Government Spending & Budget Essays (2786 words) - Fiscal Policy

Government Spending & Budget As many Federal departments and agencies lurch into an era of running without funds, the leaders of both parties of Congress are spending less and less time searching for a compromise to balance the budget, and more and more time deciding how to use it to their advantage on the campaign trail. Meanwhile money is easily borrowed to pay for government overhead. In an attempt to change this, on June 29, Congress voted in favor of HConRes67 that called for a 7 year plan to balance the Federal Budget by the year 2002 (Hager 1899). This would be done by incorporating $894 billion in spending cuts by 2002, with a projected 7 year tax cut of $245 billion. If this plan were implemented, in the year 2002, the U.S. Government would have the first balanced budget since 1969. There is doubt by citizens that a balanced budget will become reality. A recent Gallop Poll from January, 1996 showed the budget as the #1 concern among taxpayers, but 4/5 of those interviewed said they doubt the GOP will do the job (Holding 14). Meanwhile, an ABC poll from November reported that over 70% of those polled disapprove of the current performance by Congress, and most blamed politicians for failure to take action (Cloud 3709). These accusations of failure to follow through come with historical proof that Congress and Clinton have failed to compromise and resolve the issue. After all, current budget plans are dependent on somewhat unrealistic predictions of avoiding such catastrophes as recession, national disasters, etc., and include minor loopholes. History has shown that every budget agreement that has failed was too lax. One might remember the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings bill that attempted to balance the budget, but left too many exemptions, and was finally abandoned in 1990 (Weinberger 33). So after a pain-staking trial for GOP Republicans to create, promote, and pass their budget, as promised on campaign trail 94, Clinton rejected the very bill he demanded. This essentially brought the federal budget back to square one. Clinton thought such a demand on Republicans to produce a budget would produce inner-party quarrels and cause the GOP to implode. Instead, they produced a fiscal budget that passed both houses of Congress, only to be stalemated by a stubborn Democratic President Clinton. Meanwhile, Clinton bounced back with a CBO scored plan with lighter, less risky cuts to politically sensitive areas like entitlements. Clinton's plan also saved dollars for education and did not include a tax increase, but most cuts would not take effect until he is out of office, in the year 2001. Although Clinton is sometimes criticized for producing a stalemate in budget talks, the White House points out that the debt has gone down since Clinton took office, with unemployment also falling. Republicans are quick to state that Clinton originally increased taxes in 1993 and cut defense programs, but his overall plan was for an increasing budget without deficit reduction. Startling Facts about the budget: As of 1996, the national debt was at an all time high of $5 trillion dollars, with interest running at a whopping $250 billion per year (Rau M-1). This equals out to an individual responsibility of more than $50,000 per taxpayer. Nearly 90% of that debt has accumulated since 1970, and between 1980 and 1995, the debt grew by 500%. Currently, the debt grows by more than $10,000 per second (Rau M-l), and at current rates, a baby born in 1992 will pay 71% of his or her income in net taxes. At current rates, our government is about to reach its breaking point. If that's not enough to scare a taxpayer, by 2002, 60% of government spending will be for entitlements, and by 2012, these programs are projected to take up all government revenue (Dentzer 32). Not only economic development, but also family income is hurt by debt. With the cost of living going up, it becomes harder to find a job. According to the Concord Coalition, real wages peaked in 1973 and have gone down ever since. If the economy grew as fast as it did in 1950, without a debt, the median family income would be $50,000, compared to the present median

