This commercial telling us that stem cell research will cost Michigan taxpayers millions is an interesting piece of work. MiCAUSE, an organization that appears to include lots of folks from the anti-abortion camp, claims supporters of Proposal 2 aren’t telling the whole truth. While supporters say the measure will bring Michigan new research dollars, similar measures to relax stem cell research restrictions have cost taxpayers in California, New York and New Jersey millions.

But surprise, surprise – MiCAUSE isn’t telling the whole story. First of all, New York state officials knew most New York residents supported state spending for stem cell research, in response to the Bush administration’s 2001 restrictions on funding. New Jersey residents, on the other hand, DEFEATED a 2007 ballot initiative to fund $450 million in stem cell research, and now other projects tied to state funding are being put on hold.

In California, that $3 billion taxpayers are now “on the hook” for… well, voters approved it, by a solid margin.

In all three cases, citizen majorities either informed or actually made the decision to spend (or not spend) money on stem cell research. MiCAUSE could have made any argument at all against stem cell research and kept its credibility. Tell us life begins at conception or “snowflake” babies deserve to live. Give us statistics, give us facts. But don’t tell us that some amorphous power, never really named, comes to take money whenever restrictions on stem cell research are passed. Because that’s just not true.

I know this is “political advertising,” but MiCAUSE’s list of supporting organizations includes a number of churches. You’d think at least those folks might have insisted upon a little more honesty.