Hawaiian Punch Short-Cycle

Marketing Problems – Applications and Decisions (74-232) Odette School of Business, University of Windsor II. Short Cycle Key person and his / her position in the organization:Kate Hoedebeck, director of marketing for Hawaiian Punch at Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages. Key issue:To prepare the 2005 Hawaiian Punch business marketing plan and coordinate the newly consolidated version of the three companies. Sub issues: 1. How will they increase market share? They already are the number 1 fruit punch drink sold in the U. S. 2.How will two distinct manufacturing, sales, and distribution networks to stock and sever an identical beverage for the same customers fare? 3. Determining the roles each will play in sales, profitability, and equity of the Hawaiian punch brand. 4. Will Cadbury Schweppes restructure for growth take focus away from maintain market leadership? 5. Can they achieve sales need to capture an attractive profit margin? 6. What are the potential competitor reactio ns? Why now? The 2005 business marketing plan is one of the key factors to ensure successful growth with the newly consolidated corporations.We are currently towards the end of 2004. By when must the key person make this decision? (Include your reason for this time frame)To allow sufficient time for the plan to be properly implemented, Hoedebeck should have it complete by September 1st, 2004. Stakes: what does the organization stand to gain or lose if it makes a good or bad decision? Potential benefits of a good decisionPotential costs of a bad decision Increased profitsDecreased profits Maintained market leadershipFailed product line Diversified promotion strategyLoss of focus from core competencies Expanded product lineBankruptcyLarger target marketLost jobs Happy retailers and foodservice customersFailed marketing strategy Competitive sustainability Over/under estimation of product or brand line More convenient for distribution and retailersWrong information in her analysis Quest ions you should ask yourself as you complete the Long Cycle: 1. Who are Hawaiian Punch’s competitors? 2. What stage of the product life style is their fruit punch beverage in? 3. What pricing/promotion strategy should they use for their product? 4. How will the consolidation impact growth? 5. What is their brand positioning? 6. What is their product line and pricing?

Determined and Free Will Essay

At this point in my life I believe there is a balance in how many of our choices are determined and how many are free. The things that are determined for us are factors like what we are born into such as our ethnicity and social status. Also, if your parents are religious, you are raised under the influence of that religion. Most children embrace that faith as their own. These are life factors that you can change eventually, but usually due to societal influences you stay with these predetermined decisions. Certain determined things won’t ever be able to be altered. The color of your skin, and how you are treated because of it, is determined by where we are placed in life. Whether we are born with a medical condition or disorder is something we have no control over. Also, whether we have access to higher education or opportunity to move social classes. Many circumstances we don’t have power over are situational. The free will choices in our lives are day-to-day decisions that we make. However, these choices can have a major impact in our lives. I think there are many influences that can affect your free will, but the final decision lies in your own hands. You decide what social and personal influences infiltrate your decision, and in that is power. Things like your faith and morals shape who you are, so to make a decision with absolutely no influence is not necessarily of your own â€Å"free will†. Free will is having a say in your own decisions, it doesn’t matter what influences you unless you feel it limits you. I also believe that people differ in the amount of free will they have. The predetermined factors are generally the same for everyone, but the free choices are different. This is because people choose to let certain factors limit them, and others do not. If someone cares whether others judge him or her, they are less likely to decide to do something they really want if it is odd or embarrassing. Same method works if someone cares if their parents approve or not of their choices. These are limitations to your free will that you choose to adhere to.

A Failure to Hide One’s True Motives in The Lame Shall Enter First

A Failure to Hide One’s True Motives in The Lame Shall Enter First In the short story The Lame Shall Enter First, author Flannery OConnor describes a widowers attempts to mask his grief over his wifes death. In order to fill the void in his heart, the widower, Sheppard, throws himself into miscellaneous charitable endeavors. He shows this philanthropy most notably in his treatment of a young delinquent named Rufus Johnson, whom he takes in and cares for as his own son. Through his treatment of Rufus, Sheppard also tries to teach his son Norton-whom he judges as extremely selfish-about sharing. What Sheppard fails to realize, however, is that he is actually just as selfish as he judges his son to be-they are using the same coping mechanisms to try to deal with their loss. Consequently, his generosity and kindness will not profit anyone; in fact, it will actually cause harm. OConnor uses devastating irony-manifested through parallel descriptions of the characters and various interactions between them-to convey the idea that artificial philanthropy wil l accomplish nothing. O Connor uses parallel descriptions of Sheppard and Norton in order to expose the same character flaws in Sheppard that he scorns in his son. Throughout the story, she describes them in such similar ways that their shared traits become obvious. Nortons apparent self-centeredness is revealed at the very beginning, when he gorges himself until he vomits (Walters 103). Sheppard then looks upon him with disdain, thinking, his own child, selfish, unresponsive, greedy, had so much [food] that he threw it up (OConnor 374). Although Sheppard is criticizing his son for being selfish, he later realizes that he had stuffed his own emptiness with good works like a glutton (403) and had thus behaved no better than his son had in attempting to cope with his wifes death. Though this shared reaction to their loss is their most obvious similarity, Sheppard and Norton also have other parallel characteristics. Sheppard criticizes Nortons lack of intelligence near the beginning of the story when he lam ents, Norton was average or below and had had every advantage (374). When Rufus (whose intelligence Sheppard revered, in stark contrast to his own sons lack thereof) joins the household, however, Sheppard finds that the tables have been turned and he is now the one being criticized for his stupidity. Rufus insults Sheppards intelligence several times and in fact compares him unfavorably to Norton when he says, He [Sheppard] dont know his left hand from his right, he dont have as much sense as his crazy kid! (402). He later verbally attacks Sheppard to his face when he tells him, You aint any smarter than that cop (396). Through these descriptions, OConnor paints similar pictures of father and son-making Sheppards criticisms seem even more ironic and his character less credible. In addition to juxtaposing the characters of Norton and Sheppard, OConnor further reveals Sheppards flaws and inconsistencies through various interactions with Rufus. From his first meeting with the boy, it is obvious that Sheppard seems to take pleasure in analyzing Rufuss motives and behavior, failing to realize how it mirrors his own. For example, Sheppard, of course, seizes upon the foot as the unquestionable source of Rufuss delinquency, interpreting his criminal behavior as simple compensation for his physical defect (Walters 103). What Sheppard does not immediately see, however, is that he is also trying to compensate for his own defect-his overly philanthropic gestures are an attempt at filling the hole in his heart left by his wifes death. It is not until much later that he realizes he has been stuffing his emptiness with good works (OConnor 403) in order to find fulfillment. Sheppard is also the object of Rufuss discrepancy between the Christlike image Sheppard tries to co nvey and his actual selfish motives, and he openly accuses Sheppard of confusing himself with Christ (Walters 102). He first does this behind his back during a conversation with Norton, exclaiming, God, kid, how do you stand it? He thinks hes Jesus Christ! (383). In a subsequent conversation, while explaining to Norton the concept of heaven, Rufus mocks Sheppard outright when he says, Ill tell you all about it [heaven] tomorrow, kid, when Himself has cleared out (387). In fact he takes this even further, later calling Sheppard a lying stinking atheist (403)-a stark contrast to the Christlike character Sheppard attempts to show. In the midst of Rufuss criticism, Sheppard valiantly attempts to maintain his image as a genuine humanitarian by saying, If I can help a person, all I want is to do it. Im above and beyond simple pettiness (383). Rufus, however, does not believe anything Sheppard says, as he tells Norton: Yaketty yaketty yakand [Sheppard] never says a thing. Gas. Gas (279). T hrough these and other insightful, yet derogatory comments, Rufus reveals Sheppards selfish, hypocritical character. As Rufus helps to point out, Sheppard is so entrenched in his grief-induced selfish ambitions that he completely loses sight of his son Nortons struggles and makes himself a hypocrite; however, with Rufuss further assistance he is able to begin the process of self-discovery that eventually leads to his revelation. Sheppard is arguing with Rufus when he begins to see the first glimpses of his true self-and he is understandably taken aback. He thinks, The boys eyes were like distorting mirrors in which he saw himself made hideous and grotesque (397) and a moral leper (398). His violent epiphany comes shortly after this moment of clarity. He realizes that he had done more for [Rufus] Johnson than he had done for his own child (403) and that in so doing he had failed to help Norton through his grief like a loving father would. He also realizes how self-centered he had been-even as he had lectured Norton about being selfless, he had ignored his own child to feed his vision of himself (40 3). The hypocrisy in his actions is readily apparent-although he was preaching generosity and compassion, he was in reality practicing selfishness and thoughtlessness. This is in itself ironic, and OConnor takes advantage of this throughout the story. In fact, she uses mankinds innate selfishness as the source of nearly all her irony (Malin 36), and nowhere is this more apparent than in Sheppards situation. OConnors final, most heart-wrenching use of irony occurs when Sheppard at last realizes his grave mistake through a violent revelation and is overcome with love for Norton-only to learn that his epiphany has come too late and all his apparent benevolence has failed him. He is shocked and horrified when he recognizes how he has neglected his child in the name of charity, and he promises, He would make everything up to him, He would never let him suffer again. He would be a mother and a father (404). Sheppard immediately rushes to Nortons room to begin making amends for his past behaviors-only to discover that the child hung in the jungle of shadows, just below the beam from which he had launched his flight into space (404). Sheppards neglected child had killed himself in an attempt to be reunited with his mother in heaven. Sheppard is absolutely devastated, because he knows that Nortons extreme action is evidence of his acute longing for love (Walters 103). Sheppard grieves because h e had deprived Norton of the love he so desperately needed-and when he is ready to give that love, it is too late. It is also cruelly ironic that he had previously thought, in his efforts to reform the intractable Rufus, he had fatally neglected his own son (103). The most frustrating irony of all, however, is that of the timing of Sheppards revelation-had he recognized the error of his ways only minutes earlier, he could have saved his sons life. At this point he fully realizes that all his philanthropy has gained him nothing-in fact, it has caused him to lose everything. This painful irony makes The Lame Shall Enter First an unforgettable tale of hypocrisy, frustration, and ultimately tragedy. Bibliography Frieling, Kenneth. Flannery OConnors Vision: The Violence of Revelation. Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1974. Malin, Irvin. Flannery OConnor. Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1980. OConnor, Flannery. 3 by Flannery OConnor. New York: New American Library, 1983. pp. 371-404. Walters, Dorothy. Flannery OConnor. Boston: Twayne, 1973.

