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Thanks Ron, Look for it soon in the PD webring at the Maine Parkinson's Society Web site:: http://home.maine.rr.com/nesports/ - Greg Leeman Ronald F. Vetter wrote: > The logic is straight forward: If a cure for Parkinson's Disease is found > via spending $100,000,000 per year for the next few years as authorized by > the Morris Udall Act, the savings of billions of dollars each year > thereafter will be a benefit. > > In addition, the millions who do not experience the losses of physical > capability and the depression and helplessness of Parkinsonism will > contribute more years of productuve activity rather than have to be taken > care of for years. > > Something is amiss when we fund the Pentagon $268 Billion this year but > provide the National Institutes of Health, America's federal research > center, less than $14 Billion. A formidable enemy of the people comprising > our nation is disease. > > The situation is going to worsen as the "baby boomers" age. According to > Abraham Lieberman, M.D., Medical Director of the National Parkinson > Foundation and Executive Director of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson's Institute > in Phoenix, AZ, at least ten million people in the US over age 60 are likely > to develop Parkinson's if they live long enough. > > A Duke University Study found that each Parkinson's Disease patient costs > $25,000 a year in societal and family costs in 1994 dollars. One million > times $25,000 equals $25 Billion current cost for Parkinson's Disease. > > Yes, I have a vested interest in seeing an all out attack on Parkinson's > Disease. I am 'living' with this robber of mobility, I started taking > medication in 1984 when I was diagnosed.(modify this to fit your situation) > > $100 Million a year to save $25 Billion a year - and possibly $250 Billion > a year in the not too distant future is a bargain. > > The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives describes Parkinson's as "one of the > brightest spots in brain research." It is thought that research into > Parkinson's may well hold the key to other neurodegenerative diseases. > > Please help! Support fully funding the Morris K. Udall Act for Parkinson's > Research and Education to a level of $100 Million a year. Do your best to > double the NIH budget with emphasis on neurodegenerative diseases research. > > Sincerely, (add your name and address here) > > PS: CBO 3/98 budget information: > year 1998 2003 2008 > Defense 269 306 357 > Domestic 269 317 367 > Social Security 376 471 614 > Medicare 218 306 448 > > (where the values are billions of dollars) shows domestic spending is > projected to increase more than defense, but the Medicare more than doubles! > > The increase of $230-billion in Medicare and $238-billion in Social > Security dwarf the $98-billion increase in domestic spending. > > The $0.1-billion authorized for PD should be appropriated - because it is > expected to save 250 to 2,500 times that amount each year.