been
Speaker 3: very informative. It has,
Speaker: yes.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I just, this is usually the part where we will ask our guests to share how folks can learn more about you, um, and support you.
Speaker 3: Thank you so much. People can go and check out my [email protected] and please sign up. Um, my email address is there, you know, send me a shout out or question, a complaint, a concern, a suggestion, because as a mental health professional, I listen to all of it.
Speaker 2: Yes. I love that. Well, being on the tiktoks and Instagram, that's great.
Speaker 3: Absolutely. Catch your
Speaker 2: life.
Speaker 3: Yes, that's right.
Speaker 2: And we'll get you, um, that information in the show notes as well, so people can just click and find you right there.
Speaker 3: Thank you.
Speaker 2: Um, and thanks so much for being on. Thank
you
Speaker 3: for having me.
We're excited,
Speaker 2: we're excited about the New Blood.
Speaker 3: Thank you so much. It's a pleasure. Thank you ladies.
Speaker 2: Of course. And then really quickly, I'll just thank our listeners for tuning into this week's episode and we'll catch you guys next time. See you guys next time.
Speaker 3: Bye.[00:38:00]
Speaker 2: Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of the Working Moms of San Antonio podcast. We hope you love today's chat and found a little inspiration to take with you into your week. If you have a podcast topic suggestion or a question you'd love for us to cover, definitely send us an email at hello at working moms of san antonio.com.
We'd love to hear from you. And until next time, see you in the community.
