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The recent discussions (see excepts below) of #PD deaths/year as a measure for guaging medical research funding GREATLY underplays the situation. PD may not directly cause a great number of deaths per year, but "it does take lives". Forget the "death costs" stuff. Our advocacy point is that PD is a living disease with huge "living costs" measured by relentless and accelerating expenses for medical, disability, care, etc. Don't we use the figure $25K/yr per PWP or a total of $25B/yr. Aren't these expenses born by PWPs directly, our families, and society in general (insurance, disability...) This same kind of logic applies to our discussion of PD Vote Power. The important point for getting Udall appropriations is the multiplier effect of the 6-7 people affected by each PWP. Its the combined vote power that we are trying to harness, not just ourselves. Dan ----------- Excerpt List ------------------- NIH spent about $1,162 in research monies for every heart disease death, versus $33,513 for every AIDS death." My understanding ist that PD gets 28 bucks a year, right? "No one dies of PD." Though possibly technically correct, of course, lots of people with PD did sooner than they otherwise might, but "from other causes." This is a living disease. We count people suffering with it. We count people failing to achieve. We count dollars spent helping people live with it - the overall economic cost - which we conservatively consider to be $25,000 million in the U.S. alone. And we can talk about our (indeed, any) government's direct expenses for disability pensions and medical assistance for people with PD.