Herceptin Riders Peaceful Protest Ride

[maxworldbiker]

CALLING ALL RIDERS... NORTH AND SOUTH!!!
Support the Herceptin Riders Peaceful Protest Ride

North Island - 6th – 12th March 2008

FERRY DISCOUNTS HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED FOR SOUTH ISLAND RIDERS WHO WANT TO BE PART OF THIS EVENT. IF YOU WANT TO BE THERE AND BE COUNTED...
PM ME FOR DETAILS AND CODES!

After a brilliant week away, we aim to deliver our message to the Government:
Her2+ breast cancer is killing too many of our women who have to find their own funding because the government won't help them. Some of them can't. So hundreds die every year, and their families are ripped apart.
This drug needs to be funded, to stop that from happening.

We need EVERYBODY'S help to make the government see sense!

Numbers at Parliament on the final day will really count. If you want to support Kiwi women with HER2+ breast cancer to get their treatment funded, and help us make a statement about the third-world state of New Zealand's cancer drug funding, take an extended lunch break, and come and join us outside parliament at midday on Wednesday 12th March for a couple of hours.

Parliament has granted us permission to park within the grounds, with a few provisos (detailed on the website), and the council will be blocking off the parking spaces in Molesworth Street for supporters to park their motorcycles outside the gates if we run out of room inside.
So come on down! You're allowed to bring your lunch. Bring any petition forms you can download and get filled out, and don't forget to dress up your bike. Think Pink!!!
Check out www.herceptinriders.co.nz
for details of how you can still get involved and support the aims of this event.
Maybe buy a Supporter's T-Shirt!!! The money goes to helping kiwi women stay alive.
We also fully welcome along anyone who wants to ride with us all, for part of the way, at any given point in the route, or meet up with us to hand in any completed petition forms you may have.

See the website for the route we're taking, and come and keep us company, or cheer us all on from wherever you can!

[forkoil]

Is it true that the bill for herceptin would amount to the bill for all other cancer drugs combined?

[smoky]

Is it true that the bill for herceptin would amount to the bill for all other cancer drugs combined?

Nowhere near it - but I bet it would've been less than the National Party had put aside to buy the general election.
Less than Work and Income spent on consultants over the last three years combined with what the Police paid to keep Rikards for three years, and then pay him off, combined with the cost of a Doc toilet at Rotoiti in the South Island.

It will increase the nation’s medicines bill by around $6 million a year. I think someone worked it out to less than a $2.30 per tax payer per year. I think that’s worth it – don’t you

[maxworldbiker]

Its certainly a lot less than the bill for the America's Cup advertising. And it would be swallowed within the "government surplus" without a blip on the landscape.

[crashe]

Maxworldbiker - this is for a great cause....... a applaud you on the work you are doing....

On the website provided I had a look around and I found that after checking out each individual link, I discovered on the 'what you need to know' and the 'Self Funding' links, you say that, each rider must come up with $950 for the ride itself... plus $50 registration (non refundable)

Well is that the same amount for everyone even if say someone starts off at Auckland only rather than going from Wellington up to Auckland back down there.......?

It does seem an huge amount of money for each rider to find.
Many may have their own accommodation at friends places etc....

I know that it wouldn't cost me $950 to travel from Auckland and stay in Wellington (including fuel costs).

Can you please explain it............ cheers.






Dec 2006 - Travelled: Ak - Palm North - Lower Hutt - Masterton - Hastings - Taupo - Auckland - Whangarparoa - Auckland = $85 petrol for my bike
Ok it will be a bit dearer for the bigger bikes.

[forkoil]

This has a feeling of hysteria about it, comparisons with Americas Cup etc are all irrelevant, noone has actually answered my question, which I definitely heard during the initial stages in the herceptin debate (ie,. that the bill for herceptin would about double the national cancer drug bill)

[smoky]

This has a feeling of hysteria about it,

can't see anyone getting hysterical myself

comparisons with Americas Cup etc are all irrelevant,

Why?
Seems relevant to me, shows where the priority lies - I bet if Sir Ed had died of breast cancer it would be funded quick as a flash, no problems.

noone has actually answered my question, which I definitely heard during the initial stages in the herceptin debate (ie,. that the bill for herceptin would about double the national cancer drug bill)

Thought I had;

Nowhere near it...........
It will increase the nation’s medicines bill by around $6 million a year.

I would think it is a bit hard to quantify the total bill for cancer drugs - due to the fact not all the pills taken for cancer are limited to treating cancer alone, and some of the drugs used for cancer are not generic.
But $6Mil a year is not much.

[maxworldbiker]

Maxworldbiker - this is for a great cause....... a applaud you on the work you are doing....

On the website provided I had a look around and I found that after checking out each individual link, I discovered on the 'what you need to know' and the 'Self Funding' links, you say that, each rider must come up with $950 for the ride itself... plus $50 registration (non refundable)

Well is that the same amount for everyone even if say someone starts off at Auckland only rather than going from Wellington up to Auckland back down there.......?

It does seem an huge amount of money for each rider to find.
Many may have their own accommodation at friends places etc....

I know that it wouldn't cost me $950 to travel from Auckland and stay in Wellington (including fuel costs).

