FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                          CONTACT:    Peg Emberger

June 18, 2007                                                                                   (609) 628-4195

 

REPUBLICANS CLARK AND DONOHUE OPPOSE BORROWING MONEY TO FUND EMBRYO-DESTROYING RESEARCH

 

(OCEAN CITY, June 18) – First District Republican Assembly candidates Norris Clark and Michael Donohue today declared their strong opposition to plans for the state of New Jersey to borrow $450 million to fund research that destroys human embryos.

 

“Destroying human embryos is wrong – I would oppose this kind of research even if it were free,” said Donohue. “Why would we want to fund research that destroys human embryos, when we can conduct ethically-sound research with adult stem cells? Scientists are making major strides right now with ADULT stem cells – which allow us to do this research without destroying any potential human life.

 

To me, it just doesn’t make sense to do research that destroys human embryos, when we have other alternatives,” Donohue continued. “And to compound the problem by borrowing almost half a billion dollars to do it … that REALLY doesn’t make sense.”

 

“Our State is up to its eyeballs in debt,” said Clark. “We can hardly afford the debt payments. Our finances are so bad that they are looking to sell our roads. Now Democrats in Trenton want to borrow $450 million dollars to fund embryonic stem cell research?
 

“Who can possibly oppose public/private partnerships to find cures for incurable diseases like Parkinson’s and diabetes? All of us have family members and friends with incurable diseases,” Clark continued. “But this embryonic stem cell research ranges from ethically questionable to morally wrong in the minds of our citizens. We can – and must – do better than this.
 
“If we can afford to invest in finding new cures, then let’s get clear on our priorities, and look at the promising new ways of reprogramming ORDINARY cells (which they can get from a cheek) to mirror the qualities of the embryonic stem cells.  
 
“We just cannot go into debt to destroy embryos. There are far better ways to spend the money of our children and grandchildren,” concluded Clark.   

 

According to press accounts, the Governor and senior Democratic allies in the legislature agreed last week to add a referendum question to the fall ballot, asking voters to approve a ten-year, $450 million bond issue to pay for research that destroys human embryos.

 

 

 

 

 

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Paid for by Asselta Clark Donohue