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Copy of letter sent to senator spector and all members of his committee holding hearings on stem-cell research. Dear Senator I am writing to you in support of lifting the ban on the Federal funding of stem-cell research. I am a 53 year old physician currently receiving social security disability (as well as private insurance) and confined to a wheelchair with Parkinson's Disease. I ask that you consider my views as a physician, a person with Parkinson's Disease and as a (former) taxpayer. Recent breakthroughs in stem-cell research offer almost unlimited possibilities for the treatment of many of our most serious and disabling illnesses. Because of a ban on Federal funding of this type of research, Nobel-prize quality work such as that of Dr. Thomson at the University of Wisconsin has needed to be privately funded Failure to finance this research is certain to slow the development of this cutting-edge technology in the US and with it, the possibilities for life-saving cures for Diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, Spinal Cord injury and other illnesses. While I understand the issues leading to the prohibition of the research are not financial, the fiscal benefits of cures being found for some of these diseases would be significant. As an example, if If I were not disabled I would not be receiving over $xxx a year in Social Security Benefits and in addition I would be paying $xxx a year in taxes which I don't pay. I do respect the objections of certain individuals concerning the ethics of such research but my understanding is that the cell-line that Dr. Thomson developed is from the product of an in vitro fertilization (tet tube) undertaken for the purpose of having a child. The embryo was left over and would have been discarded if it had not been used for this purpose. With stem-cell technology even more than other fetal cell use, the charge that the use of this technology is "murder" is patently absurd and if that word is to be thrown around it could better be applied to those who impede the development of this potentially life-saving bio-technology. I clearly recognize that there are ethical issues which need to be discussed and monitored. But wouldn't it be better accomplished in the ethics committees mandated by Congress to review the research as a condition of funding rather than counting on the moral values of corporate funders of the research to put morality over profit? Also, ironically, since certain fetal research is not banned and stem-cell research will likely make most of that research obsolete, funding this research would almost certainly decrease the use of aborted fetuses for medical research purposes. Please lift the ban and get this important work funded. I thank you for your time in considering my opinions and observations. Sincerely yours, Charles T. Meyer, M.D. 3315 Prairie Glade Rd. Middleton, Wisconsin 53562 [log in to unmask] -FAX 608-833-9114 Phone 608-833-9226 ******************************************************************************************