Alleviating Urban Blight

Alleviating Urban Blight Mariah Beatty-Adams Kent School of Social Work University of Louisville Urban Blight in Louisville Louisville is known for internationally for the annual derby, that the upper-class and wealthy attend as a group for recreation, and entertainment. It is a time that economically, that the city is in its element. Millions of dollars are spent on derby paraphernalia, horse paraphernalia and alcohol for the masses. The city is becomes a city that never sleeps. Patrons of the derby are attracted to the large three malls, the hustle and vibrancy of the â€Å"hipster† mini- town of Bardstown Rd. and are seen at all the touristic options throughout town; especially those that are directly related to our city’s most prized possession, Muhammad Ali. Although patrons are excited to learn about Muhammad’s hometown, no one frequents past 9th street, an area that is infamously known for crime, and drugs. West Louisville is an area of the city that is kn own for not only crime that is birth from the area, but also falling victim to urban blight, similar to other urban and inner city areas of large cities nationally and globally.According to the US Census, out of more than 5000 properties in the five neighborhoods that make up West Louisville, 22. 1% of the homes are vacant or abandoned. An area that used to thrive with African American businesses, and industrial powerhouses that were less than environmentally friendly, has fell victim to the counter- productive action of urban renewal. There are only a slew of fast food restaurants, and an even larger number of liquor stores; unfortunately leading to the area become a food desert.An area where residents cannot acquire the ideal nutrients that are set by the FDA that every person should digest to remain healthy and active. However minorities are often limited to processed package foods, due to their only being one grocery store in the area. The only businesses there are seen in the a rea are barbershops, beauty salons, payday loan businesses, and a handful of makeshift retail stores. Leaving several residents without means for an income, becoming even more impoverished. Out of the 61,251 people inhabiting West Louisville, on average 13. 4% are unemployed.This doesn’t take account the several workers who are underemployed, struggling to make ends meet in an area that is not known for upward mobility. A change must be brought to the area that does not have a negative impact on the inhabitants, but a solution that will bring in a sense of promise and change the lives of the people who live in the constant fear that their local government has truly forgot about. In the year of 1957, Louisville constituents voted on a $5 million urban renewal project. Urban renewal refers to the public efforts to bring life into the aging and decaying inner cities across that nation.The term was heavily used and introduced to cities following World War II. Unfortunately the pa th to urban renewal is too destroy what is deemed destructive. Several businesses and public housing homes were tore down leaving the inhabitants to fend for themselves and business owners on the streets with their dreams in stride. Instead of working with already strong foundations and beautiful architecture, these pieces of history were demolished, destroying the sense of community with the debris caused by destruction.Thrown up in the place of these businesses and homes, were new pieces of architecture, still leaving the cause of West Louisville’s blight unharmed. Ethical Analysis and Ideologies of Current Solution Urban renewal in Louisville embraces the private good over the well-being of the public. Similar to the theory presented in the analysis titled The Economics and Ethics of Private Property by Hans-Hermann Hoppe, where he goes even far as to describe in great detail the fallacies of the public good.Results of the destruction caused by urban renewal have shadows o f the historical ideologies that our nation’s closed mind, white superiority foundation. Ideologies such as Individualism, Independence and the Protestant Work Ethic. Where the results have left the residents of the community on their own(individualism) The protestant work ethic is founded on the vision of wealth. â€Å"Hard work and wealth are signs of personal and moral worth† unfortunately minorities the west end work hard and have no wealth, nor anything to show for their work efforts. Those who are poor are considered as not having a proper or sufficient work ethic and are often considered inferior†. (Enoch,2012) When constituents are living in poverty and are feeling forgotten, you have not worried about those who are affected, or an ends to a mean. Nor did the urban renewal ordinance use funds to access the source of urban blight or the lack of income in the community. Unemployment and lack of economy of the area are the crooks behind the hundreds of desol ate and abandoned homes all over the West end.Non- profit organizations, such as the Metropolitan Housing Coalition, struggle to combat urban decay; yet have not found viable and visual solutions to the social issue. Proposed Solution To combat the social issue of urban decay, we must educate the residents of the area, many residents who are unhappy with their environment; yet have not been given the voice to help create and foster change in their own community. For change to be truly progressive, the need for change must be truly felt by those who are affected.Education is a key source