Uneasy Rhetoric

Kevin Drum is a brave soul. In a post that is one part regret and three parts common sense, he indicates that he is probably voting against Proposition 71, the stem-cell research measure. This is not an easy position for a progressive to take.

His reason is straightforward:

…it’s lousy public policy for the electorate to continually lock in long-term funding for pet projects via constitutional amendments or (as in this case) bond measures. This is one of the reasons California’s finances are in such bad shape: we’ve spent the last couple of decades allocating about 80% of state spending via constitutional amendment — and then griping loudly when the legislature and the governor don’t have the maneuvering room to fix things during economic downturns.

I strongly support the concept of stem cell research; I think such research is vital to improving the quality of human health in the years ahead. However, I agree with Kevin. The funding mechanism does not touch General Fund dollars, but it does increase state debt at a time when we are already issuing bonds to cover our general expenses.

When I was approached about this initiative when they were gathering signatures, my initial response was to sign. Unfortunately for the signature gatherer, I won’t sign an initiative petition until I’ve read a little about the policy. I stood there and read his materials and felt the pit in my stomach grow. I wanted to support stem cell research, but I feel that this should be a legislative decision, especially if the state is to issue debt to cover it. I did not sign the petition.

I also felt that there were likely some private interests who stood to benefit from this measure. Not all of that research money will be spent at the University of California, that’s almost certain.

The pit in my stomach is getting larger. If Proposition 71 fails, the religious right will use its failure to set back stem cell research a decade or more. They will argue that the Proposition was a mandate on the public support for the concept of stem cell research (that is, ironically, how supporters are trying to sell the initiative). In reality, if Proposition 71 fails, it could just as likely be because of voters who don’t want the state taking on more debt (although in the grand scheme of things the amount of debt is relatively small).

I will probably vote for Proposition 71, although grudgingly. I can’t stand the thought of the religious right grabbing a victory out of this one.