McGreevey's Call For Taxpayer Funding of "Clone and Kill" Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Is Diversionary Tactic to Take Focus Off NJ Budget Mess and Political Corruption Scandals
For Immediate Release
NEW JERSEY RIGHT TO LIFE
113 NORTH AVENUE WEST
CRANFORD, NJ 07016
www.njrtl.org
Contact: Marie Tasy
Public & Legislative Affairs Director
(908) 276-6620
(732) 846-2000
New Jersey Right to Life, the state's largest pro-life organization, with over 150,000 household members, issued the following statement in response to McGreevey's Press Release promoting the use of taxpayer funded human embryonic stem cell research
July 27, 2004 --
"NJ Governor Jim McGreevey's championing of taxpayer funded clone and kill research is nothing more than a self-promoting power grab to try to attract some positive headlines after a month-long barrage of negative coverage involving McGreevey's top fundraisers and friends who have been the subject of scandals, investigations and indictments," said NJRTL Public & Legislative Affairs Director Marie Tasy.
"McGreevey's push to make NJ the taxpayer funded cloning capital of the world did not occur through public consensus, but was forced on the people of NJ to satisfy the insatiable appetite of the big-moneyed Biotech Industry," said Tasy. "McGreevey needs to tell the American people how he pushed through a radical piece of legislation in a lame duck session right before the Christmas Holiday, written by a scientist McGreevey appointed to "lead" the NJ Stem Cell Institute which authorizes human cloning and grisly human research and destructive experimentation through the embryo, fetal and newborn stages. He needs to tell the American people how he and his party leaders rushed the bill through in a lame duck session right before Christmas and how the bill passed by the thinnest of margins (one vote) in the lower house only after nasty threats and strong arm tactics were employed. McGreevey needs to admit that he abdicated his responsibility to the public by forcing the taxpayers of NJ to fund the NJ Stem Cell Institute regardless of the fact that 48% opposed the use of their tax dollars for this purpose. ( March 2004 Quinnipiac poll.) He needs to tell the American people how he actually increased the funding amount for the NJ Stem Cell Institute to $11.5M (up from $6.5M) on the day before the budget was scheduled for a vote without any public notice. He also needs to admit that his advocacy of human embryonic stem cell research is not grounded in any evidence or fact that it will lead to cures. In fact, human embryonic stem cells have never even been used in human clinical trials.
Instead of heeding the wishes of the voters, the Governor shamelessly forged full steam ahead to pander to the big moneyed interests and zealot scientists who will mislead and exploit the ill and infirmed with unsubstantiated promises of cures for their own gain," said Tasy.
On Monday, the NJ Supreme Court issued a decision rebuffing McGreevey's borrowing scheme and held that that McGreevey's budget was unconstitutional because of its reliance on borrowing. Last week, the Record of Hackensack pointed out that "19 of McGreevey's top fundraisers have either been indicted or under investigation." Time Magazine ( July 26, 2004 ) compared the indictment of McGreevey fundraiser Charles Kushner to the well known HBO show, "The Soprano's," but added that the comparison was actually unfair because, "Bad as he is, Tony would never pull something as bumbling - and psychosexually crude - as what Charles Kushner, a real estate impresario and one of the Democratic Party's (and McGreevey's) most generous political donors, is alleged to have done to his sister."
Ironically, Governor James E. McGreevey and the NJ Democratic State Committee have sought to tie Charles Kushner's illegal donations to the NJ Stem Cell Institute. Last week, an announcement was made by the NJ DSC approved by the Governor, that they would donate illegal contributions from indicted McGreevey fundraiser Charles Kushner to the NJ Stem Cell Institute.
Also last week, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that long-time Hudson County Democratic Political Operative, Paul Byrne, pleaded guilty to extortion and tax evasion in a Newark U.S. District Court. Byrne formed a pro-cloning front group, supported by Governor James McGreevey, U.S. Senator Jon Corzine and other NJ Democratic leaders called, 'Right to Hope,' to promote passage of the NJ Clone and Kill Bill which paved the way for the NJ Stem Cell Institute. In fact, "Byrne's 'Right to Hope' group was a recipient of a $10,000 contribution made in March, 2003 from U.S. Senator Jon Corzine to help this group run ads in local newspapers to pressure lawmakers to support the legislation. After his sentencing, Byrne said he hoped "not to be remembered for his crimes, but as a proponent of the successful push that made New Jersey the second state to legalize embryonic stem cell research."
"Rather than taking the spotlight off of the scandals, McGreevey's advocacy of the NJ Stem Cell Institute has added a new dimension."
For information on stem cell research providing cures, please go to the following website. http://www.njrtl.org/stemclone.php
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