March 26 2008 by The Systemic Analyst.

As a follow up to a statement in yesterday’s piece regarding the sort of political staff hired in Ottawa, I wanted to share the following article from The Hill Times:

No minimum salaries for political Hill staffers, with some making $25,000

For staffers working in NDP MPs’ offices there is a 37.5-hour workweek and the starting salary is $44,000, as of April 1, 2008, while the base salary for someone with six years of experience or more is $56,250.

Although Parliament Hill staffers say they’re not in it for the money, most parties do not have a minimum salary level and one staffer says they’re “abused” by not being remunerated enough.

“I personally know of staffers who are making $25,000 a year as a full-time person, and I just find that really sad, considering that we are working on Parliament Hill,” said one Liberal staffer, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of being fired. “The qualifications that are really required to do this job are pretty high in the sense that there is a lot of expertise, a lot of work, a lot of stress. From my understanding, we are covered by very minimal employment laws…

So there is really a lot that you are expected to put up with.”

I don’t think too many experts or experienced professionals would be signing up at these pay rates. In fact, unless you are at the top of that pay grade, it’s barely enough off of which to live - particularly considering the hours required. No one should fault a minister or MP for espousing misguided approaches. After all, what sort of expert advice can they buy for $40,000??

Don’t look to the other predominate sources for analysis and information for any better pay, think tanks are notoriously poor remunerators. The average salary in a non-profit must sit around $35,000 - particularly if you discount the disproportionately higher wages of the head of those organizations.

The only people supplying politicians with insights and guidance who are comfortable are the bureaucrats. And they have a job for life… 

Posted in North America, Politics | No Comments »

March 26 2008 by The Systemic Analyst.

The International Herald Tribune has published the following article:

Efforts to contain bird flu are failing in Indonesia, increasing the possibility that the virus may mutate into a deadlier form, the leading U.N. veterinary health body warned.

The H5N1 bird flu virus is entrenched in 31 of the country’s 33 provinces and will cause more human deaths, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement released late Tuesday.

“I am deeply concerned that the high level of virus circulation in birds in the country could create conditions for the virus to mutate and to finally cause a human influenza pandemic,” FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech said.

Indonesia “has not succeeded in containing the spread of avian influenza,” Domenech said, adding that there must be “major human and financial resources, stronger political commitment and strengthened coordination.”

The H5N1 virus has killed at least 236 people in a dozen countries worldwide since it began ravaging poultry stocks across Asia in 2003. It has been found in birds in more than 60 countries, but Indonesia has recorded 105 deaths, almost half the global tally, according to the World Health Organization.

FAO’s sharp warning comes amid a flurry of bird flu outbreaks across the region. Chinese officials earlier this week announced the H5N1 virus was responsible for killing birds in poultry markets in the southern city of Guangzhou. Meanwhile, India last week confirmed a fresh poultry outbreak near Calcutta. The country has been battling the virus since January, resulting in the death or slaughter of some 4 million birds.

In addition, Vietnamese health officials on Monday announced that the virus had killed an 11-year-old boy in the north, marking the country’s 52 human death. The virus has resurfaced in several provinces, including the capital Hanoi, prompting the prime minister to put the entire country on alert. Two children in Egypt also were recently diagnosed with the disease.

We’re due for another pandemic. It’s unfortunate that thanks to modern mass media we are desensitized so easily. The threat of a pandemic hasn’t decreased by any means, but already our interest in the subject matter has waned.

What’s perhaps more disconcerting are the continued “promises” by our health care system that it’s ready for anything. I have one simple question in response to those shaking vows: when was the last time you visited the emergency room?

Posted in Health Preparedness, Asia | No Comments »