X-Message-Number: 12884
From: 
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 21:13:45 EST
Subject: "Cryonics-supportive community"

To Dave & Trudy Pizer, and anyone interested in a Venturist 
"cryonics-supportive community"-

Dave's recently reiterated proposal certainly has some appeal. For example, 
it has drawn the attention of a long-lapsed member of the Cryonics Society of 
Michigan (now the Immortalist Society). But there are many obvious questions 
which need to be examined:

One class of prospective occupants would be retired cryonicists (i.e., not 
working for a living) already in the Phoenix area. The only ones I can think 
of offhand are Mae and myself, and we would not like to give up our home for 
an apartment. Conceivably, I suppose, we could take two adjoining apartments 
to give us enough space. We would still have to give up our current very good 
location, which is within a three minute drive of either our hospital or our 
trained morticians.

Another class might be working cryonicists living in the Phoenix area. Aside 
from Alcor employees, I don't know how many there are, and my impression is 
that Alcor employees don't have a lot of money to invest. In the case of 
people like Dave and Trudy, I suspect that they too would not like to give up 
their home for an apartment. 

A third class might be retired cryonicists outside of the Phoenix area but 
willing to move here. Again, I don't know how many there are, or whether they 
would be willing to move into the type of apartment proposed.

If you are thinking of raising money from cryonicists who have no firm plans 
to move in soon, if ever, but still might give financial support, that seems 
like a weak reed. Stalwarts like Thomas Donaldson will give something to 
almost any worthy cryonics-related cause, but how much it might total is 
doubtful.

The nub of the rub seems to lie in the fact that, in most cases, those able 
to invest are unlikely to want to move in before "need." Joe Cannon could 
have moved from Florida to Phoenix at any time, before he deteriorated, and 
he knew that would improve his chances. But the same inertia and paralysis, 
more or less, that keeps so many out of cryonics in the first place, also 
prevents many of those in cryonics from doing all they might to improve their 
chances. The path of least resistance is the road to oblivion.

Of course you (Dave) have intimated that the project could be, in the 
beginning or in part, just an ordinary apartment project, but owned or 
controlled by cryonicists with a view to eventually having mostly cryonicists 
as tenants or share-owners. In that case, money could be raised from any real 
estate investor, as well as cryonicists. It might be more attractive than 
average, with more stable and responsible occupants, and perhaps lower 
overhead owing to some volunteer caretaking. I believe you have also 
intimated--and demonstrated in the past--that you are willing to give your 
own time and expertise in planning and negotiation and management. 

The burden should not fall only on you, but the leadership will. As you know, 
the only way to get these things off the ground is to make your plans and 
then launch them--make it a fact rather than a mere potential. That didn't 
work last time, to be sure, but maybe it would now.

Anyway, if the Venturists launch a venture, Mae and I will support it, 
although we won't at this time pledge a specific dollar amount.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=12884