New group files for (Fla. Constitution) amendment against stem-cell study

[JohnLocke]

New group files for amendment against stem-cell study
By Susan Miller -- The Palm Beach Post
Saturday, September 24, 2005
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BOCA RATON — The statewide battle over stem-cell research just got a lot more interesting with the entry of a new player.
Susan Cutaia, a Boca Raton mortgage broker and eucharistic minister, announced Friday the filing of a constitutional amendment that would prevent state financing of experiments requiring the destruction of human embryos.
"This is such a divisive issue. There are so many taxpayers who will not be happy having tax money going to something they are not comfortable with," said Cutaia, chairperson of the nascent Citizens for Science and Ethics Inc.
The timing of Cutaia's announcement coincides with this week's announcement by Floridians for Stem Cell Research and Cures that it will ask Florida voters to approve a constitutional amendment seeking $200 million in taxpayer money over 10 years to pay for stem-cell research.
"Their timing is interesting," said Bernard Siegel, vice chairman of that organization. "Essentially it raises the stakes: Floridians are going to be faced with a stark contrast on their ballot."
Both groups face the daunting task of having to gather 611,009 signatures by Dec. 31 to get their proposed amendments on the ballot, not to mention the millions of dollars that must be raised to get the language on the ballot and to fend off opposition. Their amendments also must pass Florida Supreme Court muster.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson, who launched Floridians for Stem Cell Research and Cures in July, said he has hundreds of volunteers on the job.
Cutaia says she will use her interfaith and business connections, as well as her local radio talk show, to shore up support. She hosts a live call-in radio show Talk About Mortgages.
The language is simple, straightforward and well under the 75-word limit, said Cutaia. It reads: "No revenue of the state shall be spent on experimentation that involves the destruction of a live human embryo." It was drafted by lawyers at Ausley & McMullen in Tallahassee.
"People are saying the means are justified because of the cure. We are taking a human life and saying you are expendable," said Cutaia, who also is a member of the Council of Catholic Women.
Countered Aaronson: "I am not going to comment on the ethics part of it. The people who will be against us, will be against us. Let's see which one passes and which one fails."
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Read the rest here.

[BlueJazz]

1. In other News, Florida voters said they WILL approve of killing..

numerous innocent Iraqi children and their parents.
Said one prominent Male Voter.."Hey, We're Repukes...what did you expect?"

[madeline_con]

2. Isn't Boca mostly retired, educated Jewish people?

How's this anti-choice Catholic agenda going to get enough signatures there?

What the F is a eucharistic minister?

[JohnLocke]

4. It's statewide petition-gathering; the moron who runs it lives in Boca.

[madeline_con]

11. I've got to find the stem-cell folks....

and help gather sigs for research!

[AlCzervik]

7. looks like a Catholic offshoot--read all about it

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05592a.htm

[krkaufman]

15. From dim recollection of my Catholic youth... the eucharist, I believe...

... a.k.a. "the host"... is the thin, bland, breadlike wafer representing "the body of Christ" that Catholics dine on as the denouement of each mass. (wine is the blood, but only the priest gets to drink that, IIRC -- unless that's changed, too)

Couldn't say what a eucharistic minister is, though; unless it just means that one is "licensed" to act as a server o' the holy wafers.

[Lindacooks]

3. This statement jumps out at me:

"There are so many taxpayers who will not be happy having tax money going to something they are not comfortable with,"

Yeah, no shit. I don't want my tax dollars to go to nuclear bombs, Bush's* salary, Congress's perks, and faith based organizations, but they are. Grow up, you stupid woman - EVERYBODY pays taxes and isn't happy about something in the budget.

[madeline_con]

12. Kick that one!

:kick:

[msongs]

5. my my, such a whiner ->

"There are so many taxpayers who will not be happy having tax money going to something they are not comfortable with," said Cutaia..."

yes there are MANY things I do not want to have tax money paying for,
like illegal, immoral wars, and rip off bushco contractors, and the list goes on....

Msongs
www.msongs.com/clark2008.htm

[AlCzervik]

6. She of course donated to the RNC

http://www.fundrace.org/neighbors.php?search=1&type=name&lname=Cutaia&fname=Susan

[merwin]

8. Misleading headline

It's not to ban stem cell studies, it's to ban state funding of them.

[Coastie for Truth]

13. The footnote to that argument is

"If stem cell research is so good - let the equity capital/venture capital market fund it."

I have been in one form or another of "high tech" (including alternative, renewable, green energy) for 46 years. Solar energy is typical. I invested in a solar energy development company 22 years. The first 19 years the stock was worth less the I paid for it. In the last three years It has gone up to 800% of what I paid for it.

Having spent a third of my professional life in "start ups" - it has been my experience that normal, sane, "reasonably prudent" investors will NOT invest in any new technology that has a pay back more then ten years in the future.

The estimated pay back for stem cells research is more then ten years in the future.

Therefore public funding is necessary.

[stevedeshazer]

9. And the people cheered...

[Coastie for Truth]

10. "This is such a divisive issue. There are so many taxpayers .......

""This is such a divisive issue. There are so many taxpayers who will not be happy having tax money going to something they are not comfortable with,"

I am very unhappy with

* Money being used to fund a "Blood for Oil" war in Iraq instead of research on alternative energy.
* Money being used by DHS for "terra" instead of "natural disaster mitigation."

I am very happy with California's stem cell research program.

PS - My community of faith permits both stem cell research and gay clergy.

[Lexingtonian]

14. what a waste....

If it were to get ratified, which is doubtful, the state courts would have a grand old time with the vagueness of "experimentation that involved the destruction of a live human embryo". As it is, Florida is not exactly a hotbed of biomedical research either.

The early September Survey USA polling had Florida voters identifying as 36% 'pro-life' and 58% 'pro-choice'.

http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2005/50StateAbortion0805SortedbyState.htm

[JohnLocke]

16. Kick (nt).