Should Marijuana Be Legal - 1453 Words

Marijuana is arguably the most controversial drug in history. In general, when someone hears the word â€Å"drugs† they think of a terrible substance that will destroy the human body. However bringing up marijuana, many people think of different things. Some think of a degenerate hippie, but many Americans simply do not know what to think, and bringing up the legalization of the substance is even more controversial. There is a large group of people that believe the legalization of marijuana is pointless and only serves the purpose of making people unhealthy, but at the same time there are many that believe its legalization will solve many problems in America. Marijuana should be a legal, regulated drug because of its long history, the United†¦show more content†¦Woodward challenged the propriety of passing legislation based only on newspaper accounts and questioned why no data from the Bureau of prisons or the Children s Bureau supported the FBN s position.† (Ma rijuana Use Should Be Decriminalized.) Not only is this a clear reason for the court s decision to be revisited, but it is a question that has gone without a good answer for far too long. Another reason that marijuana should be legalized is the clear connection, it would have on our economy. Now it is no secret that the United States is in debt, but it is less known that marijuana can be a key component in fixing this problem. There are currently â€Å"...30,000 prisoners doing time for marijuana-related charges†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (The War on Drugs Should Not Include Marijuana.) A large part of our economic crisis has to do with the overcrowding of our prisons. Each person in prison is taking taxpayer money that could certainly be better used for a number of things; such as better education, better healthcare, and more. The people arrested for marijuana charges are typically normal American people that used the drug to relax or get rid of stress. They are not drug dealers or violent deg enerates that deserve to spend time in prison away from their families. There is also the issue of how much it costs the government to keep marijuana away from people. â€Å"...a significant chunk of the ONDCP’s funding has also gone toward mediaShow MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legal?1609 Words   |  7 PagesMs. Fingarson English 11 March 9th, 2017 Junior Research Paper: Marijuana Should Be Legal. According to world recognized American Scientist Carl Sagan â€Å"the illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insights , sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world†. These are just some of the benefits of Marijuana along with many others. All you have been taught about cannabis inRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal?1060 Words   |  5 PagesMedical Marijuana Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United Sstates (Wagner).. Marijuana is commonly used becauseThis it is because marijuana is easy to get and doesn’t have the visibly dangerous effects that other drugs like cocaine and heroine have. However,But does that mean marijuana is harmless to the human body? There are some people and studies that believe it is harmlessso. Sanjay Gupta, MD, Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN, wrote the following: â€Å"Frequent marijuana useRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal?986 Words   |  4 Pages smoking pot in California, is legal. On Tuesday, November 8, 2016, California became the fifth state to legalize the recreational use of pot. By a margin of about 56% to 44%, voters passed Proposition 64. With its passing, California is now among states like Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska who have also legalized marijuana. â€Å"Marijuana could become quite the cash crop† said Richard McGowan, a professor at Boston College and expert in the field of marijuana legalization. While many peopleRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal?1230 Words   |  5 PagesCannabis Can The marijuana movement is more prevalent now than ever. Just recently, two other states have joined Colorado and Washington in the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana. On the other hand, the state of Florida did not pass the bill to approve medical marijuana. Although more and more states have begun to see the benefits in legalizing marijuana, many states maintain the view that smoking marijuana is criminal despite the many advantages it poses. Marijuana offers medical andRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal?997 Words   |  4 Pagesof the topics; write a thesis statement and complete the introduction 1. Marijuana should be legal, because it is harmless, and it is an effective medicine for many kinds of diseases. - Marijuana should be legal due to its variety of health benefits - Marijuana is an effective medicine for many kinds of diseases - Marijuana legalization would help boost the economy Thesis Statement: Why shouldn’t marijuana be legal due to its variety of health benefits, its effectiveness for combating manyRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal?864 Words   |  4 PagesCannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a preparation of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or medicine. Marijuana smoking remains the most prevalent form of illicit drug use in the United States and has even been legalized medicinally in twenty-four states. Four of these states, including Colorado and Washington, have legalized marijuana for recreational use. This means that it is treated like a controlled substance, like alcohol or tobacco, and anyone theRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal?1630 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana has been a hot topic of conversation over the last few years, as some states in America have legalized it medically and recreationally. By discussing the legal aspect of marijuana, the economic benefits, medical usage and how marij uana affects the family, we can see the positive and negative impact that marijuana has on sociology. Except for a few select states, marijuana usage, sale and distribution of marijuana is in some manner illegal. As a result, there is immense legal considerationsRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal?1610 Words   |  7 PagesSince the very first day marijuana began dominating our country over 30 years ago, federal control of the drug has been the topic of an continuing arguments. Marijuana is a crushed up blend of dried out herbs, seeds and stems of the plant cannabis. Most people inhale it in the shape of cigarettes for pleasure and relief. Should marijuana be made legal? Advocates of the drug argue that there are multiple medical advantages and that tobacco and alcohol are far more harmful for us than