The New West Notes blog has taken a brief look at the life and times of the California stem cell agency – a largely laudatory review accompanied by a 9-minute video of California Attorney General Jerry Brown.
Bill Bradley, author of the blog and a longtime observer of California politics, uses the stem cell program as an example of how things can actually be accomplished in state government, as opposed the impasses on health care and water policy, among other issues.
Brown (photo above) is seen on a YouTube taken at what appears to be a campaign appearance last year at Advanced Cell Technology in Alameda. The video, although lengthy, has been edited to focus on Brown's stem cell remarks. In the video, he promises to be a "champion" of stem cell research in California and nationally. "I will do whatever I can to alleviate suffering," he says.
One of the interesting aspects of Bradley's item are the numerous comments on it from readers.
One, NickM, said,
"The embryonic stem cell research bond was one of the biggest special interest giveaways in history.
"Companies that stood to make hundreds of millions or billions APIECE by having the taxpayers fund their R&D (and their investors)donated millions to convince the taxpayers that this research wouldn't happen without billions in taxpayer support. It worked.
"So now the biotech conglomerates and VC firms have a huge subsidy, and we're all supposed to feel good about it.
"It's the Donald Trump model: convince someone else to pay your costs while you reap the benefits."
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