Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 123, No. 78 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
March 30, 2014
www.rdrnews.com
SUNDAY
Health law legacy eludes Obama as changes sink in
WASHINGTON (AP) — As a roller -coaster sign-up season winds down, President Barack Obama’s health care law has indeed managed to change the country. Americans are unlikely to go back to a time when people with medical problems could be denied coverage. But Obama’s overhaul needs major work of its own if it is to go down in history as a legacy achievement like Medicare or Social Security. Major elements of the Affordable Care Act face an uncertain future: —As a 6-month-long sign-up season comes to
an end Monday the administration’s next big challenge is to make 2015 open enr ollment mor e manageable for consumers unaccustomed to dealing with insurance jargon. There’s also concern premiums will rise next year. —The new insurance markets cr eated by the law are anything but customer friendly. After the HealthCare.gov website finally got fixed, more than 6 million people have managed to sign up, allowing the exchanges to stay afloat economically. But many consumers have bought policies with restricted access to toptier hospitals and the lat-
Celebrating the arts
est medications. The website is seeing heavy traffic this weekend, and consumers may encounter a wait or last-minute glitches. —Nearly half the states ar e still opposed to or undecided about the law’s expansion of Medicaid, the gover nment’s health insurance program for the poor. As a result, millions of low-income people who otherwise would have been covered remain uninsured. —This year’s pitch has been about the “carrots” in the law: subsidies and guaranteed coverage. But the “sticks” are just over the horizon: collecting penalties from individuals
who r emain uninsur ed and enfor cing r equir ements that medium- to large-sized employers provide affordable coverage.
Many basic facts about the ultimate effects of the health insurance program remain unclear. It’s not known how many of those who have gotten coverage were previously uninsured — the ultimate test of the law. Independent measur ements by Gallup do show fewer uninsur ed Americans, but such pr ogr ess hasn’t won hearts and minds. The public r emains deeply divided, with opponents of the law outnumbering supporters.
Mark Wilson Photo
Monday is the deadline to sign up for health law Monday is the deadline to sign up for private health insurance in the new online markets created by President Barack Obama’s health care law. So far, about 4 out of every 5 people enrolling have qualified for tax credits to reduce the cost of their premiums. Here’s what you need to know: — The deadline is Mar. 31 at midnight EDT for the states where the fed-
eral government is running the sign-up website; states running their own exchanges set their own deadlines.
— You can sign up online by going to HealthCare.gov or your state insurance exchange. If you don’t know what your state marketplace is called, HealthCare.gov will See DEADLINE, Page A3
Albuquerque police shooting recordings to be given to FBI
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico State Police have been told by Gov. Susana Martinez’s office to turn over recordings of a fatal shooting of a homeless camper by Albuquerque police directly to the FBI. It is unusual for the State Police, which participates in a review team for Albuquerque police shootings, to bypass an Albuquerque police investigation and turn over evidence directly to the federal agency. The FBI has opened an investigation into the March 16 shooting of 38year-old James Boyd in the Albuquerque foothills as of ficials have said he appeared to be surrendering. It marks the first confirmed criminal investigation of Albuquerque police
by federal of ficials, who more than a year ago launched a civil rights probe of the department over allegations of excessive force and a spike in police shootings. Since 2010, police have been involved in 37 shootings, 23 of them fatal. The Albuquerque Journal reports that Martinez’s directive to turn over the tapes to the FBI was made Thursday. “Gov. Martinez has directed the state police to provide federal law enforcement with any and all information they believe to be relevant to the investigation,” Martinez spokesman Enrique Knell told the newspaper in a statement. Albuquerque Police Chief
Bear cub leaves cage Chamber to present ‘Gift of Attitude’ at Spring River zoo Children work their paint brushes during Celebrate the Arts Day at the Roswell Convention Center, Saturday.
A Spring River Zoo bear cub decided to take a walk on the wild side Thursday. At about 2 p.m., one of the two new baby bears at the Spring River Zoo decided to take a walk around the roof of her enclosure, according to a news release from the park. A couple visiting the zoo alerted zookeepers that the bear cubs were climbing the front fence. Zookeepers came running, and one of the yearold cubs jumped back into the water moat while the other continued the
climb to the roof. Zoo officials said the problem was that the water in the f r o nt m o at w as t oo f ull allowing the bear cubs to swim across and reach the climbable portion of the fence. The zoo was cleared for safety and the New Mexico Game & Fish sent an officer to assist.
