Guest guest Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 I can’t believe I’m jumping into this, but with election day just around the corner and another ballot full of props that could make anyone’s head spin, I feel like I gotta chime in. While this is the veggie group and many of us tend to look at issues from a veg/AR perspective, sometimes it’s helpful to (dare I say?) step out of that box and look from a broader standpoint. (I’m probably going off topic here. Forgive me Tammy & Chris.) Prop 71 is not about where the stem cells come from, it’s about how stem cell research is research is financed. The question is not so much a moral question as it is a financial question. (Granted, if you’re opposed to stem cell research you’re probably going to oppose prop 71.) From what I’ve read, the issue here is whether or not it’s worth adding $3 billion on to the state’s already growing debt. Many say that it’s not worth it. From the Sacramento Bee: States, including California, normally limit borrowing to capital building projects - schools, parks, highways, water systems and other infrastructure. If you borrow money to pay for research grants, you shut out other state infrastructure priorities. Proposition 71 would set a terrible precedent for funding grants through borrowing. Of $3 billion in borrowing proposed in Proposition 71, $300 million would go toward building research facilities. That is a legitimate use of the state's borrowing power but should occur through the normal Five-Year Infrastructure Plan... From the Pacific Sun: We would be creating a new bureaucratic institution managed by an unelected committee with broad discretionary powers over fund dispersal and what is disclosed to the public. In addition to well-meaning doctors and scientists, Prop 71 is supported by venture capitalists and pharmaceutical executives, and why not? For them, here’s an opportunity to obtain public funding for their research. For more information about prop 71 than you’ll probably have time to read, go to http://www.smartvoter.org/2004/11/02/ca/state/prop/71/ OK, back into the veg/AR box. We now return you to the usual programming of VFP’s, leafleting and Peanut Butter Palooka. -Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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