CIRM Board Member Prieto Endorses Proposition 29

One of the members of the governing board of the California stem cell agency, Francisco Prieto, has commented on the item yesterday dealing with California's Proposition 29, which would create a CIRM-like agency to fund research into tobacco-related illness.

Prieto, who is a Sacramento physician and president of the Sacramento Sierra Chapter of the American Diabetes Association, said in an email,

"I'm with George Skelton(Los Angeles Times columnist). Whatever you think about ballot box budgeting, you could take every penny raised by this and bury it in the ground - it would still: Reduce smoking (mostly by preventing some kids, the most price-sensitive group of smokers from starting) . Save lives. Hurt the lying tobacco companies. All very good things."

CIRM has not taken a position on the measure.