If Max Weber was living today, how would he analyzed the current Assignment

If Max Weber was living today, how would he analyzed the current fiscal situation from a public policy prospective - Assignment Example The main intention of coming up with this act was to prevent the emergence of a sovereign default which could have emanated from the 2011 US debt ceiling crisis. The main objective of this committee was for purposes of developing a deficit reduction plan over a 10 year period (Vanderveen, 2013). Any recommendations that the committee gave was subject to a simple vote of majority in the legislature. This is without an amendment. The main purpose of introducing these extraordinary provisions was for purposes of limiting a partisan gridlock amongst the members of the congress. The main aim of the 2011 Budget Control Act was to reduce at least 1.5 trillion dollars of the US debts over the next 10 years. This paper analysis the public policy views of Max Weber in regard to the current fiscal situation of the United States. Max Weber is an important scholar who has written extensively on bureaucracy (Edwards, 2007). This paper therefore analyzes the bureaucratic believes of Max Weber in re lation to the current fiscal situation of the United States. One of the major ideas that Weber and Weber (2012) believed is the notion of people acting as a basis of social inquiry. Weber believed that sociologists need to connect with social actors with the main intention of understanding a given problem and situation. The fiscal situation in United States is a social as well as an economic issue (Vanderveen, 2013). To understand the reasons why the US has a huge debt deficit, the government had to create the joint select committee on debt deficit. This institution was answerable to the congress, and it had to provide recommendations on how to solve the current US fiscal situation. This institution is a social actor, and it acted as an organization responsible for conducting social inquiry. The committee had a mandate until 23rd of November 2011. The mandate was to looks for methods and means

Changes in Homosexual Identity and Christianity Term Paper

Changes in Homosexual Identity and Christianity - Term Paper Example This paper will look at various methods that are related to homosexuality in Christian counseling. The concept will begin with looking at traditional viewpoints and how these have altered in the current time frame, specifically with the integration of psychology and biological factors related to homosexuality. This will be combined with the diversity that is growing in the community which is pushing Christian churches to re-examine their beliefs about homosexuality. There will then be an examination of the main methods that are being used by Christian counselors to assist those who are facing the identity of homosexuality, specifically with perspectives that relate to the responses and assistance which is given. The paper will also examine alternative perspectives that relate to this, specifically which pertain to the environment which one is in, social status of homosexuality in the church and the changes which are being made. An examination of the limitations and potential of Chris tian counseling for homosexuality will also be looked into, specifically to provide a well – rounded perspective about homosexuality and how it currently is linked to growth and development in the church and for Christian counseling. The initial reaction from most Christian branches was based on the rejection of homosexuality. Many believed that the concept of being gay or lesbian was also one which rejected higher spirituality and religion and which didn’t provide integration into the main associations with religion. However, many current changes are beginning to be approached, specifically with the understanding that there are newer problems and types of social groups which are also Christian. Without approaching individuals that are in this specific area, there is the inability to create a difference in one’s life while providing an examination of deeper spirituality. This main problem has led to new ideals in Christianity, specifically by examining the psychological perspective and how it relates to Christianity. It is from this main attribute of combining both experiences that many Christian counselors have been able to find a new perspective to homosexuality and the way in which it should be looked into within society (Stevenson, 2007). The changes with counseling which occurred were not only based on the ideology that spirituality and psychology both related to the other. There were also many who began to discover that there was more to homosexuality than being of a higher or lower s pirituality. There were many churches which began to find that gay and lesbian individuals would regularly come to the church and were not condemned from the practice of spirituality because of the altered lifestyle. Other denominations began to find and discover the biological processes, scientific explanations and other ideologies from the psychology of an individual were associated with the practice of homosexuality. These several new

Stove Pipe stucture v.s Line Manager Research Paper

Stove Pipe stucture v.s Line Manager - Research Paper Example Organizational structure may be defined as the method through which the use of a hierarchy such as groups, business, organizations, or people cooperate to achieve success of one common goal. Business organizational structures differ depending on their objective, scope, and size. However, a good structure should reflect hierarchical duties, division of labor and tasks arranged related directly to a goal. A structure may also be seen as an organizational chart. Organizational structures can be classified differently depending on the nature and size of organization. A structure can be traditional, divisional or matrix. Traditional structures are usually based on the functional divisions and departments. Organizations with traditional structures often follow laid out rules and regulations strictly, they also have a well defined authority structure for all levels of management. The structures include the line structure that has a line of command; line and staff structure that is a combination of the line structure where information comes from the top level to the bottom levels, with staff departments for support and specialization; and functional structure that is a classification of people according to the function they perform in the organization, for example, sales, accounts, human resource or administrative. Divisional structures are specifically based on the divisional differences in the organization. This structure is further divided into product structure whereby the organization of employees and the work to be done is on the basis of the different types of products produced by the organization; market structure that involves grouping employees on the basis of the market the company sells their products and geographic structure that follows a zonal region structure. Matrix structure is a combination of the functional and product structures. It aims to combine the best of both structures to make an organization and its structure more

The Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Review - Essay Example In 1970, it accounted for 6.4% of the US capital stock and in 1988, this figure stood at 19.8% (Roach, 1988). The increase has been more pronounced in the manufacturing sector. In this sector, it grew from 1.6% in 1970 to 10.6% in 1988 (Roach, 1988). Extensive computerization and use of information technologies initiates an interest in knoing why many organizations or institutions have adopted these technologies. Most organizations are profit oriented and this means they not only focus positive returns but also how to obtain good financial rewards. Having this focus, many organizations always seek ways of limiting their costs of production while increasing production at the same time. This paper gives a literature review on how computerization and the use of IT increase worker productivity and reduces costs of production for many organizations, the focus being the manufacturing sector. Computerization and the use of IT in the workplace The term information technology can be defined a s the acquisition, processing, storage and distribution of numerical, textual, vocal and pictorial information through a combination of computing and telecommunications (Allen and Morton 1994). It therefore encompasses computer software, computer hardware, information systems, processes, data constructs, programming languages. Machines under IT domain render any data or information in visual format via multimedia distribution. Computerisation or computing refers to the action of utilising and improving or advancing computer software and computer hardware according to Agrawal and Symes (1994). In simple terms, computerisation is any goal-oriented activity benefiting from computer hardware and software. In the case of manufacturing industry, machines are run by computers that manipulate data according to a set of programs or instructions. General examples of utilisation of computerisation and IT manufacturing industries include networking, data management, information databases, and m ost importantly automation of machines. Like in many organisations, labour productivity in manufacturing industries is calculated by dividing the level of output by the specific level of labour input. Worker productivity is one of the important elements in determining the efficiency of an industry. Impact of computers and ITs on worker productivity and costs of production For many manufacturing industries, information technologies have continuously influenced work and changed the way it is done. One of the main impact of computerization and the use of technologies is the automation of machines. This has allowed manufacturing industries to assign repetitive and non-core tasks to machines while allowing employees to specialize in performing non-repetitive, complex and core duties of the organization. In this case, employees are able to fully utilize their skills and talents in the tasks assigned to them. This means that they offer their best and can handle more work in the area assign ed to them. Before the introduction of computers and IT in the workplace, employees would carry out every type of production activity including the most tedious and repetitive tasks. Due to the distances between the physical places of production assigned to these tasks, workers wasted a lot of time moving from one part of the industry to the other. As stated above, automated machines have taken over some of the repetitive and tedious tasks and

Subjetivity Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Subjetivity - Personal Statement Example The situation from my perspective is that the student feels that he is doing the wrong thing practicing truancy. Therefore, he torn between two options, whether to run away or got back to class. After weighing the two options, the student feels that he is being unfair to himself by running away. The punishment he may have to do away with when the teacher finds about the situation or even his parents may can be severe. Therefore, the student decides to go back to class, join the others, and continue learning. The factor that influences subjective experiences in the first case is personal consideration. However, in judging from another person’s perspective in the second case, it is clear that personal opinion about what may be a reality plays a fundamental role. According to Solomon & Barney (2008), perspectives differ from one person to another. Therefore, from the experience, judgmental views depend on the conscience of a person at the time of making

Descartes Meditations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Descartes Meditations - Essay Example He expresses his disdain about the knowledge acquired through the senses because the senses are deceptive. He compares the state of wakefulness and dream and finds no distinguishing features; they are alike and one cannot tell either from the other. He does this to find what is real. Having thought that all things could be imaginary, he assumes everything is imaginary. From this, he observes that even in dreams the objects have resemblance to real objects. Thus, he concludes that there must be some objects that are unquestionably real. In this class of real objects, he places figures, quantities or magnitudes, number and time. On these findings, he finds that only geometry and arithmetic constitute true knowledge which is irrefutable. Descartes examined the existence of God. He argued that if he exists, then he allows people to be deceived. He then disqualifies this pointing to the fact he is all good. In assuming there is no God, he concludes that the being responsible for human bei ng’s existence would be even more imperfect. Leaving this assumption, he devices the deceiving devil. In the second meditation, he observes that the only truth that remains even if there is a devil that deceives is the fact that he exists. Because even if he experiences deception in the existence of all things, it shows he exists; albeit as a thinking being. He observes that though wax changed in form when heated it still remained as wax through this analogy, he came up with other real things. The idea of a substance and identity is also true. In the third meditation, Descartes seeks to examine the existence of God. He wants to expand on his limited list of true knowledge. He argues that one idea cannot be truer than the other and cannot be considered false if it does not refer to an object. Because the existence of God is no bases on any assumptions, (it is an idea) then there is no base to evaluate its falsehood. Since his idea of God extended beyond the finite, it could no t have originated from himself as a finite being. Therefore, because he had an idea of God, then God exists. In the fourth meditation, he explains the chances of his erring in reasoning. Having recognized that a perfect God created him, Descartes seeks to know how he commits errors. He recognizes error as a defect and not a trait given by God. This error occurs because the power to differentiate between good and bad given by God to humans is finite, just as a person is finite. His knowledge and power to choose deceives him into error. In meditation five, Descartes finds another way of demonstrating the existence of God2. He observes that the things for which he has clear thoughts about, whether they exist out of his mind or not, they are true. The characteristics assigned to these ideas remain true. Then it follows that, in his clear thought, he has an idea of God with certain characteristics, then existence of God is true. In meditation six, he evaluates the existence of tangible o bjects and the difference between the soul and body. First he differentiates between thought and intellect. He uses the example of a triangle and notes that he can easily conceive of a three sided figure as well as thousand sided polygons. The difference was when he tried to form a mental image of the two figures; the triangle formed easily while the thousand-sided polygon did not. That which requires more effort to visualize is from imagination and that which is easy to visualize is f

