The $3 billion California stem cell agency turns 10 this
month, an anniversary that naturally raises the question of what has it done
for the first decade of its life.
Today The Sacramento Bee published an anniversary overview of the agency written by the publisher of this blog, David Jensen. However, as is the nature of the print media,
space was at a premium. So the article was limited in what it could cover. Newsprint
costs money. Many stories and many topics are competing for space – not unlike
the battle for state budget dollars or research funding.
In preparing the article, I asked for comments by email from a number of persons,
including some directors of the agency and its executives, and its first president, Zach Hall, and
promised to carry the full text of their comments on this Web site. I knew that
most of what they had to say would wind up on the cutting room floor and not in
the printed piece.
But for those who follow the agency and its fortunes, what
they have to say is important. It is also important for those who may want to
tell the tale of California’s Great Stem Cell Experiment some 10, 20 or more
years down the road.
All those who responded to my inquiries were told that the
article for The Bee was expected to address generally the questions of whether
the agency’s efforts would be worth the $6 billion total cost, including
interest, and whether it has fulfilled voter expectations from 2004, when the
agency was created. They were also asked about their views on the agency’s achievements
and shortcomings and advised to speak freely about any other issues as well. I would like to thank them all for responding.
Their comments contribute significantly to current and future evaluations of
this important enterprise.
The agency responded to my request for fresh, pithy quotes
from Chairman Jonathan Thomas and President Randy Mills, along with statistics many of
which were submitted to The Bee for possible use in an infographic.
With that said, separate items follow with their statements
and more on the topic of the standing of the California Institute for
Regenerative Medicine at age 10. (By the
way, the traditional gift for a 10th anniversary is something tin. A romance
novel writer working for Hallmark, Stacey Donovan, suggests as a gift “an
old-fashioned metal lunch box to take to work.”)
Comments from readers on all this are welcome. They can be filed by using the "post a comment" function at the end of this item or by sending an email to me at djensen@californiastemcellreport.com.
Here are links to the text of comments.
Here are links to the text of comments.
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