President's Paragraph

TEXPAC
Opt In: Educate
By David J. Donahue, MD


The TMA/TCMS membership dues statements will arrive in your mailbox soon.  Please renew!  When you do, “Opt in” to TEXPAC by checking the TEXPAC entry on your dues statement.  

Although I have tried to advocate for Medicine in Legislative Committee meetings and First Tuesdays at the Texas state capitol for the last several years, witnessing legislative “sausage-making” first-hand while serving as TCMS president has brought home the urgency of engagement.  Beyond meeting with legislators, one observes and interacts with staffers, lobbyists, and other constituents.  Though our elected officials represent the focus of lobbyists, their staffs may determine what legislative decisions finally result; interacting with members of other interest groups can help identify common issues.  More than just an attempt to influence individual politicians, “advocacy” really means educating the other three groups (staffers, lobbyists, and other constituents) about issues important to our patients and our mission.  If we are not advocating, we are not educating.

It is heartening to know that the TMA lobbyist staff received top honors from Texas legislators, who conduct a poll to identify their preferred advocacy groups.  It is less encouraging to learn how poorly Texas physicians fund the TMA political action committee, TEXPAC.   Only about 5,000 of TMA’s 55,000+ members belong to TEXPAC.  At less than 10 percent of TMA membership, that’s hardly impressive.  TEXPAC raised $750,000 last year, while the chiropractors, optometrists, and nurse practitioners combined raised more than $3.3 million.  The Texas Trial Lawyers’ PAC raised $1.8 million last year.  Meanwhile, our stinginess hampers the efforts of our very capable lobbyists, the best in Austin.  We could support them more generously!  If every TEXPAC member contributed $1000/year, we would assemble over $5,000,000.  If every TMA member gave just $100/year to TEXPAC, we would raise over $5,000,000. 

There are probably three reasons why we don’t adequately fund our PAC:

1. It seems undignified or corrupt to fund a PAC. 

Think of funding a PAC as an educational endeavor.  Physicians are teachers.   They advise patients every day.  If we don’t do the teaching, someone else will do it for us, and they probably won’t get it right.   PAC membership is anything but immoral; in fact, it is irresponsible NOT to belong to one. 

2. A physician may belong to a specialty organization whose PAC demands dues of its own.           

While specialty PACS do address specific concerns, the clout provided by a united front of physicians representing many specialties may prove more productive for everyone. 

3. Physicians can’t afford to fund a PAC. 

Anyone who recalls the burden of malpractice insurance premiums before Tort Reform understands that spending a few hundred dollars a year on TEXPAC is a wise investment.

We must contribute more than money to our PAC, though.  Because TMA and TEXPAC staff enrich our knowledge of present and pending issues, provide venues to meet legislators and other members of the government apparatus to educate them and hear their concerns, and provide exhaustive learning programs—especially for younger physicians—such as the Leadership College, we can’t use the excuse “I’m a doctor, I’m not good at political stuff,” or “I’m not into politics.”  We have all been political animals all of our lives:  our very calling involves the art of persuasion, going beyond simply reciting bland facts.  Supporting TEXPAC allows OUR organization to help us educate legislators and identify those whose policies support the needs of our patients.   

If you consider joining TEXPAC unaffordable, realize that one can’t afford not to. Opt in!