Integrity in Science: UC delays tobacco funds vote/ Correction Re: Veritox WSJ

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sharon K. for keeping us informed on whats happening with

this.

>

>

> Integrity in Science Watch

> Jan 22, 2007

> Correction

>

> Last week's Integrity in Science Watch inaccurately reported that

> Hardin and Bruce Kelman are principals at a law firm paid $375 to

$500 an hour as

> defense counsel in mold lawsuits. In fact, Hardin and Kelman are

paid $375

> to $500 an hour in their role as principals of the environmental

risk

> management company Veritox Inc., a firm that regularly works for

the defense in mold

> cases. Integrity in Science Watch regrets the error.

>

> UC Regents Weigh Whether Schools Should Shun Tobacco Money

>

> University of California regents voted last week to postpone until

May a

> decision on whether scientists should be banned from taking money

from the

> tobacco industry to give faculty members time to comment on the

proposal, the

> _Sacramento Bee_ (http://www.sacbee.com/293/story/110183.html)

reported.

> Supporters of the proposal note that taking money from tobacco

companies could damage

> the university system's reputation because of the industry's

reputation for

> distorting research. The UC system had 19 active grants worth $16

million

> funded by the tobacco industry in late 2006, all from Philip

, the

> president's office said.

> UC delays tobacco funds vote

> By Peyton Dahlberg - Bee Staff Writer

> Published 12:00 am PST Friday, January 19, 2007

> Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A4

> _Print_ (http://www.sacbee.com/293/v-print/story/110183.html) | _E-

Mail_

> (http://www.sacbee.com/293/v-email/story/110183.html) | _Comments

(0)_

> (http://www.sacbee.com/293/story/110183.html#comments_here)

>

> University of California faculty members should be asked to state

their

> position much more clearly on whether researchers should be banned

from taking

> tobacco industry funds, UC regents agreed Thursday.

> The regents were expected to vote Thursday on a proposed tobacco

research

> funding ban. They postponed the vote until May to give the

university system's

> Academic Senate time to comment on the draft proposal....

> The Academic Senate has taken up the topic before, but has issued

general and

> sometimes conflicting pronouncements, with members noting the

faculty is

> sharply divided on the issue....

>

> One of the key proponents of the funding ban said he fears this is

an

> indirect way to kill it....

>

> Glantz and others had argued that the tobacco industry has such a

long track

> record of distorting research results that taking its money

discredits the

> university.....

> However, several regents said Thursday that banning tobacco

funding would

> infringe on academic freedom and send a message that UC doesn't

trust the

> integrity of its own faculty...

> The UC system had 19 active grants funded by the tobacco industry

in late

> 2006, all from Philip , totaling $16 million, the president's

office

> said.

> Exerpt from the Wall Street Journal article, " Amid Mold Suits,

Experts Wear

> Two Hats " , by Armstrong

> " The paper's [ACOEM Mold Statement] third author was Saxon,

then

> chief of clinical immunology and allergy at the medical school of

the University

> of California, Los Angeles. He, too, has served as a defense

expert in

> numerous mold suits. Dr. Saxon says he is paid $510 an hour for

his help. If called

> to testify in court, his rate rises to $720 an hour, according to

a

> deposition he gave.

> Until he retired from UCLA in September, money he earned as a

legal-defense

> expert was paid to the university, and he says UCLA then gave him

a little

> less than half of it. Dr. Saxon estimates he generates $250,000 to

$500,000 a

> year from expert defense work..... "

> Which means the Regents of the UC generated approx $300,000 to

$600,000 per

> year, just off of Dr. Saxon's defense testimony alone!!! Tobacco

money?

> Insurance litigation money?

> The UC system is a teaching university system. Sounds like " Do

Not

> Research " grants to me.

> Sharon

>

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