What Are the Problems?

[Guest DaveG]

It has been said there are those who visited this site once and "don't care to return". My questions are:

Did they visit the site before Estrea revamped the site, or after?

If they visited the site after, why do they not wish to return?

Why can we not focus on Activism Issues? We have the same open forum here, that we had at Yahoo. The only thing different is we are doing this in a much better atmosphere. This site gives us the ability to do everything in the same place. If we wish to discuss Activism, we have a forum to do that. If we feel the need for support, we have forums for that.

Maybe I am missing something here. The only thing that happened was that we moved our activities from one location to another.

The site has changed, considerably. Estrea has gone to great lenths to make this site more accessible and more suitable to many different programs concerning lung cancer. The message board has greatly improved. We still have chat room capabilities, and a much better chat room at that.

I will solve the problem, but I must know what it is before I can solve it. The goals are the same. We want to use this as a place to discuss Lung Cancer Issues and come up with ideas of how to address those issues. This the same as it was at Yahoo. If there are other problems or concerns, then tell me, either here, or by private email: dgrant@merr.com

[Guest DaveG]

I have received information from Christine Quiry. Those of you from the Yahoo site may remember that she had tlked about working on PSA's with her local cable company. I asked her about those and she said the reason we have not heard anything is because he is still working on details concerning those PSA's. When she has something to tell us ahe will.

I believe part of the problem is this, Congress recessed in November and did not return until January. We have a new Congress. The other issue is Iraq and the world situation, which has occupied many with watching the events unfold and the uncertainty of the world situation. To give an example of that, I have investmants. Those investments have fallen flat on their face. My hopes for a good retirement have been dashed. I know that there others in the same situation. It is hoped that this is only temporary, and if history is correct, improvements are coming. I use this as an example of how our attention can be diverted from one issue to another.

Those of us who have been around LC for some time, especially those who have beaten the odds, are looked up to, by those who are new to lung cancer. What I saw happen, when we first moved to this site, was many of those from the Yahoo site suddenly saw people in need and many of us responded to those needs. We are to be commended for doing that, and that is what we should continue to do. Fay, you have been wonderful on many of the other forums and you have given people hope. Connie has been very active on the support side, as she has been for a very long time. Sheila has been out and about knocking on doors in DC, especially with many of the new Members of Congress. She has been following up on many of the issues we had been discussing. What has happened, she has nothing really new to report, except for the new bills that were mentioned in the chat room and happening between Congress and NCI. Whet she gave us in the chat room was from a press release. She is waiting for "hard copy" of that report so she can digest it, highlight the fine points, and report those to us.

Connie has reported that there is ongoing court action in Minnesota, but, at this time there is nothing more to report that what she told us at the Yahoo site. At the present time there are budget issues being discussed in Wisconsin, relative to the use of the Tobacco Settlement Money being used to balance the State Budget. Many things are being discussed on that issue and there is something firm to report on, I will do so.

Again, I am going to ask, what is being done, or not being done, in the various States. Judy brought up a point about Arizona, how about using that as a starting point and trying to find a way or ways of fixing that.

How about discussing ways to start support groups, or advocacy groups?

What about a march on Washington? What about getting groups together to address state by state issues?

We have the forum, so lets use it. Those who have contact with the others, go ask them to give this another chance. There is no need for this to die. We have the same format, and the same sounding board.