fuel

PRIME Minister Jean
Chretien thinks it
doesn’t exist.

And tne Canadian
Association of University
Teachers concurs that the
brain drain is bat a myth.
Notice, bv the way, how,
whenever special interests
want to put an end to Jegiti
mate debate, they either ais-
miss 2 dissenter with an ad
hominen like “right
winger,"or conversely call the
dishked perspective a myth.

In its latest issue, even
The Economist bypassed the
loss of Canadian talent to the
US., in favour of presenting
a promising picture of the
Canadian econony.

While Jean Chretien has
misrepresented information

comment

inorder to make his point,
The Economist simply stuck
to lauding se many of the
elements that make Canada
non-competitive, ch

which is the fondness for
government.

The Economist admits,
however, chat the U.S, is an
economic powerhouse with a
surplus budget and economic
growth that outpaces

ling our bral

Canada’s by tar, Morcover,
the unemployment rate in
the U.S. is only half that ef
Cinaday a face thar surely sa
good indicator of how that
saciety’s vulnerable are far:
ing Sul, the journal seems
to imply Canada can attord
to renin Faropeur it out
look, rather than stay abreast
of her main trading partner,
the U.S.

Evidently, so does the
prime minister.

According to the PM,
Americans pay thousands
more than Canadians tor
medical insurance and ter-
diary education, not to men-
tion the fact that they are
unable to take a stroll in the
park for fear of being shot at.

Since the Chretien verbal
malapropisms are now being

micilivax

Breastieeding facts and fiction

Dear Editor:

In Shannon Humphreys’ recent parental
guidance columa, she writes about the strug:
gles an acquaintance is having with breastfeed-
ing, fatigue, and possibly postpartum depres-
sion.

Unfortunately, these problems are not
uncommon, and what is clearly demonstrated
by Humphreys’ ensuing advice is the degree of
inadequate support, misundezstanding, and
misinformation many new mothers often
reccive,

Sadly, this often leads to the cessation of
breastfeeding whereby the baby and mother do
not receive the benefits uniquely derived from
breastfeeding.

This new mother, after six weeks, continucs
to have cracked, bleeding, painful nipples, and
Humphreys outrageously suggests this can be
normal for some with “ultra-sensitive nipples,”
and that an occasional bottle would be the
solution.

Wrong.

Humphreys should noc be dispensing
breastfeeding advice cither from a park bench,
as she deseribed in her column, or through a
newspaper column. This woman’s painful nip-
ples are likely a result of a
poor latch, a baby who is
tongue-tied, thrush from
antibiotics, or some other
reversible cause.

There are good resources
on the North Shore such as
breastfeeding clinics, lactation
consultants, community |
health nurses, doctors, and La
Leche League, and it is their
role to determine the cause
and the solution to the prob-
fem.

Humphreys would have
better served her friend b
encouraging her to sec
appropriate resources, prais-—

Keith

ing her for the incredible commitment and
effort she demonstrates by breastfeeding for six
weeks despite such pain, and by offering prac-
tical help like some prepared dinners.

And yes, if this mother dues receive appro-
priate help front the right sources, and appro-
priate support trom those around her, and her
nipples heal, and breastfeeding is comfortable,
then she will likely be proud of her efforts and
consider them to have been worthwhile.

However, if she has the appropriate help
and support, but her problems persist, and she
decides to stop breasticeding, she will always
know that she did everything she could, and
hopefully is also proud and satisfied.

In future columns, [ hope thac Humphreys
carefully considers what areas are appropriate
tor offering guidance to parents, and that it will
be in a style that is informative, supportive, and
empowering.

I also believe that the North Shore News
should carry a disclaimer to indicate that these
are the opinions af the columnist and not nec-
essarily based on fact, or shared by the newspa-
per.