of change. We must hear and allow residents to speak up on the changes that they want to be seen, the problem with social issues are that the activists are often times people who are not living in the environment that they work to change. We have no idea what changes are truly needed from residents, and they may be unaware that the changes that they need to live are in fact available or tangible. Wit h a united need for change, activists and groups such as MHC, need to work with residents to establish a sense of community.Areas throughout the west end and their inhabitants are often portrayed in the news and media as enemies, several people who grew up in neighboring areas are seen slain, both victims of death and self-hate. If we are working for the same change, how would that be tangible without a sense of unity? To establish education and also a sense of community, there needs to be monthly West End hall meetings, where Advisory boards from each of the five neighborhoods in West Louisville speak amongst each other and activists on the changes that need to be seen and together produce a set of actions to complete the changes needed.Also establish classes in simple do-it- yourself projects that could be done in abandoned homes to rebuild them together, and also throw park clean up parties to get rid of the trash and debris that are in the park and renovate parks that are deemed desolate. To get youth involved establish youth advisory boards, similar to Pact in Action, to speak on the changes they would see and provide the youth with the resources and voice needed for their educational career and changes. To nd the downward mobility that has only been available to several of the residents. Also coordinate neighborhood block parties and barbeques so it can be a sense of community that could not only be felt but seen by residents. To reestablish a flow of economy in the neighborhoods, and reduce the money going to fast food restaurants and liquor stores; have communities and neighborhoods raise money to purchase abandoned pieces of land that are full of garbage and debris, and turn them into a community garden.It would slowly but surely put an end to the food desert that the West has grown to be and reestablish healthy habits within the community. Every weekend there could be an organized farmer market between the neighborhoods where residents could sell the food they hand grew, and supplement a form of income in the several homes that are in need. Possibly establishing a shopping district, similar to the ones that were owned by African Americans in the 50’s and 60’s, to give residents a steady means of income.Instead of selling and advertising areas such as downtown, and east Louisville as business gems, sell west Louisville to possible business prospects by stating the cheap rent rates and the vast number of available lots and homes that can be â€Å"flipped†, instead of spending a fortune on new buildings and offices. Establish a working relationship with business prospects and the community to introduce prospective employees. Working relationships should be facilitated by the Council for a compassionate city, the mayor’s office, and also the governor’s office.The governor could benefit by acquiring skills and knowledge to produce the same action plans in cities in the state that are also victims o f white flight and urban blight. To efficiently reduce and hopefully alleviate the social issue. Several people who have lived in the city of Louisville have not ventured past 9th street. I believe it is due to the 7th street connector and 9th street connector or â€Å"Great Wall of Louisville† as I affectionately refer to it. Which is constructed I’m sure was constructed at a time where city ordinances were processed to segregate African Americans from white neighborhoods and areas.As a suggestion from Louisville Mag, this construction needs to be demolished similar to the homes and businesses of the impoverished to allow the West End community and the other areas to not only allow economic growth but a sense of community that can lead to resources in the renovation of west Louisville. However in its opposite it is proposed that there is a connection from the water front and connectors from the west end. Possibly leading to shopping districts to the west end. Also pro vide access with two lane roads and to businesses. Ethical Analysis of Proposed Solution/ TheoryThese actions adopt both deontological theories and Rawlsian liberalism. Deontological theories believe that you do not harm individuals especially minorities; and is about moral obligations. Meaning it is based on the community as a whole and will not allow an individual to fall underneath the economical cracks. According to Rawlsian Liberalism, each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others. (the Liberty Principle) Meaning every person should have the right to healthy food, and the basic necessities for living.Families in the area currently have a high rate of unemployment, and can’t acquire the things they need on the lack of income, or no income they have. With these plans the conditions of both will improve, may not be the first day but one day. Work Cited 1. moss, J. (2013, march 13). West of ninth. Louis ville Magazine, Retrieved from http://loumag. epubxp. com/i/111400/30 2. Stemle, C. (2013, march 13) So close, but so far. Louisville Magazine, retrieved from http://loumag. epubxp. com 3. Jimenez, J. (2011). Social policy and social change. Long Beach: Sage publications.

