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SNIPPED: "What will happen is life will go on and private industry will keep their research going to discover greater symptomatic relief or cure. Don't count > on the government to do anything. And, when they do be pleasantly > surprised." I disagree. "Private industry" is not an organized group. It is made up of individual, profit-seeking, competitive companies. Contrast that with the federal government, which is organized specifically to apportion scarce dollars to achieve goals for the good of ALL when the free market can or will not on its own. Given that, we all know that "private industry" has no interest in funding its own research unless the outcome is demonstrated to be profitable. That means that the profits must outweigh ALL the costs of research. And, unless you're inventing Viagra, that is a tough balance sheet to come up with. God Bless Capitalism. But, research hospitals and universities, where the real discoveries are made, have a different mission and need public funding. That is not to say that these are the most economic and frugal investments we can be making as a society, but they are all we've got to work toward curing our ills. Look at the AIDS cocktail, which is keeping so many people alive today. What about chemos and radiation that keep breast cancer survivors surviving? It is naive to think for a second that those "cures" were developed by private industry or without some research funded by federal grants along the way. Will $100 million in a Udall bill cure PD? Absolutely not. Will some Udall grant-funded clinical trial at a university come up with something that might help stop the tremors or the dyskensia? Maybe. If so, THEN and ONLY THEN will private industry will step in, market the technology and make it affordable. That's the way the cookie crumbles. And that is OK, in my opinion. My two cents, anyway. ---Flemco- <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Bruce, > > What will happen is life will go on and private industry will keep their > research going to discover greater symptomatic relief or cure. > > I personally think we are beginning to sound like the "welfare mothers". > Today $30 million dollars is not enough therefore make it a $100 million. > And, tomorrow when $100 million is not enough demand $1,000 million, and on, > and on..... This $100 million dollars "doesn't grow on trees". The citizens > of this country have to come up with this money by not spending it on their > kids, new house, or whatever they desire. I don't know about you, but I do > not have the nerve to ask my neighbors to help pay for my problems. > > Sooner or later we each face up to the fact that we were dealt a rather weak > hand in this life, but it is the only (trembling) hand we have got to play. > > Larry Fleming > [log in to unmask] > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Parkinson's Information Exchange > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bruce Anderson > Sent: Friday, July 10, 1998 10:10 AM > To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN > Subject: WHAT! happens if it doesn't work? > > Does anyone out there feel that some of us are making too much of an > emotional commitment to the funding of this Udall Law, perhaps? I mean all > of the anger, anguish, frustration, "I'm Mad as Hell...," etc. directed at > Congress for not funding it, soon no doubt to be followed by jubilation when > it does. And then what happens to our individual psyches if.....nothing > happens? Which is a good possibility. When was the last time anyone found > a "cure" of a neurological disease? Finding one is also a possibility. I'm > in favor of our working our asses off to get funding of Udall & I think I've > done my part. I just think we have to be careful of putting to many > emotional eggs in one basket. They may find a way to prevent future > victims. But we may have to live with improved management of our sumptuous. > Any thoughts? > == Leslie Lillard Walden ([log in to unmask]) _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com