Sunday, March 02, 2003

Martek borrows $10 million from Allfirst - 2003-02-26 - Washington Business Journal Martek borrows $10 million from Allfirst

"Martek Biosciences said Wednesday that it has closed on a one-year, $10 million working capital line of credit with Baltimore-based Allfirst Bank.

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Columbia-based Martek said it plans to use the new credit for "general corporate purposes," including funding expansion of its manufacturing operations.

Martek makes nutritional oils for infant formula, nutritional supplements aimed at boosting mental and cardiovascular health, and a line of fluorescent markers for use in diagnostic tests."
How Howard can really help families - theage.com.au

March 3 2003

"The system of child support is piecemeal, mean-spirited and ideologically driven, writes Don Edgar.

So, Aussie mums should be grateful for a Prime Minister who loves children. As Bettina Arndt puts it ("At last, a PM who wants to help all mothers", last Wednesday), "Midst all the talk of war, John Howard has been busy pursuing his longstanding interest in work/family matters". No mention of Iraqi children of course, but local mums should be grateful for small mercies.

We might have had a paid maternity leave scheme, but the bureaucrats have come up with a "better" scheme - a "baby-care payment", not means-tested and available only for the first year after a child's birth. Arndt prefers this to Pru Goward's maternity leave proposal because the latter would go only to those mums already working full-time before the baby's birth and who return to work after a few months." [An interesting essay on how parental leave packages and a national children's strategy can effect the cultural change needed to support parenting. - JC]

MP's breastfeeding row leaves sour taste - smh.com.au
Op/Ed: "What's more, the push for feminist concessions in the workplace is in danger of reaching farcical levels which ultimately will make employers think twice before hiring women. Take, for instance, the case of the Sydney University workers who are threatening to go on strike this week over their right to monthly "menstrual stress leave". While menstrual pain can be debilitating, why make an issue out of it? Good old-fashioned sick leave works just as well for all-purpose ailments of both sexes. In the end, those people championing Kirstie Marshall's right to breastfeed in the Victorian Parliament have fallen for a mirage. She is not a symbol of working motherhood. She is the impossible dream. Far better to champion maternity leave so that in those precious weeks after giving birth, women can concentrate exclusively on what really matters." [Marinda Devine, writing in the Sun-Herald, chastizes people for fighting for the right to breastfeed "wherever and whenever you want." - JC]