Conflicts Of Interest For Scientists? No Problema, Says Ah-Nold

[hatrack]

Sacramento -- "Rejecting a proposal that had unanimous support in the Legislature, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have prohibited scientists who review state studies on air and water quality standards from having financial ties to industries affected by the study.

SB568 by Sen. Byron Sher, D-Palo Alto, would have altered rules regarding peer review of California Environmental Protection Agency studies. Scientists hired by the EPA review studies to determine whether they're based on sound science.

Sher's bill would have required scientists to follow the same conflict-of- interest rules that apply to many state employees. Scientists would have to disclose financial arrangements before working for the state and would not be allowed to review studies that might affect other employers.

The measure was introduced in part because of a controversy surrounding a state report in 2001 that examined the health risks of the pollutant chromium 6. Two of the panelists who worked on the report had previously worked for PG&E, which was being sued over chromium 6 contamination. In a brief statement about the veto, Schwarzenegger said that members of academia shouldn't be subjected to the same standards as state officials and that the bill would "prohibit many of the most qualified scientists from performing peer reviews.''

EDIT

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/09/16/BAGCM8PI661.DTL

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Ah-nold is a dumb ass.

You hear that big boy? I think you're as dumb as your dumbbells. Or perhaps, just as corruptible as the next Republican.