Microcontroller in the ((( printer))) Research Paper

Microcontroller in the ((( printer))) - Research Paper Example This research paper will discuss the importance of microcontrollers through discussing its association to the various printers’ mechanisms. Introduction The invention of printer was important to the world especially at a time when there was pressing need to produce hardcopies. This need arose because of the invention of computers which required that an individual obtains a printout of the softcopy. Consequently, this led to the invention of the first printer, called a teletype machine but this were inefficient triggering the invention of dot matrix printers making use of microcontroller (Andrews, 45). Intuitively, it is true to say that microcontrollers saved the world in making the nowadays existing printers, inkjet and LaserJet printers. It is important to analyze of how the microcontroller leads to the efficiency of inkjet considering that this type of printer makes use of ink dots. Just like in other devices, like dishwasher, the microcontroller helps in providing motion t o the ink dots required to reach the paper and yield images. The action of microcontroller in controlling various processes such as electric current, performance and electric current makes it useful within the printers. This is like saying that the use of microcontroller reflects the quality of output from the printers. ... This always involves making use of thermal heat to initiate kinetic energy to the drop allowing it to move to the paper. The following is an image showing the impact of heat on the ink drop: As it is shown in the image, the required squirt of ink to the paper occurs after heating the ink which then starts to move in form of a bubble. However, the bubble bursts when it reaches out in the high pressure zone. This pressure causes the ink to burst causing it to hit the paper. The need for cooling effect sets in, at this point, where there is need for the bubble to collapse. The cooling effect triggers the elements in the bubble to cool thereby causing it to collapse. Consequently, the firing process forms a significant stage in delivering a desirable output from the printer. The whole idea of the heating and cooling relies on the need for operating in shorter and longer loops. In turn, the firing process depends on the presence of the microcontroller, which is an embedded system, allowin g the manufacturers to use it within the system. In this case, the microcontroller helps in controlling the temperature required for heating and cooling. The ability of the microcontroller to regulate the temperature of the system makes through its CPU allows it to be effective in the printer. The Random Access Memory allows the user to initiate the process of heating and cooling as a temporary process (Ibrahim, 26). Since it stores the data temporarily, it allows the whole process to stop once, the power goes off. This allows the printer to initiate the heating and cooling process, once the power is put on, while also stopping the process when the power goes off. The microcontroller allows the printer to work in longer and closer

Literature Contrast Essay Example for Free

Literature Contrast Essay Compare between A Clear Well-lighted Place and A Rose for Emily Abstract: Hemingway and Faulkner both were winners of the Nobel Prize in literature, and had world-wide fame. Although they were close friends, they created rather distinct literary world for their readers. A Clear Well-lighted Place and A Rose for Emily are rather typical of their works. This essay aims to reveal the differences and uncover their unique appeal through analyzing these two novels from four perspectives: theme; character; characterization; writing style. Key Words:Hemingway;Faulkner; theme; character; characterization; writing style. Introduction: A Clear Well-lighted Place expresses an old man’s loneliness and despairs for life. The old man wanted to stay up in the bar and kept drinking, while the young waiter complained a lot and drove him away, but the older waiter showed more sympathy. A Rose for Emily is also a sad story about a girl named Emily who was raised by her father and forbidden to contact with outsides. she poisoned her boyfriend and kept his corpus beside her till death. . Theme The theme of a novel is its controlling idea or its central insight. Being an idea or an insight, the theme should be capable of unifying the whole novel. A Clear Well-lighted Place is the one of early works of Hemingway. The depression and hopelessness left by the world war were not easy to be erased. People may be rich, like the millionaire, but when night dawned, his loneliness and despair for this world force him to find a clear well-lighted place, for light symbolized hope. Faulkner’s work mainly depicted life in Southern slavery-based society, and try desperately to reproduce a south town around the civil war and focused on people’s stubbornness: they refused to admit the original south was gone. This story spanned about 74 years telling a life being restricted and isolated and in return try to isolate others. Character The old man’s character is complex, being depressed and wearisome, but still kept his dignity; rich, but unhappy; mature, but lost his belief. For example, â€Å"It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. †(A Clear Well-lighted Place. Ernest Hemingway) This paragraph is at the beginning. He would rather spend the time sipping alone. Besides, he chooses to sit under the shadow instead of the light, and the shadow symbolize the gloom and despair. However, in the William Faulkner’s novel, A Rose for Emily , arrogance, mental confusion, stubbornness and a nature passion for love have all together shaped Emily, and have eventually led to her doom. Her loneliness accompanied her for her whole life. I want some poison, she said. Yes, Miss Emily. What kind? For rats and such? Id recom I want the best you have. I dont care what kind. The druggist named several. Theyll kill anything up to an elephant. But what you want is Arsenic, Miss Emily said. Is that a good one? Is . . . arsenic? Yes, maam. But what you want I want arsenic. (A Rose for Emily. William Faulkner) This is a conversation about Miss Emily. From the dialog between Miss Emily and druggist . when the druggist did not finish, Emily interrupted in and say she did not care. We can see her arrogance. When the druggist asked many times about her want, Emily pay no attention and repeated the word arsenic again and again. It showed her stubbornness. Characterization In the dramatic Characterization method the author form our opinion of the characters from what they do and say, from their environment, and from what other characters think of them. Just like the story in A Clear Well-lighted Place, Through the monologue of the older waiter, we know the old man’s loneliness and desire for light and hope. Through the old man’s own behaviour, like staying up under the shadow, we know his despairs and gloominess. In the analytic method the author comments upon the characters, explaining their motives, their appearance, and their thought. The narrator of A Rose for Emily is called first person . The author uses much comments upon the characters. For Emily, he shows more sympathy than blame, and he owe her tragedy to the unjust doings of her father. Writing Style Their images in A Clear Well-lighted Place are shown vividly with concise and plain words, and refined rhetorical skills. Ernest Hemingway advocates using the simplest and fewest words, direct description and short sentence. For example,In the daytime the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference. (A Clear Well-lighted Place. Ernest Hemingway) In this excerpt, few adjectives and no difficult words are used. Also there are no long sentences and compound sentences. While Ernest Hemingway pursues the beauty of simplicity, his friend William Faulkner become a master of a rhetoric, highly symbolic style . which will employ many long complex sentences. For example, When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument , the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one save an old man-servant—a combined gardener and cook—had seen in at least ten years. (A Rose for Emily. William Faulkner) Notice the dash, commas and the clauses. In fact, clauses found in the sentence are in opposition of each other, and so Faulkner successfully depicts a sound scene within one sentence. Conclusion We have studied two classical novels from the four perspectives: theme; character; characteristics; writing style. Both novels told sad stories, but their theme are distinct. The first story lasted for one night while the second one spanned for 74 years and covered much more content. The old man and Emily shared the loneliness, but the other features varied a lot. The first story was short, simple and full of philosophical meanings, nevertheless, Faulkner’s lengthy and obscure. Despite of all these differences, they made good impression on reader. One is like the sharp mountain, clear, simple, but not easily to climb, while the other is a lengthy river, twisted, obscure, and need you to dive in to feel it. References: [1]  ·. [M]. : ,1983: 32. [2] ,. â€Å" †[J]. ( ) ,2010,( 7) : 105 107. [3] . [M]. : ,2002: 6. [4] Justus,James H. Hemingway and Faulkner: Vision and Repudiation [J]. The Kenyon Review,New Series,1985,7( 49) : 1 14. [5] Philip M. Weinstein. ———  · [M]. : ,2000. [6]  ·. [M]. : ?,2006.

