Bingaman in town to talk education and water money

Senator Jeff Bingaman meets with Bessie Shorty while visiting land surrounded by the Gallup city limits which does not recieve water services from the city. Residents must haul water to their homes just south of Boardman Dr. and the Gallup golf course. The area may soon seen water services, if a Gallup regional system can be set in place. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

Gallup City Joint Utilities Director Lance Allgood explains to Senator Jeff Bingaman a Gallup regional system that would provide water services to areas near Gallup. One area across the street from the Gallup golf course does not recieve services because it it outside the city limits. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

GALLUP — As U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman has been traveling the state this Congressional break, he has been coming across people who wonder what’s going on in Congress.

“A lot of people think we aren’t getting anything done, and there is the concept that we spend all of our time fighting,” Bingaman said, addressing a small group of officials and students at the University of New Mexico- Gallup Monday.

While that may be true in some cases, he said, members of the U.S. Senate have been able to pass two bills that will benefit college students and the colleges in Gallup and Grants.

He said the Senate has approved spending $17 billion over the next five years for financial aid to students. “This is the biggest increase in student aid since the G.I. Bill (after World War II),” he said.

The House version also provides $17 billion but the two bills differ on how the $17 billion will be used. The House version reduces the interest that students will have to pay for their financial aid while the Senate version increases the amount each student can apply for.

This year, the maximum a student can apply for is $4,310 but the Senate version would increase this to $5,100 next year and $5,400 by the year 2011. “That’s a pretty significant increase,” said Bingaman.

The bill would provide New Mexico schools an extra $177 million over the next five years that they could provide to students.

He also pointed out that students who qualify for the student loans could have them forgiven if they go into certain public service fields, such as nursing, teaching and law enforcement and stay in the fields for 10 years.

This increase will not require any new taxes, he said. Instead, it’s being paid for by banks who pay a fee to be on the program.

He said another bill approved by the Senate – but not by the House yet – would provide more money to college branches in Gallup and Grants.

This is one of the amendments being proposed to the Higher Education Act.

Several years ago, an amendment was approved to help colleges and universities that had a large Hispanic population because so many Hispanics were dropping out. So institutions where Hispanics made up 25 percent or more of the student body were eligible to receive grants to set up programs to help keep Hispanics in school.

The new Senate amendment, introduced by Bingaman, would do the same thing for students with large Native American populations.

“I have tried to get this passed a couple of times before but I feel we have a real good chance to do it this time,” he said.

The act would provide grants to schools, like the ones in Gallup and Grants, that have high Native American populations.

Beth Miller, director of the UNM-Gallup branch, said Gallup would have no problem qualifying for the grants since Native Americans make up 80 percent of the population in the school.

Bingaman said that if the bill is approved, Gallup would be eligible for $200,000 in grants the first year alone.
Bingaman met with city officials on Monday morning to discuss legislation that would allow for the construction of a water pipeline that would run to Gallup.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee could vote on the bill as soon as next month. Bingaman is the chairman of the committee.

“I am working very to win broad support for this legislation. I am particularly trying to persuade the Bush administration that its opposition to this measure is a mistake, and that this is a very important bill for Gallup and Northwest New Mexico,” Bingaman said.

Mayor Henry Mendoza attended the meeting on behalf of the City of Gallup.

“For over 50 years, scientists, planners and politicians have known that the best and most certain long-term water supply for Gallup and its rural Navajo neighbors lies in the San Juan River,” Mendoza wrote in a statement released to the Independent. “During that time, studies have been done and proposals have been considered — all to no avail ... until now.”

Senate Bill 1171 sponsored by Senators Bingaman and Pete Domenici, and House Bill 1970 sponsored by Congressman Tom Udall both seek federal approval of a settlement of Navajo water rights in the San Juan River Basin. As part of the settlement, Congress would authorize construction and funding of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

The water pipeline would run along U.S. 491 except when confronted with geographical barriers.

“The city of Gallup is a strong supporter of this proposed legislation,” Mendoza wrote.