Abstract This paper posits that seat-belts must be mandatory on all school buses because they reduce the risk of injury or death, car safety rules must be consistent and there is no valid opposition for this rule. It argues that seat-belts have been proven effective in increasing safety through many years of use in automobiles and laboratory tests have additionally shown them to be safe in school buses. Without seat-belts on school buses, children will be less likely to always buckle up in their cars too. Finally, the paper concludes that the opposition simply does not have grounds for disputing mandatory seat belts on buses because the safety of our children must be the first priority.
From the Paper "Thirty years ago, there were not laws regulating child safety seats in cars, nor would any vehicle produced at that time pass today's rigorous safety standards; obviously, modern technology and knowledge is meant to overcome the safety faux-pas of decades past to create a safer, healthier environment for children. Would any parent today feel comfortable handing their child a mercury-filled thermometer or Happy Meal toy? The answer is no, and this is evidence that yesterday's safety standards are not applicable to child safety today. Another argument against seat-belts is that some kinds of belts may cause more harm than good in case of an accident. The solution to this critique is simple: only install the seat-belt designs that would actually protect passengers in case of an accident. It is well documented which kinds of seat belts (like lap-only belts) are potentially harmful, and which ones are safe."
Abstract This paper explores the advantages and disadvantages to owning and operating a fleet of school buses by the school system as opposed to outsourcing the system needs to a contracted company.
From the Paper "America's economy has been in a slump for several years now and with that the school budgets across the country are being reevaluated to reduce spending as much as possible. One aspect of the public school systems that is being examined is the issue of transportation. School buses have long since been a point of controversy during school bus discussions each year. School bus transportation becomes a bone of contention in many fiscal debates. The districts that provide transportation for its students must locate and purchase buses and maintain their mechanical soundness and safeness. Recently there has been a second possible solution for providing transportation for school students. The idea of outsourcing the transportation needs of entire districts has been experimented with some measure of success across the country. The outsourcing of buses for the purpose of transporting students to and from school and home offers certain benefits as well as certain problems. Each district that provides transportation has to look at the pros and cons of each possibility based on its own budget constraints, needs and abilities and then choose the option best suited for it."
Abstract This paper reviews Roland Formisano's "Boston Against Busing", which shows how the anti-busing movement in Boston was just as much about class as it was about race. We see that class resentment lingers beneath the surface of racism.
Abstract This paper details the history as presented in the book "Boston Against Busing," written by Ronald P. Formisano. It describes the racism in the 1970s when the courts mandated busing children away from their neighborhood schools to more distant locations, as a way of addressing the racial imbalance in the schools. The paper analyzes Formisano's depiction of the events.
From the Paper "The decision was handed down by Judge Garrity in 1974, and he sought to make certain that the order was followed immediately. The school board and its supporters were largely in denial that there was any segregation in Boston, but the court did not listen to this claim. The next argument was that segregation was beyond the ability of the school district to address, and the court rejected this idea as well. In fact, the judge found that the school system used a feeder method that assured that blacks and whites were deliberately separated into black and white schools. The system claimed that it allowed black students to enroll in schools of their choice, but the judge found that school policies were intended to discriminate on the basis of race. Formisano notes that the decision should not have been a surprise, though it was treated by opponents as if it were and as if there were no foundation or precedent for it."
Abstract This essay examines the problem of traffic congestion and how governments are dealing with it. Furthermore it analyses the main differences between the public and private sector in imposing tariffs and tolls, as well as how the optimum price of tolls is determined. Finally it suggests solutions that could reduce congestion in urban areas
From the Paper "Congestion is mainly a problem as a result of shortage of road space, and luck of such facilities to satisfy the needs of passengers and travelers. In other words congestion problem deals with capacity Vs demand.Solutions that have been used until now seem not to work. Although the development in public transportation means (busses, trains, trolleys etc.) has had a tremendous growth in big cities, the problem not just remains the same but also increases other external problems such as ?"accidents, noise annoyance and environmental pollution, which all together contribute to an excessive social pressure"?.Why people still drive in cities? And why can"t we build more roads to cope with the problem" What differentiate congestion under the public and private sector? What's the government role in solving the problem of congestion?"
Abstract This paper examines the problem of public transportation in the Los Angeles area specificially the MTA (Metropolitan Transportaion Authority) and its support for train service.
From the Paper "Metro rail construction has been riddled with errors costing millions of dollars to fix, therefore the argument by the MTA for Metro is not persuasive. Hollywood Boulevard is a prime example of construction at its worst. At this area where the Red Line was being built, the sidewalks sank in places to more than a foot and Hollywood stars began to crack and crumble. Also on the Blue Line, is the frequent plowing into of automobiles by these trains. These incidents usually involve in severe injury or the killing of the passengers of the car. As William Fulton points out in The Money Train from The Reluctant Metropolis, "The line from downtown-to-Long Beach expected to cost $700 million (eventually ended up costing $900 million), the twenty-two mile line would serve thirty-five thousand passengers, half that of the busses along Wilshire Boulevard" (142). This is just the beginning of under-estimated costs of projects that would inevitably be headaches for all parties involved, causing the credibility of the MTA to be lessened even further."
