Letters
Help available for navigating Medicare Part D maze

Medicare Part D prescription-drug coverage is the biggest change that has been made to Medicare since it first started 40 years ago in 1965, and much has been written about the difficulties involved in choosing a plan from among the 19 carriers and 44 plans offered in New Jersey.

Last year I ran about a dozen informational seminars about the new Medicare Part D prescription-drug program. More than 1,000 people attended these seminars, and many reported that the seminars were very helpful.

It became clear to me, however, that what seniors and the disabled who are tackling this important decision about their health care really need is personalized, individual assistance. Therefore, since January I have been sponsoring workshops that offer one-on-one individual help with Medicare Part D.

Seniors who still need to choose a Part D prescription-drug plan, those who have already chosen or enrolled in a plan and want an expert to check to make sure they are in the plan that is best for them, and those who are helping a relative with Medicare Part D may call me at (732) 583-5558 to schedule an appointment with one of the Medicare-trained counselors at one of the workshops listed below. Seniors will need to bring their Medicare card and their actual medications, or a list of their medications, including dosages and cost, and to the appointment.

Those already enrolled in a Part D plan may change their plan once before May 15. Eligible individuals who do not enroll by May 15 will not be able to enroll again until Nov. 15 and will have to pay a permanent monthly late-enrollment penalty.

I am currently sponsoring one-on-one Medicare Part D workshops on "Medicare Tuesdays" at the Old Bridge Senior Center on April 11 and May 10, and at the Middletown Public Library on April 18 and May 2. One-on-one help is also available at the Cullen Center, 1776 Union Ave., Hazlet, on Wednesday, March 29, and at the Keyport Senior Center, 110 Second St., on Tuesday, April 4.

Again, I invite those interested to call my office at (732) 583-5558 to make an appointment. This kind of individual help will not be as available after May 15, so I hope that as many people as possible will take advantage of this valuable assistance now.

Assemblyman Sam Thompson (R-13)

member

New Jersey Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee

Lack of insight, thought apparent in plans for Rt. 18 traffic

This letter is in response to the officials in East Brunswick and their theories regarding traffic on

Route 18.

The work being done on Tices Lane and Route 18 will just make traffic different - it will not alleviate any of it. They should have thought of overpasses. When the Edgeboro jughandle was being done, they should have placed an overpass there as well, especially considering that most people do not follow the driving rules at that intersection by blocking the intersection and running red lights. Of course, there are never any police around, and when they are, they do nothing.

Removing the light from Prospect Street will help, but to place it two blocks down is just a waste of money and not very intelligent, especially just for Lowe's. Did they ever look at what will happen to the traffic flow in the neighborhood opposite Lowe's? Obviously not, since they placed a traffic light at that intersection, which will not help the traffic flow. Yeah, you moved it farther from Tices Lane but closer to West Ferris Street.

Speaking of West Ferris Street - isn't there already a light there? Why, yes, there is, and if you head west on West Ferris Street to the stop sign and look to your right, there's Lowe's. Man, wouldn't that have worked out perfectly - a separate entrance/exit to Lowe's where there already exists a traffic light, without having to waste more money and create more traffic. But is that in the best interest of the contractors? No. They will lose money because they don't have to do as much work and make as much profit, and the overbudgeting of the construction (caused by building an intersection and adding additional lights) would not have happened to the project. It's just another way our tax dollars get wasted by the politicians and government - lack of insight, thought and more corruption.

How about we stop allowing construction of houses, minimalls and age-restricted housing? Well, that wouldn't be in the best interest of construction companies and politicians, now would it? But it would be in the best interest of the taxpayers and people who live in the overpopulated area.

I can't wait for that great Golden Triangle to get under way in East Brunswick - that's just another corrupt project brought to you by the local politicians. It's going to be great - more housing, more cars, more vacant minimalls and office space and more traffic lights. That is going to be awesome.

It is just what we need, don't you think? Let's take away stores that save the people money and build all of that to benefit the people living here. Maybe they should have asked us. Nah. What do we matter to them?

Scott Forgue

South River

Resident grateful for responsiveness of assemblyman, staff

During the first week of January, my son Zack, a U.S. Marine, was deployed to Afghanistan.

Since his deployment, I was preoccupied with various issues pertaining to his life, such as temporarily suspending his wireless cell-phone service. I was repeatedly informed by the wireless-service provider's consultants, on several occasions, that his deployment papers were required in order to prove his whereabouts. I repeatedly told the wireless provider that the papers were packed away in his belongings at his home base of Hawaii.

Finally, after two months of receiving no positive response from the wireless provider, I telephoned the office of Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-19) and spoke with his very competent and helpful chief of staff, Christina Montorio. As a result of Assemblyman Wisniewski's prompt attention to this matter, I was able to speak with a specialist in the wireless provider's corporate office, and my problem was immediately resolved within three hours' time.

It is with great appreciation that I publicly applaud the responsive and outstanding work of Assemblyman Wisniewski and his staff. In addition, we residents of District 19, and especially Sayreville, are fortunate to have Assemblyman Wisniewski on our side.

Donna Zagata

Sayreville

Elected officials duping residents to benefit developers

A few years back, the voters in New Jersey actually voted for and overwhelmingly supported a new tax to help fund open space. Taxpayers were willing to fund preserving open space in our rapidly developing and overcrowded state.

Never in our wildest dreams would we have ever thought this "preserved land" would be swapped, diverted, exchanged or stolen by our elected officials. Thompson Park in Monroe, Elizabeth River Park in Union and Heavenly Farms in East Brunswick are just a few already on that list, with Boyd Park soon to be added by the amount of dredging being done in the New Brunswick area of the Raritan River.

New Jersey taxpayers, beware. You are being duped once again by your elected officials for the sake of developers. Please help stop this political disregard for what this tax was intended by voicing your concern.

Barbara Pritchard

Milltown