Posted on 10/25/2007 12:52:59 PM PDT by neverdem
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey voters support borrowing $450 million for stem cell research, a poll released Thursday found, as the Catholic church tries to rally voters against supporting the funding.
As the Nov. 6 election nears, the Rutgers-Eagleton poll found 57 percent of voters support the stem cell question while 36 percent oppose it.
The money would fund adult and federally restricted embryonic stem cell research for 10 years. The Catholic church strongly opposes embryonic research.
``We speak out against embryonic stem cell research and the allocation of moneys for research which in our judgment fails to respect the sacredness of human life at its beginning,'' Archbishop of Newark John J. Myers wrote in a recent letter to parishioners.
The church plans to run radio ads this weekend against the measure.
``I ask everyone to pray that the people of New Jersey will vote against the funding of embryonic stem cell research this November and that we will all continue to support and respect life, especially the lives of the most vulnerable among us,'' Bishop of Trenton John M. Smith wrote in another letter to parishioners.
The church doesn't oppose research on adult stem cells and plans to show a DVD to parishioners explaining the difference.
Still, the poll found New Jersey Catholics support the ballot question by 48 percent to 41 percent. It also found evangelicals and those who described themselves as born-again Christians supporting the measure by 48 percent to 42 percent.
Two-thirds of Democrats and 57 percent of independents support the borrowing, with Republicans split on the question, the poll found.
Tim Vercellotti, director of polling at the Eagleton Institute of Politics, said those findings ``speak to the strength of public support.''
Democratic Gov. Jon S. Corzine, who signed the law putting the question on the ballot, predicted the public support would hold.
``I always am concerned when there is thoughtful and careful opposition which the church brings to bear from their perspective,'' Corzine said. ``But we'll hopefully find that people want to advance science in a way that protects the lives and improves the lives of every individual.''
Many believe stem cell research will bring cures for ailments such as spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, sickle cell anemia and multiple sclerosis.
The multimillionaire governor who has spent about $105 million of his own money on his election campaigns said he's ready to spend again to answer opposition.
``I'm more than prepared to put resources into a campaign, if it's necessary, to make sure that the public knows there is an opportunity to do what I believe they really want to do, which is advance mankind and maintain and support the economic vitality of the state,'' Corzine said.
The poll also found voters preferring Democratic Assembly and Senate candidates. All 120 legislative seats are up for election this year. Democrats control the Assembly 50-30 and the Senate 22-18.
The telephone poll of 856 registered voters was conducted from Oct. 18-23 and has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3.4 percent.
I thought NJ taxes were high enough already.
That is precisely what the Catholic Church is trying to do, Governor. If ESCR is such a promising technology, why aren't you investing your own money into the project?
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