Socorro was the fourth stop on Congressman Harry Teague's tour of his congressional district this week. On Thursday, Jan. 7, he walked around Socorro's Wastewater Treatment plant, then held a meeting at the Socorro Senior Center to talk briefly with voters.

The concerns raised by participants ranged from national issues, such as the health care bill and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to local problems such as cuts in funding that affect programs serving senior citizens.

Early in the meeting, several people spoke out against the health care bill.

"I don't want to be up here defending a bill that I didn't vote for," Teague responded more than once.

Later, other people spoke up in favor of the bill. One woman commented that she would like to see Medicare for all, and for everyone to have the same health care insurance that seniors do.

To those people, Teague replied that he "didn't vote against it because it was all bad, but because the bad outweighs the good."

Lala Chavez is the director of La Vida Felicidad, a local provider of home care and adult day services for senior citizens. She said that cuts in Medicare funding were causing her to have to cut back on the services her agency provides, and expressed concern about additional cuts scheduled to occur in the near future.

Kay Krehbiel expressed the same concern more directly.

"The Senior Center budget has been cut three times," she said. "What can you do to get more money here?"

Teague responded by referring to stimulus money that he has been instrumental in securing for Socorro County. The two projects he mentioned will bring in almost $5 million; $4 million for a project at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory and $756,000 for work on the Rio Grande Floodway between San Acacia and the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

After the meeting, Lewis Auerbach, the director of the Socorro Senior Center, said he has had to cut two programs in outlying areas and two programs in Socorro.

"It's frustrating because I can't do the things I want to do for the seniors," he said.

One place he's had to cut is the home care program. He used to have three people to make home visits and help with things like vacuuming, doing laundry and paying bills, but now he only has one. He can no longer provide home care services in Magdalena and Veguita. In Socorro, he has 18 seniors on the waiting list for services.

"The only way to get in is if someone dies," he said. "That's terrible."

Another place Auerbach has had to make cutbacks is in transportation services.

"We've had to prioritize. We can still get people to doctor appointments and help them get their medication, and bring them here for a hot meal, but we can't help them get their shopping and errands done the way we used to."

Auerbach says he has a wonderful working crew, and is still able to provide a good hot lunch everyday.

"The Catch-22 is that we're now absorbing the baby boomers."

Last year, an average of 54 seniors came to the center for lunch everyday, and now the average is closer to 75. Home-delivered meals are provided to 68 people daily, an increase of about five per day. Meanwhile, Auerbach is operating with a budget equal to the budget two years ago.

"It's a good thing I know how to watch the pennies," he said.

Teague is hoping that Congressman Teague can use his influence to talk to some of the politicians in the state and in the U.S. Legislature,

"Seniors are a segment of society that can least absorb cuts," Auerbach said. "They're on a fixed income, and many can't work or get hired for jobs."

Contact Suzanne Barteau