O’Rourke honored as El Pasoan of the Year
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px ‘Helvetica Neue’; color: #454545} Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke Tuesday was honored with the 2018 El Pasoan of the Year Award.
Speaking before a packed crowd at the Centennial Banquet Conference Center on Fort Bliss, O’Rourke said he was humbled to receive the award and that much of his past work was inspired by fellow El Pasoan Ruben Garcia, who was also honored today with the 2018 Community Spirit Award for his work with the Annunciation House.
O’Rourke’s acceptance speech then took on something of a campaign speech as he touched on issues including the improvement of mental health care and a pressing need to improve the nation’s environmental heading.
He also answered several questions from reporters about the 2020 election saying that he intends to make a final decision by March 1st and that he would not rule out serving in the role of Vice President.
O’Rourke also continued to combat recent claims by President Donald Trump that the city was only made safer by the building of a border wall.
“El Paso was one of the safest in fact the safest city in America some years before we had this wall constructed in 2008,” O’Rourke said. “Crime actually increased after that wall was constructed so at a minimum you can conclude that walls do not make us safer.”
As the 2018 winner, a $5,000 donation was given to the charity of O’Rourke’s choice by El Paso Inc.
Not only did he select Ruben Garcia’s Annunciation House for that honor but an additional $20,000 check was also presented to Annunciation House by the Paso del Norte Health Foundation.
