Letters to the editor

Is rail the answer?

Does the average citizen really know what's going on with rail? Close your eyes and allow the central core of Winter Park to melt into the peace and tranquility of a bygone era, a time where the troubles of the day were wiped away by the romantic vision of far-off relatives being deposited for reunion and a taste of our sunshine.

The citizens narrowly passed a vote to consider a train station in Winter Park during the peak of the economy. Will this now be a panacea or the utter destruction of what we cherish? Many of the merchants, suffering in these times, are grasping at anything that even resembles a lifeboat. Perhaps 56 daily commuter trains will fill the stores with their ideal client profile, browsing for the finer goods and services they so ably provide. Perhaps those trains will gridlock downtown irreversibly, creating a snarled parking lot of Park Avenue, making International Drive the shopping venue of choice. And so goes the potential benefit or cost to our downtown.

So what does it cost the taxpayers of Winter Park? The city attorney, paid by us and acting on the direction of the commission, has filled boxes with his research and didn't hesitate to articulate his many grave concerns throughout two City Commission meetings.

I left these meetings determined of the following: Winter Park needs to buy some swampland from me! They'll need lots and lots of dollars for this train stop — not sure how many, nobody really knows for sure — for a very, very long time.

We as a city don't keep too firm a grip on our dollars. Some past commissioners, along with Planning and Zoning, not too long ago were clueless that we absolutely didn't want the Carlisle — $3.7 million gone. Our city manager of many decades was moved on — $1.1million gone.

Perhaps we should start tuning in a little. Commission meetings can be listened to live via the city's Web site or in person; the seats are very comfortable. The current commissioners are great — they actually do their homework and they listen! They devote a tremendous amount of time studying the issues for their love of their city and the whopping sum of $200 a month. Without citizen involvement, those with a dog in the race, and more than a few nickels to rub together, paint the future picture of Winter Park with brushes of their own preconception. See you at the commission meeting.

—John Skolfield

Winter Park

A new 'twist' in the law may help your mom

Mom has always been there to nurture and take care of you. Mother's Day is the perfect time to give back and look out for her. If she's having a hard time paying for her prescription drugs, tell her about the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and the extra help available through Social Security.

If your mother, or any special woman in your life, is covered by Medicare and has limited income and resources, she may be eligible for extra help to pay her monthly premiums, annual deductibles and prescription co-payments. The extra help is worth an average of $3,900 per year.

Perhaps you've looked into the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for Mom before, and discovered that she did not qualify due to her income or resources. The law changed in 2010 and as Chubby Checker will tell you, it will be easier than ever to qualify for the extra help.

To qualify, she must be receiving Medicare and:

-Have income limited to $16,245 for an individual or $21,855 for a married couple living together. Even if her annual income is higher, she still may be able to get some help with monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments.

-Have resources limited to $12,510 for an individual or $25,010 for a married couple living together. Resources include such things as bank accounts, stocks and bonds. We do not count her house or car as resources.

Thanks to this "twist" in the law, we no longer count any life insurance policy she has as a resource, and we no longer count as income any financial assistance she receives regularly from someone else to pay her household expenses such as food, mortgage or rent, utilities or property taxes. Don't take our word for it, see Chubby Checker's rocking message at www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp.

While you're there, you can fill out an easy-to-use online application for your mom. To apply by phone or have an application mailed to you, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020). Or go to the nearest Social Security office.

If you'd like to learn more about the Medicare prescription drug plans and special enrollment periods, visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).

—Paul D. Barnes

Social Security Regional

Commissioner in Atlanta