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Kathy,
You can still write Dale Kildee, even if you are not his constituent, to thank
him.  Let me get you some info about the Udall Bill so that you can get
started.  Will send you to two websites to begin (see below) , which will
offer you some general information about the Morris K. Udall Act for
Parkinson's Research and Education, enacted in November of 1997 as part of a
larger appropriations measure and approving $100 million for direct
Parkinson's research.  You will want to write your congressman and Senators
Carl Levin and Spencer Abraham right away to ask them to fully fund the Act to
the approved level of $100 million immediately because the appropriations
committee will be sending their recommendations to the House floor for a vote
within days and we need legislators to understand there is grassroots support
for Udall.  My recommendation is to fax or send your letters by U. S. mail as
opposed to emailing them because they get too many emails to know how to
handle them and don't really have the personnel to man computers they've all
told me.  In other words, emails get lowest priority. At the two sites, you
will find a "zipper," which will help you figure out who your legislators are,
if you input your zip code.  You will also find examples of letters others
have written and are welcome to simply copy one because in all likelihood,
your support will simply become a hashmark on a tallysheet anyway.  But, the
point is that you will have registered your support.  Get your husband and
friends each to send one, too.  You compose the letters with the addresses of
these freinds and family members (very important so that your congressmen will
recognize writers as their constituents) and their names and get them to sign
the letters. Leaving it to others does not seem to work as well as handing
friends and family a prepared something to sign.  If you have their zips, you
can learn the names of their congressmen, you see.  It can be something as
simple as:  "Please fully fund the Morris K. Udall Act for direct Parkinson's
Research to the approved level of $100 million for FY 1999. Fifty-thousand
Michiganders having Parkinson's, along with their friends and caregivers, and
more than 1 million Americans so afflicted, along with their friends and
caregivers are waiting for you do do the right thing."

Here are the 2 websites:

http://parkinsonalliance.net/
http://home.maine.rr.com/meps/index.htm

Hope this helps.
Barb