The eNotes Blog Educator Professional Development Issues andOpportunities

Educator Professional Development Issues andOpportunities Last month the first Global Teacher Prize- $1,000,000- was awarded by the Varkey Foundation to an educator in Maine, Nancie Atwell. Described as the â€Å"Nobel Prize in teaching,† the award received a lot of publicity, and Atwell made the news when she won it. During an interview with CNN, she said that the current emphasis on standards and standardized testing is â€Å"a movement that’s turned teachers into technicians, not reflective practitioners. Considering that she has forty-plus years of teaching experience and has now been recognized essentially as the best teacher in the world, her assessment of the profession deserves attention. It also raises questions about current trends in professional development. If the teacher’s role has changed from practitioner to technician, then the focus of professional development has most likely changed, too.  The philosophy driving PD right now is evident in Professional Development in the United States: Trends and Challenges, the second phase of a three-part study by The Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.   In the preface to the report, the current focus of professional development is identified: to improve teacher quality to â€Å"bolster student achievement† and meet federal mandates. The characteristics of â€Å"high-quality† professional development are listed later in the report. Several of them are especially significant considering Nancie Atwell’s remarks about being a teacher vs. being a technician.  The overall structure of PD is now a top-down, one-size-fits-all model with a singular objective: raise test scores. The opposing view of professional development is radically different: it  argues  that teachers are professionals, unique individuals dedicated to self-assessment and personal growth as educators. Consequently, proponents of this philosophy contend that professional development should be generated from the bottom up, not imposed from the top down. Karen Webb, executive director of Fund For Teachers, a non-profit that awards teaching fellowships, explains this approach to PD in two short videos  (the QA video is great for morale!). So, those are the two current and conflicting philosophies regarding professional development. Regardless of which approach  is trending, it’s good to know that teachers, who are indeed professional people, can take charge of their own growth in the classroom. Here are some ideas for doing just that: Decide what you want to learn or to master to become a better teacher. Focus on a specific objective. Gather resources to use in accomplishing the objective. An internet search will provide many, and just about every web site designed for teachers has a Professional Development menu. Talk with colleagues and teachers who work in other schools. Talk with former teachers whom you admire and respect and who obviously knew what they were doing in a classroom. Take advantage of educational opportunities in your  community, especially if you live near a university. Many lectures and workshops are free. When you feel grounded in your objective, move on to the next one, but don’t hurry. Professional development is an ongoing process with never an end in sight. The very best teachers are dedicated lifelong learners. They know they’ll never know all there is to know about their discipline or about teaching kids, but they aren’t put off by it. They enjoy never being finished in the pursuit of excellence. Finally, check out the numerous organizations that provide professional development grants. And this brings me back to Fund For Teachers.  Active in 43 states, the non-profit has now awarded $22 million in grants to 6,000 teachers. Review the work of teachers who have pursued their own professional development here. Use the search engine and content filters to locate research projects most relevant to your own teaching. Also, go here  for links to other organizations that support professional development. Thinking about the current, contentious state of American education, I am reminded, oddly enough, of Winston Churchill. â€Å"You can always count on Americans to do the right thing,† he once said, â€Å"after they’ve tried everything else.† So maybe it’s in our character to try everything before settling on the right thing. Right now professional development seems to be focused on honing the skills of teacher-technicians. I suspect, however, that another kind of professional development is occurring every day as teachers work individually and together to grow stronger in providing kids with an education that surpasses a set of standards. It’s a happy thought. This is a guest post from Staff Writer, Susan Hurn. Susan is a former high school English teacher and college instructor. She loves writing for and also enjoys good books, creative writing, and all things related to history.   Let us know if youre interested in contributing to the   blog.

Outside Influences on Management Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Outside Influences on Management Control - Essay Example Therefore, this project description will objectively describe the influence that external environment may have on management control (Horch). The influences will include debt crisis, Affordable Care Act, policy, economic conditions, changes in technology and demographics. These will be discussed against their effects on management functions such as planning, performance knowledge and budget. Effects of Policy on Planning To start with, policy is well understood as a principle that guides decisions and achieves rational outcomes in an organization. It serves as a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure. Policies are usually formulated by senior officials within an organization to assist senior management in the decision making process (Sr and Swanson). In this respect, policies help in identification of certain programmes within an organization thereby promoting prudent spending priorities. This further helps in choosing among alternatives that are available and the impact that they may have on planning. Consequently, the intended effects of a policy on planning depend on government of a particular nation. For instance, the government may make a decision to increase the tax and this may prompt an organization to make changes in the planning process to cater for such a change. This helps to lessen the chances that the organization will face hardships and unexpected consequences.

