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Bev, Glad to hear your comments and that we are in substantial agreement. If you have mail, E-Mail and/or fax numbers for the "BIG 4" please pass them on. If you or others on the list have the relevant info and can post the addresses and we can demonstrate grass root concern maybe we can help move this off of dead center. Maybe we have some professional mediators on the list who can offer suggestions. I noticed that the United Parkinson Foundation is not mentioned. Any special reason? They were involved in talks several years ago which apparently fell apart. Since I am a patient at Rush-Presbyterian in Chicago I am a member of that group and hope they are included. Charlie >Charlie, > I certainly do agree with your thoughts about the >necessity for a grass-roots movement by the people with PD >and their support groups to write their 4 national groups >and insist that they attend this conference. Our group here >in Santa Barbara will do that right away for a starter. We >were the first PD support group in CA and are still going >strong 17 years later. My husband and I were sent to the PAN >Forum in Washington DC in May by our group to help try to >get the Udall Bill passed. The only way these 4 national >groups are going to unite is if they think they have some >thing valuable to lose by not uniting. The support of the >patients across the nation including members ofthe APDA, PDF >& NPF groups themselves could be that key. It is not >reasonable or fair forthe program of national funding for PD >researchto be jeapordized by empire building and selfish >interests. The fact that no advocacy program for govt. funds >was instigated by any of the 4 groups until PAN started one >points out just how interested in patient welfare they are. >LET'S UNITE AS PATIENTS TO DEMAND UNITY AMONG THE BIG FOUR. > Bev Steward ([log in to unmask]) Charles T. Meyer Madison, WI [log in to unmask]