Over the past months of watching CPRIT and their legislative bill, I feel like not a whole lot has happened. More and more scandals and negative evidence keep leaking, but this has not expedited the Transparency Board. If anything, the bad press this organization has received seems to be providing people with more evidence of government corruption. So can the government fix the cronyism and neglect that was rampant in CPRIT? How can a system that relies on cronyism and back scratching provide thorough transparency for the public? Firstly, "the legislation [Senate Bill 149], which was approved by the Senate and is pending in the House, tightens controls on the grant process to ensure that political considerations do not taint CPRIT decisions" (mysanantonio.com).
But the fight against cancer is too important.
The funding that is currently sitting in CPRIT can be used to provide research and researchers for this terrible disease. As the second largest source of cancer funding in the nation, they have a responsibility to commit to their original intents. According to James Gray of the American Cancer Society Action Network, only three out of the 500 grants were "focus of controversy" (mysanantonio.com).
House Bill 951, a CPRIT overhaul bill, proposed by State Representative Jim Keffer, "would enable the agency to start giving out money again" (bizjournals.com).
Many support the revamping of CPRIT because they see the value of those funds benefiting those in need. Yet this investigation has dragged on and drudged up so much.
Avery Ruxer
CPRIT
Post 5
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