Robert Klein, whose money and political muscle was behind Proposition 71 that convinced Californians to foolishly borrow billions to pay for human cloning and embryonic stem cell research, is only in it for the cures, or so he has always said. Well, that assurance no longer applies. Not content to spend hundreds of millions of borrowed money of California citizens money this year to fund some of the world’s most expensive buildings, he now wants to pocket a cool $500,000 in salary per year—at a time when California is spurting red ink from the arteries. The hapless governator is not happy. From California Stem Cell Report:
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has expressed “deep concern” about a proposal to pay the chairman of the California stem cell agency as much as half-a-million dollars a year. The letter from the governor to the CIRM board of directors comes as the state faces a $28 billion budget crisis and is cutting aid to the poor and elderly. Legislation was also introduced this week to freeze salaries of state employees who make more than $150,000 a year.
Klein has been a disaster, with conflicts of interest rife in the CIRM, a Little Hoover Commission investigation ongoing of the CIRM, management difficulties, etc. Moreover, this smacks of the sense of entitlement and hubris among the big shots and well connected that is utterly ruining the country.
Well, the CIRM shouldn’t be Klein’s personal fiefdom. Rather than pay Klein a half million, let’s show him the door instead.
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