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Stem-cell nominee wrote the proposition The Mercury News |
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday nominated Robert Klein, the Peninsula developer who wrote and helped fund Proposition 71, to head the committee that will oversee $3 billion in stem-cell research. Klein, who has a teenage son with juvenile diabetes, conceived of the measure and put $3.1 million of his own money into it in donations and loans. Then he helped persuade others to contribute an additional $18.5 million to the campaign, vastly outspending its opponents. ``Bob's passion for pursuing and furthering stem-cell research . . . will serve not only this committee and institute well, but also the people of California who have the expectation that this effort will be overseen with integrity, accountability and best practices,'' said Schwarzenegger in a statement. State Controller Steve Westly and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante also have nominated Klein for chairman; Treasurer Phil Angelides has not yet made his pick. The board will vote on the nominees at its first meeting Friday. But critics raise questions about Klein's appropriateness for the job, one of the most influential positions in biological research. Some charge conflict of interest, saying that Klein wrote himself into the job and could personally benefit from it. And there is lingering controversy over his past. His appointment as the city of Fresno's financial adviser in the mid-1980s led to a series of complex transactions representing several conflicting interests. Klein, 59, of Portola Valley is a Stanford University Law School graduate and the son of former Fresno City Manager Robert N. Klein. He is president of Klein Financial Corp., a real estate investment banking consulting company with 12 employees and $1.1 million in annual sales. The language of Proposition 71 creates a job that seems tailor-made for Klein, spelling out criteria such as ``direct knowledge in bond financing,'' ``experience with state and federal legislative processes'' and ``documented history in successful stem-cell research advocacy.'' ``It raises all sorts of questions about cronyism and `echo chamber' relationships in a field that needs to have maximum public oversight and accountability,'' said Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society in Oakland. Robert Stern of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles concedes that ``it is unusual. . . . For him, the motivation is personal. And he wants speed. ``You want to make sure he's not biased. You're talking about $3 billion of taxpayers' money,'' said Stern. Klein says he has no financial interest in the position -- and, in fact, would probably lose income if he took time off from his business. ``If elected chair of the institute, I would personally pledge to not hold any biomedical stock or investment interest during the term of office,'' Klein said in a statement. ``I pledge to serve the interests of California citizens, its patients and its taxpayers.'' In the past, Klein has crafted similar, albeit smaller, measures. In 1973, at age 27, he was hired by the California Legislature to draft the bills that created the California Housing Finance Authority. That established him as a leading expert on bond law and provided him with continuing access to political powers in Sacramento. He was appointed to serve on the board of directors of the agency created by his bill from August 1997 to March 2003. In 1981, Fresno County officials asked Klein for help putting together a bond measure to stimulate the building industry. He arranged for the county to issue $27.8 million in low-interest loans to two companies he was closely associated with, Duncan Financial Corp. and Griffin Homes, according to the Fresno Bee. In 1982, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors hired Klein's financial group, Tomar Klein Financial Group, to be a consultant on a 1982 bond issue. Unknown to the supervisors, Tomar Klein became a consultant to developers taking part in the bond program, according to the Bee. Many of those who have watched Klein work on the stem-cell measure say he is tireless and effective. ``He has a strong background and a powerful motivation to do a good job,'' said Stanford Law School Professor Hank Greely. ``More than any single person, he is responsible for the crafting and passage of Proposition 71 and, between that fact and his other qualifications, he has been the obvious candidate to be chair,'' he said. |
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