When the smoke clears, we will find those Congresspersons who would take our
families' homes and cars were the same people who were the last ones on the
Udall/NIH cosponsorship train...when it was clear that it would never leave
the station. How naive were we to believe that those candidates elected in
the last congressional elections by the religious right and the 'angry white
men' would be sympathetic to a cause and legislation that was named for one
of the most 'LIBERAL' congressmen in history? These folks were elected to
cut and slash government waste....not add another layer of bureaucracy to NIH.
Many of us were duped in the last congressional election....the new shell
game is the glass half empty or is the glass half full? Was Medicare cut or
was Medicare increased?
The 'mean spirited' have redefined one of the most important functions of
government, to protect the health and welfare of its citizens. Their pundit
of buffoonery, Rush Limbaugh would demean us by commenting that, "They're
just lucky Atlanta didn't burn down that night." when Muhammed Ali lit the
Olympic torch. The current legislative process has replaced civility with
confrontational accusations, compassion with punishment by withholding or
limiting treatment options according to the weight of one's purse.
The name of the legislative game is money...without it very little gets
beyond the publicity of a committee hearing. In our fight, where were the
lobbyist for the pharmaceutical companies, the neurological association, the
hospitals who sponsor support groups, the institutions who would be the
'favored' ten? We can fill the mailboxs...make the phone calls but where
were those who stood to gain financially from the 'Udall' bill?
Where was Roche Pharmaceutical....makers of tolcapone/Tasmar(r), SmithKline
Beecham..makers of ropinirole/ReQuip(TM), or Medtronics, maker of the
stimulation devices used in DBS? These folks, by sitting on the hands and
pocket books while the fight was going on were extremely short
sighted...considering that we are their partners. Those drugs will increase
our monthly drug cost $120 to $200 per month. They should be shamed to think
of the support that Dupont Pharma and Somerset have invested in Parkinson's
education...not only doctors...but patients as well with their seminars.
Sure, each one of these major companies have lobbiests and support the
pharmaceutical association which contributes to political campaigns. I would
shudder to think of that money being used to finance....our obstructionist
enemies.
Where were the TV spots that showed a dyskinetic young parkinsonian with
their family around the kitchen table with the voice over saying,
"Congressman _______, the _____ bill in your committee, would help find a
cure for Parkinson's in families like this and other neurological conditions
.... won't you please help our families by moving this legislation? Two
hundred and thirty five of your colleagues feel this way."
Images tell stories....we can be invisible no more!
I really believe that the game was lost in the final two minutes...the place
that money and political clout would have been most useful. Emory University
should have ran that type of ad in Newt Gingrich's district where it is not
entirely clear whether he will be reelected.
Next year, we need to prepare ourselves to fight the forces of
darkness....to overtime if necessary!
In November, do not return one of our opponents to Congress or the
Senate....vote YOUR interest.
John Cottingham To search the Parkinsn archive, send search requests
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