The Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association Network- Serving Kentuckiana.
Message From the President
Dear Members & Friends-
At the time of this writing, no information on a speaker has been provided. I believe that we will have one, and as always,, it should be an informative and interesting evening. If no speaker is available, there will be a video showing and refreshments. For information on whether a speaker will be available, call Barb Davis or myself at 589-6620.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and I wish everyone a successful and happy 2005.
February's meeting will be held at Frazier Rehab; 6:30 ; 4th floor dining hall.
- David Allgood
From NewMobility.com –ed.
EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH "This Century's Gold Rush"
California's $3 billion embryonic stem cell research package is spurring other US states to consider new policies and laws that will hopefully lure—or retain—top scientists to their universities. "We don't want Washington State to be left behind on stem cell research by default," said state Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, echoing the sentiments of many other state-elected officials around the nation.
Washington joins Wisconsin , Maryland , and New York at the head of what California 's lieutenant governor, Cruz Bustamante, calls "this century's gold rush." In addition to pouring millions of dollars into research, New Jersey , under acting governor Richard Cody, hopes to boost a consortium with Pennsylvania and Delaware that can offset West Coast spending that might otherwise steal away East Coast researchers.
"Here we have federalism in action, with states competing to lead the central government in creating national policy," wrote William Safire in a Dec. 15 op-ed. "When the government in Washington decided to move cautiously in funding this promising but controversial scientific research, individual states saw the competitive opportunity and made their move."
Rep Jim Langevin is pushing the federal government from within to catch up with the states. "The president sets the policy, but we're hoping in the president's second term he might be willing to be more flexible on stem cell research," says Langevin. He's hopeful Bush's incoming Health and Human Services secretary, Michael Leavitt, will be more open to dialogue on this issue than Tommy Thompson was in the previous four years.
