When George Bush put restrictions on under what circumstances the federal government would fund stem-cell research, at least two states, California and Massachusetts, stepped up to announce that they would fund such research themselves, California put aside $3 billion and Massachusetts, $1.25 billion. Effectively, they thumbed their noses at Bush and played Mother Teresa to Bush’s Ebenezer Scrooge
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Now California is running short of funds and has floated a trial balloon that it might have to ask the U.S. Treasury for a loan of $7 billion. See California Loan I predict that Massachusetts will probably be soon in the same predicament as its reputation for fiscal restraint under Deval Patrick is not stellar. See Budget Problems
May I posit that our Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulson, should respond to these hat-in-hand requests with the suggestion that these states first find the money in their stem-cell research kitties?
As a result of this post I was asked by a friend if I was in favor of stem-cell research. Actually, I think the subject is becoming moot with current scientific developments. However, I do worry about people eventually cloning themselves so that they can harvest new organs to replace their failing ones ... and, in the process, killing their own twin. This was really what the former stem-cell imbroglio was about. And I do believe that CA and MA were a little foolish in jumping the gun to fund stem cell research on their own.
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