the drug itselfRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal? Essay1261 Words   |  6 PagesMarijuana is safer than tobacco and alcohol, more beneficial and healthier too. Marijuana, unlike tobacco and alcohol, never causes serious illnesses like cancers of the lungs, throat, and mouth, cirrhos is, dementia, or anything else. In actuality, medical marijuana is used to treat cancer cells. â€Å"The earliest use of cannabis as a medicine is attributed to the legendary Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, who is thought to have lived around 2700 BC.. Cannabis sativa is thought to have been grown for at leastRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legal? Essay965 Words   |  4 PagesShould Marijuana Be Legal? In order to start a discussion about whether marijuana should be legal, we must first begin with the history of marijuana. How long has marijuana been around? The earliest recorded use of marijuana is from the island of Taiwan off the coast of mainland china over 10,000 years ago in the Stone Age (Marijuana, 2014). They wove their clothes and made their shoes from hemp. The first paper was made from a combination of crushed hemp fibers and mulberry tree bark. This

Salvador Allende Essay - 1712 Words

A nation’s sovereignty and self sufficiency is all dependent on said nation s economy, a nation with a doomed economy is bound to fall and fail its people. Such is the case with the South American country Chile, in 1973 under President Allende’s socialist regime. Salvador Allende was the short-lived president of Chile ruling from 1970 to 1973. During Allende’s reign, socialist destruction ensued, with crime breaking out frequently, complete totalitarian rule with all forms of media being regulated and controlled by a marxist government, a grief-stricken economy, as well as the abolition of all free trade, with tariffs up to 100%, extremely crippling the Chilean society and economy. As Chile was in shambles, it was inevitable a revolution†¦show more content†¦Jose Pinera of The Atlas Society exclaims that â€Å"From 1973 to 1989 (Pinochet’s years of ruling), a true revolution took place in Chile, involving a radical, comprehensive, and sustained move toward free markets. This Chilean revolution doubled Chile s historic rate of economic growth (to an average of 7 percent a year from 1984 to 1998 Pinochet’s final term), drastically reduced the proportion of people living in poverty.† (Pinera). Pinochet created a free market to allow businesses to operate in a non-marxist fashion, whilst also drastically decreasing the poverty rate by 7% each year for 14 years. Once Pinochet removed tariffs entirely, free trade was prevalent within Chile, making Chile a more advanced city economically. Tyler Cowen, writer for The Marginal Revolution states in his article â€Å"How Good Was Pinochet For The Chilean Economy?† that during Pinochet’s regime â€Å"Chile moved from very high tariffs to virtual free trade. The Chilean economy diversified and became far less dependent on copper; this included some moves to hi-tech and light industry.† (Cowen). Pinochet’s vigorous advancements of the Chilean ec onomy, including his removal of a marxist trade system, remarkably enhanced Chile’s economy, renewing it to a state of great strength, while also introducing new foreign products into Chile now that foreign trade was possible under a freeShow MoreRelatedAmerican Politics During The Nixon Administration1429 Words   |  6 PagesThis Extended Essay will examine how American domestic politics during the Nixon Administration influenced the role of the U.S and more specifically the C.I.A in their role in the Chilean coup of 1973. Throughout this paper connections will be drawn between various corporations which had a significant stake in Chile’s industry and economy before the coup occurred and their subsequent relationships with different members of the Nixon Administration or those in places of power such as the directorRead MoreSocio Economic Status And Health1748 Words   |  7 Pagesand the association between socio-economic status and health could be viewed as a cla ssical problem in medical sociology that dates back the mid-19th century works of Friedrich Engels, Rudolf Wirchow and Salvador Allende. These scholars writing during the early years of capitalism (Salvador Allende is an exception as to this trend as he studied the social origins of illness in the later times and a different geographical context) noted that the structures of oppression and features of urban life wereRead MoreThe International Telephone And Telegraph Company1336 Words   |  6 Pagesnot favorable to their affairs. An obvious case of Chile in the early 1970s, the International Telephone and Telegraph Company (ITT) has collaborated with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) supported the overthrow of the government of Chile Salvador Allende who supported the transfer of businesses to the state (nationalization) and the International Telephone and Telegraph Company (ITT) afraid that their investments in Chile is wasted. Forasmuch, the highest purpose all of the big companies isRead MoreWhy Is There No Free Trade Agreement Between North And South America?2417 Words   |  10 Pagesof 800 million and a GDP of about $11 trillion, making it the largest freed trade area in the world. (Barlow 1:2001) The FTAA has struggled to see any changes and the deadline passed being unnoticed in 2005. This essay will discuss why there is no FTAA between the Americas yet. The essay will show how history can affect states decisions. It will look at what the FTAA would bring to both North and South America (NA SA), while looking at individual states cases. It will conclude by looking at whatRead More The War in Iraq Being an Oil Currency War Essay4124 Words   |  17 Pagesadministration is the impending phenomenon known as Global Peak Oil. This is projected to occur around 2010, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia being the final two nations to reach peak oil production. The issue of Peak Oil has been added to the scope of this essay, along with the macroeconomics of `petrodollar recycling and the unpublicized but genuine challenge to U.S. dollar hegemony from the euro as an alternative oil transaction currency. The author advocates graduated reform of the global monetary systemRead MoreInstitution as the Fundamental Cause of Long Tern Growth39832 Words   |  160 Pagessituation in Chile in the early 1970’s. Salvador Allende was elected President with a majority of the popular vote. The formal political institutions of democracy in Chile allocated power to him to propose legislation, issue decrees, etc. Consequently, even though he did not have an absolute majority in congress, Allende had a great deal of de jure political power. Political power is not just de jure however; it does not simply stem from political institutions. Allende, despite being empowered under theRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesPHILADELPHIA Temple University Press 1601 North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 www.temple.edu/tempress Copyright  © 2010 by Temple University All rights reserved Published 2010 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Essays on twentieth century history / edited by Michael Peter Adas for the American Historical Association. p. cm.—(Critical perspectives on the past) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-4399-0269-1 (cloth : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-4399-0270-7