Personal Beliefs and homosexuality Essay Example for Free

Personal Beliefs and homosexuality Essay Homosexuality can be defined as a sexual behaviour or the attraction of people within the same sex. It is a distinguished aspect of sexuality including gender identity,social gender role and biological sex. It is a collective term reffering to both lesbians and gay men. It has been argued that the negative perception by heterosexuals to homosexuals is because they are a threat to the society. This is because homosexuals have violated the traditional sex role structure. Over the years we have witnessed battles as to whether equal rights and protection against discrimination should be extended to homosexuals. The conflict is between two dictates: should marriage be restricted to one man one woman? Or should adults committed in relationships regardless of their sexual orientation be allowed to enter civil unions? It catches my attention but with no surprise either that many Americans are denying gay men and lesbians access to their living a happy life and access to marriage. I believe that marriage is a union of love and not gender. And this is simply because a marriage union is defined by love and not hatred. Just as one does not choose to be male or female so is homosexuality. It should not be seen as an illness. And no one whatsoever should consider it as an illness and hence ashamed of being a homosexual. In American for example their exists certain personal beliefs about homosexuality. Some Americans consider homosexuality a crime and those practicing the act should be arrested. Others believe that it is just a condition that one is addicted to and can be corrected. Still others believe that homosexuality is just a neutral trait, like one being left handed; it is very normal and neutral. In my paper I will discuss some of these beliefs in support of my thesis question: should personal beliefs of everyone in America affect the rights of homosexual people to living happy lives and access to marriage? The warfare Theologians and scientists often have minimal conflicts within themselves. This is because none of the larger group is interested in the field of the other. When it comes to homosexuality it raises brows of both parties. This is a major area that has seen both theologians and scientists promoting their own beliefs in. According to scientists an adult’s human sexuality comes in three different orientations. These orientations are completely normal and interchangeable. No one chooses any of the orientations. One is heterosexuality where one is sexually attracted to a member of the opposite sex. Two is homosexuality where an individual is attracted to members of the same sex. And three is bisexuality where we have a smaller minority who are attracted to both men and women. Religion claims that homosexuality is mentioned in both the Bible and the Qur’an. Hence it is a topic of major study by theologians. There exist two groups of religiou0s beliefs. One is by religious conservatives who believe that there is freedom of error of the bible. According to their biblical interpretation of the bible, homosexuality is completely an abnormal, chosen and unnatural behavior that can be changed. Another group referred to as religious liberals take the bible as a historical book. They consider the scientists explanations about sexual orientations and they believe that just as heterosexuality homosexuality is normal, unchosen and natural sexual orientation. The above passage gives two definitions of homosexuality. According to religious conservatives, homosexuality is what a person does. According to Scientists it is one of the three sexual orientations. Public beliefs: Gender biliefs The gender bilief system is defined as a set of biliefs and views about qualities of masculinity and feminity about males and females respectively. People tend to respond to others by assuming that what is masculine is not feminine and vise versa. Another factor included in this set of beliefs is the different roles of different sexes. These are some of the traditional patterns of defined gender roles,therefore a different perception is percieved to those who violate these patterns including homosexuals. A common judgement is faced by men who posses feminine characteristics(gay) and women having masculine characteristics(lesbian). They people are always viewed negatively by the society. This bilief therefore holds that heterosexuals dislike both gay men and lesbians because they are stereotipically having crossed gender characteristics ,traits, and roles. This bilief tends to hold much to the traditional roles of male and females. But it is evident that this bilief is outdated and becomes unreliable because times have changed and the current society believes in freedom. Freedom to choose what kind of life to lead. It is not necessary that a man feminine is gay or a female masculine is a lesbian. Hence it is a bit difficult to judge an individual according to the sex characteristics he or she displays in his or her style of living. Religious biliefs Religion is different in different societies. Christians for example argue that the bible forbids homosexuality. But in christianity there has emerged different denominations that interpret the bible differently. Different religions have heard different views on both sexual relations and love amongst people of the same sex. Within the Muslim community homosexuality is prohibited. Infact it is cited in the Qur’an the abominable act of the people of Lof,who are known as Sodomites who were destroyed because of their engagement in illegal sexual offences. However,some liberal muslims e. g the Al Fatiha Foundation regard homosexuality as absolutely normal. They argue that the Al Qur’an speaks against homosexual lust but it is silent about homosexual love . The Anglican communion received discord that saw a rift between the African exceptb south Africa and Anglican churches from Asia on one hand and American churches on the other hand when Canadian and American churches ordained a clergy and started blessing same sex marriages. Other churches e. g the Methodist church experienced trials from a gay clergy who some argued was a against religious principles and there were mixed verdicts that depended on Geography. These religional beliefs about homosexuals affect the different perceptions about homosexuality by different people. Some religiouis groups e. g the Hellenics view the aspect of some forms of homosexuality as sacred. Some groups e. g the Abrahamic forbid the relationship. The opposition to homosexual behaviour by religuious sectors range from quietly displ[aying homosexual activities and displays to explicitly forbiding same sexual practices and opposing acceptance of homosexuals. The support of homosexuals can be seen reflected in religion by the acceptance of individuals who are sexually heterodox in church functions. There has also been a manifestation of same sex union. Religious reasons have partly played a role in changing some gay men and lesbians. They seek to change through religious practice and faith. A recentb survey explains the analysis oof 882 homosexduals who underwent a convrsion therapy. 22. 9 percent of the attendance did not undergo any changes,some change was seen from 42. 7 percent and a 34. 3 percent showd much change. With time relgion has accepted gay men and women in their congregations. For instance in the later 20th century there was no limit to secular institutions. A larger branch of Judaism known as the Reform Judaism that is outside Israel began to facilitate gay marriages. Religious beliefs do not change the way of life of hoosexuals. I think a person should not be instructed on which religion to follow. This is because,as I have discussed above,within the religious groups there is divisions meaning no one cxonclusion has been agreed upon by thelarger group. This also means that interpretation of the bible or Qur’an is different amongst different people. Therefore no one at any one point should decide how one is going to lead his or her life. It is a personal decision either to be or not tyo be homosexual. The polls Homosexuality is considered as one of the major topics of concern in America and especially North America it has been under debate for several times. The debate is between religious conservatives and supporters for equal rights to homosexuals and bisexuals. I will discuss some f the public views in relation to rights of homosexuality. It is a point to note that with time there has been a rapid change in America in regard to legality in interracial marriages. I feel it is only logical to embrace change and accept homosexuals as part of our society and stop judging them negatively. Currently sex marriages are acceptable to those residing in the Netherlands. Dutch lawmakers decided to rewrite the laws so that gay people and lesbians were accommodated therein. They are accepted top marry and enjoy all rights and privileges of married people. By mid 2004 the Canadian government received orders from courts on arrangements to offer civil unions amongst homosexuals. In 2001 there was a U. S poll that was conducted in high school seniors. From the research it was clear that a majority had support for equal rights for both lesbians and gay men. This support was at a remarkable higher level than their parents on homosexuality. However in North America there was much opposition on the legality of equal rights to homosexuals. The general public belief is that special rights that were reserved for heterosexuals and whether to extend or deny the same top homosexuals should be determined through polls. According to me this belief is really dangerous because, if the state will deny the minority some rights then it follows that we are not really safe here in America. And since every member of this society is a member of a certain minority then it beats logic to deny them rights. Morality and legality Many individuals here in States still regard homosexuality as immoral and illegal. Homosexuals are discriminated in the work place and sometimes even by the society. Conservative Christians still regard homosexuality as sinful and an acceptable behavior. It is perfectly moral if sexual behavior is non-manipulative, safe and consensual and above all between two people who love and care about each other and are in a committed relationship. Just as heterosexuals homosexuals never choose to be what they are. It is therefore illegal to discriminate this social group that is part of our society. They are supposed to be treated equally and fairly. Equality Homosexuals reside in our society. Since it is only normal to be a homosexual. And since several religious groups accept the laws governing homosexuals in the work place, there is no point of discriminating against them in the society. They should be given equal rights and access to civil unions since they are in no crime caring and loving each other. It will be unfair to deny them these rights because they are among the three sexual orientations and they are not acting homosexuals but were born so. Liberation Every member of a society needs liberal position. When two individuals are in love and are committed to one another they deserve liberty. It is only fair to accord homosexuals liberty and freedom to express their love to one another since they are responding(part of the three sexual orientations) to nature and doing no one harm. Conclusion Research shows that there is much and widespread prejudice against homosexuals. The society still views homosexuals as immoral people. Further research by Berril in 1992 and D’Augelli ion 1989 in the American society shows that negative attitude towards homosexuals are often acted on through physical and verbal aggression. In the research by D’Augelli,50 percent of homosexual students repoorted that they have overheard awful comments,that verbal insults were experienced by 26 percent of the gay and lesbian population,26 percent were threatened through physical assault and 23 percent said they were victims of assault. I choose this topic because it is realy fascinating that traditionally like in the olden Greek there existed homosexuals but it did not take a society notice. Traditionally,marriage was percieved as a sacred matrimony between man and wife. The core purpose of marriage was children. And therefore ,traditionally marriage without siring children is meaningless. Recently homosexuality has become a central topic of discussion. The society and the world at large has received many arguments of whether to or not to legalize gay relationships. It is with the many challenges thjat face this topic that I decided to have a wider look on this topic. The gender set of biliefs is a rampant view among many individuals. It has an impact amongst men and women. Gender is seen in the society as one of the major stable constructs. Those having an aspect of a particular gender are supposed to have characters of that particular gender. This beliefs make the society have different junjements on men feminines and women masculines as gay and lesbians respectively. This is among the stereotype biliefs and as I have explained before it is a biased bilief. Over time we have seen religion adjusting abit and some religious groups are accepting homosexuals in their congregation and even go as far as uniting gay partners. Religions have broken up into denminations where others are supporting homosexual relationships and others do not. The traditional aspect of marriage is totally different now from the old perspective. From the above discussed beliefs it is clear that homosexuality is still percieved negatively by the society. Over time the law has tried to come in between to ammend a law that may govern such relationships. Most people still argue that there is freedom of choice and therefore do not agree in the ammendment of a law to abolish gay relationships. To the homosexuals who choose to remain in their relationships it is a choice. There is no particular law that forbids one from establishing a homosexual relationship and at the same time there is freedom of worship. This does not bind one into following a particular relationship in as much as most religions regard it a sin to have a relationship with a same sexual fellow but my argument is that a sin is sin. And therefore if one chooses to be or not to be a homosexual is personal. Who cares what the society is going to have what perception with your personality. I therefore conclude by saying that this research is not realy giving a solution as to whether gay or homosexual relations should be stoped but rather embraces the fact that every social being has freedom of choice of what to do with his or her social life. I have explained some of the personal beliefs and noted that both are personal decisions and therefore no one is to judge the other on what life to lead.

