Desperate for CHIP
+ Valley Dumps on Willacy?
December 12, 2004
This edition featured Texas State Senator Juan Hinojosa reporting that he will file a bill to establish a Public Health Tax District in the Valley to deal with the healthcare crisis here in the Valley. The crisis is mainly resultant from CHIPS and Childrens Medicaid cuts made in the 78th Texas Legislative seession in 2003, as well as the recent reduction of Medicare reimbursement to healthcare providers to minus 5% of the previous rate as of October 2004 to October 2005 fiscal year.
Also, United States Senior Senator for Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison reported that the $600M she had restored for CHIPS services to children in Texas (and which President Bush had approved of and signed into effect) was locked in by the state of Texas prior to the October 31st expiration date. Texas' Comptroller of Public Accounts, Carole Keeton Strayhorn put out the word that it was sitting in an account. Texas Governor Rick Perry's press office issued a statement to Valley NewsLine clarifying that he is not utilizing the $600M that Sen. Hutchison first criticized him about a few months ago. Her press secretary also issued a statement to Valley NewsLine pointing out her current position on the available $600M.
Following those updates, the mayor of Mission, TX, Beto Salinas, who also happens to be a Perry appointee to the Texas Department of Housing and Urban Affairs Board, and State Representative-Elect Veronica Gonzales (who will be replacing Roberto Gutierrez for District 41) issued a call in an interview at Mission City Hall for Gov. Perry to restore CHIPS funding and services, and also to assist the Vanity Fair distribution center in Mission, TX, which employs 600 workers but has been warned by its corporate owners that it must get its employee health-
care costs in line or they might be forced to close and relocate offshore. The warning from VF Intimates' HQ followed a recent review which revealed that the valley plants' employee healthcare costs have risen 75% since CHIPS was cut by Texas, and their workers have begun to seek medical care ain Emergency Rooms on a more frequent basis for treating their families' health problems rather than preventing them.
Following the CHIPS reports, Ray Burdett of Willacy County, TX, spoke out about why he is opposed to a proposed landfill for supplementing the entire Rio Grande Valley to be located between Raymondville and La Sara in Willacy County. He, and Valley NewsLine, encouraged opponents and proponents to attend the Texas Environmental Quality hearing on Thursday, December 16, 2004 in Raymondville, TX.
It is anticipated that 600 garbage trucks from throughout the valley will dump industrial and household garbage each day if the state approves the sites' utilization and it is built. The proposed site for the landfill also happens to flow into an acquifer!
Go to our page on the Willacy Dump proposal for more.
   |
