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on 11/22/99 5:30 AM, Richard L. Pikunis, Jr., Esquire at [log in to unmask] wrote: > Any suggestions of what I should discuss would be appreciated Richard, I do not know what your law specialty is, but it does appear that not any money can be made in the defense of rights that are abused when the disabled by PD persons have children and financial difficulties. also in instances like Ivan who has replaced his home with insurance funds while knowing that future income would be small. it is not likely that intent ever was that SSI payments were going to support a homeowner while medical and other services provision would be affordable if an individual chooses to live alone. perhaps this situation of disabled assets retention via some changes to the disabled citizens law could be an issue you investigate. If you lose your ability to earn, your future will be much affected depending upon your circumstances at the time. there are inequities. my civil service retirement could have been more lucrative to me. my PD symptoms were permanent disabling from the diagnosis date. the federal definition of eligibility for medical retirement is fully disabled. the legal determination is not well-defined in my opinion. not even Stephen Hawking or Christopher Reeves is completely disabled. my retirement was after 30 years of working - the last 4 years taking sufficient medication to allow me to function sufficiently to gain outstanding ratings just like before diagnosis. i could have gone on sick leave instead of just taking the nothing that i got as a compensation - for what other doctors declared total disability: PD. that choice would have given me full pay for almost two years as a result of my accumulated sick leave and annual leave of forty days carried over each year. the taxes on compensation after that would have also benefitted me. My choice to just accept regular retirement additionally cost me a reduced annuity of 2% per year for years less than 55 years of age. my stinginess in regard to unnecessary purchases made it possible for me to retire. we have not had luxury, but we have no financial crisis. all or nothing disability benefit is rather inhumane imo. the situation of care taking expenses paid by medicare and medicaid and federal employees health insurance is not logically funded. best kept at home is not the approach favored. Dale Severance, a retired due to PD lawyer was very active advocating and fund raising for a while. have not heard from him recently. [log in to unmask] was his email address. perhaps he could suggest something. if you want to help me joust against the economic blunder that i consider the worst injustice of all, read some of my soap box section on my web site. Ron Vetter 1936, '84 PD dz mailto:[log in to unmask] http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~rfvetter