Behavioral Psychology Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Behavioral Psychology Assignment - Essay Example Eating a lot of food and healthy quantities of vitamin-enriched food can lead to quicker and more complete development in a baby. For example, eating foods that are high in fat increases the development of the myelin sheath in neurons, which prevents degenerative neurological conditions. The nicotine in cigarettes can cause birth defects as well as lead to a premature birth of an undeveloped baby. 3. Many childhood and developmental psychologists acknowledge that children are always learning through observation. Children see actions performed and then integrate them into their personality. This can be proved using the famous Bobo doll experiment conducted by Bandura, which showed that aggressive behavior can be learned through observation. 4. The first stage is trust vs. mistrust, which occurs during infancy. Here the biggest hurdle to overcome is establishing the trusting relationship with the caregivers. The second stage is Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. Here the main source of anxi ety is learning to become self-sufficient or being forced to rely on others. The third stage is Initiative vs. Guilt. This is when the initial development of a consciousness starts with the fundamental question of whether one is good or evil. The fourth stage is Industry vs. Inferiority. Here, one focuses on what can they do in order to be a successful member in society. The fifth stage is Identity vs. Role Confusion. This is where the main neuroticism of self starts in that a person must establish one’s identity. After overcoming this stage, they enter the sixth stage of Intimacy vs. Isolation in that they enter a stage dominated by the searching for acceptance and relationships. In the seventh stage, Generativity vs. Stagnation, one looks back and says what do I have to provide for something of value for society. The last stage is Ego Integrity vs. Despair. In this, the main question is based on looking back on one’s life and asking themselves if they accomplished wh at they wanted. 5. In college, a student must become more independent and aware of one’s own finances. Being considered an adult, they must learn how to function and prioritize the usage of funds. In terms of personal development and social development, they are both interconnected in that friends will form the primary network of support. Therefore, the development of the individual is based on a collective scale. 6. The first need is that of physiological needs. In domestic violence, this is maintaining oneself as far as keeping away from injury and promoting good health. The second need is safety and that the person must feel safe both in a physical sense and in a psychological sense. The third need is through love/belonging. Having a good social support and feeling loved is essential in maintaining psychological congruence. The fourth need is self-esteem in that the person must feel confident in himself or herself. The last level is self-actualization and requires the pers on to transcend the fact they have experienced domestic violence and gain new insight from the experience. 7. Industrial psychologists operate on operant conditioning, which comes from transactional leadership principles. The uses of reinforcements are used to increase a desired result and the uses of punishment in order to make sure things are done in a proper manner. 8. Syphillis is a bacterial infection that is a sexually transmitted disease, which spreads as a result of contact

