Politicians Nationwide

 
 
By Chris Nolan  |  Posted 2005-01-19 Email Print this article Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Worries about losing jobs—as well as the spill-over effects that bring taxes to their coffers—arent the easiest things for politicians to understand. And a brief look at news accounts from across the country shows just how much of a hot button the issue has become for politicians.
  • New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey has asked his state legislature to spend $500 million to fund stem cell research in New Jersey. Some members of the states legislature would like the amount to be higher and have proposed $1 billion in funding, possibly through the sale of state-backed bonds.
  • In Massachusetts, state Senate President Robert Travaglini, a Democrat, has said he wants the state legislature to authorize funding for stem cell research. Massachusetts needs to remain competitive with other states, Travaglini told local newspapers. The measure appears to have some support from Massachusetts Republicans, too.
  • A similar measure is in the works in Connecticut, where a bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers has proposed spending as much as $100 million on stem cell research.
  • New Yorks gotten into the act, too. State legislators—specifically citing competition from California—want to authorize $1 billion in support of stem cell research.
  • Illinois state controller has suggested a $1 billion bond measure for that state, with funding to come from a tax on cosmetic surgery procedures.
  • Wisconsins governor announced that his state would spend $750 million to fund stem cell research in that state, although exact details of how the funds will be raised and allocated still must be approved.
  • Worried about losing out to New Jersey and New York, Delaware Congressman Mike Castle, a Republican, is planning to reintroduce legislation to allow federal funding for stem cell research. That state, the second smallest in the nation, is more limited than others in what it can spend, according to its governor. Not all of these proposals will be fully funded, and of course there are plenty of other states that may well make their own proposals. But clearly, the tearing down of the dam in California is just starting to flood the biotech industry. eWEEK.com Technology and Politics columnist Chris Nolan spent years chronicling the excesses of the dot-com era with incisive analysis leavened with a dash of humor. Before that, she covered politics and technology in D.C. You can read her musings on politics and technology every day in her Politics from Left to Right Weblog. Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, views and analysis of technologys impact on government and politics.


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    Standalone journalist Chris Nolan runs 'Politics from Left to Right,' a political Web site at www.chrisnolan.com that focuses on the intersection of politics, technology and business issues in San Francisco, in California and on the national scene.

    Nolan's work is well-known to tech-savvy readers. Her weekly syndicated column, 'Talk is Cheap,' appeared in The New York Post, Upside, Wired.com and other publications. Debuting in 1997 at the beginnings of the Internet stock boom, it covered a wide variety of topics and was well regarded for its humor, insight and news value.

    Nolan has led her peers in breaking important stories. Her reporting on Silicon Valley banker Frank Quattrone was the first to uncover the now infamous 'friend of Frank' accounts and led, eventually, to Quattrone's conviction on obstruction of justice charges.

    In addition to columns and Weblogging, Nolan's work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New Republic, Fortune, Business 2.0 and Condé, Nast Traveler, and she has spoken frequently on the impact of Weblogging on politics and journalism.

    Before moving to San Francisco, Nolan, who has more than 20 years of reporting experience, wrote about politics and technology in Washington, D.C., for a series of television trade magazines. She holds a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University.

     
     
     
     
     
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