Best Of The Border 2/10-2/14
New Mexico Town Questions The Abundance of Its Hot Springs
The southern New Mexico town of Truth or Consequences not only has a funny
name, but a funky history.
Originally the town was called Hot Springs, named for the ancient mineral
water that bubbles beneath its downtown. Early settlers braved Apache
raids to soak in these so-called healing waters.
Today the town's economy is built around them, but lately locals have
begun to worry about the abundance of their precious natural resource
Albuquerque resident Jessica Wiener loves this water. "It's really
relaxing," she said. "It's soft and its gentle and it's taking a bath in
Mother Earth."
Ineligible For Obamacare, Immigrants May Continue To Face Debt And Poor
Health
One in four families in America currently faces medical debt. The
Affordable Care Act aims to curb issues with health care access, and in
turn lessen debt. But in an Obamacare America, some populations continue
to be barred from access and could still be facing mounting bills.
"I don't want to downplay the importance of the Affordable Care Act and
expanded Medicaid - it's going to provide care to a lot of people - but
still, in Bernalillo County, we're going to have this incredible gap," said
Kate O'Donnell, a Promotora, or community health worker, in
Albuqurque. "We're going to have a lot of ill, very low-income people who
are going to be in this situation, trapped in a situation that they didn't
choose and cannot get out of."
Creator Of California's Salvation Mountain Dies
Leonard Knight, the creator of the popular California desert artwork known
as Salvation Mountain, has passed away. He was 82.
Knight spent almost 30 years building Salvation Mountain in the Imperial
Valley desert. He built it out of adobe and donated paint.
The result is a surreal, colorful monument that is as wide as a football
field and three stories high, covered in Bible verses.
Border Congressmen Sponsor Bipartisan Bill
Two border congressmen are working across party lines on a bill that aims
to hold federal border agents accountable for abuses. They announced their
intentions in the border town of Anthony, N.M.
U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, a Democrat from El Paso, Texas, and one of the
bill's co-sponsors, told the crowd the legislation will create a
commission to oversee the actions of federal law enforcement on the
southern border.
