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Joe
Uecker
State
Representative
08/07/05
Ohio Jobs
Initiative Program
Last week I
mentioned the Ohio Jobs Initiative program.
This program is a combination of several programs
all designed to keep jobs in Ohio as well as attract new
jobs. Ohio is
lagging behind in terms of economic recovery and it was
the current General Assembly’s mission to change that.
One such instrument for recovery is the passing of the
Ohio Jobs Bill. This
bill includes the continuation of the State Issue Two
Infrastructure Program that has put billions of dollars
into roads, bridges and sewer systems over that last
decade. It also includes funding for the high tech Third
Frontier Jobs Program.
It’s the “devil in the details” that occurred
last week that makes for an interesting story.
It all started back
in January when the budget was proposed by the Governor.
Deep inside the proposed budget was a little clause
that allowed tax dollars that are derived through the sale
of a certain type of high tech funding bond to be used for
embryonic stem cell research.
Now we have all heard of the near miraculous cures
and treatments discovered through the study of adult stem
cells. Note
that there is a world of difference between adult stem
cells and embryonic stem cells.
The media does not do a very good job in
differentiating between the two types.
Adult stem cells can be retrieved by getting as
little as ˝ pint of blood from an adult individual.
Embryonic stem cells can only be retrieved by
destroying a human embryo – a child at a very early
stage of development. An unacceptable option for me.
What are some of
the current benefits of adult stem cell research? Research
shows promise in using stem cells taken from adults to
grow new heart muscle and blood vessels. Adult stem
cells are being used to safely and effectively treat more
than 60 conditions yet after 20 years of research
embryonic stem cells have yet to provide even one safe and
effective human treatment. People who want the government
to fund embryonic stem cell research are expecting
taxpayers to pay for science projects that knowledgeable
investors will not. And this as Paul Harvey says, “is
the rest of the story”.
A majority of the
House Republicans wanted to ban the use of tax dollars for
any form of embryonic research that destroys the human
embryo. An
attempt to do so was inadvertently thwarted by two
representatives who played into the hands of the minority
who does not agree with the pro-life movement by agreeing
to join with them in voting to separate the two jobs
bills. This
separation puts the high tech jobs bill in jeopardy.
Then another legislator proposed an amendment that
only banned the use of that particular fund from funding
embryonic stem cell research.
Not good enough for me.
I want ALL public funds banned from this research
both on moral grounds as well as common sense grounds.
Let’s not waste any more tax money on something that
even private investors who are used to taking risks will
not invest in. So
how can we effect this change?
An agreement was made with the Governor that if we
support the combining of these two jobs programs into one
ballot initiative that all Ohioans can vote on, then he
will support separate legislation banning the use of any
public funds for research that destroys human embryos.
Since the Governor already prohibits the use of
public funds for this type of research, I have no problem
believing his sincerity. I
already believed that joining the two programs is a good
move, so I had no problem at all with voting this way.
Now this is what I
called a good compromise that will affect real and
positive change to achieve what the majority of Ohio’s
citizens want. You
will hear the spin on this in the upcoming months but the
bottom line is I’ll take the complete ban over the
limited ban any day AND promote a bill that will pump much
need dollars into Ohio’s economy, build badly needed
infrastructure and advance Ohio as a high tech state. This
was one of my better days in Columbus!
Joe
Uecker
State
Representative
Ohio’s
66 District
Representing
Batavia, Goshen, Miami and Union Townships as well as the
Cities of Loveland and Milford and the Villages of Batavia
and Amelia.(614)
466-8134
District
Office (513)-248-2565
Website:
www.JoeUecker.com
Email:
Joe@JoeUecker.com |