This paper shows why Elvis Presley rose to fame so quickly. It examines the social, race, political and youth issues of the time and explains how each one of these factors had a major influence on his success as a rock star.
2,350 words (approx. 9.4 pages), 9 sources, 2001, $ 72.95
Abstract This paper shows why Elvis Presley rose to fame so quickly. It examines the social, race, political and youth issues of the time and explains how each one of these factors had a major influence on his success as a rock star.
From the paper:
"Though some like to recall it as a time of innocence, it was in 1956 that the U.S. Supreme Court declared segregation on buses and trains unconstitutional, and the year of the Montgomery boycotts. Elvis, as he once told an interviewer, did not just happen to ?come along at the right time.? There is a social and cultural context to his success. Elvis mirrored the contradictions of the South. According to John Reed of the University of North Carolina, ?Aside from the way he moved his lower body, hell, he was a gospel-singing mama's boy.? Perhaps he also mirrored the contractions of post-war American youth seeking an identity apart from their parents."
Tags: rock, n, roll, music, social, war, expression
From the Paper " Seat Belts on School Buses
Introduction
The United States has an affirmative obligation to ensure the highest levels of education and protection for its children. Unfortunately, the administration's unwillingness to meet this obligation is evident in its consistent failure to make available the financial and other support necessary for schools to provide the education required to adequately prepare our children for the successful administration of the country in the future. Even more unfortunate, however, is the administration's failure to provide the financial and moral backing for a nationwide drive to install seat belts on school buses because this failure threatens the physical safety of our children. Sadly, this failure is merely symptomatic of the country's general failure to dedicate.."
From the Paper "Desegregation remains a controversial issue in education. Once believed to be the only remedy for a separate but unequal school system, desegregation is now labelled by critics a misallocation of scarce financial resources. On the other hand, forced school integration has resulted in the elimination of racial imbalances in certain situations. At stake in the debate on desegregation is the fate of African-American children in the nation's deteriorating urban school system.
Desegregation in education has several advantages, both tangible and intangible. One of the tangible benefits is that it increases interracial exposure between blacks and whites. For example, after a decade of the implementation of a desegregation plan in Milwaukee, the white enrollment in minority schools increased from 21 percent to 31 percent. In a society where..."
Abstract This paper discusses how both Congress and interest groups are constantly looking in to new ways to ensure the safety of passengers in the various modes of travel currently available since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It looks at how Congress and the President have created the Transportation Security Administration and passed new laws in an effort to protect American travelers and how the courts are starting to become active in travel security by awarding large settlements to victims of hotels that don?t provide adequate protection. It examines such issues as Congress and air-travel, lapses in security, transport on buses, trains and boats and issues regarding travelling with children and evaluates the air travel security law which addresses having additional air marshals on flights and replacing security screeners with a federal agency, but requires airports to install full explosive detection systems by the end of 2002.
From the Paper In response to the Congressional mandate of strengthening aviation security, President Bush appointed John W. Magow to the newly created Transportation Security Administration (Nakashima A07). Magow ?a former director of the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (Nakashima A07)? was working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the executive director of the Office of National Preparedness (Nakashima A07). Magow, whose new title is undersecretary of transportation for security, was appointed with little opposition. He is now responsible for all civil aviation security functions as mandated by Congress."
Abstract Examines controversy involved in implementation process. Segregated education; de facto housing; Brown v. Board of Education; Busing, Racial discrimination; Civil Rights Movement. Reasons for delays in segregating schools. Funding problems. Establishment of voluntary policies such as City Learning Center & Magnet Schools. Curriculum plans. Resolution.
From the Paper "In the late 1960s and early 1970s, St. Paul, Minnesota, underwent a protracted and at times highly charged school-segregation controversy. This study examines how the encounter between patterns of de facto school segregation arising from a history of de facto housing segregation in St. Paul and the process whereby integration of elementary and secondary schools was resolved. As Foster, a Chicago lawyer active in public-interest class action litigation, noted (172) in 1963, "problems raised by de facto segregation are more sophisticated and more subtle, and they stem from complex causes." St. Paul was typical of this situation, inasmuch as housing and employment patterns had the effect of concentrating minorities in poor neighborhoods with poor nearby schools and facilities. In these neighborhoods, there were fewer property owners, fewer property taxes paying for that..."
