Bill,  I liked your letter.  I've adapted it and will mail to our paper.
Maybe with a little luck it will get published.  Nancy B  cg for Don 64/14+
-----Original Message-----
From: William Heitman <[log in to unmask]>
To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, July 08, 1998 3:40 PM
Subject: Letter to the editor (s):


>Letter to the editor (s):
>
>I recently had the opportunity to go to Washington, DC as part of the
>Parkinson's Action Network's fifth annual Forum.  We "Parkinson's
Activists"
>spent the better part of a week  (Jun 14-17) hearing about the latest
research
>funding, and how to approach Members of Congress.  On Tuesday the 16, we
>visited our lawmakers.  We feel he public needs to know this about the
>situation: The US Federal Government pays out a (conservatively) estimated
>13.6 million dollars a day (or $5 billion a year) to maintain the status
quo
>for about one million American people with Parkinson's Disease (PWP).
While
>we are grateful for the cash, we would prefer a cure.  However, that takes
>money.
>
>We think we have a powerful case:
>
>If you had the opportunity to make up to a 1000 % annual return on an
>investment, could you find the money?  Like most investments, there are no
>guarantees--actual results may vary depending on ongoing and future costs,
and
>the possibility that the desired result may be more difficult or expensive
>than expected.  However, it is also a potentially far better deal than just
>1000 % return on the money:
>
>--First, the "cost to society" is $25 billion (five times the direct cost
to
>taxpayers).  Saving that money should increase investment and yield more
tax
>dollars.  Ex PWPs could buy stock rather than pills.
>--Second, the 1000 % figure applies only to a single year without PD costs.
>The $ 5 billion loss now occurs yearly.  That is, investing now accelerates
>the future when the US Government benefits by $ 5 billion a year, year
after
>year--forever.
>
>Lawmakers recognized the effectiveness of that investment last year by
passing
>into law the Morris K. Udall Research and Education Act.  (The Udall Bill).
>However, that Act only "authorized" spending.  "Appropriation" of the funds
is
>still required.  Only then does the required money go to work to save us
all
>big bucks.  Every day's delay is another day of all PWP's lives and 13.6
>million dollars down the drain.  Time is money.  Time is life.  Please help
us
>to preserve both.  So far, there has been no money.
>
>The price tag for this investment is one hundred million dollars a year for
>five years.  This amount is not simply a nice round number.  Distinguished
>researchers huddled back in 1993 to decide how much could be absorbed by
>projects of high scientific and/or clinical merit by the PD research and
>treatment community.
>
>Deprived of this cash, researchers have proceeded very slowly over the past
>five years.  Many important projects are still unfunded.  However, they
have
>proceeded.  Many exciting leads are being explored, many more are planned.
>
>There you have it, the possibility for saving 13.6 million dollars a day,
the
>possibility to  stop a horrible disease.
>
>How about helping us do this.  Ask your Congress to pass the full funding
(one
>hundred million dollars) to implement the Udall law
>
>To call: dial the number
>                `               (202) 224-3121 The House of Representatives
>                                (202) 225-3121 The United States Senate
> You should get a perky "Capitol." Name the Legislator that you want to
call.
>They will connect you with his/her office.
>
>Best regards,
>