California's stem cell debacle

www.hotchicken.com ^ | June 7, 2005 | hotchicken.com

[thebiggestdog]

In the elections last November, Californians overwhelmingly voted to spend over three billion dollars of taxpayer money for stem cell research. Celebrities came pouring out of the woodwork, (and the Betty Ford Center) to praise the initiative, and pump up the minions with unfounded claims about the potential for stem cell research.

Christopher Reeves name was thrown out more than a few times, even though almost every doctor admitted that it would be extremely doubtful that stem cells could have prolonged his life. Reeves, and other people with debilitating illnesses like childhood Diabetes, MS, and Alzheimers may someday be helped by stem cells, but it certainly will not tomorrow.

[thebiggestdog]

Californians passed Prop. 71 in November of last year, giving a new state agency about 3 billion dollars to spend for stem cell research, but things are not all gold in the golden state. Now the state senate wants to make regulate the agency before they have done anything!