DAILY LOBO new mexico
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wednesday August 22, 2012
The Independent Voice of UNM since 1895
Association’s meeting ends in uncertainty
WRESTLING WITH WAR
by Svetlana Ozden news@dailylobo.com
Adria Malcolm / Daily Lobo
Costume designer and actress Lila Martinez, a 2008 alumna, takes a rest from demonstrating at ROTC’s Welcome Back Day at Cornell Mall Tuesday. The demonstration was assembled by Food Not Bombs, Answer Coalition and (un)Occupy to protest the U.S. military and ROTC. Martinez said she was present to show empathy and understanding about the honest reality of running a military.
Despite claims from UNM Parent Association Board members, a UNM spokeswoman said the parent association won’t disband and will work with the University to resolve recent disagreements. As of Monday, all members of the association’s board have resigned, claiming the administration was pushing to have a say in the selection of the next Parent Association president. When asked Monday if the association planned to disband, UNM Parent Association board member Grant Kitting said “absolutely.” An emergency meeting of the Parent Association was scheduled Tuesday, for which only some of the group’s members were present. UNM communications officer Cinnamon Blair said the emergency meeting was not an official meeting because too few members attended to have a quorum. But she said the members who did attend seemed interested in working with the administration to keep the association intact and that members of the provost’s office shared the same interest. A move to disband the Parent Association was listed on the meeting’s agenda. “The University doesn’t want to see the association disband,” Blair said. Kitting and other association members did not respond to requests for comment all day Tuesday.
see Parents PAGE 5
UNM, employees Deportation reprieve begins split insurance hike
UNM will pay larger percentage of costs to help offset recent insurance premium hike by Svetlana Ozden news@dailylobo.com
Even though UNM employees’ health insurance premium costs have increased, employees earning less than $50,000 per year won’t pay for the full amount of the increase out of pocket. Employees saw an 8.5 percent hike in insurance premium costs for fiscal year 2013, which began on July 1. But UNM changed its salary-tier contribution schedule, which lists the ratio of premium costs covered by the University to costs covered by employees. The University covers employees’ costs on a sliding scale based on employee salaries. According to the contribution schedule for FY 2012, UNM contributed 80 percent of premium costs for full-time employees who earned less than $25,000 per year, 70 percent of premium costs for those who earned between $25,000 and $35,000, and 60 percent for full-time employees who made more than $35,000. In FY 2013, UNM contributes
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80 percent of premium costs for full-time employees who earn less than $35,000 per year, which is the maximum percentage allowed by the State of New Mexico. UNM covers 70 percent of premium costs for employees who earn between $35,000 and $50,000 and 60 percent of premium costs for employees who earn more than $50,000 per year. UNM is self-insured, which means that the University is the policy vendor. The University contracts with Lovelace and Presbyterian hospitals to provide networks and process insurance claims. Employees earning more than $50,000 per year are unaffected by the change in salary tier contribution and will pay for the full 8.5 percent increase out of pocket. But employees in lower income brackets will in some instances pay less in out of pocket costs for this fiscal year despite the 8.5 percent increase. For example, a single, full-time employee earning between $25,000 and $35,000 on
see Insurance PAGE 5
UNM students stand to benefit from new program by Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga news@dailylobo.com
Young undocumented immigrants in New Mexico and across the country can now start an application process that will allow them to work legally and remain in the country with temporary protection from deportation. The program, called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, went into effect Aug. 15. The Obama Administration initiative grants two-year deportation deferrals and work permits to eligible undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. before they turned 16 and have lived for at least five years in the country. UNM student Juan Gonzalez is one of the estimated 12,840 potential beneficiaries of this program in New Mexico, according to the Immigration Policy Center. He said that in addition to the legal benefits, the program has inspired him to pursue higher education and achieve more ambitious goals. “Before, I thought it was a waste of time going to school and paying for education while I could not work after getting a
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Serviced forest
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Ruby Santos / Daily Lobo Juan Gonzalez helps Robin Hoss, a UNM senior, register to vote outside Popejoy Hall Aug. 17. Gonzalez, who gave the Daily Lobo permission to identify him as an undocumented student, hopes to be accepted in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The program grants some young undocumented immigrants work permits and temporary protection from deportation. bachelor or master’s degree,” he said. “But now I am very motivated to keep educating myself and my community.” Gonzalez, who is pursuing a psychology major with a minor in Chicano studies, said he emigrated from Mexico with his parents when he was 8 and since then, has struggled with his legal status. However, he said the program will help alleviate some of that burden.
“I am definitively going to apply because not having documents has really impacted my life,” he said. “It will make my life much easier.” Gonzalez lived in Arizona with his family before leaving home to pursue higher education in New Mexico. In Arizona, students who cannot prove they are in the country legally must pay out-ofstate tuition.
see Immigration PAGE 8
TODAY
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