Reviewing a Redundancy Decision

Reviewing a Redundancy Decision It is well established that when reviewing a redundancy decision the Authority  or Court will look at two factors. They are the genuineness of the redundancy and the  procedure by which it was carried out. The enquiry into each factor is carried out  separately (Coutts Cars Ltd v Baguley [2001] ERNZ 660 (CA)). Section 103A of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (the Act) requires an  employer must, before dismissing an employee, raise its concerns, allow the employee  an opportunity to respond and consider the response with an open mind  (ss.103A(3)(b) to (d)). That these requirements remain in the form of a consultation process in a  redundancy setting is confirmed by s.4(1A)(c) of the Act. The relationship was  confirmed by the Court in Jinkinson v Oceana Gold (NZ) Ltd [2010] NZEmpC 102. The Court recently affirmed in Rittson-Thomas t/a Totara Hills Farm v Davidson1 that it is not for the Court (or the Authority) to substitute its own view as to whether a position should be considered redundant (or not). Rather the inquiry should be in accordance with the statutory requirements, that is: whether what was done (the dismissal and the substantive reasons for it), and how it was done (the process undertaken), was what a fair and reasonable employer could have done in all the circumstances at the time of the dismissal.2 Section 103A Employment Relations Act 2000 Substantive Justification for dismissal is addressed in s.103A of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (the Act), which states: S103A Test of Justification i. For the purposes of section 103(1) (a) and (b), the question of whether a dismissal or an action was justifiable must be determined, on an objective basis, by applying the test in subsection (2). ii. The test is whether the employers actions, and how the employer acted, were what a fair and reasonable employer could have done in all the circumstances at the time the dismissal or action occurred. [63] The Test of Justification requires that the employer acted in a manner that was substantively and procedurally fair. An employer must establish that the dismissal was a decision that a fair and reasonable employer could have made in all the circumstances at the relevant time. [64] In the Employment Law case Michael Rittson-Thomas T/A Totara Hills Farm v Hamish Davidson1 Unrep [2013] NZEmpC 39 20 March 2013 (Rittson) his Honour Chief Judge Colgan considered that the Court cannot impose or substitute its business judgment for that of the employer taken at the time, however: [54] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the Court (or the Authority) must determine whether what was done and how it was done, were what a fair and reasonable employer would (now could) have done in all the circumstances at the time. So the standard is not the Courts (or the Authoritys) own assessment but rather, its assessment of what a fair and reasonable employer would/could have done and how. Those are separate and distinct standards. It is well established that when reviewing redundancy decisions the Authority or Court will look at two factors. They are the genuineness of the redundancy and the procedure by which it is carried out. The inquiry into each factor is carried out separately (Coutts Cars Ltd v. Bageley [2001] ERNZ 660 (CA)). - [27] Regarding the justifiability of a dismissal on grounds of redundancy, the starting point is to enquire whether the decision to make a position redundant was made for proper business purposes so as to ensure a purported redundancy is not an attempt to legitimize a dismissal where the predominate reason for termination of employment is for other reasons. [28] As with any allegation of unjustified dismissal, the onus is on the employer to demonstrate that its decision to terminate an employees employment was justified.3 Section 103A Employment Relations Act 2000 [29] In Rittson-Thomas [2013] NZEmpC 39 the Employment Court recently stated: It will be insufficient under s.103A, where an employer is challenged to justify dismissal or a disadvantage in employment, for the employer to say that this was a genuine business decision and the Court (or Authority) is not entitled to enquire into the merits of it.4 [60] The Court of Appeal statement of the law regarding the genuineness of a redundancy in GN Hale Son Ltd v Wellington Caretakers IUOW [1991] 1 NZLR 151 (Hale) was that: An employer is entitled to make his business more efficient, as for example by automation, abandonment of unprofitable activities, reorganisation or other cost-saving steps, no matter whether or not the business would otherwise go to the wall. A worker does not have a right to continued employment if the business can be run more efficiently without him. [61] However since Hale was decided, justification for dismissal is now as stated in the Employment Relations Act 2000 (the Act), which at s 103A of the Act sets out the Test of Justification as being: S103A Test of Justification i. For the purposes of section 103(1) (a) and (b), the question of whether a dismissal or an action was justifiable must be determined, on an objective basis, by applying the test in subsection (2). ii. The test is whether the employers actions, and how the employer acted, were what a fair and reasonable employer could have done in all the circumstances at the time the dismissal or action occurred. [62] The Test of Justification requires that the employer acted in a manner that was substantively and procedurally fair. An employer must establish that the dismissal was a decision that a fair and reasonable employer could have made in all the circumstances at the relevant time. [63] The Employment Court has issued recent decisions in this area which have reexamined the statement of the law in Hale in light of s 103A of the Act. [64] In Michael Rittson-Thomas T/A Totara Hills Farm v Hamish Davidson Unrep [2013] NZEmpC 39 20 March 2013 (Rittson) the Court referred to Hale and its previous comments about Hale in Simpsons Farms Limited v Aberhart [2006] ERNZ 825,842 . His Honour Chief Judge Colgan considered that the Court cannot impose or substitute its business judgment for that of the employer taken at the time, however: [54] à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the Court (or the Authority) must determine whether what was done and how it was done, were what a fair and reasonable employer would (now could) have done in all the circumstances at the time. So the standard is not the Courts (or the Authoritys) own assessment but rather, its assessment of what a fair and reasonable employer would/could have done and how. Those are separate and distinct standards. [65] In that case, the Court was critical of the lack of information provided to the employee, and held that the employer had not adequately explained why the money saved by the disestablishment of the employees position justified the position being made redundant. The Court found upon analysis that the employer had been mistaken in concluding that there would be a wage saving of 10% per annum, when in fact it was 6%. This threw into doubt the genuineness of and, therefore, the justification for, the dismissal. [66] In Brake v Grace Team Accounting Limited [2013] NZEmpC 81 13 May 2013 (Brake) Travis J firmly endorsed Rittson, finding in that case that although the employer claimed that its financial position had deteriorated over the six months the employee had been employed requiring a reduction in salaries, in fact analysis by the Court concluded that the employers figures were incorrect and there had been no sudden deterioration. [67] On this basis it was held that the employers justification for the dismissal was mistaken, with the consequence that the dismissal of the employee was unjustified. [68] In Catherine Tan v Morningstar Institute of Education Ltd T/A Morningstar Preschool Ltd [2013] NZEmpC 82 16 May 2013 the Court adopted a similar approach. As in the case of the employee in Brake, Ms Tan had been provided with factually incorrect information about the employers financial position. She had been misled into thinking that the redundancy of her position was inevitable when it was not; the cost savings were relatively minor and insufficient to have satisfied the employers requirements. [26] In its submissions, Checkmate refers to a decision of the Authority BodePatterson v Hammond-Smith and Smith t/a I Love Merino Limited [2013] NZERA Auckland 294 ( Member Anderson ). In that decision, the Authority sets out an excellent summary of the law in respect to redundancy and for the purposes of the present decision, the analysis in Bode-Patterson is adopted without amendment. [27] For present purposes, it is enough to say that the law requires the Authority to enquire into the genuineness of a redundancy so as to ensure that the redundancy is being activated for proper business purposes and not being undertaken for base motives. [28] Further, it is important to note that it is not enough for a business owner to simply claim the necessity to make structural changes; they must be prepared to demonstrate that necessity to the satisfaction of the Authority. [29] In broad terms then, there are two enquiries that the Authority must make to satisfy itself about the genuineness of the redundancy. The first is to establish whether the evidence supports the employers contention that there were genuine business reasons for the redundancy and the second is to ensure that there is no base motive underpinning the decision to dismiss for redundancy such as, for instance, a conviction on the part of the employer that the business would be better off without the incumbent of the role to be made redundant. Attached as it were to that last consideration is an examination of whether there is evidence of mixed motives. [30] Dealing first with the underlying genuineness of the decision to declare redundancy, it is appropriate to remember Chief Judge Colgans observations in Michael Rittson-Thomas t/a Totara Hills Farm v Hamish Davidson [2013] NZEmpC 39 (Rittson-Thomas) wherein His Honour had this to say: It will be insufficient under s.103A, where an employer is challenged to justify a dismissal or disadvantage in employment, for the employer to say that this was a genuine business decision and the Court (or Authority) is not entitled to enquire into the merits of it. The Court (or Authority) will need to do so to determine whether the decision, and how it was reached, were what a fair and reasonable employer would/could have done in all the relevant circumstances. Procedure [67] An employer who is proposing to restructure its business or any part of its business must not only have genuine reasons for undertaking the restructuring, but must follow a fair procedure in respect of affected employees. [68] Provisions of the Act govern questions of justification for dismissal and, in particular, dismissal by reason of redundancy. Section 4 of the Act addresses the requirement for parties to the employment relationship to deal with each other in good faith. Section 4(1A)(c) in particular is relevant to a redundancy situation and requires an employer who is proposing to make a decision that will, or is likely to, have an adverse effect on the continuation of employment of an employee to provide to the employee affected: (i) access to information, relevant to the continuation of the employees employment, about the decision; and (ii) an opportunity to comment on the information to their employer before a decision is made. s4 (1A)(i) and (ii). [69] In a redundancy situation a fair and reasonable employer must, if challenged, be able to establish that he or she has complied with the statutory obligations of good faith dealing in s4 of the Act. His Honour Chief Judge Colgan in Simpsons Farms Limited v Aberhart2 [2006] ERNZ 825,842 noted that this compliance with good faith dealing includes consultation as the fair and reasonable employer will comply with the law Turning to process. Section 103A of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (the Act) requires an employer must, before dismissing an employee, raise its concerns, allow the employee an opportunity to respond and consider the response with an open mind (ss.103A(3)(b) to (d) of the Act). That these requirements, in the form of a consultation process, remain in the redundancy setting is expressly confirmed by s.4(1a)(c) of the Act and the relationship between the two sections is confirmed by the Court in Jinkinson v. Oceanagold (NZ) Ltd [2010] NZEmpC 102. The Court of Appeal in Aoraki Corp v McGavin [1998] 1 ERNZ 601 stated at page 619, the following proposition. What is crucial, however, is to recognise that the remedy can relate only to the particular wrong, to what has been lost or suffered as a result of the particular breach or failure. In this case the personal grievance is not that the employment was terminated, but that the manner of implementation of the decision to terminate was procedurally unfair. - Consultation In Simpsons Farms Limited v Aberhart6 Simpsons Farms Ltd and Aberhart [2006] ERNZ 825   the Chief Judge noted Consultation does not require agreement between the parties however genuine efforts must be made to reasonably accommodate the views of the employees and there should be a tendency to achieve consensus7 . - [37] Section s.4(1A)(c) of the Employment Relations Act places an obligation on an employer proposing to make a decision that may affect an employees ongoing employment, to provide to a potentially affected employee access to information relevant to its decision and an opportunity to comment on that information before making a final decision. [38] Further, where an employer is contemplating dismissal on grounds of redundancy, good faith requires an employer to consult with a potentially affected employee about the possibility of redundancy5 . Simpsons Farms Ltd and Aberhart [2006] ERNZ 825 [39] The requirements for an employer to provide information, and to act in good faith also assists the Authority in its assessment as to whether the employers decision was what a fair and reasonable employer could have done in all the circumstances. - Provide information [55] It is a truism that employers in a restructuring environment are obligated to provide affected staff with access to information, relevant to the continuation of the employees employment, about the decision; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ an opportunity to comment on the information to their employer before the decision is made: s.4(1A)(c) of the Act. [56] Those precepts were emphasised in a decision of the Full Bench of the Employment Court in Vice Chancellor of Massey University v. Martin Wrigley Ors [2011] NZEmpC 37 (Wrigley). [57] In para.[48] of the judgment, the Court says: When a business is restructured, the employer will, in most cases, have almost total power over the outcome. To the extent that affected employees may influence the employers final decision, they can do so only if they have knowledge and understanding of the relevant issues and a real opportunity to express their thoughts about those issues. In this sense, knowledge is the key to giving employees some measure of power to reduce the otherwise overwhelming inequality of power in favour of the employer. [58] And again at para.[55] of the judgment, the Court says: The purpose of s.4(1A)(c) is to be found in para.(ii) which requires the employer to give the employees an opportunity to comment before the decision is made. That opportunity must be real and not limited by the extent of the information made available by the employer. [emphasis added] Consultation [77] The law on consultation in a redundancy setting is well settled. An employer contemplating a restructure which affects an employee or employees must engage with those employees in good faith such that the employee has a straightforward opportunity to engage in the process, be aware of the issues driving the employer, and, amongst other things, suggest alternatives that the employer may not have thought of or may not have fully worked up. - Good faith [38] Even if a redundancy is decided upon for genuine business reasons if the justification for the redundancy is challenged by an employee the employer must be able to prove to the Authority that the decision made and how it was reached was what a fair and reasonable employer could have done in the circumstances that existed at the time3 Section 103A Employment Relations Act 2000.. In applying the tests under s.103A of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (the Act), Chief Judge Colgan of the Employment Court has recently explained that: [54] It will be insufficient under section 103A, where an employer is challenged to justify a dismissal or disadvantage in employment, for the employer simply to say that this was a genuine business decision and the Court (or the Authority) is not entitled to enquire into the merits of it. The Court (or the Authority) will need to do so to determine whether the decision, and how it was reached, were what a fair and reasonable employer would/could have done in all the relevant circumstances. 4 Michael Rittson-Thomas trading as Totara Hills Farm v Davidson [2013] NZEmpC 39 [39] Genuine consultation with an affected employee is required. Remedies Section 123(1)(a) to (c) of the Act provides as follows: (1) Where the Authority or the court determines that an employee has a personal grievance, it may, in settling the grievance, provide for any 1 or more of the following remedies: (a) reinstatement of the employee in the employees former position or the placement of the employee in a position no less advantageous to the employee: (b) the reimbursement to the employee of a sum equal to the whole or any part of the wages or other money lost by the employee as a result of the grievance: (c) the payment to the employee of compensation by the employees employer, including compensation for- (i) humiliation, loss of dignity, and injury to the feelings of the employee; and (ii) loss of any benefit, whether or not of a monetary kind, which the employee might reasonably have been expected to obtain if the personal grievance had not arisen. Contribution Section 124 of the Act, requires that where the Authority has determined that an employee has a personal grievance, the Authority must consider the extent to which the actions of the employee contributed towards the situation that gave rise to the personal grievance and remedies are to be withheld or reduced where there has been contribution or fault on the part of the employee. - Loss of rem Section 123(1)(b) provides that an employee dismissed unjustifiably may be reimbursed a sum equal to the whole or any part of the wages or other money lost by the employee as a result of the grievance. In Aoraki Corporation v McGavin9 the Court of Appeal held that in the absence of a contractual stipulation, the general practice as to the period of notice does not support fixing notice in excess of one month. If a redundancy is found to be genuine as I have in this matter, and a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal is upheld on grounds of procedural unfairness, remedies are confined to the distress caused by the way the redundancy was handled, rather than the loss of the job itself - Reimbursement of Lost Wages [52] Employees are under a duty to mitigate their loss and in this case there was insufficient evidence presented to the Authority to support the fact that Ms Whaanga had made a real effort to mitigate her loss. As Chief Judge Colgan made clear in Allen v Transpacific Industries Group Ltd (t/a Mediasmart Ltd) (2009) 6 NZELR 530, par 78: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ dismissed employees are not only under an obligation to mitigate loss but to establish this in evidence if called upon. This will require, in practice, a detailed account of efforts made to obtain employment including dates, places, names, copies of correspondence and the like. [53] Ms Whaanga has not established evidence to support her efforts to mitigate her loss and in these circumstances I find that there is no compensation for lost wages is payable to her.

