CGS-authored
Californians took a giant leap of faith when they passed Proposition 71 in November, providing $3 billion in funding for 10 years of embryonic-stem-cell research.
Now the 29-member oversight committee charged with implementing Proposition 71 must justify that faith.
Its first task should be to provide more transparency and accountability to voters who authorized the funding.
Unfortunately, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee was unwilling in its first two meetings to pursue those goals.
It's understandable that in today's political climate, scientists angry at President Bush's interference in stem-cell research would want a free hand in determining who should receive grants and where research laboratories should be built.
But just because 59 percent of California voters approved Proposition 71 doesn't mean they were thrilled -- or even aware -- of some of the proposition's small-type provisions.
The proposition requires committee members to reveal any potential conflicts of interests in deciding where to annually spend $300 million of the state's money over the next decade. But it doesn't hold the ``working groups'' helping the committee make those decisions to the same standard...
Now the 29-member oversight committee charged with implementing Proposition 71 must justify that faith.
Its first task should be to provide more transparency and accountability to voters who authorized the funding.
Unfortunately, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee was unwilling in its first two meetings to pursue those goals.
It's understandable that in today's political climate, scientists angry at President Bush's interference in stem-cell research would want a free hand in determining who should receive grants and where research laboratories should be built.
But just because 59 percent of California voters approved Proposition 71 doesn't mean they were thrilled -- or even aware -- of some of the proposition's small-type provisions.
The proposition requires committee members to reveal any potential conflicts of interests in deciding where to annually spend $300 million of the state's money over the next decade. But it doesn't hold the ``working groups'' helping the committee make those decisions to the same standard...