Disease Research Free Essays

The ten leading causes of death in the United States of America as of 2005 are heart diseases, malignant neoplasm, cerebrovascular disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, unintentional disease, diabetes mellitus, influenza and pneumonia, Alzheimer’s disease, nephritis and nephrosis, septicemia, intentional self-harm. I preferred diabetes mellitus because I think this kind of disease should be given much emphasis and attention from the government. Diabetes mellitus is a type of disease in the pancreatic area. We will write a custom essay sample on Disease Research or any similar topic only for you Order Now In this disease, the pancreas does not properly generate insulin. When the body cannot generate enough insulin, hyperglycemia and other related disorders will occur in our metabolism. Diabetes can cause harm in other body organs when complications will arise. First of all, it causes damage to the kidneys which are responsible for the absorption of waste products in our body. Damaged kidneys then causes the end stage renal disease in which the kidneys are destroyed mutely. This then causes the nephrons to worsen which leads to other diseases such as hepatitis to arise. When this happens, the person now has two or more diseases to worry about. Today, it is estimated that 20. 8 million Americans suffer from diabetes. Out of this 20. 8 million Americans, 6. 2 million are undiagnosed. When diabetes goes unnoticed, prevention and early treatment would be impossible. If diabetes is not treated properly, it will then lead to life-threatening complications as mentioned earlier. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the disease will rise to more than 50% in the next 10 years if ignored. According to the United States National Diabetes Fact Sheet 2005, â€Å"Overall, the risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people without diabetes of similar age. † (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention American Diabetes Association, 2005) One major cause of diabetes is an individual’s diet. Since in the United States most follow the â€Å"Western-style† diet in which almost everything is sweet (having lots of sugar in it), it is suggested that people should watch their diet more. However, there is little understanding of the mechanisms in diabetes at present. Unwatched diet may cause obesity which then causes some organs to become larger and cannot function properly (Giurini, Cook, Cook, 2007). Thus, the government must pay their attention on funding research on diabetes because first, more than 20 million people in the US suffer diabetes at present and will increase in the next 10 years; second; most people do not know that they have diabetes; and third, diabetes causes complications and even death when not treated properly and continued unnoticed. People should be well-informed about diabetes so that they will know how to diagnose, prevent, and treat diabetes.   Reference: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Diabetes Association. (2005). United States National Diabetes Fact Sheet. Retrieved. from. Giurini, J. M., Cook, E. A., Cook, J. J. (2007). Diabetes: the latest trends in glycemic control. Clin Podiatr Med Surg, 24(2), 159-189.    How to cite Disease Research, Essays

Fraud Prevention and Management Recommendations free essay sample

The purpose of this Fraud Prevention Plan is to set out the approach to dealing with fraud risk within our organization. In order to prevent the types of frauds that have already occurred within our organization it will be necessary to create â€Å"a culture of honesty, openness, and assistance†¦.. fraud prevention is where the big savings occur† (Albrecht, Albrecht, Albrecht, Zimbelman, 2012, p. 03). What is required is the implementation of a comprehensive hiring, fraud, and ethics training program with strong controls, with punitive treatment of fraud offenders. â€Å"Research confirms that anyone can commit fraud. Fraud perpetrators usually can’t be distinguished from other people on the basis of demographic or psychological characteristics. † (Albrecht et al. 2012, p. 33). The value of an effective fraud prevention program requires several components. The lack of fraud prevention leads to enormous risk. The corporation will need to install processes and controls to ensure that honest people are hired. When candidates are going through our interview process they will need to be thoroughly vetted on the accuracy of their work history, education, and stated accomplishments. In addition to the standard practiced of contacting references provided by the candidate, these referenced individuals will be asked to provide additional references. The result of checking references provided by the initial reference will in many instances allow for greater insight into the true character of the candidate. The Director of Human Resources should investigate the potential of having a pre-employment Business Ethics Assessment completed and evaluated for each potential new employee. The assessment will measure each candidate for knowledge of the application of ethical principles in various workplace situations, such as whistle-blowing, conflicts of interest, policies, ethical issues, and honesty (SHL Global, 2012). Consistent use of such assessments pre-hire will enable the firm to hire the most honest people. Criminal and credit history background checks are a critical component to our proposed fraud prevention plan, enabling the firm to identify â€Å"high risk† individuals prior to extending an offer of employment. In addition to stringent hiring practices the corporation will institute a fraud awareness training program for all employees as part of our efforts to create a â€Å"low-fraud atmosphere†. (Albrecht et. al. 2012, p. 103). Senior management must establish a positive work environment by creating a formal code of conduct that sets the expectation for high ethics, stating what is and is not acceptable within our enterprise. Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is a â€Å"Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers† that requires that every public company to create, disseminate to all employees, and religiously enforce its ethical code (Albrecht et. al. 2012, p. 107). Ideally the Code of Ethics should be reviewed and signed by all employees on an annual basis. Albrecht et al. (2012, p. 106) provides an example of a company issuing small cards to every employee to carry on their person. The card lists several reporting options for employees who suspect fraud is taking place. One of the options to report suspected fraud is for employees to contact an external, anonymous ‘hotline’ to communicate their suspicions. These actions combined with regular messages on fraud awareness and non-tolerance will help to decrease our incidents of fraud loss. Executive and mid-level managers need to create and preserve an open-door policy as an important element to assist in our fraud avoidance program. Easy access (open door) policies prevent fraud and allow managers to become aware of employee pressures and their possible rationalizations that contribute to fraudulent activities. Many times employees commit fraud because â€Å"they feel they have no one to talk to† (Albrecht, et. al 2001, p. 111). Management must be open to honest discussions with employees about issues concerning the employee, and be ready to recommend counseling or an approved corporate Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAP’s can help troubled employees with problems caused by gambling, substance abuse, money issues, health, family, and other pressures that enable them to rationalize fraudulent activities. A good internal controls system will prevent the type of fraud the firm has previously experienced. According to the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO), the CEO has ultimate responsibility for any internal controls system. â€Å"More than any other individual, the chief executive sets the tone at the top that affects integrity and ethics and other factors of a positive control environment† (COSO, 1992). The control environment will set the overall tone of the organization that is established by senior management and runs throughout the management structure. A good accounting system is another important element of the control system to provide timely information used for decision-making. The Internal Auditor, Audit Committee, Director of Corporate Security, and Corporate Legal Council will need to work together to identify methods to assess risk and implement the appropriate controls. Basically there are only five types of control activities: segregation of duties, authorizations, physical controls, independent checks, and documentation† (Albrecht et. al. 2012, p. 114). The first three controls are preventative controls while independent checks and documentation are detective controls. Once established these controls need to be monitored and tested regularly for effectiveness. Had these controls been in place earlier the recent fraudulent activities of inventory theft, kickbacks, and enhanced earnings might have been prevented, or at least been identified earlier resulting in a reduced loss to the firm. The company has experienced prior internal control weaknesses, which strongly contributes to creating a high fraud environment. â€Å"When internal controls are absent or overridden, the risk of fraud is great† (Albrecht et al. 2012 p. 143). The Director of Internal Audit working closely with the Audit Committee can create and implement internal controls consisting of the control environment, accounting system, and control procedures. Aspects of the internal controls will be segregation of duties, physical safeguards, independent checks and monitoring, proper authorizations, documents, and records working in conjunction with a robust accounting system. Resilient internal controls are an important deterrent to fraud. Strong internal control can prevent or detect most types of misappropriations of assets and fraudulent financial reporting. Some examples of internal controls are mandatory vacations and job rotations, surveillance techniques, management review, segregation of duties, password protection on computer files, and physical safeguards on physical assets. An information system with a poor audit trail provides opportunities to conceal fraud. Audit trails need to be incorporated in our internal control system. â€Å"Close monitoring facilitates early detection† (Albrecht, et. al. 2012, p. 118) and can discourage fraudulent activities as employees realize they are being monitored and are loath to be exposed as being a thief. Similarly, having a monitoring system combined with a â€Å"whistle blowing† program will allow the organization to detect frauds early while losses are minimal. Our whistle blowing system needs to provide for anonymity, be easily accessed by employees, and ideally be managed by an independent entity, i. e. legal counsel or an outside third party organization. Finally the whistle blower program will feature prompt follow up on all reported frauds with corrective action implemented promptly to encourage additional use of the program. One of the most important factors of our program to eliminate fraud is the expectation of severe punishment. â€Å"One of the greatest deterrents to dishonesty is fear of punishment† says Albrecht. Simply terminating the offender is not significant as â€Å"real punishment involves having to tell family members and friends about the dishonest behavior† (Albrecht, et. al, 2012, p. 119). Legal Counsel must develop a robust prosecution policy that is publicized to all employees frequently about how unauthorized borrowing or theft of company assets will not be tolerated. These publications need to be depersonalized to disguise the identity of the perpetrator(s), to avoid potential slander and/or libel litigation (Albrecht et al. 2012 p. 123). The best way to prevent negative stories in the media is to avoid frauds in the first place. â€Å"A good Code of Ethics combined with a strong policy of punishment helps eliminate rationalizations† Albrecht states, and will prevent the frauds and resulting negative publicity the Board of Directors wishes to avoid. However all of the above actions need to be enhanced by proactive fraud auditing. Fraud auditing activity will create awareness in employees that their activities are subject to review at any time. A vigorous fraud auditing program involves four major steps: (1) identifying fraud risk exposures, (2) identifying the fraud symptoms of these exposures, (3) building audit programs to proactively search for symptoms and exposures, and (4) investigating fraud symptoms identified. A comprehensive approach to create programs and policies that prevent fraud require an understanding of the Fraud Triangle (Albrecht, et. al. 2012, p. 34) and the motivations that cause employees to commit theft. Engaging policies to prevent fraud will require a commitment starting from senior management and