Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 240 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
October 6, 2013
Bipartisan vote belies shutdown division
WASHINGTON (AP) — A rare flash of bipartisanship Saturday served as a cruel tease to those hoping Congress is moving toward reopening the government and averting an unprecedented default on the federal debt in less than two weeks.
Only two days after House Speaker John Boehner raised hopes by telling colleagues he won’t let the nation go into default, key members of both parties conceded that
no one has presented a plausible plan for avoiding it. Instead, they continued to bicker and to ponder the chasm between two warring parties, each of which seems convinced it’s on the winning side morally and politically. There was, however, relief Saturday for thousands of furloughed Pentagon workers and the promise of back pay for all federal workers who have been forced off the job. The Pentagon on Satur-
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day ordered at least 90 percent of its roughly 350,000 furloughed civilian employees back to work, significantly reducing the number of sidelined federal workers. In all, about 800,000 federal workers had been furloughed.
Defense Department said the recall is based on a law passed by Congress this week that allows the Pentagon to end furloughs for “employees whose responsibilities contribute to the morale, well-being, capabil-
ities and readiness of service members.” Republicans had complained that the administration was slow to bring back those workers in light of the law. The larger stalemate over reopening the federal government persists. Boehner, asked Saturday whether Congress was any closer to resolving the impasse, replied: “No.” Aides close to Boehner say he has not figured out how to end the gridlock. Even the day’s top bipar-
SUNDAY
tisan achievement — agreeing to pay furloughed federal employees for the work days they are missing — was a thin victory. Congress made the same deal after the mid-1990s shutdowns, and Saturday’s 407-0 vote was widely expected. Still, it triggered the sort of derisive quarreling that has prevented Congress from resolving the larger funding and debt dilemmas. “Of all the bizarre
moments” involved in the debate, said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, “this may be the most bizarre: that we will pay people not to work.” He called it “the new tea party sense of fiscal responsibility.”
House Republicans said they want to ease the pain from the partial shutdown. Democrats said Congress should fully re-open the and let gover nment employees work for the pay they’re going to receive.
Chalk up another fun block party for RMAC
TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
Kelly Berrones Photos
Reagan Bradford works on a chalk drawing on the sidewalk in front of the Roswell Museum and Art Center Saturday.
Hundreds flocked to enjoy a day of free art activities Saturday at the annual block party of the Roswell Museum and Art Center. The event, in its seventh year, attracted at least 913 visitors, according to front door security estimates. Attendees enjoyed a melee of crafts including face painting, pottery and the ever-popular chalk art competition. This competition saw an increase in participants, from under 100 last year to 110, who filled 88 competition slots, this year. Kenna Argenbright, registrar for RMAC and organizer of the competition, referred to it as “growing and growing.” First place in the student category of the competition went to Rose Thorsted, 12. Ken Bertin won first place in the adult category. The winners received cash prizes and gift certificates from sponsors Roswell Fine Arts League and Miniature Art Society, Peter Piper Pizza, Cattle
Wanda Dent handles ceramics fresh from the kiln that were created by children at the Block Party that participated in the Raku to Go activity.
Baron Restaurants, Ritter & Company LLC, and Pecos Flavors Winery. The major sponsors of the RMAC Block Party were the City of Roswell and the RMAC Foundation, according to Argen-
bright. Aside from the chalk competition, the “paint car” donated by Remco Towing played a starring See RMAC, Page A2
Grandparents want ‘Biking for Boobies’ team stops by Roswell justice for Jonathan JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The grandparents of the month-old baby who died in September have vowed to see justice for Jonathan. Grandmother Andrea spoke of the pain and the torment she felt as she watched her grandson dying in the Albuquerque hospital and the joy felt when he was born. “I fell in love with him immediately,” she said.
Andrea admitted she had concerns about Jonathan’s care and voiced them with officials, but could find little help under the law. Now she’s ready to fight for all the other Jonathans in the world. “If we can save just one family from the pain, just one baby, Jonathan will not have died in vain,” Andrea said. She questioned not only See JUSTICE, Page A2
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Two Florida men dressed in colorful body tights are on a cross-country mission to save “boobies.” Mike Buonaiuto and Nate Frankoski are peddling their way across the souther n U.S. to raise money for breast cancer research and stopped to take a break in Roswell Thursday. They left Boca Raton, Fla., Aug. 24, and hope to finish their 75-day trek in
Los Angeles, Nov. 3. “We plan on being on the Ellen DeGeneres show,” Frankoski said. “We would like to dance with Ellen.” They’ve named their fundraising journey, “Biking for Boobies.” All monies earned from the 3,700-mile trip will be made by selling T -shirts online from their bikingforboobies.com website. The two created the charity themselves, but will donate all proceeds to See BIKING, Page A2
Jill McLaughlin Photo
Nate Frankoski, left, and Mike Buonaiuto are biking 3,700 miles from Boca Raton, Fla., to Los Angeles to raise money for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Local resources available to help you navigate health care reform Información en español sobre como entender la ley nueva de seguro de salud esta disponible en pagina A3.
TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER Buying insurance can be a headache, even when the nation’s health care system is not undergoing reforms. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has changed eligibility requirements for Medi-
caid and instated a mandate that almost all U.S. citizens enroll in plans by the end of March. The new law also will cause some state health care programs to expire and clients of these programs may have to enroll in new insurance plans.
Registration for individual and group plans through the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange (NMHIX) began Tuesday.
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TODAY’S FORECAST
This article provides a guide to local resources that can help you sign up for health care through NMHIX Qualified Health Plans (QHP), or plans certified by the exchange. It includes information about how immigration status may impact your options. The article is part of a three-part series about how to navigate the new health care law. Subsequent articles will address the
• JEANNETTE MEANS BAUER • DAMIAN “MI NEGRO” HERNANDEZ
impact of the health care law on clients of different g o v e r n m e n t - s p o n s o re d plans, and outreach organizations where you can learn more. Additional information is included in the online version of this article at rdrnews.com.
Where do I sign up for a Qualified Health Plan or Medicaid? • L.C. STILES • ALINE OPHELIA WAIDE
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B7
You can sign up for a QHP by visiting one of NMHIX’s websites, calling NMHIX, sitting down with a insurance broker who is certified to enroll clients in QHPs or seeing a “health care guide” trained by NMHIX to use the exchange to register clients for plans.
Do not accept NMHIX registration services from guides or brokers not listed as certified by NMHIX.
CLASSIFIEDS ..........D1
COMICS .................C4
FEATURE ................C3
Any guide or broker who requests compensation for NMHIX registration services is not certified.
To sign up for plans through NMHIX, you will need the following documentation: social security cards or numbers for everyone in your household whom you wish to enroll, government issued identification card; proof of See REFORM, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .........D6 LOTTERIES .............A2 NATION ..................B8
OPINION .................A4 SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8