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."

Tags:car, accident, life, saving, buckle

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."

Tags:transportation, budget, spending, public, maintenance, liability, insurance, responsibility

Abstract
The paper reveals that the use of GPS and wireless along with new digital signage could greatly enhance the efficiency of bus transportation, and, at the same time improve the customer experience and bring in income from advertising. The paper discusses five ways to use digital signage with buses; Touch and Go" kiosks, digital signage that displays real-time views of bus locations at bus terminals, advertising on the sides of the bus, digital signage at bus stops and finally, advertising and information inside the bus.

From the Paper
"Digital Signage designers and marketers are scouting for new public areas where people stop for a short while and can read the informational, entertainment and marketing messages. If the signs are in the right place at the right time, they can draw the intended audience and provide valuable information, increase education, sell products and services, and build brand. Due to the rising cost of fuel and the economic problems, the American Public Transportation Association reported in November, 2008, nearly 3 billion trips on public transit systems, which is about a 5 percent growth, about 140 million trips, versus the previous year. The Outdoor Advertising Association of America says that advertisers can reach travelers on buses in 80 to 85 percent of the top one hundred markets. The transportation areas, such as the bus shelters, bus terminals and the buses themselves are becoming one of the best opportunities for these new signs."

Tags:advertising, terminals, information, shelters, screens

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.."

Abstract
This paper discusses the history of mandatory school busing in Boston and the integration of the city's schools using this method. The impact of this practice on society is also considered. The paper highlights the conflict that arose in this racially divided city in 1974 when the policy of busing was introduced.

From the Paper
"The case of Brown vs The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas decided by the U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren in has been described by legal analyst Richard Kluger as one of the most important cases ever heard in the country. He also described the ruling which called for mandatory racial integration of all American public schools as having signaled the end of one era of segregation and the beginning of a new era..."

Tags:Boston, school busing, Brown vs. Board of Education

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."

Tags:segregation, racism, Southern

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 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."

Tags:train, transportation, traffic, red, blue, line, metrolink, public, metropolitan, authority, MTA

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 traveling 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."

Tags:Magow, FEMA, Transportation, Security, Administration, antiterrorism

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