integrating throughout the organization. Management needs to establish a widely publicized policy of being notified when an employee who is not prosecuted for committing fraud, versus being notified only when an employee is being prosecuted. Senior managers must be the leaders of ethical behavior. â€Å"Top management cannot accept expensive perks and gifts from vendors and others and not expect employees to do the same† (Albrecht et al. 2012, p. 123). Employees must see that managers are setting the example for fraud avoidance. They need to be aware that management from the Board of Directors, top and middle managers, and control groups such as auditing committees, Corporate Security, and legal / regulatory compliance managers consider fraud avoidance a high priority. Significant time and resources need to be directed to instituting a comprehensive fraud education initiative that includes not only our internal workforce but also all vendors. Our plan should be reviewed consistently, especially after significant industry or corporate events such as layoffs, a hiring surge, or significant growth). The most comprehensive fraud prevention plan can be overtaken by fluctuations in the enterprise environment if the plan’s effectiveness isn’t regularly monitored and adapted to these changes. Monitoring via internal and/or external auditors, combined with education and whistle blowing programs will create a low fraud tolerance environment. â€Å"Employees and vendors who know that an effective monitoring and reporting system is in place are much less likely to commit fraud than are individuals who work in high fraud environments† (Albrecht et al. 2012, p. 123). Reporting discovered fraud activity to management will include Corporate Security, the Audit Committee, and the Human Resources Director, with notifications to the CEO and Legal Counsel. When fraud is reported or otherwise discovered the lead investigators will be assigned by the Director of Corporate Security working in conjunction with the Director of Internal Audit. Once the investigation is complete and a fraud event has been confirmed, a strong prosecution is recommended. Possible referral to the appropriate law enforcement agency(s) will be considered. The single greatest factor in deterring dishonest acts is the fear of punishment† Albrecht et al. 2012 p. 124). It is not possible to have a â€Å"zero fraud† environment. Stealing inexpensive office supplies is fraud. Due to the low costs these frauds are not considered seriously. However, once a fraud is perpetrated without a reaction the fraudster will continue to commit more frauds of ever-increasing magnitude. Albrecht et al. 2012 states â€Å"gone are the days when prosecution resulted in adverse publicity. Most people realize that fraud exists in every organization. (p 124). Should fraudulent activity be revealed and an investigation launched by Corporate Security and/or Internal Audit managers, there are four types of evidence that should be accumulated (Albrecht et al. 2012, p 80). This evidence may include testimony gathered from employees via interviews, interrogations, and honesty tests. Documentary evidence will include written or electronic materials. Physical evidence such as letters, purchase orders, shipping and inventory records, and any other tangible items associated with the dishonest acts. Finally personal observation of suspected fraudsters may be incorporated by the investigators (invigilation, surveillance, and covert operations) to augment the legal case against the perpetrator(s) of the fraud. Albrecht et al. (2012) cautions â€Å"because of the sensitive nature of fraud investigations, fraud investigators must exercise extreme care in how investigations are conducted, who knows about the investigations, and the way investigations are described. † Predication must exist before any fraud investigation is initiated. The goal of any fraud is to uncover the truth, and to confirm or deny if the suspicions of fraud are accurate. The potential for a suspected fraud to be an unintentional error or mistake by an employee is significant enough to avoid hasty conclusions without a vigorous investigation to confirm the facts of the suspected fraudulent activity. Disciplinary action may be taken against employees who are confirmed to have failed to comply with the company Code of Ethics, or violated any applicable law or regulation (American Express, 2006). Disciplinary measures will depend on the circumstances of the violation and will be applied in a manner consistent with the Company’s policies and/or any applicable laws. Termination is an option as is civil or criminal prosecution. In order to avoid false accusations, consideration will be given to whether or not a violation was intentional, as well as to the level of good faith shown by an employee in reporting the violation or in cooperating with any resulting investigation. Clear communication will be provided affirming that punitive action will be taken against any employee who directly participates in, authorizes, directs, approves of, conceals, or deliberately fails to report actions that violate the Code or applicable law or regulations. In addition, persons who violate any law during the course of their employment may be subject to criminal or civil penalties, as well as payment of civil damages to the Company or third parties. Preventing fraud is more cost effective than trying to recover assets after the fact. According to the 2012 Report to the Nations study published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), a staggering 40 percent of organizations did not recover any of their losses (ACFE, 2012). An article in Business Finance in May 2008 (Skalak, 2008) stated that the average cost of one incident of fraud is $3 million. The three identified frauds committed within our organization can be estimated at $10 million. At a profit margin of 10% we would need an additional $100 million of top line revenue to recover from this theft! A fraud prevention plan, properly designed and implemented, will support our organization’s efforts to mitigate losses due to occupational fraud. These initiatives may not stop fraud from occurring altogether. However â€Å"organizations with active plans which include anti-fraud controls, report lower losses and faster detection† (Plante Moran, 2012). An effective fraud prevention program is crucial to our organization to enable the firm to deliver quality products and services to our clients, and to maintain the confidence of all stakeholders. The Board of Directors must understand the fraud and corruption risks that our business faces and ensure that effective measures are in place to prevent, detect and respond quickly and appropriately to fraud and corruption. A timely approval by the Board to implement this fraud prevention initiative is strongly recommended.

Explore the phenomenal box office success of blockbuster films Jaws and Star Wars and how they forever changed the film making industry Essay Example

Explore the phenomenal box office success of blockbuster films Jaws and Star Wars and how they forever changed the film making industry Paper Contemporary cinema today is a fierce market. Most Fridays of the week see a new release featuring our favourite stars on the big screen, in the next highly anticipated movie. The seasons, Summer and Winter also see the years biggest movies hit the screen in order to satisfy our entertainment needs. However, the movie industry hasnt always operated in this way. In the early stages of cinema, our much loved multi million dollar Blockbusters were only a thing of dreams, from the incredible special effects to the massive budgets. This essay aims to explore the impact of Blockbuster films and how they have changed modern cinema, with reference to the hugely popular Star Wars franchise, and the Jaws movies. The essay will also explore the effects these films have left on popular culture, and if they still exist today.The term blockbuster simply defines as a form of media that sustains widespread popularity, achieves enormous sales figures and creates a cultural phenomenon. The beginning o f this new blockbuster era was pioneered by, Steven Spielbergs Jaws and George Lucas Star Wars franchise, both of which were released in the 1970s. The movie Jaws is about a number of shark attacks taking place on the beaches of the U.S.A, in which a $3000 bounty is offered for the animal, in which sparks off a frenzy of people attempting to hunt for the shark. The Star Wars movies tell the story of Luke Skywalker, and his fight against the evil Darth Vader and the Empires efforts to rule the galaxy.Both movies were a huge success, with Jaws being the first movie to earn over $100 million dollars at the box office, and eventually grossing over $470 million dollars worldwide. Star Wars however topped its success, by earning around $775 million dollars worldwide. Before these films, the term Blockbuster simply described the film by box office sales success, rather than its cultural phenomenon and influence on other mediums.One way in which these films changed the film making industry was through the way of merchandising. If the actual movies themselves didnt make enough money (despite doing so), the merchandise for each film would have helped. Merchandise ranges from action figures to video games to sequels and soundtracks (in which John Williams composed the soundtracks to both films). The soundtracks themselves are easily recognisable when listened to, and are so around the world. The iconic string section in Jaws when the shark is ready to hunt down its prey, to the grand orchestral opener to Star Wars, as the introduction rolls down the screen.According to Filmtracks.com, movie music before these films, soundtracks had begun to take on pop route and avoid orchestral music, until the score for Star Wars was written. The themes such as the title music and the imperial march are something of a cultural nature due to their popularity. For example, if anyone was to imitate the tune, we as a culture associate this with bad news or a bad person. The soundtrack has been released a total of six times, with re-mastered tracks and additional audio tracks. Even a disco version of the song was mixed and played in clubs a year after the films release. John Williams furthered his movie soundtrack career by providing soundtracks to countless movies, including Home Alone, Superman and the Harry Potter Movies.Altogether since 1977, Star Wars merchandise alone earned around $13.5 billion (NPR News 2007) in retail sales. Dale Pollock (author of Skywalking, an unauthorised biography of George Lucas) stated that It was much more than just action figures and toy sets It was merchandise in more variety and volume that Hollywood had ever seen. (Pollock, D, 1999). For the first time in 1977, toy stores such as Toys R Us had shelf and isle space just for movie tie ins thanks to Star Wars merchandising. With products such as this available, it helps keep the franchise alive as more than just a film, and allows the consumer to be Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader and let the movie live on. The merchandising continues today, as more and more various products are made, such as video games like the Lego Star Wars series, and further toys and action figures from the prequel films made in the 2000s. This form of mass merchandising is still happening today with other blockbuster movies, such as Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) movies and The Dark Knight (2008).The impact that these movies have left on popular culture, are also a force to be reckoned with. Both movies are frequently parodied in other forms of media. For example, the T.V series Family Guy frequently parodies the Star Wars trilogy in various episodes. Also, the T.V show dedicated a whole 45 minute, special episode named Blue Harvest, which parodies the whole of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, and are currently working on finishing up the parody trilogy by repeating this with the remaining two movies.With this in mind, we can use this example and relate it to Christian Metzs (1974) theor y of genre cycle changes. He argued that through a genres lifetime, it would go through 4 stages of changes, which can be down to technology (introduction of sound and colour) or contemporary issues (World War I, II, AIDS, Terrorism etc). These include the Experimental Stage, The Classic Stage, The Parody Stage and The Deconstruction stage. Metz suggested that the Experimental movies were very early on, and dynamic in which case we could use Frtiz Langs 1927 movie, Metropolis. Star Wars would then fit into the Classic stage, as the successful codes and conventions of early sci-fi films are taken and built on until made more formulaic. The parody stage is where the films clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s are made fun of or to re-engage with the audience, in which we can use the previous example of Family Guy, or Mel Brooks sci-fi comedy, Spaceballs. The Deconstruction stage is when the generic elements are placed out of context, for example, Kurt Wimmers Equilibrium (2002), where the mise en scene is sci-fi, yet the story is dealing with other issues, such as emotion and fascism.A strong sense of Star Wars popular culture impact was discovered in the British 2001 census. An Internet campaign that spread via email encouraged the public to identify their religion as Jedi or Jedi Knight in the other religion section. According to the BBC, the number of people in the U.K that were faithful to the Jedi religion that year was around 390,000 strong.Both movies also showed new technological innovations and furthered some already used.Jaws used rare filming techniques such as the reverse dolly zoom, originally used in Alfred Hitchcocks movies. This is when the dolly on which the camera is held moves backward on its track, whilst the camera zooms in on the face. This is used when Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) spots danger in the sea during the beach scene. Special effects were further improved with the use of animatronics. The mechanical shark, named Bruce (Times online) was actually three sharks, used for different movements. One of these was just for use in the water, improving technical areas of special effects.Star Wars special effects however have changed the movie industry forever. The effects used in the movie were way ahead of its time and have set a certain standard for future film productions.The use of foley sound is one of these. Foley sound is when sounds effects are recorded in a studio and then later placed in the film. For example, the sound of the Tie Fighter spaceships in the movie are actually noises of a bellowing Elephant and the sound of the character Jabba The Hut moving is actually the sounds of a trash can filled with wet towels.Throughout the film, Lucas used a variety of special effects techniques, new and old combined. From the use of puppets, animatronics and stop motion animation, to the use of green screen and CGI. People were willing to pay the ticket price to simply witness in awe the effects that Lucas had brought to t he screen with his special effects production company, Industrial Light and Magic. This company in itself has had a massive impact on the movie industry alone, regardless of the Star Wars movies, as it has provided special effects for countless movies and Hollywood Blockbusters. These include E.T, Star Trek Movies, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Jurassic Park and Men In Black just to name a few from Industrial Light and Magics impressive C.V. These movies clearly range from the origins of sci-fi that they were created to work for, and are now a more general company rather than a niche in the sci-fi genre. The movie trilogy also created the company Skywalker Sound, that have also progressed to work on such movies as Speed (1994), Forrest Gump (1994), Titanic (1997), Fight Club (1999) and even video games, such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008) and the Mercenaries (2005) games series. Therefore without Star Wars, these effects companies wouldnt have helped create films thro ugh time.Although with this in mind, many re releases of the original Star Wars trilogy have been issued with improved Special effects, CGI and sound. These are included years later in the special edition video and DVD versions. George Lucas stated that There were various things I wasnt happy with, special effects, scenes that hadnt been included due to money and time. (Star Wars Special Edition Video Interview). Many hardcore Star Wars fans and purists argue that the films shouldnt have been tampered with and left alone, however if they had not been restored, the original films would have deteriorated with age. Also from the same video, Rick McCallum, the producer of the special edition video stated that: if they had not been restored for this particular edition, they might not have been available ever again.With other versions of these films in mind, fans of the original Star Wars trilogy became very critical when regarding the later made prequels of the movies, especially episode I, The Phantom Menace (1999). A re edited version of the movie was created entitled, Episode 1.1: The Phantom Edit, that was allegedly better than Lucas version. The revised version contained the more promising footage from the movie. Tapes of the movie were quickly circulated through the underground scene of die-hard Star Wars fanatics.However, although with special effects making the visuals impressive, we could say that this could diminish the plots and storylines to these films.We could apply this with Vladimir Propp (1928) theory on narrative structures. He studied the narrative structures of Russian folk tales and discovered that regardless of individual differences in plot, settings, genre etc such narratives share common features, particularly character types. I shall apply his list of character types to the Star Wars movies (although may change over the course of the trilogy) in the table below.