Organizational Strategic Human Resource Plan Essay

Organizational Strategic Human Resource Plan - Essay Example 5 Star Consulting has been in business for over 5 years and has worked with some of the most prestigious public relations firms in the United States. At the heart of the company is the Human Resources department which handles all aspects of staffing and employee development. By focusing on the core elements of the company which is employee development, the human resource department is largely responsible for turning 5 Star Consulting into the premier public relations consulting firm in the United States. 5 Star Consulting’s Human Resource departments main responsibility is the acquisition of new talent. By generating a pool of qualified applicants(Mathis & Jackson, 2010) 5 Star Consulting’s HRO (Head Recruitment Officer) can properly select amongst a list of qualified candidates to handle the duties that come along with being a member of the team. At 5 Star Consulting the HR Departments main job is to hire public relations professionals to enter a corporate situation an d resolve any public relation needs our client requests. Here at 5 Star Consulting our companies strength lies in the ability of our HR Departments recruiting skills. Currently our HRO’s main responsibility is to recruit the right candidates for the appropriate position. As soon as a employee enters our office, everything from signing their contract to paying their wages and catering for their need is facilitated by the HRO(Page ). 5 Star Consulting’s internal Human Resource dept. consists of 10 employees who are dedicated to the continued development of our employees. Currently each member has a specific task they are responsible for. As we touched on earlier 5 Star Consulting has a Head Recruitment Officer, 2 employees that focus on improvement of compensation packages, we have one employee who’s sole responsibility is planning within the organization, the rest of the team focuses on website design and employee retention. Because of the specialized staff the H R department can properly staff the company to help make it the most successful PR consulting agency in the Southeast. Human Resource placement is integral in producing a productive company. 5 Star Consulting takes a blended approach to the roles of the HR dept. By incorporating administrative, operational, and strategic roles within one department, 5 Star Consulting allows the sales and marketing team to focus on the tasks they were hired for. To expand a little on the break down we touched on earlier the HRO’s main responsibility within the HR department is strategic. 5 Star Consulting’s HRO is responsible for recruitment, and having a proactive approach to addressing business realities and focusing on future business needs(Mathis & Jackson, 2010). Within the Human Resource department there are two employees who focus on the operational actions of the company. 5 Star Consulting’s operational actions team focuses on employee relationship issues, and acts as an employee advocate to upper management. The rest of the Human Resource department focuses on the administrative aspects of the company. The team of six employees create personal practice procedures, and handle all legal compliance forms and paperwork(Mathis & Jackson, 2010). This section of the department also handles some strategic aspects in the form of employee retention, and website design and management. The key to 5 Star Consulting is employee retentio

Streetcar Named Desire Psychoanalytic Theory

Streetcar Named Desire Psychoanalytic Theory The story Streetcar named Desire is a vastly confusing and complicated piece of literature. The characters in the story are constantly developing and you seem to find out their background history and their mental issued from beginning to end. The many aspects of the psychoanalysis theory apply greatly to each of the characters throughout the story and understanding the theory helps you understand their histories and their inner conflicts. Stella is the sister of Blanche and throughout the whole story she plays the peace keeper of all the characters that enter her apartment. Selective perception is Stellas way of keeping her senses about herself because throughout the story Stanley her husband is the opposition of Blanches lies. Stella wants to believe that her sister is the same person mentally that she was when Stella was living back in Bella Reve. When the subject about Blanches lies comes up, Stella avoids the situation of talking about it. This helps her act like nothing is going on; also it buys Blanche time in the house because Stella is blocking Stanley from confronting Blanche. When Stella gets hit by Stanley, the fear of abandonment creeps in because she comes back to him instead of staying in the neighbors house. Partly this is because of the baby they are about to have and also because of the time period the story is set in. Stellas self-esteem is constantly belittled by her husband because of their constan t fighting ever since Blanche arrived. Stanley is the epitome of a dominate male figure over women during the 1950s. He feels empowered by his knowledge and the fact that he brings in all of the income. Stanley is a very unstable human being and constantly teeters between the sane and insane. He is constantly belittling all of the women in the story and it only increases when he drinks and plays poker with his friends. Stanley loves to feel powerful and this is clearly shown when he rapes Blanche. His friends also are belittled by him and he pretty much takes control of theirs poker games. Stanleys id side is constantly striving to be right about Blanches lies and he will not stop till he is. When he crosses the line such as when he strikes Stella and she runs away, his fear of abandonment comes into play. Out of all the characters in the story he struggles with abandonment the worst. At a point he ends up crying out for Stella at the bottom of the stairs and this is very out of character for him, being the strong manly m an act he puts on. He often displaces he anger with Blanch on his friends and wife. This cause unnecessary fighting an more turmoil that increases throughout the whole story. Blanche is the most confusing and complicated character throughout this whole story. It took rereading and watching the movie to fully understand her characters complexity. The first clue to her mental problems is when she first arrives in town and asks the young sailor for directions. This is a huge clue to actions that will happen later on in the story. Blanches mind seems to always delete the horrific things that she has experienced like when her first husband shot himself in the street. In certain moments Blanche slips into the bad moments and almost relives them. Blanche is the kind of woman that always needs the comfort of a man and for them to always glamor her with compliments. She hides in the darkness to try and cover up that she has aged and is no longer a young woman. The darkness that she tries to cover up her face with also compares to the darkness she is trying to cover up her lies with. Blanche also tries to date younger men to make herself feel young again and also t o remind her of the way she was tried when she was younger when the soldiers would come by calling out for her. Blanches character is the center point in illustrating the other characters inner struggle because in some way she brings out their flaws and inner weaknesses. Mitch is Stanleys friend and Blanches admirer. He is thoroughly infatuated with Blanche after meeting her at the apartment during a poker game. He falls head over heels for her but becomes aware of the many flaws that Blanche has. He is very scared about not finding a wife before is sickly mother passes away. This fear of abandonment pushes him to try harder for Blanche because his mother is getting older and sicker by the day. He also has lost the love of his wife when he was younger just like Blanche. Unlike Blanche, Mitch is embracing his age and works out at the gym trying to make his body fitter. When Stanley tells Mitch about Blanches true history, he is so head over heels for her that he is in denial and needs to hear it from other people. When he does believe that she is a liar he avoids her so basically he does not have to face the truth. Mitch also makes Blanche realize the real life when he exposes Blanche to lights in the bedroom. At this point in the story all the lies s tart to unravel and the story climaxes with the undoing of all the lies. I thoroughly enjoyed reading a Streetcar named Desire because it changes my views on how to look at characters and their development throughout a story. This text is a great way of understanding and applying the psychoanalytical theory to a story. In a Streetcar named Desire every aspect of the psychoanalytical theory is applied to every different character. Without watching the movie in class and discussing the story I feel that my understanding of the play would have been far from where it is now. Psychoanalytical literary pieces seem to be complex and take time to break down every character and understand the full story.

