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Hi Rick: The problems we face as having PD is the same problem everyone faces as we grow old: lessening of income, a greater dependence on others, increasing medical costs, a need to economize, a loss of social standing, a loss of comforting delusions. I've been "surrendering the things the things of youth" so rapidly of late that I begining to tap into the things of old age. More than ever as we age we need to wisely adaptive. It sounds like you're wisely adapting. David >From: Rick McGirr <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Drug Company profits >Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 10:27:57 -0400 > >In spite of the claim below, I continue to assume that the oil >companies are willful participants in the raping of the consumer. >Every time there is a hint of a supply glitch, the price goes up >immediately. I never notice the price go back down with such speed. >It would take a lot of convincing to get me to agree that they sit and >wait for the Saudis and Venezuelans to decide their level of profit. >I'm thinking the oil biggies will seize any opportunity, even a >national tragedy, to pump more profits out of our pockets. Call me a >cynic. > >I am planning to reduce my family's dependence on foreign oil and on >global corporations. I'm selling my house in the suburbs, which were >designed around the car, and going back to the city where I grew up. >And I'm waiting for an affordable hybrid vehicle while I board >Buffalo's infamous 'subway to nowhere'. > >It's too bad I can't do the same with drugs. In the future I will >need more and more. The limitations of capitalism really surface in >the health care industry. What's in the future for me? Probably I >will be sucked dry by hospitals, neurosurgeons, drug companies, and >some nursing home, if they can catch me. > >Enjoy Fall! >Rick McGirr >Email: [log in to unmask] > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "K. F. Etzold" <[log in to unmask]> >To: <[log in to unmask]> >Sent: Friday, October 28, 2005 12:09 AM >Subject: Drug Company profits > > >>There is one of those entertaining ads in todays NY Times by >>ExxonMobil >>on the editorial page. It explains that oil companies make only >>average >>profit (2Q 2005), pre Katrina. But that is only part of what got my >>attention. Wanna know who gets the highest profits? You guessed it, >>Pharmaceuticals at 18.6% profit, right after number one, Banks with >>19.6% profits. So there is part of the reason why drugs are so >>expensive. So don't get sick. Now, rounded, 1/5 profit ain't >>bad. >>All US industry has a 7.9% profit. >> >>I guess both drugs and energy have a rather inelastic demand ie. a >>small shortage drives the price up very steeply, which is what we >>are >>seeing now in energy. An interesting sidelight is something I heard >>today on NPR (National Public Radio). The statement was that the oil >>companies do not control the price of their product, it is the >>commodity >>traders. So the oil companies apparently have only limited control >>of >>the prices. I have wondered why the oil companies cannot be public >>minded and cut the prices; apparently they cannot because the >>traders >>drive the price up or down depending on the available supplies. So >>the >>oil companies now enjoy exorbitant profits because of the shortages. >>Create a shortage .... >>K. F. >> >>---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: >>mailto:[log in to unmask] >>In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: >mailto:[log in to unmask] >In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn