By Joe Sinagra | The Save Jersey Blog
Recent political story lines covered right here at Save Jersey have me thinking to how we got where we are today, Save Jerseyans.
Embryonic stem cell research played a huge role in the campaign when I ran against Congressman Rush Holt back in 2006.
My opponent had wanted government to finance research in this area. My response at the time was that adult stem cell research has shown more promise than embryonic and, moreover, that government should not be in the business of funding questionable research; why should our tax money fund a less-promising, ethically-questionable approach when there were better options?
Rep. Holt responded that it isn’t our tax money that would be spent on the research as it would be…. federal money that would fund it. Huh? Where does that Federal money come from?
A year later, in 2007, this question was placed on the ballot for New Jersey voters:
PUBLIC QUESTION # 2
STEM CELL RESEARCH BOND ISSUE
Shall the “New Jersey Stem Cell Research Bond Act” which authorizes the State to issue bonds in the amount of $450 million for grants to fund “stem cell research projects,” as defined in the act, at institutions of higher education and other entities in the State conducting scientific and medical research, and providing the ways and means to pay the interest on the debt and also to pay and discharge the principal thereof, provided that recurring revenues of the State are certified by the State Treasurer to be available in an amount equal to the sum necessary to satisfy the annual debt service obligations related to such bonds, be approved?
My response at the time:
“If you vote YES on Question 2, you would be voting for something Wall Street investors wouldn’t fund.”
Question 2 employed deceptive language to imply that you’d be voting to fund adult stem cell research projects actually producing cures to diseases.
But why? Wall Street and the Drug Companies are already paying for it.
Politicians backing Question 2 wanted a half billion dollar corporate welfare handout for Embryonic Stem Cell experiments involving human cloning. While they claimed this money would cure diseases ranging from Cancer to Alzheimer’s to Diabetes, in 35 years, “Fetal Tissue Research” hasn’t cured anything. It’s the ultimate taxpayer rip-off.
I repeat: embryonic stem cell “research” has never produced any cures to any diseases — not one.
With $33.7 billion in state debt, which costs $3 billion in interest and principal payments each year, no one has ever been able to explain why it’s worth the new debt. $45 million a year in grants is 0.15% of the budget. Finding a way to budget this expenditure would’ve been more fiscally responsible without the extra interest payments on new debt.
The need for the state government to get involved isn’t there, especially not to the extent of a total of nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.
If embryonic stem cell research holds so much promise, why doesn’t the private sector invest sufficient funds for research? Big Pharma is a huge business and the idea of bleeding the public for unreliable and morally questionable research reeks of big investors trying to hedge on poor investments by bolstering their failed research attempts with a forced investment by the rest of us.
Government should not be in the risk business of funding questionable research especially with tax dollars we do not have and cannot afford.
It is a gamble that will take many years of research and money without any tangible results to date.
The voters overwhelmingly rejected Public Question #2, a $450 million scheme.
Gov. Jon S. Corzine had said that he understood voters demanding that the state’s finances be put in order before taking on the project but he would NOT halt plans to borrow $270 million to build stem-cell research facilities throughout the state.
Codey and Corzine said the public’s vote didn’t reflect New Jerseyans’ attitude toward stem-cell research; they were wrong, and a low turnout combined with the reality of an upset electorate led to the question’s demise.
Using their same logic, I lost by a small percentage of the vote in 2006 because of low turnout and an upset electorate. It doesn’t really reflect New Jerseyans’ attitude and I should plan on taking office after the 1st of the year!
Corzine’s and Codey’s logic should apply to all candidates who did not win.
This voter-be-damned attitude is what is bankrupting the state. It doesn’t matter what side of the issue you’re on; we just didn’t have the money to finance something of this magnitude. What part of this does Trenton not get! Let’s pay off the debt we already have first! If your house is being foreclosed on, are you going to borrow money for a Caribbean cruise?
It is the public be damned mentality which got us into the financial mess we are in. We had an election process and the voters have spoken; our Governor at the time simply did’t like the outcome of those results and told the voters he didn’t care what we wanted… that our votes didn’t count.
Here we are, 9 years later, and not much has changed; taxpayers would still be spending their tax money on questionable research, regardless of which side of the fence they occupied, pouring their forced tax dollars into a government research facility.
Matt Rooney was on the money in pointing out that on the ALS.org web site it states: “Adult stem cell research is important and should be done alongside embryonic stem cell research as both will provide valuable insights. Only through exploration of all types of stem cell research will scientists find the most efficient and effective ways to treat diseases.”
ALS is a good cause, and those that chose to fund an organization that chooses to further research in this area have every right to do so. At least it isn’t being mandated by the government that all of us must fund it, but then again who knows where Obamacare will take us down the road.
It’s food for thought going forward, Save Jerseyans, as yet another expensive, misleading and ethically-challenged ballot referendum heads to the voters this November.