Can you please explain it............ cheers.






Dec 2006 - Travelled: Ak - Palm North - Lower Hutt - Masterton - Hastings - Taupo - Auckland - Whangarparoa - Auckland = $85 petrol for my bike
Ok it will be a bit dearer for the bigger bikes.

The amount calculated covers two-up riders as well as single ones, and aims to cover both ends of an average. It covers fuel costs incorporating the fact that fuel prices rise and fall like a tart's knickers and therefore cannnot be predicited with any certainly for the next two months. Once registrations ar all accounted for, we can negotiate discounts with the fuel companies accordingly. The figure quoted also covers the cost of decent quality accommodation necessary for riders travelling for up to eight hours every day for a full week. The importance of a proper bed every night for riders undertaking those conditions is fully appreciated by the Organiser (from substantial personal experience) and cannot be overstressed. Add to that the "realistic" fuel costs for the average bike plus rider and pillion from Wellington back to Wellington, all the way around the North Island, $1000 is a realistic amount. We're not talking crow-fly distances here, we're talking highway and coastal routes designed to take in most major towns and cities to raise awareness in the process, have a memorable week away and hopefuly get more riders on board as we go.

Whatever "profits" remain in the pot at the end of the event are being donated to the Trust that boosts women's access to Herceptin funding under the current horrible status quo, to help save their lives. Participants undertake to be involved on this basis. As has been publicized - the accounts for The Herceptin Peaceful Protest Fund will be subject to Official Audit and will be available for public scrutiny.

The $50 registration fee for each bike, comprises the rider's limited edition t-shirt that they get to keep, and all administration costs associated with getting this event supported and assisted by all the logistical teams that matter in ensuring its safe progression throughout the North Island. This is a major event, it needs major organisation and not all of that comes free. Its everybody's personal choice, whether they are a part of it or not.

People who join the ride part way through are of course most welcome to be a part of it, although they will have to arrange their own fuel and accommodation costs along the way, because to start splitting the costs for this event geographically would constitute a true administrative nightmare. However it would be helpful if part-distance riders were at least to register with the HPPR - a) to give us some clue as to what sort of numerical alert we need to give the traffic authorities as we approach each city/town to get the appropriate access through those places and alert media teams as to the scale of the event as it passes through any given point and b) to get their t-shirts that show they are are committed to being part of an event that is trying to prolong the lives of kiwi women who deserve that, whatever the cost.

In a nutshell, we need to make sure we cover the costs for each rider. What's left goes to a damn good cause.

I hope this answers your questions.

[crashe]

thank you.... for answering.....

good luck on your trip.

[maxworldbiker]

This has a feeling of hysteria about it, comparisons with Americas Cup etc are all irrelevant, noone has actually answered my question, which I definitely heard during the initial stages in the herceptin debate (ie,. that the bill for herceptin would about double the national cancer drug bill)

Hysteria?

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean. Wanting to do whatver possible as a "social subculture" to try to stop kiwi women being thrown to the wolves - if this is the equivalent of "HYSTERIA" (??????????????????) then I guess I'm guilty as charged.

[maxworldbiker]

JUst out of interest, whose side are you on?

[forkoil]

can't see anyone getting hysterical myself

Well talking about the Americas cup is just a nonsense, why the cost of herceptin, why not a thousand and one other causes, its about the size of the health purse and nothing else....geeez...

Why?
Seems relevant to me, shows where the priority lies - I bet if Sir Ed had died of breast cancer it would be funded quick as a flash, no problems.

Stop talking bullshit. Its a matter of how you carve up the health budget, nothing to do with Sir Ed, in fact its in poor taste

Thought I had;
I would think it is a bit hard to quantify the total bill for cancer drugs - due to the fact not all the pills taken for cancer are limited to treating cancer alone, and some of the drugs used for cancer are not generic.
But $6Mil a year is not much.

Whats been said so far in this thread is long on hyperbole and short on facts, the hallmark of a "cause". Most kiwis will agree to fair allocation of money to the size of the need. If the arguments are encased by potential benefits versus the true costs, and compared to the allocations at present for competing causes, numbers of patients affected, benefits etc then people can judge, but going on about what a life is worth etc is emotional blackmail, after all there are plenty of other causes. What about the number of people dying of prostate cancer for instance.

[smoky]

You’re obviously looking for a fight about it - why don't you find somewhere else to masturbate in public

I'm not going to argue about the facts - people die from breast cancer, $6mil will help some of them - end of story.
Emotional blackmail - I would say cancer is a rather emotional subject

Who are you to judge what’s in 'poor taste' - as for my comment about sir Ed, it was not detrimental to him or his memory at all, so what are you on about

[forkoil]

Well you havent addressed my points, cos you cant....

[forkoil]

JUst out of interest, whose side are you on?

I'm on the side of getting the best outcomes for the most people given the limited funds available for health. It bugs me that these single issue causes are promoted so vigorously, and dare I say it, partic by women, as if their gender is somehow hard done by. You dont hear men jumping up and down about prostate cancer, and other serious effects of prostates problems. I guess because we put some faith in the medical profession to do the best they can. The fear is that if enough people shout hard enough, they skew the fund allocation to the detriment of another group, who suffer in silence and dignity.