Palo Alto developer Robert Klein II led the ballot campaign in 2004 to create California's stem cell research institute. He wrote the initiative, ensuring that only he would chair the institute's oversight board, which is charged with handling $3 billion in public money.
For more than four years, this page has detailed how Klein's all-powerful control has not been in the best interest of either taxpayers or the stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Now it appears that Klein will step down from CIRM at the end of 2010 – more than 18 months away.
Klein is an impassioned, tenacious advocate for stem cell research, but he is precisely the wrong person to head a government science agency. Chairing a 29-member board that is far too large and rife with conflicts of interest, Klein has operated the institute in a smothering manner, with little regard to transparency or lines of authority.
Since 2005, Klein has run off talented scientists, such as former CIRM President Zach Hall. He has helped direct millions of dollars to contracts for law firms and public relations consultants – money that could have gone to science.
Whenever any lawmaker or outside group scrutinizes his decisions or expenditures, Klein cranks up his political attack machine. While serving as a public official, Klein has led or has been affiliated with at least two nonprofit groups that have gone after legislators who sought to reform CIRM.
Assuming he doesn't change his mind, Klein's pending departure creates an opportunity for this institute to repair its reputation. It can start by examining its internal expenditures. As the California Stem Cell Report has noted, the institute has proposed a budget for next year in which salaries and benefits will rise to $7.4 million for its 47 employees.
That's about $150,000 per employee, an increase of $1.9 million over the previous year. The institute is also proposing to spend about $3 million in outside contracts.
In the midst of a state budget crisis, the stem cell institute is an island, spending freely, accountable to no one. It's an island that Klein created and may one day sail away from.
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "report abuse" button to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand. If you want to discuss an issue with a specific user, click on his profile name and send him a direct message.
• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "report abuse" button to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them, but you may ask our staff to retract one of your comments by sending an email to feedback@sacbee.com. Again, make sure you note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us your profile name.
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.