Carol Lengman
North Vancouver

a ey

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Fira-class fireplaces. First-class advice
aw 7

extended to his facts, let's,
emcee and tor all spell out dhe
teuth: the U.S. provides its
aged and is poor with social
security and tree health care.

Elementary and secondary
education are tree in the
ULS.. and fow cost past sce
ondary education 1 av uilabic
for Amencans at all state unt
Versitics,

The U.S. spends more per
capita on health care than
does Canada, and she
achieves this with a low tax
regimen. What's more, for
the PAPs information, those
who are leaving Canada are
not in need of Canada’s con-
sidcrable benevolence
because they are nor among
the ranks of the poor.

While those who leave
care mostly for the ability to
be on the cutting edge of
their professions — some-
thing they cannot achieve i
Canada —- they also look for-
ward to parting with only
about 22% of a six-figure
wage after deductibles like
mortgage interest have been
factored in.

This trumps paying a per-
sonal income tax rate of 51%,
and being lett with approxi-
mately 40% of said income
after the myriad hidden taxes
are brought to bear.

Canadian emigrants to the
U.S. can also look forward to
a capital gains tax that is half
that of Canada. Essentially,
this translates into the ability
to invest one’s money and
keep a considerable portion
of the return, which also
means being able to save for
one’s retirement rather than
relying on a scheme Sike the
Canada Pension Pan.

“It’s a very competitive

n drai

Friday, July 30. 1999 — North Shore News - 7

workd,” exphined former
UBC computer sctence pro
tensor Carl Sever ina T99S
interview with The Vaurenver
Sia, “aad i have a skill char
is very sought after”

Sever quack upled his
income when he joined ditel
in Porthnd. For the PADS
Informaden, an cmigrint like
Seger wil join a large faction
of the American niiddle class
for wham an employer will
pay the lign’s share of the
medical insurance. Neither
are well-to-do knowledge
emigrants likely te reside in
inner cities Where crime is
rite.

The Canadian Association
of University Teachers
(CAUT) added its voice to
the brain-drain-is-myth choir.

The association’s men-
bers were careful to selfiden-
fy their membership as con-
sisting of “seme of the
brightest minds” in Canada,
which, vou will agree, already
makes this group's collective
intelligence suspect.

CAUT members followed
Statistics Canada’s deduc-
tion: as long as the nunrber
of immigrants outstripped
that of emigrancs, the brain
drain must be regarded as a
myth.

This simple balancing of
immigrants with emigrants,
besides belittling Canada's
sons and daughters by sug-
gesting they are replaceable,
fails to consider that the
qualifications of immigrants
are not always accepted by
Canadian professional bodies.

In addition, the carning
potential of a skilled immi-
grant over a lifetime, is mea-
surably less than that of a
skilled departing Canadian.

But above al, these sel:
anciaed brightest minds
faded to melude in ther fig
ures temporary NAFTA emi-
grant, which make up 905
of the total exodus of
Canadian knowledge workers
to the US. Phese NAFTA
temporary visas are rentinely
converted to U.S. permanent
residence status,

Soil, the yovernmient
truly believes that bureau-
crath: intervention in the
form of grants for R&D will
quell the acquisitiveness we
all share as human beings, or
the natural human need to
be the best one can be.

The local high tech mar-
ket, to an extent, has
remained wigidly beholden to
this world-view. The salaries
of knowledge workers are
stagnant and non-market
related.

The same people are com-
manding considerable remu-
neration packages in the
ULS., as their merit dictates.

As for the “brightest
minds” fro: the Canadian
Association of University
Teachers, why would these
individuals so vehemently
oppose exploring the reasons
bright ambitious Canadians
are leaving Canada?

At work here are some
good old Freudian psychody-
namics. They go something
as follows: no one wants to
drain my brain, therefore let
ime side with the more ego-
gratifying theory that says no
brain other than mine is
being drained, which means |
haven't been left out.

When it comes to the
brain drain, fragile egos get
frazzled.

— gnome@aticanada.net