Government Involvement in the American Economy

Government Involvement in the American Economy As Christopher Conte and Albert R. Karr have noted in  their book,Outline of the U.S. Economy,  the level of government involvement in the American economy has been anything but static. From the 1800s to today, government programs and other interventions in the private sector have changed depending on the political and economic attitudes of the time. Gradually, the governments totally hands-off approach evolved into closer ties between the two entities.   Laissez-Faire to Government Regulation In the early years of American history, most political leaders were reluctant to involve the federal government too heavily in the private sector, except in the area of transportation. In general, they accepted the concept of laissez-faire, a doctrine opposing government interference in the economy except to maintain law and order. This attitude started to change during the latter part of the 19th-century, when small business, farm and labor movements began asking the government to intercede on their behalf. By the turn of the century, a middle class had developed that was leery of both the business elite and the somewhat radical political movements of farmers and laborers in the Midwest and West. Known as Progressives, these people favored government regulation of business practices to ensure competition and free enterprise. They also fought corruption in the public sector. Progressive Years Congress enacted a law regulating railroads in 1887 (the Interstate Commerce Act), and one preventing large firms from controlling a single industry in 1890 (the Sherman Antitrust Act). These laws were not rigorously enforced, however, until the years between 1900 and 1920. These years were when Republican President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909), Democratic President Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921) and others sympathetic to the views of the Progressives came to power. Many of todays U.S. regulatory agencies were created during these years, including the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Federal Trade Commission. New Deal and Its Lasting Impact Government involvement in the economy increased most significantly during the New Deal of the 1930s. The 1929 stock market crash had initiated the most serious economic dislocation in the nations history, the Great Depression (1929-1940). President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) launched the New Deal to alleviate the emergency. Many of the most important laws and institutions that define Americans modern economy can be traced to the New Deal era. New Deal legislation extended federal authority in banking, agriculture and public welfare. It established minimum standards for wages and hours on the job, and it served as a catalyst for the expansion of labor unions in such industries as steel, automobiles, and rubber. Programs and agencies that today seem indispensable to the operation of the countrys modern economy were created: the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates the stock market; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which guarantees bank deposits; and, perhaps most notably, the Social Security system, which provides pensions to the elderly based on contributions they made when they were part of the workforce. During World War II New Deal leaders flirted with the idea of building closer ties between business and government, but some of these efforts did not survive past World War II. The National Industrial Recovery Act, a short-lived New Deal program, sought to encourage business leaders and workers, with government supervision, to resolve conflicts and thereby increase productivity and efficiency. While America never took the turn to fascism that similar business-labor-government arrangements did in Germany and Italy, the New Deal initiatives did point to a new sharing of power among these three key economic players. This confluence of power grew even more during the war, as the U.S. government intervened extensively in the economy. The War Production Board coordinated the nations productive capabilities so that military priorities would be met. Converted consumer-products plants filled many military orders. Automakers built tanks and aircraft, for example, making the United States the arsenal of democracy. In an effort to prevent rising national income and scarce consumer products from causing inflation, the newly created Office of Price Administration controlled rents on some dwellings, rationed consumer items ranging from sugar to gasoline and otherwise tried to restrain price increases.

World Risk Society Essay Example

World Risk Society Essay Example World Risk Society Essay World Risk Society Essay Furthermore they argue that the conditions leading to the emergence of a mathematical theory of probability were dependent on a combination of the Marxist theories concerning changes in the economic means of production as well as Mertons theory concerning the link between religion, the Protestant reformation, and scientific developments; and to relatively recent theories which link the emergence of modern science to a complex chain of scientific, technological, political, economic, religious, institutional and ideological changes (no date:522). Today, notions of risk and probability are complex and incorporate the concepts of risk analysis and management. Lupton illustrates Castels view that the obsession with the prevention of risk in modernity is built upon a grandiose technocratic rationalizing dream of absolute control of the accidental, understood as the irruption of the unpredictable (Castel cited in Lupton, 1999:7). She infers that modern representations of risk are in fact very similar to early forms although today we fear being the victim of a crime, falling prey to cancer, being in a car accident, losing our jobs, having our marriage break down or our children fail at school (1999:3) rather than pre-modern concerns of hunger, epidemic disease and war. For Covello and Mumpower, modern risk analysis has its twin roots in mathematical theories of probability and in scientific methods for identifying causal links between adverse health effects and different types of hazardous activities (no date:523). However, what makes it unique to modern day is its sophistication. They depict that most current ideas about societal risk management are rooted in four basic strategies or mechanisms of control: insurance, common law, government intervention and private sector self-regulation. Beck conveys how modern risks have acquired a fluidity in that they can be changed, magnified, dramatized or minimized within knowledge, and to that extent they are particularly open to social definition and construction (Beck cited in Adams, 1995:181). From the above exploration of events, set in chronological order, it is clear that the emergence of notions of risk and probability cannot be restricted to one particular form or any one period of time. The process was slow and spanned out over thousands of years before reaching the level of sophistication and complexity that we are familiar with today. This essay has attempted to show that the story of risk, in its crudest form, began as early as the human race itself, in the form of the ideology that all life is subject to the risk of death. With this as a starting point, a number of ancient societies, cultures, and individuals, each in very specific ways, propelled the development of risk and probability forward. It is also argued that it was a complex combination of changing cultural beliefs and mathematical experimentation and mastery that, together, allowed risk and probability theory to begin to mushroom during the later part of the Renaissance movement. Firstly, the ancient societies that settled in the Tigris-Euphrates valley were aware of the significance of risk in the context of their expanding appetite and capability for trade and travel. They were yet unaware however of any mathematical notions of probability and cultural belief led them instead to look to signs of the Gods to determine the future. Later, within the realm of ancient Greece, probability theory began to be developed subsequent to the Greeks love of gambling. At this stage however, the limitations of the Greek numbering systems seemed to hinder any further development. Probability theory was not yet being expressed quantitatively and any knowledge of probability theory still failed to be applied to notions of risk, which were still attributed to the supernatural and the will of the gods. This ideology only began to dissipate with the increasing popularity of Christianity which allowed people to feel as if they have some sense of control over their world. The subsequent collision of the Christians with an Arab group brought about the combination of the Christians faith in the future and the Arabs knowledge of the Hindu numbering system that had been developing parallel to that of the Greeks. This was a fundamental breakthrough. Yet it was not until the Renaissance, and the development of applied quantitative probability in risk through the form of business processes such as commercial bookkeeping, that risk and probability theory was able to flourish. Throughout history then it is clear to see that trade, travel and insurance have played a large part in the development of theories of risk and probability. Although their discovery cannot be traced to a particular form, it is the juncture at which mathematical ability, cultural belief and economic drive meet, during the Renaissance, that modern notions of risk and probability begin. Bibliography Adams, John (1995) Risk. London: UCL Press Limited Beck, Ulrich (1999) World Risk Society. Cambridge: Polity Press. Beck, Ulrich (1992) Risk Society cited in Adams, John (1995) Risk. London: UCL Press Limited Bernstein, Peter. L. (1998) Against the Gods: The remarkable story of risk. Chichester: Jon Wiley and Sons, Inc. Castel, R (1991) From Dangerousness to Risk cited in Lupton, Deborah (1999) Risk. London Routledge Covello, Vincent and Mumpower, Jeryl (no date) Risk Analysis and Risk Management: A Historical Perspective in Covello Menkes and Mumpower Risk Evaluation and Management. New York: Plenum Press

Mothers Day Quotes From Daughters

Mothers Day Quotes From Daughters They may not know it, but young daughters often emulate their mothers. Deep in her heart, every girl is like her mother. A mother understands this well. So she tries to protect her daughter from the setbacks that she faced in her youth. Some mothers are known to be very tough on their daughters. I have seen this myself. When I asked a few moms, why they tighten the reins for daughters, the common reply is, I have to prepare her for the world to face the hard knocks of life. I have often wondered if this approach is correct. But I cannot deny that beneath the strict facade, there is a mother who loves her daughter. This is why a mother is a daughters best friend. Here are Mothers Day quotes from daughters who have achieved great success. Kate Beckinsale My daughter comes with me everywhere. I don’t leave her behind. But it is hard. I mean, I think any working mother will tell you that what kind of falls by the wayside, you know, are the hours of sleep that you wish you had, and all that. I feel incredibly lucky and blessed, but I do sometimes feel like that exorcist lady! Ann Taylor Who ran to help me when I fell, / Or kissed the place to make it well? My mother. Sarah Josepha Hale No influence is so powerful as that of the mother. Katherine Butler Hathaway Mother is the one we count on for the things that matter most of all. Lisa Alther Any mother could perform the jobs of several air-traffic controllers with ease. Beverly Jones Now, as always, the most automated appliance in a household is the mother. Carrie Latet My mom is literally a part of me. You cant say that about many people except relatives, and organ donors. Dorothy Canfield A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary. Helen Rowland It takes a woman twenty years to make a man of her son, and another woman twenty minutes to make a fool of him. Maya Angelou To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Barbara Kingsolver The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws.

Mathematical Formula in Material Cost Accounting and Control Essay

Mathematical Formula in Material Cost Accounting and Control - Essay Example Also, overstocking requires more storage space which, in turn, means an increase in insurance expenses, storage costs and deterioration in quality and depreciation in quantity. On the other hand, if materials are understocked, frequent orders have to be placed in small quantities and there is a chance of "stock outs" also. Hence, the tack of the manager is to find the most economic order which s very essential for cost management and control. The cost of carrying the inventory and the ordering cost is inversely proportional to each other. The costs of placing the order decreases as the size of the order increases, because with the bigger size of the order, the number of the orders will be lower. However, simultaneously the costs of carrying the inventory will go up because the purchases have been made in large quantities. It may be possible to have appointed which provides the lowest total cost and the point, which is the ideal size of the order is known as the Economic Order Quantity(EOQ). The EOQ is one where the cost of carrying inventory is equal or almost equal to the cost of not carrying inventory (cost of placing the order), i.e., at EOQ level, the total of inventory carrying cost and the ordering cost is minimum which can be determined mathematically s follows: The EOQ is 600 units, i.e., 10 orders per year are needed.

Corporate governance in Poland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Corporate governance in Poland - Essay Example lf-regulation in the global business markets has resulted in the establishment and standardisation of corporate governance policies and codes (Maassen, Bosch and Volberda, 2004). This paper will explore the concept of corporate governance in Poland drawing from the privatisation movement of the 1990s, which resulted in massive changes in the corporate structure and organization, thereby prompting the practice of corporate governance in the country. In the business context, the concept of corporate governance refers to the system through which management teams direct and control their organisations in pursuit of the organizational goals and objectives (Rossouw, 2008). Organisations have a set of goals and objectives, which they pursue following premeditated strategies, with the intention of maximizing outcomes; in that respect, governance provides the fundamental framework that organisations follow in setting up objectives and achieving them (Pucko, 2005). In other words, corporate governance is the mechanism through which the management is able to monitor the actions, policies, and decisions of corporations while ensuring that the partisan interests among the different organizational stakeholders are properly aligned for effective operations (Witherell, 2000). Corporate governance has emerged to be a crucial aspect of the corporate world today (Rossouw, 2009), following the global demand for accountability in corporations, whi ch has been prompted by the succession of numerous cases of malpractices in global corporations (Todorovic & Todorovic, 2012). Generally, corporate governance is a very fundamental concept in the corporate management practice especially in today’s highly dynamic and complex global business environment that requires formal organizational structures for operational effectiveness (Sreejesh, 2012). Corporate governance in Poland was introduced in the 1990s following the privatization of numerous State Owned Enterprises through the issuance of

The Importance of Recruitment and Selection in Public Sector Business Essay

The Importance of Recruitment and Selection in Public Sector Business - Essay Example 2. Recruitment and Selection are two different but related terminologies. This project shall therefore be an opportunity of identifying the difference that exists between these two terms and how each of them contributes to the success of the organization. 3. Through this project, the research shall seek to look into the difference between processes and merits of recruitment private sector and public businesses though the public sector shall be made the experimental sample. 4. Within the public sector business, the researcher shall scrutinize various reasons why human resource managers undertake recruitment and selection on regular basis. 5. Clearly, the various merits or importance of recruitment and selection cannot be realized if certain factors are not adhered to. Through this project therefore, the researcher shall find out the various factors that human resource managers within the public sector business setup must stick to in order to ensure that they benefit from the importanc e of recruitment and selection. 6. ... LITERATURE REVIEW Having noted that human resource personnel in the public sector have always been involved in recruitment and placement, one is left with not more than to ask of the importance of recruitment and placement in the public sector that human resource personnel cannot seem to stop the practice. There indeed exists a number of importance of undertaking recruitment and placement. Five major reasons, merits or importance behind recruitment and selection in the public sector have been discussed below. Satisfies Legal and Social Obligations of Organizations The first importance of undertaking recruitment and selection in the public sector is that it is a process that goes a long way to satisfy the legal and social obligations of institutions. International and various labor laws provide that public institutions make their placement processes very fair and open. For that matter, placement must be done only after certain stipulated guidelines have been fulfilled (Gilmore and Wil liam, 2009). In labor provisions, undertaking recruitment and selection is the legally mandated means to get employees to occupy vacancies. By undertaking recruitment and selection therefore, public organizations are getting themselves out of legal entanglements and fulfilling their social obligations of making the lives of deserving skilled and unskilled personnel better (Thompson and McHugh, 2009). Previously, activities of public sector managers regarding placement was not seen as a social task but strictly business and corporative. Today, it has come to be accepted that there could not be any better way for public institutions to be socially responsible to the people than employing as many deserving people as possible (Arnold, J. et al 2005). This is because research has