GROVE CITY

Rising property taxes and prescription drug costs are putting the hurt on county residents and they let U.S. Rep. Phil English know about it Thursday.

English, a fifth-term Republican from Erie, can do little about property taxes, which are set by local governments, but at a town-hall meeting, he blamed the Senate for a lack of action providing Medicare coverage for prescription drugs.

English hosted a town-hall meeting Thursday at American Legion Post 220 in Grove City that drew about 60 area residents, who had about two dozen questions and comments. The issues that generated the most discussion were ones related to health-care coverage and the security of Social Security and retirement plans.

Many seniors find themselves struggling to keep up with the escalating cost of prescription drugs.

The House passed a $350 billion Medicare plan in June, but senators rejected four plans in the past three weeks and left this week for summer recess. "I'm frustrated. There has been no shortage of politics. "(Senators) need to step up to the plate and pass a comprehensive plan," English said.

English is hopeful senators can agree on a plan shortly after they return from their summer recess, and that the House and Senate can then craft a plan that passes both chambers this year. English said it could take up to two years to implement a plan.

As some seniors struggle to cover their drug costs, Social Security is struggling to keep pace with the rate of inflation and its future is threatened by the growing number of retirees, English said.

The program is projected to be in the red by 2015 and broke by 2040, English said. English noted that people are living longer and collecting Social Security for a longer period of time, and that when the program started there were seven workers for every retiree while today there are 3.3 workers for every retiree.

In response to concerns of dairy farmer Mike Frazier of Harrisville, who said high property taxes are killing small farms, William Cusick of Grove City said, "Because of inflation, I can't afford to buy the milk that he can't afford to produce."

Cusick added: "I'm on a fixed income, but my Social Security isn't keeping pace with the rate of inflation while property taxes and the cost of prescription drugs continue to go up."

"People just don't have faith in government anymore," Cusick said.

Before English and area residents started talking politics, the lawmaker presented James Palmer, a Navy veteran of World War II, with the Jubilee of Liberty medal for participating in the Normandy invasion that helped liberate France from German occupation and start the final campaign of the war in Europe. In the 1990s the French government honored veterans who participated in the invasion, but many Americans were unable to cross the Atlantic for the ceremony.