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Date sent: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 12:28:45 -0500 Send reply to: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network <[log in to unmask]> From: "Charles T. Meyer, M.D." <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Stem Cell To: [log in to unmask] > I am afraid Dr. Fink fears the > Nazi government is here, not just a threat. He said in a previous > post that he felt that the Democrats if the gain power in the next > election will overturn this reasonable compromise for research into > the use of stem cells. Under whose administration were we under when > the current guidelines were passed? Where does he think the > Republicans will be if that happens? No, Charlie, please stop putting (over-reactive) words in my mouth. I did not invoke the Nazis as being part of our government, I merely said that I do not always *trust* government to do what it says it is going to do. We have been sold many "bills of goods" in the past, like de-regulation of the airline and telephone industries, "oxygenation" of gasoline (with the huge MTBE problem that we now have in California), de-regulation and "privatization" of the power industry (have you seen what is happening here?). I am simply saying that, based on my own experience, and the experience of other colleagues in medicine, I do not trust the Government to be able to "ride herd" on the "stem cell industry" (which will develop very soon if it has not yet developed). It has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans (I happen to be a Democrat but I am not very happy with the "number one" person on the current ticket and wish that the ticket was "inverted"). >>Personally I think the problem in obtaining eggs would make it unlikely that women would volunteer for the procedure without getting something in return like a baby Getting payment for it would violate generally accepted ethical standards and there are plenty of embryos available through IVF clinics, therefore I think there is small but present danger. And the guidelines I believe should be enforced.<< Look at what just recently has happened in Southern California (and also, slightly differently at Stanford). Several reproductive physicians were found to have taken "excess" eggs from women who had donated such eggs to a given surrogate mother, and then, at a fairly steep fee, transplanted those eggs into *other* women who wanted babies. No knowledge by the "donors". The Reproductive Clinic at UC Irvine was *closed down* because of this and the physicians involved (academics on the UC payroll) left the country rapidly. I suspect that for every case that is "caught" by the Government, there are a dozen that "get by" undetected. Am I paranoid? Maybe, but I think not. Best, Bob ********************************************** Robert A. Fink, M. D., F.A.C.S., P. C. 2500 Milvia Street Suite 222 Berkeley, California 94704-2636 Telephone: 510-849-2555 FAX: 510-849-2557 WWW: http://www.dovecom.com/rafink/ mailto:[log in to unmask] "Ex Tristitia Virtus" *********************************************