buy custom The Obama Health Care Bill essay

buy custom The Obama Health Care Bill essay Introduction The presidents proposal on the Health Care Bill is meant to make insurance more affordable to the Americans by reducing the tax on the middle class while improving on the health insurance market and fostering a greater accountability. It is also preordained to provide means to the end of discrimination and limit the strain on the budget. It provides more stability and security to those who already have the health insurance, a quality and affordable solution to those who do not have a health care insurance yet. For the Americans in general, it intends to offer a less costly health care to the families, businessmen, and government. The law is set to affect various groups, namely the American families, children, young adults, early retirees, women, rural Americans, small businesses, Asian Americans, Latinos, African Americans, Veterans, and Americans with disabilities among the other groups. Its impacts on the groups For the physicians, the work will become more difficult as they will be imperiled to more state principles and oversight. The bill provides for more bureaucracy as in under the sections 3002, 3403 and 6301 which complicates the existing payment rules for the doctors. The new law provides no Sustainable Growth Rate Formula (SGR) fix. Besides, Congress has revealed no preference to find a solution for the ruined SGR formula minus contributing to the federal deficiency instead of approving fiscal castigation and insisting on a frank restructuring of the Medicare program (Tony M.d., 2011). The purpose of th bill should be the improvement of the doctor-patient relationship rather than the third party as proposed. It does not provide a solution for the doctors most pressing concerns such as offence reform. To the families, the bill undermines the role of parents. It states that the beneficiary clinics must respect parental consent and notification laws that are not inconsistent with Federal law. This gives the teens more voice to engage into activities that may affect them negatively without the consent of their parents. The new PRE program offers $75 million annually for the endowments to aid states moderate pregnancies and resulting births among teenagers (Aaron Cato Institute, 2009). It, however, does not give the incentive to the states to attain this objective without increasing the number of abortion rates. The law gives a penalty to marriage by providing for a lower tax on divorced than on married couples. The senior is another group that is affected by the bill. The bill restricts them from access to the physicians by the third party that negotiates almost everything without their consent. Moreover, they are more likely to pay high taxes and have limited choices of the insurance premiums of their choice (Pipes, 2010). For the small businesses, the bill adds a load of work onto their budget by subjecting them to insure their employees. This is an advantage to the employees at the first glance but, considering that their pay will be subjected to cater for the insurance, they may have to pay for expensive health care insurance though their employers are without a voice. Thhe choice of their insurance will be left to the employers to decide and can be worse than they could have had it were it of their own control. For the Rural Americans, the law provides a financial relief for both the families and their seniors. It ensures that they have a variety of choices and secure insurance cover. It as well works on providing more doctors to the people at affordable premiums. It embarks on preventive care by ensuring the elimination of the co-payment programs that were inconvenient to the people. It aims at eliminating the insurance company discrimination while providing competitive services. For the Americans with disabilities, the bill provides a long-term insurance support eliminating the insurance company discrimination while expanding the Medicare program. The bill exempts churches and religious institutions from the health care coverage. It tends to assume that the church members belong to a particular group and are well catered for. This might not be the case and thus there is a need to properly define the standings. Conclusion As much as the Obama Health care bill proves to be giving new solutions to the different existing groups of citizens, it still has a lot to be amended. It should be reviewed for a better response to the needs of the citizens. Additionally, it should answer the questions that could arise in both the present and the future times. Finally, a clear definition of each group should be provided so that everyone is at a position of benefiting fully. Buy custom The Obama Health Care Bill essay

Economics of State and Local Governments Research Paper

Economics of State and Local Governments - Research Paper Example ative inflation period during the same period, which stood at 9.06 percent, calculated by using consumer price indices for January 2013 and January 2009 (Griender). The Texas government applies sales and use taxes at the final points of sale. Consumers are taxed for the goods and services they purchased outside Texas and used within the state of Texas. The sales and use tax is the highest tax revenue for the Texas government. In the fiscal year 2014, the Texas government collected approximately $19 billion in state sales taxes. Texas charges an average tax of 6.25% for all foods (Griender). The government set the rate in the year 1990, and there have not been any changes in the rates since then. Cities, transit systems, districts in the state and counties may impose the local taxes, which may be up by another 2 %. Majority of Texas residents pay total sales taxes of 8.5%. There are, however, many goods that are exempted from this tax. These commodities include motor vehicles, crude oil, mixed drinks, insurance premiums, and aviation fuel. This is because these items are taxed under other provisions. The Texas state aims at increasing sales tax revenue and removing the exemptions. The government also puts various measures to improve collections. Some of these measures include examination of funds from sales tax, tightening the eligibility for exemptions as well as scrutinizing applications for tax refunds on items meant to be tax-free. Texas state government collects various fees that are charged to people operating motor vehicles within the state. The largest source of these records revenues is the car registration fees and permits, which are meant for special vehicles such as vehicles with excess weight and size. Motor vehicle fees generate about $2.4 billion in a fiscal year (Griender). The 82nd legislature has powers to consider proposals that aim at increasing the motor vehicle registration fees. According to estimates from the Texas Transportation