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Immediate task For those who want brief instructions, I'll begin and end with a brief synopsis of action needed: CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSMAN IMMEDIATELY. ASK THEM TO BE ORIGINAL COSPONSORS OF THIS YEARS UDALL BILL. WHITE OR CALL (800-962-3524, ASK FOR WHICHEVER MEMBERS YOU WISH). TO SIGN UP THEY SHOULD CONTACT EITHER SENATOR WELLSTONE OR MCCAIN OR REPRESENTATIVES UPTON OR WAXMAN. I have been asked to help get the grassroots going again this year. It looks like a new version of the Udall Bill will be introduced in a week or so. The immediate task is to contact as many Senators and Representatives as possible as soon as possible, and ask them to be original cosponsors (those who are signed on as cosponsors the day the Bill is introduced). They can sign on by contacting the office of Senator Wellstone, Senator McCain, Congressman Waxman or Congressman Upton. If you had some rapport with your Congressman, you might also ask them to write a dear colleague letter to their state delegation. In contracting your Senators or Representative, you should remind them that last year we amassed 62 Centers and 248 Representatives as cosponsors. If you have Parkinson's remind them that: 1. A majority of neuroscientist feel a cure or new effective treatment is close. 2. The cost savings to Society is estimated and conservatively $6 billion and quite possibly $26 billion. 3. The tragedy of knowing a cure is close but may not be reached for lack of a, by federal standards, ultimately modest $100 million per year. For us who have Parkinson's, THE CLOCK IS TICKING. With the help and input of many people, especially Margrate Tuchman, we have assembled a good beginning of an electronic advocates network, which we hope will improve our effectiveness this year. We have picked about 20 capabilities geographic areas and assigned a primary and backup contact to coordinate the activities in those areas. That list will follow shortly. Let me end this as I plan to begin all Udall correspondence: with a short description of exactly what you are to do. CONTACT YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSMAN IMMEDIATELY. ASK THEM TO BE ORIGINAL COSPONSORS OF THIS YEARS UDALL BILL. WHITE OR CALL (800-962-3524, ASK FOR WHENEVER MEMBERS YOU WISH). TO SIGN UP THEY SHOULD CONTACT EITHER SENATOR WELLSTONE OR MCCAIN AND REPRESENTATIVES UPTON OR WAXMAN. AS Jim Cordy Pittsburgh [log in to unmask]