By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – President Bush will be arriving Tuesday morning in Canandaigua. Bush plans to host a forum at a local senior citizens center on the new Medicare prescription drug benefit program -- known as Part D.
Democratic Senator Charles Schumer is pleased that the President is visiting the Western New York region, but he hopes Bush doesn't just deliver a speech.
Schumer wants Bush to seriously address the ongoing troubles many senior citizens are encountering with the very complicated Medicare Part D program.
"If the President, in whatever setting he chooses -- public or private, talks to average folks who are having problems with Part D, it might allow him to solve the problem, which is what we need."
But so often, presidential visits to communities are a staged event. That is why Schumer says Bush must sit down directly with those having problems to understand their needs.
"When you are in the White House, all ensconced, you sometimes never talk to average folks about their real problems, and this would be a great opportunity for him to do it," Schumer said.
Schumer says about 80 percent of his constituents are not satisfied with the new program, citing all kinds of problems. Schumer says he believes that the government should throw it out and create a new program designed to help the average senior citizen.
"I believe they ought to start over and do a program that is designed to help the average senior citizen, then help the insurance companies and the drug companies."
Schumer says President Bush also needs to learn that New York already has EPIC -- a prescription drug program -- with many satisfied seniors. But now the State is considering ending it and turning over to the Medicare Part D program. Schumer says that would create an even bigger problem.