CSCR Reading List: Compensation at the California Stem Cell Agency

Prepared by David Jensen July 8, 2011 Editor/publisher, California Stem Cell Report californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com
Here are links to articles and California stem cell agency documents dealing with salaries at the the $3 billion research effort. Some salaries at the agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, are relatively high compared to other state departments and have come under fire from time to time. Introduction to the topic CIRM Salaries: More Than You Want to Know http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2010/09/cirm-salaries-more-than-you-want-to.html CIRM salary ranges http://cirm.ca.gov/files/PDFs/Administrative/Salary_Structure_July_2010.pdf Searchable Sacramento Bee database on salaries of all state employees, including the University of California and the California state university system http://www.sacbee.com/statepay/ CIRM compensation policy http://cirm.ca.gov/node/692 CIRM compensation philosophy http://cirm.ca.gov/node/694 This document attempts to make the case for the high salaries that exist at CIRM at some levels. Among other things, the agency says, CIRM employees must be intelligent, entrepreneurial, motivated, flexible, confident in their own abilities, and committed to stem cell science. To retain this special level of employee, CIRMs employment policy must reflect and reward the uniqueness of a CIRM employee. It also says, CIRMs anticipated life-span is 10-14 years, which rules out the possibility of a long-term career track that is available for many civil service positions in the UC system. Here are some articles from the California Stem Cell Report dealing with compensation. Others have been published as well and can be found by searching on the term salaries on the California Stem Cell Report site (californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com). July 7, 2011 LA Times Editorial on New CIRM Chair: Tin Ears and Extinction http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2011/07/la-times-editorial-on-new-cirm-chair.html July 5, 2011 CIRM Salaries Spark Outrage from LA Times Readers http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2011/07/cirm-salaries-spark-outrage-from-la.html

July 4, 2011 LA Times on $400,000 CIRM Chair Salary: Not a Clipping for CIRM to Parade Around http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2011/07/la-times-on-400000-cirm-chair-salary.html June 29, 2011 CIRM Media Coverage: PR Problems, Salary Issues and Bond Election http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2011/06/cirm-media-coverage-pr-problems-salary.html June 27, 2011 Sacramento Bee: 'CIRM Is In Trouble' http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2011/06/sacramento-bee-cirm-is-in-trouble.html June 23, 2011 Consumer Watchdog: $400,000 CIRM Chair Salary Will Incense Public http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2011/06/consumer-watchdog-400000-cirm-chair.html July 25, 2010 A Matter for CIRM to Ponder: California's Visceral Reaction to High Salaries for Public Servants http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2010/07/matter-for-cirm-to-ponder-californias.html December 14, 2009 Science vs. Salaries: What Do People Talk About? http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2009/12/science-vs-salaries-what-do-people-talk.html December 10, 2009 Stem Cell PR, Salaries and Mixed Messages http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2009/12/stem-cell-pr-salaries-and-mixed.html June 17, 2009 New CIRM Figures Show 25 Percent Budget Increase The largest component of the budget goes for salaries and benefits, which are projected at $7.4 million for 47 employees. That is $1.9 million more than this year's estimated figure of $5.5 million. Personnel costs next year amount to an average of roughly $150,000 in salaries and benefits for each CIRM employee. http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-cirm-figures-show-25-percent-budget.html April 09, 2008 CIRM Executive Salaries Take a Hit Should the president of the California stem cell agency, with roughly 26 employees, be paid $300,000 more annually than the director of the National Institutes of Health, which has nearly 19,000 staffers? http://californiastemcellreport.blogspot.com/2008/04/cirm-executive-salaries-take-hit.html