While out driving this morning I was listening to the local ESPN radio station. The main focus of the discussion that was underway was about the sports-related auctions they are running this week to raise money for the V Foundation. The V Foundation and ESPN have been strong partners since that night in 1993 when legendary college basketball coach Jimmy Valvano made one of the most inspiration speeches of all time.
At that time, Mr. Valvano, was valiantly fighting his own battle with cancer which he poignantly discussed at the 1993 ESPY Awards. That earth moving speech can be seen at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E
That night Mr. Valvano announced that, in cooperation with ESPN, a new cancer fighting foundation was being put in place to battle all forms of cancer. The ensuing V Foundation has been in operation since then and, according to the foundation's last annual report, the organization has raised $120 million in its fight against the scourge of cancer.
The great thing about the V Foundation is that 100% of all direct contributions to the fight and the net value of all fund raising events go to making financial support commitments to people, scientists, and doctors battling cancer. The noble mission of the organization is as follows:
Our Story
“Don’t Give Up . . . Don’t Ever Give Up!”®
Serving as the heartbeat of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, formed by ESPN and Jim in 1993, his words throughout the ESPY speech have never been more meaningful. After being diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 46, Jim dreamed of finding cures for cancer. Passionate and committed, he wanted to see his fight through to victory. As a former coach, he began to recruit his team of family and friends to lead the Foundation in his quest to eradicate the disease.
As a cancer patient, Jim recognized the need to invest in young physician/scientists to help establish their careers—after all, someone had invested in him early in his career! Addressing the need to help early-career cancer investigators develop into promising future research talents was the first goal of the Foundation. The V Scholar concept was developed in 1994 to address that need. Today, this highly respected award is eagerly sought by young physician/scientists at the nation’s leading cancer centers.
As with any patient, Jim discovered first-hand how slowly science progresses from the lab to the patient’s bedside. He wanted faster solutions, more progress and better answers. Eight years after his death, The V Foundation announced its Translational Research Grants, designed to accelerate laboratory findings with the goal of benefiting patients more quickly.
Although Jim lost his battle with cancer less than two months after delivering the ESPY speech, his dream of a cure lives on through research grants bestowed in his name. The V Foundation has awarded more than $90 million to more than 100 facilities nationwide and proudly awards 100% of direct donations and net event proceeds to cancer research.
A relatively young organization, The V Foundation has a strong presence in the scientific community. The Foundation is guided by an elite, all-volunteer Scientific Advisory Board who recommends the research projects funded. This Board is comprised of top physicians and research scientists from prominent universities and cancer centers throughout the country. Working with this team of talented professionals, we are proud to carry out Jim’s vision for the future.
Jim’s dream of finding a cure for cancer is one shared by millions. Although we have not yet achieved this goal, every day we get a little bit closer and will continue to honor his inspiring words, “Don’t Give Up . . . Don’t Ever Give Up!” ®
Please consider making a financial donation to this wonderful organization at the following link:
https://secure3.convio.net/jimmyv/site/Donation2?idb=1315255878&df_id=2863&2863.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=7lkr1471y2.app304b
Which gets us to the political class portion of our discussion today. The V Foundation has done wonderful work in raising $120 million over the past twenty years or so and getting that money to the front lines to battle cancer. But let's put this Herculean effort of the V Foundation in context of how much our politicians in Washington waste away EVERY WEEK OF EVERY YEAR:
- According to nonpartisan, knowledgeable sources, the Federal government wastes between $70 and $90 billion a year in just the Medicare program, losing that much via wasteful spending, inefficiency, and criminal fraud. Using the lower $70 million estimate, we can easily calculate that the Federal government wastes 11 times more EVERY WEEK OF EVERY YEAR via Medicare than what the V Foundation has raised in twenty years.
- According to nonpartisan, knowledgeable sources, the Federal government wastes between $40 and $60 billion a year in just the Medicaid program, losing that much via wasteful spending, inefficiency, and criminal fraud. Using the lower $40 billion estimate, we can easily calculate that the Federal government wastes 6 times more EVERY WEEK OF EVERY YEAR via Medicaid than what the V Foundation has raised in twenty years.
- Earlier this year we reported that the Federal government wastes about $17 billion a year in just one of its national unemployment programs, losing that much via wasteful spending, inefficiency, and criminal fraud. Using the $17 billion estimate, we can easily calculate that the Federal government wastes 3 times more EVERY WEEK OF EVERY YEAR via just one of its unemployment programs than what the V Foundation has raised in twenty years.
- Our most popular post ever by this blog reported on how the U.S. Navy used $300 million to build two new, state-of-the-art Navy supply ships. The Navy then decided these new ships were no longer needed and incurred another $10 million to turn these new, unused ships into scrap metal. This one time wasteful spending of this $310 million of taxpayer money is more than two and a half times what the foundation has raised in twenty years.
- Earlier this week we reported on the latest farm bill passed by the U.S. Senate, a farm bill which included $190 million in annual taxpayer funded tobacco subsidies. This annual subsidy to an industry that has a direct causal link to cancer is 58% larger in one year than what the V Foundation raised in twenty years.
Imagine what good could be done to benefit most American families, the majority of which have already faced cancer or will have to face cancer at some point in the future, if the political class had the brains, courage, will, and unselfishness to trim just a fraction of this wasteful spending and divert it to wonderful and productive organizations such as the V Foundation. Just imagine.
Step 1 and Step 4 from "Love My Country, Loathe My Government" outlines a process for doing just this. Rather than allowing our tax dollars to go to criminals and criminal organizations that feast on the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of Federal programs, Step 1 and Step 4 calls for the reduction in waste and spending and the diversion of the fruits of that effort into fighting cancer and several other major diseases of our times.
These Steps would certainly be a better service to Americans than subsidizing the tobacco industry, building Navy ships for no reason, etc. I know that other fine organizations are also fighting cancer and they are also worthy of our support. I only wish that someone in Washington would finally do some real work, set the right priorities, and stop wasting our taxpayer dollars on priorities that have nothing to do with saving American lives.
While the V Foundation has done so much, as have other organizations, it is so sad that so much more could be done if only we had real, unselfish leadership running the Federal government instead of fake, selfish, and self enriching politicians.
Again, the link to donate and support the V Foundation efforts is the following:
https://secure3.convio.net/jimmyv/site/Donation2?idb=1315255878&df_id=2863&2863.donation=form1&
We invite all readers of this blog to visit our new website, "The United States Of Purple," at:
http://www.unitedstatesofpurple.com/
The United States of Purple is a new grass roots approach to filling the office of President of The United States by focusing on the restoration of freedom in the United States, focusing on problem solving skills and results vs. personal political enrichment, and imposing term limits on all future Federal politicians. No more red states, no more blue states, just one United States Of America under the banner of Purple.
The United States Of Purple's website also provides you the formal opportunity to sign a petition to begin the process of implementing a Constitutional amendment to impose fixed term limits on all Federally elected politicians. Only by turning out the existing political class can we have a chance of addressing and finally resolving the major issues of or times.
Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at http://www.loathemygovernment.com/. It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please pass our message of freedom onward. Let your friends and family know about our websites and blogs, ask your library to carry the book, and respect freedom for both yourselves and others everyday.
Please visit the following sites for freedom:
http://www.cato.org/
http://www.robertringer.com/
http://realpolichick.blogspot.com/
http://www.flipcongress2010.com/
http://www.reason.com/
http://www.repealamendment/
No comments:
Post a Comment