What if, for five minutes' work, you could change the lives of millions of paralyzed people? A crucial hearing will decide, this April 5th, whether to support research to cure paralysis-- at no cost to the taxpayer whatsoever....
Fremont Argus My Word: Traffic tickets -- to cure paralysis?
By Don C. Reed
Guest commentary
Posted: 03/23/2011 04:00:00 PM PDT
Updated: 03/24/2011 10:31:31 AM PDT
This was just printed in yesterday’s Fremont Argus, my home newspaper. Also, at the very bottom is a link to a weblog by Dr. Paul Knoepfler of UC Davis you might like.
ASSEMBLY BILL 190, introduced by Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski, D-Fremont, would tack a $3 fine onto every reckless driving ticket in California -- the money to go into the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act.
Although small ($1.5 million a year), the Roman Reed Act has been great for California. Even judged by financial terms alone it was profitable. Over 10 years, its investment of $14.6 million in research dollars attracted an additional $63.8 million to California from the National Institutes of Health and other outside sources: New money and jobs.
We have had tremendous successes, from the famous paralyzed rats that walked again (featured on CBS' "60 Minutes") to 175 published scientific papers, to new methods of rehabilitative exercise, as well as efforts to ease bone loss and chronic pain, restore bowel and bladder control, and much more.
Times being what they are, legislators last year reluctantly removed the small amount of public funding ($1.5 million a year) it took to run "Roman's Law."
Privately, legislators in both parties told us to keep fighting, find a way to keep the program alive. They know what a cure could mean to California's 500,000 paralyzed residents. Financial costs alone are staggering: A spinal cord injury means medical bills around $775,000 in the first year alone. Since few people have that kind of money, they turn to the government for help through Medi-Cal and Medicare.
Beloved by both Republican and Democratic legislators, "Roman's Law" was twice renewed by near-unanimous votes of the Assembly and Senate.
Don't let the program die, the legislators said.
So, we found a way. It wasn't original, but we borrowed from the examples of seven states -- Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and South Carolina -- all of whom fund spinal cord injury research with traffic violations.
We are asking only $3, and nothing from safe drivers at all.
A vote of epic proportions will be taken April 5 at the Public Safety Committee in Sacramento. A yes vote means the dreams of millions of paralyzed Americans have a chance to come true in our lifetime. A no vote may delay cure for generations.
The vote will be difficult. Some in the committee have expressed concern about funding new laws by fines, which is a legitimate concern.
But reckless driving causes paralysis; roughly 46 percent of all spinal cord injuries are caused by car crashes.
Polluters are charged fines to clean up toxic wastes they leave; tobacco corporations must pay to make up for damage done. Why should reckless drivers not pay just a little bit -- to fix a problem that they cause?
Fremont resident Don C. Reed is the citizen-sponsor of the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act. He and his son Roman Reed, paralyzed in a 1994 college football accident and who was the inspiration for the California law, are dedicated to the cure of paralysis and other forms of chronic disease and disability
P.S. WANT TO HELP? Contact the chair of the committee who will decide its fate. Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) can be reached at the cut and paste url below: or just phone his office after hours and leave a message, saying: “My name is ___. I live at ____. I support AB 190, which will be heard by the Public Safety Committee on April 5th. It is reasonable that reckless drivers should pay small fee to try and cure the tragedy their carelessness may cause.”
Cut and paste the following address into your browser, and a neat little form will appear, so you can send a message directly to the Chairman.
http://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/...
Tom Ammiano - Chair
Dem-13 (916) 319-2013
Also, here is an outstanding article on the bill we are trying to pass.
http://www.ipscell.com/...