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Dear Ivan and List Friends: Ivan you pissed me off this morning which is no good for my PD. For years I have listened to the on going soap opera of you life and the never-ending complaints about the NPF. If you were a man about it and were sincere in your belief that your position was correct you would have long ago submitted the claim to the small claims court for resolution. The cost to submit to small claims court is nominal and I would put the fee up for you if you would get off this topic. I am not taking sides in the dispute but I do feel that you are blinded by the mot in your eye. Now you are asking us to support your boycott against the NPF. The NPF for many years has been the largest source of private funds for Parkinson research. Director Emeritus Nathan Slewett has lead the organization with tremendous foresight and dedication to finding the cure. Both he and Dr. Lieberman serve in a voluntary capacity. When President Nixon and Bush halted fetal cell research the NPF started to Fund research abroad to keep the research spirit working. The NPF has amassed the largest brain bank available to all researchers. They recently purchased the largest monkey farm to have an adequate supply of primates available to research needs. They have a net work of over 950 support groups and provide materials to the public and support groups without charge. They have stepped up to the plate when development's opened up opportunities such as: Giving a grant of money in excess of $ 100,000 to Robert Johnson Memorial Hospital after the gene discovery to purchase a new medical device that reduced the research from 10 years to 6 months. When Dr. Martha Bream discovered a new way to take a cloned cell through the blood brain barrier on the back of a virus the NPF was there with more than 750,000 when the NIH turned down her grant request. There are some in the PD community that feel that the young researcher is systematically excluded from grants because off an old boy mentality. The young researcher coming into our field needs research support without being corrupted by the thoughts of the long time researched who works to be sure his peer review group will continue his grant for next year. With that thought in mind the Alliance has teamed up this year to raise funds to support and bring in new young researchers. What are you offering to replace this tremendous effort put forth by the voluntary and salaried workers at the NPF? All I hear from you is more carping and more carping. Your comments are selfish and inner directed for your satisfaction and offer little that could be off benefit to all who suffer but still work for a cure for this disease. Yes I am an Alliance Member and I'm proud to say so. I saw you at the last Pan Forum and we are about at the same state of the disease but I am still doing what I can to help by brethren with this affliction. I take personal affront to a call for a boycott for your selfish reasons and submit my credentials below to support my position on behalf of my fellow workers and friends who in the most part work anomously: I am a member and co founders of NY PanHandlers a political lobby group. I attended three forums in Washington sponsored by PAN and have called on over 120 Senators or Congressman. I am the support group leader in Syracuse. I visited any number of support groups upon request to promote Joan Samuelson and her advocacy arm. I worked on or donated funds to support a number of PD projects such as PAN video for lobby purpose. Participated in the last two Unity walks and my sponsored team raised $ 2,000 or more each year. I attended PAN fundraisers in NYC and NPF fundraiser in Pittsburgh and others. I was Invited and accepted offer to join the Alliance to continue to advocate for Federal Funds. I will travel February to NPF where I will gather with 17 other voluntary workers to attend a 2-day seminar on fund raising techniques. I am organizing the first PD symposium in Syracuse of which I am then originator and principle organizer. I a sponsoring a fundraiser in conjunction with Symposium. And my legacy to the PD Community when I can no longer donate by skills and time to the Effort will be THE NATIONAL DATABASE of PD support groups. The Univ. of Mass has all ready used this tool, which is still in the development stage. to contact and locate siblings to participate in Gene study funded by the NIH and several other events one of them is a bike tour sponsored by Robin Elliott of the PDF And so you see that I am a tireless worker for the PD Community looking to add something of value rather than tear down those who are trying to help My Parkinson and me friend. Ivan you add a lot to this list and you have ma sympathic friends here. But you're continued comments about your problem with the NPF diminish your stature and respect, which you enjoy on the list. Now I have said it Its off my chest. I feel better