Comments on: In the media: Stimulus money headed to primate facility in Southborough

By: Kelly Roney

Kelly Roney — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:27:32 +0000

Lots of corporations have billions in assets, yet the government continues to make contracts with them. Why? I trust that question answers itself.

(FYI, Harvard’s endowment has taken quite a hit from its peak value. It’s off by a quarter like most of our 401k’s.)

I have my gripes with the economic policy of the Obama administration, too. President Obama put the culprits in charge of financial policy and came to Congress with a stimulus that was too small. But the alternative to doing nothing was a worldwide depression. How’d that work out the last time?

By: Papa Rosa

Papa Rosa — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:59:24 +0000

No, Dean, Algonquin High is over in Northborough. Oh, wait a sec …

By: dean dairy

dean dairy — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:32:10 +0000

Great, we live near a bunch of highly stimulated apes.

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:43:14 +0000

There are some serious misconceptions in the comments regarding the article detailing stimulus money provided for the primate center. There are 8 national primate centers in the US (and 1 in Puerto Rico). Each of these is affiliated with a university, but they do not receive any funds from the host institution. Rather, money is solely provided through competitive grants (similar to those reportedly awarded by the MW Daily News) that are awarded by funding agencies like the NIH. All the national primate centers have different areas of research that affect human disease prevention and treatment and include, but are not limited to, AIDS pathogenesis, cancer research, and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. Without the competitive grants, research would not continue and jobs would be lost.

By: Mimi22

Mimi22 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:44:29 +0000

Yes, this news raised my eyebrow as well. I do not minimalize the importance of medical research, but I don’t see how this can be considered appropriate stimulus spending. There are still far too many infrastructure projects that could be done and could employ a segment of the population who need it most. I don’t, however, make the leap into governmental corruption. I would like to know more.

BTW, Matthew, I don’t always agree with you, but man can you write! I respect your often well-worded comments.

By: Matthew Brownell

Matthew Brownell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:50:58 +0000

Considering Harvard’s private endowment of ~$35 Billion, it’s completely mysterious why government is confiscating taxpayer money for Harvard’s pet projects.

The vast majority of University research projects are underwritten by grants and internships from corporations, venture capitalists, and other investors for a share in the resulting product revenue streams or research operations. This is the mutually beneficial partnership we see nationwide, including locally – for MA’s Life Sciences industry, MIT’s Media Lab, etc.

Given the wild exaggerations from the White House and Obama Administration on jobs created by the $1 Trillion “Stimulus” Shakedown – (exaggerations that have been widely reported in our own Boston Globe – hardly a friend of Conservatives) I think it’s only natural and appropriate for MA residents like “Cape Esq” to have questions on the value and return to taxpayers.

By: Kelly Roney

Kelly Roney — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:49:49 +0000

“Great to see my tax dollars going to Harvard University. Just how corrupt is Obama and his pals? Tell me did he say that it saved or created a 100 jobs in the 45th Mass Congressional District. We get the Government we deserve.”

Such a cobweb of non sequiturs! You think your tax dollars aren’t already going to Harvard research projects? Lots of our taxes flow through universities, and we get a lot from the expense in basic science that feeds our economy, biotech research that cures disease, and the education of American youth.

But CapeEsq thinks that’s corruption. Seems like that’s his conclusion in search of evidence, and the evidence is lacking.

45th Congressional District? What, is this California? Massachusetts has ten Congressional Districts. This one’s the Third.

If we in Massachusetts got the government we deserved, well, we would never have suffered the depredations of the Bushists.

By: Matthew Brownell

Matthew Brownell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:45:10 +0000

Primate facility? I thought the article was referring to Beacon Hill . . .

By: CapeEsq

CapeEsq — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:27:40 +0000

Great to see my tax dollars going to Harvard University. Just how corrupt is Obama and his pals? Tell me did he say that it saved or created a 100 jobs in the 45th Mass Congressional District. We get the Government we deserve.

By: John

John — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:26:42 +0000

Heather, if you are in healthcare and have seen the progress in fighting AIDS, HIV, neuromuscular diseases………well, lots of that research was conducted right here in sleepy little Southborough. That’s the way it is.