The idea that the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) is considered one of the poorest regions in the United States of America doesn’t surprise me because I was born and raised in the RGV and although there are stereotypes about the community, I have witnessed a lot of positive aspects of the Valley.
The RGV faces many labels, some warranted, others perhaps exaggerated. The RGV should be known for its rich culture, beautiful heritage, access to higher education and state of the art healthcare instead of being classified as one of the poorest regions in our country.
The RGV is labeled an impoverished area. This may be because of its lack of access to higher educational opportunities, overpopulation due to high immigrant flow and straining of our healthcare system.
Despite the overall opinions the Valley has upon it, it will be obvious to any tourist that this area of Texas is blossoming with potential. Most of the school districts in the RGV have access to the Robin Hood money, a plan diverting property tax dollars from school districts considered property-wealthy, to poorer ones across Texas. With property tax revenue in mind, districts now compete for each other’s student populations. The students who enroll in RGV educational systems are being brought into this large classroom setting without question of overcrowding the existing classes.
The RGV and Border Patrol struggle due to the daily immigrant flow. These immigrants have been told that this area will work with them on living arrangements, employment, healthcare and educational opportunities. If this were totally accurate, the promise to go along with such tasks would or may have already rendered our government broken. There is also no payment made for the healthcare provided in many areas of a hospital as it is absorbed into the hospital’s annual deficit. Costs of healthcare seem to not only be a local problem but nationwide as well.
It will take a proactive, intelligent and open-minded politician to react to the economic stress that the healthcare crisis has caused our region as a whole. If we, as citizens of the United States, do not become part of the solution our economy will face even greater challenges.