The Summary Of The Costs Of Unemployment :: Economics, Unemployment Essays

Some people believe that recessions are neither good nor bad but simply part of the natural survival of the fittest in the business world. Actually, it is not true. In The Costs of Unemployment, the authors tell us both the good and bad influences of recessions. Recessions will cause unemployment because of the loss of output and GNP. Some people may argue that unemployment is  ¡Ã‚ °a part of the functioning of the economy ¡Ã‚ ±. They are partly right, for the unemployment is inevitable because of the dynamic economy. This kind of unemployment is called natural rate of unemployment ©Ã‚ ¤the sum of frictional and structural unemployment. However, this is only a part of unemployment. Because the firms  ¡Ã‚ °cut back and produce less ¡Ã‚ ± when they experience recessions, they will employ fewer workers. Therefore, the unemployment rate rises. This increase in unemployment caused by recessions and depressions is called cyclical unemployment. Recessions cause social consequences. During the recessions, the unemployed suffers a lot. The authors say that many people lost their savings as the stock market crashed and thousands of banks failed. What they can depend on is only the meager relief distributed by the government. In addition,  ¡Ã‚ °prolonged unemployment may also bring with it a number of social and person ills: anxiety, depression, a deterioration of physical and psychological health, drug abuse, and suicide ¡Ã‚ ±. Thirdly,  ¡Ã‚ °recessions may lead to lost output in the future ¡Ã‚ ±. When the companies experience recessions, they will reduce their investment and produce fewer products. As we all know, the investment is very important to  ¡Ã‚ °future economic growth and progress ¡Ã‚ ±. The more the investment is reduced, the longer we will spend on the growth of economy. On the other hand, recessions also have some benefits. First of all, recessions may reduce the rate of inflation. Secondly, in order to get survival in the recessions, companies must take some measures, such as trimming waste, managing resources better, and so on.

Abouts On The Great Depression :: essays research papers

Abouts On The Great Depression To my amazement the Great Depression serves as a natural debating point that "justifies" or "refutes" various economic policies. The Great Depression and the New Deal are complex topics that are open to many interpretations. The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which spread to virtually all of the industrialized world. Seeing the order in which events actually occurred dispels many myths about the Great Depression. One of the greatest of these myths is that government intervention was responsible for its onset. Truly massive intervention began only under the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, who was sworn in after the worst had already hit. Although his New Deal did not cure it, all the leading economic indicators improved during his tenure. To understand the Great Depression, it is important to know the theories of John Maynard Keynes. Keynes is known as the "father of modern economics" because he was the first to accurately describe some of the causes and cures for recessions and depressions. In a normal economy, Keynes said, there is a circular flow of money. My spending becomes part of your earnings, and your spending becomes part of my earnings. For various reasons, however, this circular flow can falter. People start hoarding money when times become tough; but times become tougher when everyone starts hoarding money. This breakdown results in a recession. To get the circular flow of money started again, Keynes suggested that the central bank, the Federal Reserve System, should expand the money supply. This would put more money in people's hands (through the multiplier effect), inspire consumer confidence, and compel them to start spending again. A depression, Keynes believed, is an especially severe recession in which people hoard money no matter how much the central bank tries to expand the money supply. In that case, he suggested that government should do what the people were not: start spending money. He called this "priming the pump" of the economy. I think that most economists believe that only massive U.S. defense spending in preparation for World War II cured the Great Depression. After the success of Keyne's economic beliefs were proven, almost all free governments around the world became Keynesian. These policies have dramatically reduced the severity of recessions since then, and appear to have completely eliminated the depression from those who follow such economic beliefs throughout the world. Events of the 1920s The Roaring Twenties were an era dominated by Republican presidents: Warren Harding (1920-1923), Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) and Herbert Hoover (1929-1933). Under their conservative economic philosophy of laissez-faire

Fasting: Body Cleansing or Starving Essay -- Health Religion Papers

Fasting: Body Cleansing or Starving The Purpose of Fasting Fasting is a body cleansing procedure during which food is restricted and only liquids are consumed. Strictly water fasts are the most brutal; herbal teas and juices made from fresh fruits and vegetables are consumed during a more liberal fast. Juice fasting is the preferred method amongst many doctors and European fasting clinics, perhaps because it is less harsh than other treatment plans. Today in the Western Hemisphere, many chronic health problems result from bad eating habits. There are a mix of people who are over-nourished, malnourished, or both. We eat chemically altered, high-fat toxic foods that do not provide a sufficient amount of essential vitamins and minerals to our bodies. Clogging of the eliminative systems with excess mucous is thought to sustain congestive diseases. Ineffective digestion and poor nourishment result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies. A well-balanced diet can overcome this health crisis. A diet of raw foods and fluids helps cleanse the body, and fasting takes the cleansing a step further. Every fasting method, suited individually to a person’s needs, cleanses toxins from the person’s body. The nutrients in fresh juice provide energy and support to the body while stimulating the detoxification process by clearing waste from its systems. This detoxification process is an important corrective process in our nutritional cycle. We allow our body to breathe and naturally cleanse itself. (Haas) The Ancient Practice of Fasting The history of fasting goes back thousands of years. Many religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Eastern religions used and still use fasting as a healing process for spiritual purifica... ...an Anti-Aging Strategy- Is it Still Safe? Found at www.healthy.net/library/articles/chaitow/fasting.htm. Chaitow, L. Fasting, Mono-diets and Raw Food Days.Found at www.healthy.net/library/books/chaitow/chap13.htm. Haas, E. Fasting. Found at www.healthy.net/hwlibrarybooks/haas/detox/fasting.htm. Kernt, P. et al, ‘Fasting: the history, pathophysiology, and complications" Western Journal of Medicine (1982) 137:379-99 Kjeldsen-Kragh, J. et al, ‘Controlled trial of fasting and one-year vegetarian diet in Rheumatoid Arthritis’ Lancet (1991) 899-904. NaturalDoc: Fasting and Health Vacations. Found at www.naturaldoc.com/. Protein and Nitrogen Homeostasis. Found at http://medtstgo.ucdavis.edu/endo/lecture/metProNit.htm True, G.N. How Fasting Can Slow You Down. Found at www.netasia.net/users/truehealth/Fasting.htm.

Sin Taxes Are One of the More Controversial Taxes Out There

Sin taxes are one of the more controversial taxes out there. They are basically a form of indirect taxation (which has its pros and cons) on goods and services which society considers to be moral ills. As a general rule, it is unwise for the government to interfere in people's lives more than is necessary to enforce the rights of others. Libertarians rightly ask why we should punish people for making decisions about their own lives — even if the majority says we should, that doesn't make it right. Sin taxes, though they rarely have conventional economics cited as a defence of them, actually do have sound economic backing however.In fact, a libertarian should support sin taxes, because they correct an infringement of individual rights. Common examples of sin taxes are taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. Choosing to consume these goods is an individual decision; should the government be involved and actively attempt to reduce their consumption? The answer is yes, because of the ext ernal costs not accounted for in the price of these goods. Without taxes, the price of a pack of cigarettes would not account for second-hand smoke and the impact of cigarette smoking on the health and enjoyment of others.Likewise, the price of alcohol does not include the costs of things like drunk driving and other general impairment of one's faculties which can pose a menace to society. It is the individual who is harmed by a drunkard who cannot react quickly enough to avoid an accident. A logical conclusion might be to even extend the sin tax to other things. Libertarians in a number of countries have been campaigning for the legalisation of drugs because they believe that the choice to use drugs is an individual one which the government has no right to interfere in.I personally am not inclined to take a strong stand on this issue, but if I were to side with the libertarians (which is my natural inclination), I would nevertheless also support a steep sin tax on drugs. Cocaine an d marijuana have similar effects on society as cigarettes and drugs (some research indicates that marijuana smoke may be more dangerous than cigarette smoke). It only makes sense to tax their consumption to internalise their external costs. There is a time and place for everything under the sun, and that includes government intrusion on individual decisions.When your decision has an impact on others, the price of that decision must account for the potential costs and benefits it will bring about. health officials grappling with the obesity epidemic have debated a wide range of approaches to helping slim the American waistline. To some degree, everything from building more sidewalks to banning chocolate milk has been explored. Yet few tactics have been as polarizing as the possibility of introducing tariffs on treats.Despite endorsement from several respected obesity researchers and politicians, soda taxes, for example, have been subject to severe scrutiny, as critics protested that implementing a tax before verifying that it would achieve the end result was shortsighted and potentially overreaching. So, in attempt to determine just how sin taxes might impact people's food choices, psychologists from the University of Buffalo decided to put junk food levies to the test—in the lab. Researchers recruited shoppers to peruse the aisles of a mock supermarket filled with 68 common foods labeled with nutritional information.Participants were given a predetermined amount of cash, and were told to use that money to purchase a week's worth of groceries for a family. The first time, all of the products on the shelves were priced in keeping with local supermarkets. In subsequent trips, however, junk food was taxed—an additional 12. 5%, then 25%— or healthier foods were subsidized to reduce cost. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science revealed that taxes were more effective at getting people to avoid certain products than subsidies we re at prompting healthier food purchases.In scenarios where junk foods were taxed, study participants generally came away with a lower caloric total for their groceries, and a higher ratio of protein to fats and carbohydrates. Yet, in situations where healthy foods were subsidized, the savings were often spent on additional junk food. That is, instead of stocking up on more fruits and vegetables because they were cheaper, the study's shoppers bought their veggies, and then used the leftover cash to bring home extra treats like chips and soda.In the end, the subsidies-only scenarios resulted in higher total calorie counts, and didn't result in overall nutritional improvement on the week's groceries. Because the scenario is hypothetical, the findings certainly shouldn't be taken as the final word in the sin tax debate, the researchers stress, but should instead be used to inform the ongoing discussion about practical ways to battle obesity. To that end, they say, the next step should be research to determine whether these results would be replicated in the real world. Read more: http://healthland. ime. com/2010/02/25/would-junk-food-taxes-really-make-people-eat-better/#ixzz1Bv8WDv91 I’m not a fan of paying higher taxes. Nor am I a fan of people going without health insurance. As we’ve heard over and over on the 6 o’clock news and political debates, our current health care system cannot continue along its present course and represents a serious threat to the health of the U. S. economy. Therefore, I’m reluctant to admit that substantial changes will be required (both monetary and personal responsibility) if we plan on altering our future.Unfortunately, we are living in an era where we are so concerned about offending someone that we’re willing to turn a blind eye to the obvious, and withhold what must be said until we’re among the safety net of our supporters or behind the security of a computer screen. The Case For Highe r Taxes to Pay Health Care Costs At present, the likelihood that higher taxes will become a necessary evil to pay for government sponsored health care is gaining ground. Personally, it really doesn’t bother me all that much.If called upon in the future, I’m willing to pay a slightly higher tax rate so uninsured Americans can have access to life saving drugs or little Danny falls off his bike and breaks his arm. No problem, happy do it, just play me a patriotic song and tell me I’m doing my part for the good ol’ Red, White ; Blue. Heck, I’ll might even enjoy it. As long as the people getting it actually deserve it! Then comes a news report which says the Obesity Epidemic in America is still going strong. Obesity in America – NBC News. Obesity in America – Diabetes Related Illnesses a Threat to Medicare.Should Junk Food Have a Sin Tax / Fat Tax? When we, as a nation, are discussing future budget crises partly because we can’t pus h ourselves away from the table†¦ I think we might need to reassess the problem. Most of the things that are considered â€Å"bad for you† in the U. S. come with a regulatory agency warning label, and possibly a sin tax. Goods like cigarettes, alcohol, and even gasoline, have an additional sin tax attached to them because they’re (arguably) bad for us in their own unique ways. Not to mention, they’re a cash cow for the tax man. So why should junk food be any different?It’s well known that sugar stuffed goodies or chocolate covered yumyums are contributing to the obesity epidemic. Why should food that possesses little nutritional value but contributes to the cancer/diabetes/heart disease epidemic be immune from taxation? Better yet, why should the people who consume these foods (if you can call them that) eat significantly more of them compared to the population mean, have a body mass index greater than 30%, and still get access to the same government sponsored health care that everyone else is supposed to get when they retire?Moreover, be eligible for disability insurance solely because of their weight and medical conditions directly related to their eating habits. Why should junk food mega-consumers be allowed to contribute as much in taxes as much as the next person, but indulge in a lifestyle that will undoubtedly cause them to take more out of the Medicare system than they actually contributed during their working years. Critics will (correctly) say that these individuals will die off sooner than normal resulting in lower overall health care costs.However, considering that medicine is constantly extending the human lifespan and the cost of medical care/drugs will always increase, it’s an arguable debate at best. This situation hardly seems fair to the majority of the population, and because of that, it’s a viable question and should be pushed to the forefront. In a fair and just society (which we’re sup posed to live in), those who spend more in the end should be expected to pay more upfront. Right? A National Sin Tax of 2% for Junk Food? What if, just for arguments sake, a 2% fat tax was placed on anything bearing the label â€Å"junk food†?When an item would be purchased at the grocery store, a mandatory 2% sin tax was added to the item just like everyday sales tax. It will be used to fund Medicare deficits, educating the general public against an unhealthy diet, as well as providing temporary financial assistance to anyone who can’t afford medical care. After all, this sin tax will target the majority of people who are, or likely will be, posing a greater risk to the sustainability of government sponsored health care (e. g. Medicare). Then again, is a 2% sin tax enough?How about a 5%? An extra quarter for a bag of Doritos or Snicker’s bar doesn’t seem that bad. Does it? It is a powderkeg of a debate just waiting to go off, but because of political cor rectness, no one wants to bring it up. Considering our present situation (severe recession, financial crisis, record numbers of uninsured, etc), it’s a debate worth having regardless of the hurt feelings and political fallout. Then again, perhaps complaining about our problems while doing nothing to solve them is just the new way American way.A so-called â€Å"sin tax† is a tax which is specifically levied against products or services that a society has identified as harmful or undesirable, but not so harmful or undesirable that they can or should be banned outright (i. e. prohibition). Common sin taxes include those on alcohol and tobacco, although those regulations which exist in places that have legalized but restricted gambling or prostitution can also be referred to as sin taxes. The purpose of a sin tax is based in economic theory: it intends to reduce consumption of the undesirable good by increasing the price.Sin taxes are currently levied against a wide variet y of social ills which are considered not so serious that they need to be prohibited. Prostitution (in many countries), cocaine, and marijuana are criminalized in most countries, for instance, but alcohol and tobacco are not. In American history, the Prohibition era demonstrated that alcohol could be eliminated from society only at extremely high cost, and in large part alcohol was not eliminated, but simply driven underground onto the black market. Sin taxes are seen as a way of reducing the frequency of socially harmful behaviour without creating an underground criminal economy.This is the approach taken when charging taxes on alcohol, cigarettes, in some countries marijuana and other supposedly mild drugs, and in some current proposals on soft drinks and other sugar-rich junk foods for public health reasons. In economic theory, a sin tax is also known as a sumptuary tax or a Pigovian tax – a tax which attempts to reduce the collective social harm from a private economic tr ansaction by raising the price of that transaction. The law of supply and demand indicates that when a price for a good or service goes up, more producers will be willing to supply it, but fewer purchasers will be willing to buy it.At the same time, when the price for a good does down, more purchasers will buy it, but fewer producers will be willing to make it in the first place. A tax does both: the end price of the good ends up artificially high so that few people buy it, but the actual money which goes to the seller (i. e. price minus tax) is held artificially low, so that fewer producers enter the market. Normally economists consider this a generally negative impact of taxation, but in the case of sin taxes, it is seen as a positive – since the purpose of the sin tax is to reduce or even eliminate the harmful behaviour, rather than to encourage economicgrowth.In theory, a sin tax raises the price of the undesirable good without increasing the profits to the producer. With the price having risen, fewer people will be willing to buy the good. Overall, this results in a general reduction in consumption compared to what it would have been on the free market. Particularly in countries with advanced social welfare networks, the argument is also often made that sin taxes help society directly by producing a pool of funds to pay for the consequences of undesirable activity.For example, tobacco cigarettes cause lung cancer – which, in almost all advanced countries except the United States, is treated with public funds. Sin taxes on cigarettes create a pool of money out of which lung cancer treatments can be funded, so that non-smokers are not covering the costs of lung cancer through their income taxes. At the same time, in practice jurisdictions which have sin taxes must balance the benefits of a higher sin tax (in terms of reducing the harmful behaviour) with the risk of creating black markets.Black markets, or underground economies, commonly supply illegal goods in all countries, including illegal drugs. Black markets can only do so at increased cost, to cover risks,pay border smugglers and organized criminal organizations, cover losses to law enforcement, and so on. However, if the added cost of the black market is less than the added cost of the sin tax, then sin taxes may lead to a large underground economy. In some regions of Canada, for example, cigarette smuggling is a profitable activity due to high taxes on cigarettes.Black market cigarettes are produced on Aboriginal reserves or smuggled across the border from the United States. In addition to this practical problem of managing sin taxes (which must paradoxically be high enough to be effective but low enough to prevent black markets from emerging), there is also an opposition argument from libertarians who argue that the government should not be interfering with individual citizens' freedom to choose how to spend their money when their choices fundamentally involve h arm to themselves rather than harm to others.Of course, this rests on the assumption that the principal social â€Å"evils† of alcohol and tobacco consumption are liver cirrhosis and lung cancer suffered by drinkers and smokers themselves, rather than the smaller number of bystanders struck by drunk drivers or stricken with cancer from second-hand smoke. Taxing snacks: The pros and the cons Diet-to-Go Meal Delivery: $25 Off 1st Week’s Order with Coupon â€Å"calorielab25?A proposal by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to levy a 5 percent surcharge tax on sugar-laden snacks and beverages, pitched by his office as â€Å"a critical first step in discouraging the consumption of these empty calories,† has raised again some basic questions about the wisdom and practicality of imposing â€Å"sin taxes† to reduce the public’s usage of certain commodities. A quick review of some of them, with