Within half an hour, the cub was coaxed back into the enclosure and the escape route was secured.
Both bear cubs were safe and received an afternoon snack.
RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Roswell Chamber of Commerce will hold a banquet Thursday featuring “The Gift of Attitude” with guest speaker Sam Glenn. This event begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be held at the Roswell Convention Center. “We will begin the evening with music and cocktails, followed with a wonderful dinner and silent auction and conclude with Sam Glenn presenting ‘The Gift of Attitude,’” said Candace Lewis, office manager for the Chamber. “You don’t want to miss this fun-filled evening that will leave you inspired and in a great frame of mind.” Chamber Executive Director Dorrie Faubus-McCarty says Sam Glenn is a wonderful motivational speaker.
“I read his book, ‘The Big Book of Attitude,’ and it was just wonderful.” Glenn is the author of numerous books and a much sought after motivational speaker. Glenn’s stories are gleaned from his own life experiences of successes and failures, according to his website, samglenn.com. “Having lost a very successful business due to fire, Sam became negative, broke, depressed, jobless, and homeless — almost overnight. It was a chance encounter, and subsequent friendship, with Zig Ziglar that eventually gave Sam a ‘Kick in the Attitude,’” the website states. That encounter with Ziglar changed Glenn’s attitude and life for the better. Within two years, Glenn went from sleeping on the floor, to achieving dreams he once thought impossible.
Vietnam veteran active in local groups since ’86 RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Vietnam War veteran Santiago Vasquez is active in numerous veterans organizations today, but that wasn’t always the case. “It wasn’t until the movie ‘Platoon’ came out that I started getting active,” says Vasquez. While a student at Eastern New Mexico University in 1968, the Roswell native was drafted to go fight in Southeast Asia at
the age of 20.
“When the movie ‘Platoon’ came out, people’s attitudes toward Vietnam and veterans began to change,” Vasquez said. “That was when I decided I wanted to become more involved with veterans organizations. Before that, I mainly just wanted to forget.”
Vasquez, 65, is now active with the American Legion, serving last year as post commander and last year, he received the state Recruiter of the Year
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TODAY’S FORECAST
award for being top American Legion recruiter from the state commander. Veterans from around the area were at the Roswell American Legion post on Saturday observing Vietnam Veterans Day. “I think it is important that we honor the memories of veterans, not only ourselves, but our fathers and these young men who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan,” Vasquez said. Vasquez said he was diagnosed with 100 per-
cent disability for posttraumatic stress disorder a decade ago — although he had managed for 35 years. “I came back, got my degree in social work with the GI Bill, had a career and raised a family,” Vasquez said. “I didn’t even know about PTSD. I think most of the veterans from my generation just wanted to come back and forget and go on with their lives.” See VASQUEZ, Page A3
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGES A2, A7 • FELICITA “PHYLLIS” • GLORIA SEDILLO • JAMES C. LAWRENCE • CHARLES A. DEAN • GERARD NORVE PRUDENCIO BARRERAS • ARTHUR ROBERT MCQUIDDY • EDWARD W. FLETCHER • ADRA MAE (HOLDRIDGE) • JOSE GRANADO • MARY C. GAUNA MCCONNELL
See SHOOTING, Page A3
“Sam’s ability to pull positivity out of adversity, has led him to become the leading voice on the topic of attitude as it relates to being a leader, dealing with change, cultivating a culture of engagement, improving customer service, and improving your personal and professional development,” the website said. “Over the years, Sam Glenn has been the ‘go-to’ resource for hundreds of organizations who value positive people, engaged in positive action. Sam’s energetic, and often humorous, programs engage, equip and empower audiences with an attitude recharge that will improve performance in their professional, as well as personal, lives.” The event is sponsored by Krumland Auto Group, Faubus-McCarty said, and corporate event sponsorships and chamber sponsorships are available.
Randal Seyler Photo
Santiago Vasquez of Roswell displays one of the two Bronze Medals he won during his service in the Vietnam War. Today, Vasquez is very active with the American Legion and an advocate for veterans groups.
INDEX CLASSIFIEDS ..........D1 LOTTERIES .............A2 GENERAL ...............A2 OPINION .................A4 HOROSCOPES .........B8 SPORTS .................B1 COMICS .................C4 WEATHER ..............A8