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The article mentions a Mr. Keenan in a few sentences, but the article seems to focus on stem cells. Why bother putting in Mr. Keenan plight? If a group of average individuals or unions would it be looked upon as just as corrupt and/or selfish as Mr. Klein's misson OR as a sign of people getting together to help someone in their community?? I hope he can help his son which will inturn help others. nancy m Murray Charters wrote: > CALIFORNIA: Two Fathers Take Causes to Ballot Box > > Motivated by their sons, they spend more than $5.6 million of their > personal fortunes to put Propositions 66 and 71 before voters. > > By Megan Garvey > Times Staff Writer > > October 31, 2004 > > Behind two of the highest-profile measures on Tuesday's ballot stands > one of the oldest of human motivations: fathers seeking to help their > sons. > > They are not ordinary fathers. Bob Klein, the man behind Proposition > 71, the stem cell ballot initiative, and Jerry Keenan, who brought to > a vote Proposition 66, the three-strikes amendment, together have > spent more than $5.6 million of their personal fortunes pursuing > their chosen causes. > > Klein's 14-year-old son, Jordan, suffers from juvenile diabetes — a > disease that Klein and others believe could eventually be cured using > therapies derived from embryonic stem cells. Keenan's only child, > Richard, is serving an eight-year sentence in prison for a car > accident that left two of his passengers dead and one hurt. Should > Proposition 66 pass, his time behind bars might be shortened. > > The ballot measures have drawn both men into the public eye. > > Klein has campaigned statewide for Proposition 71. If it passes, he > would be in position to become head of the California Institute for > Regenerative Medicine, which the measure would create. The post would > give him influence over the $3 billion the measure would distribute > during the next 10 years to researchers across the state. Opponents > of the measure say the institute would distribute taxpayer money with > virtually no government oversight. > > Deeply personal causes are not unusual in the initiative process — > crimes against children drove the three-strikes law to passage a > decade ago. What is new is for a ballot measure to draw so directly > on both the emotional capital and financial resources of parents > whose children could directly benefit. > > "I think it's fascinating. Now it is a parent as opposed to people > who just felt strongly about an issue," said Robert Stern, president > of the nonprofit Center for Government Studies in Los Angeles. "The > question is: Is it better or worse than the special interest and > labor unions pushing their agendas? I think it's about the same. > Wealthy interests are able to buy their way onto the ballot." > > When President Bush announced in August 2001 that he had decided to > strictly limit how federal funds could be used for stem cell > research, Bob Klein watched on television. > > "At the time, I'm not sure I understood what it meant," he said in a > recent interview. > > A year later, when his son was diagnosed with insulin-dependent > diabetes, which can shorten a life span by decades, Klein took on the > pursuit of a cure. > > His search, he said, led him to the field of embryonic stem cells. > > The field is controversial because embryos must be destroyed in order > to obtain embryonic stem cells, which have the potential to become > any type of cell in the body. Because of that potential, many > scientists believe embryonic stem cells hold great promise in the > treatment and understanding of diseases such as Alzheimer's, > Parkinson's and diabetes. > > What separated Klein from other parents desperate to cure a child's > debilitating illness was an idea, combined with the means and > connections to put it into action. With a background in the financing > of affordable housing, Klein believed that California could replace > the federal government as the source of funds for research and create > what he envisioned as a "substitute national program." > > The idea quickly took shape as a $3-billion bond initiative, the > amount Klein determined would be needed to provide research grants as > well as facilities to insulate the research from political > interference. > > In the mid-1970s, not long after graduating from Stanford University, > Klein helped create the California Housing Finance Agency. Since > 1975, the state agency, which supports itself through revenue bonds, > has lent more than $12 billion to first-time homeowners. Klein used > that agency as a template to guide his vision for financing research. > > Klein spent the better part of a year selling his idea — first to > scientists, then to major donors, who chipped in more than $20 > million, and now to voters. In doing so, he has sparingly sprinkled > in his personal experience. He always mentions that his son has > juvenile diabetes and his mother suffers from Alzheimer's. > > Asked about the criticism that wealthy people have an unfair > advantage getting their issues on the ballot, he said he sees not an > advantage but a duty. > > "I think people who earn the most money in this society have an > obligation to give back to society," he said. > > Klein said he crafted his measure — and took it directly to voters — > to protect the research from political interference or financial > raids by state legislators. > > Opponents of the measure, however, say Klein's initiative insulates a > vast sum from any meaningful scrutiny. > > "The oversight committee is anything but independent," said Francine > Coeytaux, who served on the California Advisory Committee on Human > Cloning. "It's made up of academics and scientists whose careers > depend on the research and biotech people and disease advocates — the > conflict of interest is inherent in the structure of the committee. > It reveals an extraordinary hubris on the part of the backers." > > Opponents of the measure suggest that Klein is positioning himself to > run the institute — a suggestion that he does not deny, saying only > that he could not afford to take the position for very long. > > SOURCE: The Los Angeles Times / KTLA5, CA > http://tinyurl.com/4zn3q > > * * * > > .Murray Charters <[log in to unmask]> > Please place this address in your address book > Please purge all others > > Web site: Parkinsons Resources on the WWWeb > http://www.geocities.com/murraycharters > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn