Abstract This paper examines the health hazards of carbon monoxide. It discusses the firefighters in America today, especially those who fought in the 9/11 blazes. The writer looks at the chemistry of carbon monoxide (CO) and why it is dangerous.
From the Paper "Firefighters today face a host of potentially life-threatening situations when fighting fires. Some of these hazards can be minimized by wearing the proper clothing and having the right training so they avoid such things as collapsing walls. In addition, one very real risk is the wide range of toxic agents, both natural and man-made, released into the air, as flammable materials burn. One dangerous substance released in virtually all fires is carbon monoxide (CO), devices that prevent the inhalation of carbon monoxide have to be part of every firefighter's gear."
Abstract This paper looks at the causes of the California energy crisis that occurred in 2000-2001 following the deregulation of the state's electrical utilities. The paper discusses the arguments cited in favor of deregulation, what the deregulation entailed for the electrical utilities, and what this meant in terms of the major heat wave that hit in the summer of 2000. Also discussed is the flawed reasoning behind the arguments for deregulation, which ultimately caused the bankruptcy of the California electrical utilities.
From the Paper "The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) which used to set the consumer electricity rates in the state, itself declared the system of energy regulation in California as "fragmented, outdated, arcane and unjustifiably complex," and opened the state's electricity industry to competition in December 1995. After the unanimous passing of the deregulation legislation by both houses of the state, it was signed into law by the Governor in September 1996. California thus became the first state in the U.S. to deregulate its electricity industry. The three major Californian utilities, Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric are said to have spent $4.3 million on lobbyists and $1 million on political campaigns in their efforts to encourage deregulation."
Abstract This paper looks at the concerns that have arisen in the United States regarding health manpower policies. Current issues dealing with the nation's health manpower, such as a widespread nursing shortage, a physician surplus, unequal geographic distribution of health care professionals, and an imbalance in the physician work force are considered in this paper. Included are recommendations for correcting the problems discussed.
From the Paper "In order to determine the reason for the current surplus one must consider decisions that were made in the United States four decades ago. During the 1960's and 1970's there was great concern that the nation was in need of an increase in the physician supply in order to provide adequate health care to the people. Both federal and state governments provided monetary support to U.S. medical schools in order to increase their class sizes. ?Total federal support, through restricted revenues, teaching and training, and public service, increased from $690 million in 1970 to $1,739 million in 1980, a 152% increase.?3 In addition, the Immigration and Naturalization Service also assisted in the endeavor by changing their regulations to allow more foreign-trained physicians to enter and remain in the country."
An overview of the planning and organization of health care services and a discussion of the health services programs available to the different populations.
Abstract This paper discusses how the organization of health care systems has progressed over time as advances in medicine and technology have occurred. It looks a how the advent of multi-hospital systems, HMO?s, and the like, have developed in response to the changing demographics of the population and in response to the changing health care needs of the population as technological advances have wiped out previously debilitating sickness.
Outline
Introduction
Overall Health Care System: Analysis of Development
Social Factors Influencing Health Care
The Future of Health Care
Conclusion
From the Paper "One important idea to consider when discussing the administration of health care services is the perceived need by the public for such services. The concept that the availability of health care services creates a demand for health care and need is important to consider. New technological advances have perhaps implanted in the minds of physicians and patients the need to treat disease that may have otherwise been ignored. One important factor to consider in planning health program administration is evaluating the utilization of health care services. The function of health planners is to identify areas of greatest need or highest potential demand in communities for health care delivery organizations."
Abstract This paper proposes to study the role that public administration has in encouraging changes in society while, at the same time, safeguarding the structure and continuity of society. The paper proposes to look at which sectors of society should provide the impetus for change and which should preserve the status quo. Finally, the study intends to look how the need for change in society can be balanced against the need for stability and the specific ways in which public administration professionals can help society to maintain this balance.
From the Paper "But just as lack of change can be terribly damaging if not lethal to a society, too much change can also be dangerous. Societies that prosper are those that allow for change within an established structure ? and both the change and the structure are important. (This does assume, of course, that the structure is fundamentally sound to begin with.)"
Abstract This paper provides an overview of Medicare, a program of national health insurance setup in 1965 for persons who are over the age of sixty-five or seriously disabled. It looks at how many medical procedures of the 1960s have been replaced by drug therapies and how Medicare has never been updated to include outpatient prescription drug coverage, leaving senior citizens, many of whom live on fixed incomes, especially affected by this lack of coverage. It discusses how. with the baby boomer generation ageing fast, and advancements in medical science, the new challenge is now to ensure that those who were responsible for the above will be cared for in the new century.
From the Paper "In 1998, the US spent a total of one hundred billion dollars on prescription drugs. According to a report published in June 2001 by the Washington Business Group Healthcare (WBGH) and the Financial Management Association (HFMA), the cost of prescription drugs shot up by 14.6% in 2000, after an 18% rise in 1999. (Arya, 2001) From 1992 to 1998, the number of prescriptions rose by 40%. The government is caught in a difficult position. On the one hand it needs to curb the spiraling costs, on the other it has to protect the interests of its pharmaceutical industry. Expanding the use of generic drugs would be one way of reducing costs, but this is unlikely to happen because of the billions of dollars spend by pharmaceuticals on research in an intensely competitive field."
Abstract Provides a history of each force. Examines the roots of law enforcement in British Common law, the development of a police force to provide social control, and the origin of military police by George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
From the Paper "Law enforcement in the United States has a rich and varied history. Although most people are familiar with the "boys in blue" who patrol the nation's neighborhoods, many are utterly ignorant of the role military police play in enforcing the laws of our ..."
Abstract Discusses the action of the State quarantining a city during a plague, the danger to uninfected individuals who cannot leave, the rights of individuals versus the power of the State, and the goal of the State to protect well-being.
From the Paper "The determination of the state's absolute right to quarantine a city in the event of a plague is fundamentally determined by its impact on the right of the individual. Based on Albert Camus' description of the plague in his novel, The Plague, it is ..."
Abstract Discusses the problem of the elimination of many hospitals, including short-term acute care hospitals, and how the closures are due to multiple factors, such as financial problems, low occupancy rates, reorganizations, mergers, and bankruptcies.
From the Paper "As far back as 1981, Goldsmith stated that there would be an ongoing decline in the number of successful hospitals as the 20th century progressed. Goldsmith predicted that hundreds of hospitals (both rural and metropolitan) would ..."
Abstract Describes the United Way of America as an umbrella organization that provides guidance and authorization to local and regional organizations. Discusses the external environment of functioning, including law, politics, and social structure.
From the Paper "This research performs a strategic analysis on the United Way of America organization. United Way of America is a non-profit umbrella organization that provides guidance and authorization to local ..."
Abstract Explores the necessity of examining policies to determine if they address broad and comprehensive public interests. Discusses the need to ensure that the interest of public is not overridden by self-interest and considerations of economic gains.
From the Paper Public administrators are often challenged to differentiate between the "public interest" and the "public's best interest" as they participate in decision-making processes focused on resolving problems. ..."
Abstract Whistle blowing refers to a warning issued by a member or former member of an organization to the public about a serious wrongdoing or danger created or concealed within the organization. This paper takes a look at the subject, covering issues such as employee loyalty to the organization, the difficulties faced by all parties involved, the implementation of internal solution policies, and the establishment of some necessary conditions that should be established before one undertakes blowing the whistle.
From the Paper "Many objected to this approach in which whistleblowing is primarily framed as an act of disloyalty, one that needs rationalization or that can be pursued only under special circumstances. The fault, for them, is found in the notion that individuals should be loyal to a company. A company is not a person and not, therefore, deserving of loyalty. While a company typically consists of people, it is not a group of people with a purpose that transcends self-interest. Loyalty, according to them, exists in the context of human relationships and entails a readiness to engage in sacrificial behavior."
This paper discusses the FAA's specific guidelines and regulations concerning height requirements for structures that may obstruct airways and the winter operation of airports.
Abstract This paper explains that the FAA regulations strive to protect not only air travelers, but also the staff of airlines and airports. The author reports that the height restrictions and regulations are outlined in the Federal Aviation Regulation Part 77, which specifies that the FAA regional office should receive a supplemental notice at least 48 hours prior to the beginning of all construction or alterations that require notification by the sponsor to the Administrator. The paper describes that the FAA initiated the Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5200-30A to address Winter Operation of Airports by outlining a number of safety requirements, which include snow, ice, and slush.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Height Restrictions
Winter Operations
Conclusion
From the Paper "It is not a requirement for the Administrator to be notified when the construction or alteration ?would be shielded by existing structures of a permanent and substantial character or by natural terrain or topographic features of equal or greater height, and would be located in the congested area of a city, town, or settlement where it is evident beyond all reasonable doubt that the structure so shielded will not adversely affect safety in air navigation." The Administrator does not have to be notified if an antenna structure is not more that 20 feet, unless it effects another antenna structure by increasing its height. Any ?air navigation facility, airport visual approach or landing aid, aircraft arresting device or meteorological device."
Abstract This paper provides an overview of alternative dispute resolution methods and approaches, a discussion of potential drawbacks and constraints, and an assessment of whether these methods are appropriate for the public sector. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.
From the Paper "City government, like all governments at least to some extent, exists to resolve conflicts and settle disputes. This is why governments have been constituted among us, so that we may talk (and even argue and shout) rather than picking up clubs or guns or nuclear warheads. While the role of providing a forum and a means of resolving disputes is common to all forms of government, it is especially important a the municipal level because it is at this level that the disputants tend to know each other personally. The citizens of any given city have to continue to live together after political conflicts and upheavals ? to go to football games together and PTA meetings to talk about their children and shop together in the produce aisle."
Tags: lawsuits, city, government, city, managers, decisions, forum, resolving, disputants, conflicts
This paper contends that the present day over-reliance on statutes and regulations in America as a means to create a just and fair society has achieved just the opposite.
Abstract This paper, which bases its argument on "The Death of Common Sense" by Philip K. Howard, contends that the dispensation of justice requires the understanding and practice of the spirit of the law. The author relates that the root of the system is the rationalist movement of the 1960s, which favored statutory law, as it was believed to be more consistent and fair. The paper concludes that the worst malaise of a system that follows the letter and not the spirit of the law is the fear syndrome that it creates, which undermines the very promise of justice to create security, safety, and overall social well-being.
From the Paper "Bureaucracies, as is widely acknowledged, usually lead to the stifling of good ideas, innovation, initiative and most important a loss of perspective. Indeed, experience has shown again and again that bureaucracies usually miss the wood for the trees and, in doing so, defeat the larger purpose for which they were set up in the first place. Howard ably demonstrates this very point when he cites the example of Mother Teresa's nuns of the Missionaries of Charity having to perforce abandon their plans to convert two abandoned buildings into homeless shelters in New York City because of the bureaucratic insistence of the city's building code that the nuns would have to install a lift (Howard, 3-5). The irony of the situation lies in the fact that the nuns were on a mission to carry out an act of social justice. The city of New York itself had offered the nuns the two buildings at the princely cost of $ 1 each, recognizing the objective of social justice; but the statutory law that was meant to ensure social justice through the protection of human rights would not permit it! This, then, is a clear case where the "letter" of the law weighed far more heavily than its spirit."