attempts at answers. Isn’t this just another revenue-r aising scheme disguised as a health issue?True to some extent; even the Massachusetts public health commissioner admitted that the primary goal of the tax is to provide money to state coffers. But that money, which is expected to run more than $40 million a year, will be used to fund public health services, some of which will probably involve weight-reduction programs. Will it actually motivate people to consume fewer sodas and candy bars and the like? Ordinarily, the answer would be â€Å"not much,† and not enough to significantly lower the state’s obesity numbers.There are already 33 states that charge sales taxes on soft drinks or candy, mostly around 4 to 6 percent, and studies of the sales charts indicate that those amounts are too small to put a meaningful dent in public consumption. To really accomplish that, take a leaf from the imposition of cigarette taxes, which did in fact cut into tobacco sales because of their sheer size of the taxes, which often amounted to $2 or more per pack. A Harvard experiment found that, given a big enough tax on sugary sodas — in that case, 35 percent — sales thereof tanked by fully 20 percent, even as sales of non-taxed diet sodas rose.So why not make it a 35 percent tax? Because no legislature would ever go for something that draconian. First, it’s hard to sell the premise that Cokes and Hershey bars are cigarette-level health hazards and legitimate targets for hypertaxing. Second, it’s hard to sell any tax increases whatsoever during a Recession of a Lifetime; 5 percent is as much as Governor Patrick thought he could get away with. But the economic downturn may change the basic math, here. For the same financial reasons that a large tax is out of the question, a small tax may actually gain some clout.Sure, another 5 percent won’t change people’s behavior under normal economic conditions, but at a time when people have begun raising their own vegetables and cutting their kids’ hair to save a few bucks, an extra nickel per soda or Snickers bar might get a lot of people rethinking that impulse purchase. It might also mean that any tax at all would be politically unacceptable right now. Then we might give some thought to the Australian Variation, where they’re calling for the tax on low-alcohol beer to be abolished, as an incentive for the notoriously thirsty Aussies to cut their overall alcohol intake.An American adaptation of that might have those states that currently tax food products eliminate the tax for low-fat, low-cal, low-sugar dietary soft drinks, candy, snack foods and so forth. Write or e-mail your legislator. (Ironically, the proposed Massachusetts law would tax both regular and diet items equally. Tsk tsk. Back to the drawing board, Governor. ) Senate leaders are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health-care system.The taxes would pay for only a fraction of the cost to expand health-insurance coverage to all Americans and would face strong opposition from the beverage industry. They also could spark a backlash from consumers who would have to pay several cents more for a soft drink. On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee is set to hear proposals from about a dozen experts about how to pay for the comprehensive health-care overhaul that President Barack Obama wants to enact this year. Early estimates put the cost of the plan at around $1. 2 trillion. The administration has so far only earmarked funds for about half of that amount.The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based watchdog group that pressures food companies to make healthier products, plans to propose a federal excise tax on soda, certain fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and ready-to-drink teas. It would not include most diet beverages. Excise taxes are levied on goods and manufacturers typically pass them on to consumers. Senior s taff members for some Democratic senators at the center of the effort to craft health-care legislation are weighing the idea behind closed doors, Senate aides said.The Congressional Budget Office, which is providing lawmakers with cost estimates for each potential change in the health overhaul, included the option in a broad report on health-system financing in December. The office estimated that adding a tax of three cents per 12-ounce serving to these types of sweetened drinks would generate $24 billion over the next four years. So far, lawmakers have not indicated how big a tax they are considering. Proponents of the tax cite research showing that consuming sugar-sweetened drinks can lead to obesity, diabetes and other ailments.They say the tax would lower consumption, reduce health problems and save medical costs. At least a dozen states already have some type of taxes on sugary beverages, said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest . â€Å"Soda is clearly one of the most harmful products in the food supply, and it's something government should discourage the consumption of,† Mr. Jacobson said. The main beverage lobby that represents Coca-Cola Co. , PepsiCo Inc. , Kraft Foods Inc. and other companies said such a tax would unfairly hit lower-income Americans and wouldn't deter consumption. Taxes are not going to teach our children how to have a healthy lifestyle,† said Susan Neely, president of the American Beverage Association. Instead, the association says it's backing programs that limit sugary beverage consumption in schools. Some recent state proposals along the same lines have met stiff opposition. New York Gov. David Paterson recently agreed to drop a proposal for an 18% tax on sugary drinks after facing an outcry from the beverage industry and New Yorkers. The beverage-tax proposal would apply to drinks that many Americans don't onsider unhealthy — such as PepsiCo's Gatorade and Kraft 's Capri Sun — based on their calorie content. Health advocates are floating other so-called sin tax proposals and food regulations as part of the government's health-care overhaul. Mr. Jacobson also plans to propose Tuesday that the government sharply raise taxes on alcohol, move to largely eliminate artificial trans fat from food and move to reduce the sodium content in packaged and restaurant food. The beverage tax is just one of hundreds of ideas that lawmakers are weighing to finance the health-care plans. They're expected to narrow the list in coming weeks.The White House, meanwhile, is pulling together private health groups to identify cost savings that will help fund the health overhaul. Mr. Obama on Monday held a White House meeting with groups that represent doctors, hospitals, insurers, pharmaceutical companies and medical-device makers. They pledged to help restrain cost increases in the health-care system in an effort to save $2 trillion over the next decade. â⠂¬Å"When it comes to health-care spending, we are on an unsustainable course that threatens the financial stability of families, businesses and government itself,† Mr. Obama told reporters. Write to Janet Adamy at janet. [email  protected] om BUFFALO, N. Y. , Feb. 25 (UPI) — Taxing unhealthy foods reduces overall calories purchased, while cutting the proportion of fat and carbohydrates and increasing protein, U. S. researchers say. The study, published in Psychological Science, finds subsidizing the prices of healthy food increased overall calories purchased without changing the nutritional value. Leonard Epstein of the University of Buffalo said some states are beginning to impose â€Å"sin taxes† on fat and sugar to dissuade people from eating junk food, while others favor subsidies over punitive taxes as a way to encourage people to eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains.The thought is that if you make it cheaper, people will eat more of it, more expensive and people will eat less, Epstein says. Epstein and colleagues simulated a grocery store â€Å"stocked† with images of everything from bananas to nachos and had a group of volunteer mothers given laboratory â€Å"money† to shop for a week's groceries for the family. Each food item was priced the same as groceries at a real grocery nearby, and each food came with basic nutritional information. First the mothers shopped using regular prices. Then the researchers raised the prices of unhealthy foods by 12. percent, and then by 25 percent, or they discounted the price of healthy foods comparably. The study showed taxes were more effective in reducing calories purchased over subsides, the researchers said. Read more: http://www. upi. com/Health_News/2010/02/25/Study-Food-sin-taxes-effective/UPI-60061267154775/#ixzz1BvAQlOhN A recent study examining the potential impact of sin taxes—increasing the cost of junk food, in particular—as a means to promote healthier choices found that, in a lab setting at least, when unhealthy foods cost more, people tended to eat them less.Now, new research attempts to size up the value of sin taxes in the real world. A study published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine followed more than 5,000 people from 1985-1986 to 2005-2006, tracking food consumption habits, as well as height, weight and blood sugar levels. They then compared that data with information about food costs across the 20-year period. Researchers found that, incremental increases in price of unhealthy foods resulted in incremental decreases in consumption. In other words, when junk food cost more, people ate it less.Analyzing the cost of soda and delivery pizza in terms of adjusted 2006 dollars, the researchers found that, during the 20-year study period, pizza and soda costs actually went down—making them more accessible for less. Yet, their analysis also showed that every 10% increase in cost was associated with a decrease in calorie consumption—7% for soda, and 11. 5% for pizza. What's more, a $1 increase in soda price was associated with lower daily caloric intake (about 124 calories less per day on average), lower body weight (2. lbs. less, on average) and better blood sugar levels, according to the researchers. Similar trends were seen for a $1 hike in pizza cost, and when both pizza and soda costs increased by $1, the effects were further amplified, the researchers found. Along with colleagues, lead author Kiyah J. Duffey, from the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, points to the results as possible evidence supporting the use of taxes as a means to promote healthier eating habits.Duffey and co-authors suggest that, based on these findings, an 18% surcharge on soda and delivery pizza could, on average, cut 56 calories per person per day—a reduction that means dropping five pounds per person during the course of a year. In an accompanying edito rial in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Drs. Mitchell Katz and Rajiv Bhatia of the San Francisco Department of Public Health argue that it's time to put these proposed policies into practice to combat obesity. They suggest that taxes on unhealthy foods could go toward promoting healthier behaviors.Katz and Bhatia write: â€Å"Copying a successful tactic of anti-tobacco crusaders, the funds also could be used to counter the lavish advertising of soda and junk food or for ‘marketing' ordinary tap water. † The study and accompanying editorial come the same week that Bill Clinton announced the result of a three-year study finding that large beverage companies are voluntarily reducing the sales of sugary sodas in schools, and New York politicians are again bandying about the possibility of a soda tax. And all of these developments add to the already heated debate over the merits of enforcing public health mandates through taxes, of course.Yet, while sin taxes are already widespread across the U. S. in the form of cigarette surcharges—Washington state just tacked another $1 in taxes onto a pack of cigarettes, for example—for many, the growing efforts to govern food choices through tariffs go too far. What do you think? Are junk food taxes good public health policy? Or are they indicative of a dangerous trend toward government interference in our freedom of choice—†punishing people for enjoying life once in a while,† as one detractor put it? Read more: http://healthland. time. com/2010/03/10/study-sin-taxes-promote-healthier-food-choices/#ixzz1BvAf9j11Obesity costs U. S. businesses about $45 billion a year in medical expenses and lost productivity. As a result, strategies that were once unthinkable for keeping the population's weight in check may soon become reality. In coming months, it's likely one or more states and municipalities will try to impose taxes on soda, sweets, or other types of â€Å"junk food,† m odeled on existing cigarette taxes. To the Bush Administration, such â€Å"obesity taxes† were an anathema, even though 27 states have already imposed small tariffs of 7% to 8% on vending machine snacks such as candy, soda, and baked goods.Now the combination of a budget-busting recession and a citizenry that keeps getting fatter is causing legislators to consider more drastic steps. Late last year, New York Governor David A. Paterson proposed an 18% sales tax on non-diet soda and sugary juice drinks for the fiscal year starting in April. Such a tax, he says, would raise $404 million this year and $539 million in 2010, to be used for fat-fighting public health programs. Paterson has run into stiff opposition from the soft-drink industry. But several other states are mulling such taxes, says Kelly D.Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. â€Å"I've been contacted by a number of state legislators recently,† he says. â€Å"I think it's only a matter of time before it happens. † In a statement, the American Beverage Assn. labeled Paterson's soda tax proposal â€Å"a money grab that will raise taxes on middle-class families. † Opponents also note that new levies would fail to address the many complex factors that contribute to weight gain. Yet studies have shown a clear correlation between costs and consumer behavior. A Rand Corp. urvey of 59 cities found that children gain more weight if they live in communities where fruit and vegetables are expensive. And the University of Florida just published a study showing that the more alcohol costs, the less people imbibe. Academics also say high tobacco taxes deserve much of the credit for cutting the U. S. smoking rate from 42% in 1964 to below 20% now. Economist Frank J. Chaloupka, director of the Health Policy Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, cautions that a junk food tax could cause people to simply switch to other foods that are just as high in calories.Still, he contends, with an 18% tax â€Å"you would likely see some noticeable impact on consumption. † Any sweeping obesity tax is likely to run into another snag: how to define â€Å"junk food. † Liz Morrill, chief executive officer of Fizzy Lizzy, a brand of sparkling juices, complains that Paterson's proposed tax is â€Å"completely irrational† because it would tax her product but not containers labeled â€Å"100% fruit juice,† though those drinks may have the same amount of sugar.Any obesity tax must be based on such criteria as calories and sugars per ounce, Morrill argues. The French government, for one, has embraced this logic. It's considering a tax of 5. 5% to 19. 6% on all foodstuffs the government deems â€Å"too rich, too sweet, too salty,† and not strictly necessary. It remains to be seen if the American public will swallow more dietary taxes. In November, Maine voters overturned a wholesale tax on sodas and the s yrup used to make soda that the governor had signed into law last April.