Beach Boys :: essays research papers

I'm gettin' bugged driving up and down the same old strip, I gotta finda new place where the kids are hip, My buddies and me are getting real well known, Yeah, the bad guys know us and they leave us alone. I Get Around was a number on hit in May of 1964. This was the first of many Beach Boys number of hits. Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson were the original founders of the Beach Boys, with them were Mike Love, one of their cousins, and Al Jardine, who was one of Brians’ friends. When the Beach Boys started in 1961, no one expected their music to leave its hometown, Hawthorne, California. In October of 1962, however, the Beach Boys released their first album, "Surfin' Safari." Two years later, in May of 1964, the Beach Boys had their first number on hit with, "I Get Around." On August first of the same year, the Beach Boys had their first concert at the Memorial Coliseum in Sacramento, California. From there, the Beach Boys ratings went up dramatically. As with almost any other boy band today, girls from all over the world swooned over each and every one of the members of the Beach Boys. As for the world young men, they idolized the Beach Boys, not only because they had a carefree life style, but also because all of the girls wanted them. Not only that, the Beach Boys gave of the appearance that surfers got the girls. This created a large spark of interest in surfing, making it a popular pastime. There were two main reasons parents did not like the Beach Boys. First of all, they did not like the idea of girls running around in bikini's all of the time. Secondly, parents were not too thrilled by the idea of their children idolizing people who would often get drunk on stage. Other bands were often trying to be one step higher than the Beach Boys. For bands, it was just more competition, something no one needs any more of. Today, however, other bands look up to the beach boys. They created their own type of music, a mixture of pop and rock. They very well may have created the first pop-rock mix of all time. The Beach Boys did become quite successful, with hundreds of songs, many of them hits, and dozens of albums. Even though the Beach Boys were successful, they had their own fair share of troubles.