'Acting' Governor Wants To Be Stem-Cell Superman

In his State of the State speech on Tuesday, New Jersey Acting Governor Richard Codey announced new funding for one of his favorite projects, the New Jersey Stem Cell Institute. How will a state that borrowed $2.3 billion to plug this year's budget and faces a $4 billion deficit next year pay for it? Borrow, of course, so that future budgets are obligated to fund it.

The acting governor promised to spend $150 million of unspent bond money to build the research center and plans to ask voters to approve an additional $230 million in new bonds for grants at the institute.

That doesn't sound like a lot of money, but New Jersey already had $32 billion in outstanding debt in 2002, ranking it No. 5 among states. Still, Mr. Codey is anxious to get going, fearing competition from other states will soon dim his glory. "We have to act aggressively [because] other states like Wisconsin and Illinois are right behind us in this race for a cure," he said at a related news conference Wednesday.

Huh? Supposedly New Jersey was getting into stem-cell research because it was a neglected area, thanks to federal funding restrictions. This shifting rationale may explain why the governor wants to remove his stem cell dreams from the budget process. He's crafted a clever strategy that closes off future debates and avoids the messy business of scrounging new money every year. Plebiscites almost always win in New Jersey, and supporters clearly plan to play on the legacy of local hero Christopher Reeve (the late actor grew up in Princeton and his mother was an honored guest at the SOS speech).

Then there's the elephant in the room. Mr. Codey, who had been state senate president, is now "acting" governor only because former Gov. Jim McGreevey was forced to resign after admitting to an extramarital affair with a male aide. Mr. McGreevey was careful to drag out his departure just long enough to prevent the job from being filled with a special election last November.

Thanks to this decision, Mr. Codey will be allowed to play governor in the limelight for a year before seeking election in his own right. For his part, Mr. McGreevey is suspected of coveting a leadership job at the stem-cell institute. One wonders if New Jersey taxpayers are being tapped to fund a back-door strategy to rehabilitate the ex-governor's reputation.