California has approved funding worth $271 million in total to create twelve stem cell research centers throughout the state. The money was raised following a 2004 voter initiative strongly supported by Schwarzenegger to issue bonds worth 3 billion to fund stem-cell research, mainly into human embryonic stem cells. Through this initiative, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will provide a steady stream of stem cell research funding to scientists in California over the next 10-12 years.

As for now, Stanford University will receive the largest grant, $43.6 million, while nearly $137 million will be divided between eight University of California campuses, with UC San Francisco drawing the largest share at $34.9 million. The San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine will get $43 million, and the Buck Institute for Age Research will get $20.5 million.

However, it may well be that the money is not necessarily well spent. Stem cell research had as its archenemy the Bush administration and other groups which did not want to allow researchers to play with human life, even if they were just in the stage of embryos.

This meant that federal financing of research using any human embryonic stem cells was prohibited and scientists, most of which reside in universities, if they chose to pursue embryonic stem cell research had to use other facilities which were usually rented.

California decided to create these research centers which would allow for a adequate environment to perform cutting-edge research. However, the decision is more or less pointless now, for two reasons.

First of all, the human embryonic stem cell research is nearing its seemingly dying. Another more convenient approach has been discovered and is favored by the most prominent scientists. This new approach to obtaining stem cells, the so-called nuclear reprogramming technique, is much more interesting in the long term and has gained momentum recently.

While "therapeutic" cloning produces stem cells, the technology involves the creation and destruction of embryos, which is ethically unsound. The stem cells created also run the high risk of being rejected by the recipient's body. In turn, nuclear reprogramming, creates stem-like cells from the patient's own cells, avoiding both medical and ethical problems. Dolly's cloner, Sir Ian Wilmut, also endorsed this technique and declared last year he abandoned the idea of human cloning in favor of nuclear reprogramming.

Also, the Bush administration is on its way out and whoever comes next, probably Obama as the data indicates now, will most likely lift the federal funding ban. So it's hundreds of millions of taxpayer's dollars half wasted, when they could be invested into existing facilities the next year.