Abstract This paper begins by citing some statistics on carbon dioxide emission rates in the United States to demonstrate the need for changes in U.S. commuting policies and technologies. The paper then discusses two overall approaches that could be taken in order to cut the emissions of motor vehicles and suggests that these approaches are mutually supportive. The paper goes on to discuss the many environmental effects of carbon dioxide emissions and concludes with a warning of what will happen if the problem is not addressed.
From the Paper "National Research Council brought out a report in 1997 recommending that important changes in the U.S. commuting policies, technologies, and activities may turn essential to minimize emissions of the motor vehicles and the following hazard of global warming at the time of the consequent century. And due to the fact that commuting has its part in the society of the nation and economy, there needs to be a balance created in mobility and need for access of people as against the resources of the environment and natural resource requirements. The report has said that there are two overall advances which have to be taken into account in cutting of the emission of motor vehicles of the generally termed greenhouse gases in course of time."
Abstract This paper explains that anyone driving a vehicle that requires a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), which includes semi trucks, buses, and other larger transportation vehicles, must pass a substance abuse test and continue to pass the tests throughout their employment. The author stresses that another reason testing is vital for public safety is because, once a driver is impaired, it is often difficult to detect, even by trained police personnel. The paper concludes that the merits of substance abuse testing for those who desire or already own a CDL are clear; they keep substance abusers off our roads and highways and help ensure the safety of the public.
From the Paper "Obviously, one of the most important issues facing successful testing is the validity of the results, as this situation with a bus driver who was suspended because his urinalysis showed marijuana in his system clearly indicates. "News of his suspension and the test results spread to the bus driver's family, co-workers, and acquaintances. Two weeks after the first urinalysis, the bus driver was retested. The results were negative and the company reinstated him (Angarola, 1991, p. 171). Clearly, a company must be absolutely sure their results are correct, and they must be scrupulous in maintaining the privacy and anonymity of the employee, or they are open to litigation and personnel consequences. Therefore, while substance testing makes sense and is the law, there are still precautions that must be taken to ensure the results are correct, and the employee's rights are not violated."
This paper discusses the benefits of the Congestion Charge in London to reduce traffic congestion and its acceptance by the population and the government.
Abstract This paper explains that a new scheme has been introduced in London to manage the traffic congestion under which motorists are obliged to pay ?5 everyday to enter central London. The author points out that the strength of this system lies in the fact that it helps reduce traffic, allowing journeys and delivery times to be more reliable, and simultaneously raises money in fees that can be reinvested in London's transport system. The paper concludes that, today, 100,000 people pay every day; the enforcement is working, and dissatisfaction with public transit is decreasing with more people riding the buses than just those displaced by pricing scheme.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Congestion Charge
Why Was the Congestion Charge Introduced?
Benefits of the Congestion Charge to the Public
How does the Congestion Charge Work?
Primary Activities
Who Has to Pay Congestion Charge?
Congestion Charge Encouraging New Modes of Transport
Support Activities
Success of the System
Strengths of the Scheme
Weaknesses of the Scheme
Opportunities in the Scheme
Threats Presented in the Scheme
Conclusion
From the Paper "The scheme was introduced during the weeklong mid-term school holidays, during which the traffic was reduced by about 20 percent. The scheme started at 7am as a move to control the heavy traffic in London. However, the London Mayor Ken Livingstone, felt that the scheme is more of an political gamble then a program with a goal to reduce congestion in the British capital, where the average speed of the is sometimes less than 10 mph during the peak hours of the day."
Abstract This paper explain that Zipcar, operating in the eastern corridor of the United States, is a business which sells memberships in car sharing in which cars share various members, better utilizing the space within each car, and reducing the number of trips. The author points out that the company's marketing is done on the basis of neighborhoods, rather than by the whole city , because expansion of the company needs to be in relationship to current members so that they can maintain the ratio of twenty members per new car. The paper stresses that classical advertising methods are not effective in the car-sharing industry; media concentration should be posters, stickers on buses and trams and information leaflet drops in service-neighborhoods such as shops, pubs, universities business complexes and railway stations.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Analysis
Other Companies in the United States
Forms of Car Sharing
Market Sizes of Car Sharing
Target Audience Defined
Advertising Strategy
Customer Feedback and Added Benefits
Fleet Management
Public Relations
Advertising
Appendix I: International Market for Car Hiring by Individuals
Appendix II: Sales Appeal for Boston University Medical Center
From the Paper "Another good impact on the environment comes from the sales of old cars or avoidance of buying new cars by the users of these hired cars. Since the Zip cars are new cars, they are subject to stricter pollution controls and this also helps in terms of avoidance of pollution. The total reduction in the number of cars requires less of parking space and this helps in freeing up of the space for usage of green areas. There is also more efficient usage of existing parking spaces. In totality these vehicles have their own important place in the total network of transportation. It is helping the residents of the city to dispose of their own individual cars and is still meeting their transportation needs. Due to the interaction of the people within the group using this facility, there is also a necessarily developing feeling of a community."
