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At 10:20 PM 4/11/98 -0400, Jane Koenig wrote: >Margaret, > >I think your idea of mobilizing all our family and friends in the key >districts is great!=A0 I had been wondering what I could do since my (and= my >father's--another voter) congressman is not on the list.=A0 This is= certainly >one way to make a difference. > >Another thing that caught my attention was reference to Rep. Gingrich in >Bernard Klainberg's digest article, published here a few days ago.=A0 Guess >who our congressman is?=A0 NEWT!!=A0 Does anyone here who is involved in= the >efforts to get the money allocated have some suggestions for how we might >put some pressure on Newt and what to say?=A0 Both Dad and I would be happy >to write letters and I'm sure I could get some local friends and neighbors >to join in.=A0 Just tell me what to say!> >We are eager to do something down here is conservative old Georgia. Dear Jane, You and you father are "GOLDEN" finds.=20 Newt Gingrich, as Speaker of the House, is in a most powerful position. =20 If he were to champion Parkinson's as he did Diabetes, we could be in a winning position. Newt has made some positive comments about PD=20 in the past and based on his personal involvement with the Diabetes funding, the best approach, in my opinion, would be a strongly personal one.=20 Letters, telephone calls are important, but BEST results can be gotten=20 from a personal meeting with the Congressman. And, the access to=20 the Speaker is in the hands of his supportive staff. If you could call his= =20 office and find out when Rep. Gingrich will be his home offiice, or if he=20 has Town Meetings, or meetings with other organizations??=20 We could assemble a group to meet with him. The best mixture for a meeting= is: ---2 constituents with varying stages & differing impact the disease has= made; ---one person (with or without PD) who has extensive experience with= political persuasion, (we can "import " an advocate or national PD organization staff= if need be); and --one well known neuro-scientist to present the current = strong status of PD R&D. Since Emory is one of the world's best known centers for= =20 PD research, we would want a scientist from there to join the effort.=20 Following are excerpts from House Speaker Gingrich's speech before the=20 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International=92s Annual Conference=20 on June 6, 1997. You will note that in most instances the words Parkinson's disease could be substituted for diabetes and the points in his argument=20 for increased funding for diabetes research can be used to ask=20 him for supporting FULL funding of the Udall Act. "As many of you are aware, I=92ve been outspoken for several years about=20 diabetes for several reasons. First, the fact is, my mother-in-law has diabetes and I=92ve watched how she cares for the disease. " "My good friends, Gay and Stanley Gaines, have been active in juvenile=20 diabetes since their son, Stanley, Jr., was diagnosed with the Type I=20 diabetes at the age of 13. Which brings me to my second reason for=20 involvement -- it=92s the humane and intelligent thing to do." "The future of millions of Americans is at stake in our struggle=20 with diabetes. As a society, we cannot sacrifice the potential=20 contribution of a single person." "In recent years, medical research funding at the National=20 Institutes of Health has increased. I want to recognize the=20 leadership of Congressman John Porter, chair of the Labor-HHS=20 appropriations subcommittee, has shown in providing this funding=20 increase for NIH. From 1987 to 1994, funding for NIH increased=20 by 63 percent, or 7.25 percent per year."=20 "However, as I=92m sure you are painfully aware, funding for NIDDK,=20 the primary institute researching diabetes, grew by only 4.95=20 percent per year during this time. Of the seventeen NIH Institutes,=20 NIDDK ranked thirteenth in terms of budget growth between 1987-1994." "Current federal spending for diabetes is a little more than=20 $300 million per year. When compared to the $138 billion cost=20 to the nation from diabetes, $300 million for research toward=20 the cure and treatment of diabetes is a small sum. The $138=20 billion spent treating people with diabetes is four hundred=20 sixty times more than the amount spent on diabetes research.=20 The $28.6 billion Medicare spends on treating people with diabetes=20 is 95 times the sum NIH spends on medical research into the disease." "I believe that we need to take a serious look at diabetes research=20 compared with other illnesses. And, while Congress shouldn=92t encourage a "disease of the month" mentality for research,=20 the numbers on diabetes support a significant research commitment.=20 For example, for every $100 spent in direct costs of medical care,=20 it is estimated that only $0.25 is spent on diabetes research=20 compared with as much as $12 for some other diseases." This is the result of the strong lobbying effort that JDFI=20 mounted and Rep. Gingrich helped: PRESS RELEASE Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Applauds NIH Increase for Medical Research = =20 New York, NY July 16, 1997 -- In its continued efforts to make medical research funding=20 a national priority, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International applauds Congressman=20 John Porter and other members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for their=20 outstanding decision to increase support for diabetes research.=20 Effective yesterday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health= and Human Services, and Education approved a 6 percent, or $765 million,= increase in=20 funding for medical research programs through the National Institutes of= Health (NIH).=20 In addition, the panel provided a 7.5 percent, or $61 million, increase for= the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).=20 ---------------------------------- JDFI LEGISLATIVE ALERT August 5, 1997=20 The President signed into law today the 1997 Balanced Budget Act=20 which included $330 million in new funds for diabetes programs - specifically $150 million that is earmarked for Type I diabetes=20 research. This Act provides $30 million per year for five years for innovative research and treatment programs focusing on the prevention=20 and cure of Type I diabetes. This money is in addition to the annual funds appropriated by Congress for medical and diabetes research conducted through the programs of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).=20 ---------------------------------- How to contact Rep. Newt Gingrich: In Washington, call toll free, 1-800-361-5222 and ask to speak with his scheduler, Ann Mercollera. (she is listed in 1997 resource)and Missy Jenkins is his Assistant for Health. Fax# in DC: 202-225-4656 email: [log in to unmask] In Marietta, Georgia his phone # is: 770-565-6398 --------------------------------- Thank you Jane for your offer to help. To succeed in this National effort to get FULL, FOCUSED FUNDING for PD research, we need to extend ourselves and use or create resources and tools to help us win. The most=20 basic need we have is the establisment of the Community Action Teams CATs)in every state. We already have strong organized presence in some states, but there is a need for volunteers who could be called upon to=20 mobilize support groups and individual grassrooters as the need arises. Check your calendars for the next 4 months and see if you could find=20 2 hours per week to dedicate to Parkinson's work. The level of your=20 involvement can range from minor to leadership roles -- it depends on you. Call Mike Claeys: 1-800-850-4726 or Bill Turenne: 1-888-331-4673 to offer to help. Margaret [log in to unmask] DOB: 1941/Dx: 1980/Cured:ASAP Slogans wont do it/Hard work will