Run in The Parkersburg News and The Parkersburg Sentinel on May 13, 2004 (coinciding with President Bush's May 13 visit). 
 

When President Bush comes to visit this week, West Virginians deserve to have all of their questions answered.  To learn more information so you can ask the tough questions, visit www.questionstoaskbush.com

1.) When you campaigned for President in 2000 you promised to make healthcare affordable.  But all we have seen in West Virginia is premiums rise and 20,000 more people not able to afford health insurance.  Why should we believe that you will do anything to make health care more affordable?

2.) In 2000 you made the campaign promise that you would bring more jobs to West Virginia.  More than 14,000 West Virginians have lost their jobs since you have taken office.  How do you explain to those hard working West Virginians that you kept your promise?

3.) You signed into law a Medicare bill that could cost nearly 30,000 West Virginia seniors their health care benefits.  Why?

4.) Why did you hide from the American people the fact that your Medicare prescription drug bill would cost taxpayers $156 billion more than the price you sold it at?

5.) Dick Cheney collected a $20 million dollar bonus when he left Halliburton to run for Vice-President in 2000.  Since then, he’s been paid $488,408 more from Halliburton on top of his government salary.  Why should Halliburton get no-bid government contracts?

6.) You have received $3.7 million dollars in contributions from HMO’s and drug companies.  Is that why our seniors and families are paying the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs?

7.) Since 2001, over 10,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in West Virginia.  And your Economic Report says sending jobs overseas is good for the economy.  How is it good for West Virginia families to have jobs sent to China and India?

8.)You flip-flopped your position and removed steel tariffs, do you know how much that hurt West Virginians?

9.) The average West Virginia worker makes less than $30,000 a year. How do your tax breaks for those who make more than $300,000 help them?

10.) You have given corporate contributors and friends billions of dollars worth of no-bid government contracts — $18 billion to Halliburton alone — even though many of these companies have committed fraud and continue to overcharge the taxpayers.  Will you continue to give your corporate contributors no-bid contracts when they continue to waste taxpayer dollars?

11.) Why have you spent over a third of your time in office on vacation?

12.) You have visited Pennsylvania 29 times and West Virginia only 8 times since taking office.  Why do you like Pennsylvanians so much more than us?