Ethics in Urban Planning Essay Example for Free

Ethics in Urban Planning Essay What is the law on eminent domain all about? Eminent Domain is the power of the State over all the properties within its jurisdiction, both public and private. The purpose being to empower the State to appropriate property for public use – for new and road widening projects, bridges, military installations, public parks and even urban renewal (Larson, 2004). In case of private properties, how does eminent domain apply? Well, properties that the Government deems as vital for public use and welfare can be seized from private owners based on the provisions of the law on eminent domain. But the Constitution, particularly the Fifth Amendment, guaranties that â€Å"No person shall be †¦ deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation† (Hornberger, 2005). Is the law on eminent domain ethical? The answer is an absolute no. It may be legal but it does not hold any moral definition. It is still classified as large-scale theft that is backed up by legal parameters. We live based on the principles of morality that abhors theft. In fact, the customs and laws of all civilized societies prohibit any form of banditry. In the exercise of our individual freedom, we as a people have the right to use our property in ways we deemed fit – unless we infringe on the rights of other people (Tenney, 1995). In our democratic system, do we exercise our right of suffrage to make stealing legal? It sounds like people casting their votes simply because they wanted your property sequestered. Where do ethics apply then? What are the consequences? Basically, the law on eminent domain was enacted to provide a leeway for the government in the planning of its developmental projects. Projects include road improvement, probably runway extensions or perhaps public hospitals. Private lands are purchased by the government for this purpose, based on a fair market value and as guaranteed by the Constitution. This provision becomes necessary so that the government can proceed with development without the process of lengthy litigation. Lately however, the scenario has been altered with the law on eminent domain applied even on urban renewal. This is where the abuse of discretion engages a number of government officials, all in the guise of development. This scheme is morally repugnant though it does not end at that point because with the eminent domain as the carrot stick, this marginally reduces the purchase price of the property. What has government got to do with it (Tenney, 1995)? Remember that development plans rests solely on the hands of government, so a slight deviation on the zoning area reclassification would normally affect property values. Imagine if your property lies on a commercial zone and the government suddenly establishes it as part of an industrial zone, the real estate property value is likely to plummet due to rising environmental concerns. The consequence is you are likely to sell it at much reduced price. But this scheme is just the tip of the iceberg, as more devious schemes are in the offing. The most unforgiving plan of government involves the declaration of a specific area as suffering from urban blight. Blighted areas, for purposes of urban renewal, refers to areas that in the process of deterioration being a haven of uncontrolled vices (drug addicts, alcoholics and other scum of society) where the crime rate is really high or an area that is already rendered useless which may include vacant lands and air rights. Who will then determine if the property falls under the category of blighted areas? This will be up to the discretion of the government and most likely this is where abuse is glaringly documented, particularly in cases where the government is in cahoots with property developers. When this happens, government has the right to raze the property and sell it to developers with the intention of making it into an attractive urban development (Blight, 2001). In most instances areas that are declared â€Å"urban blights† normally conforms to urban redevelopment. Areas that suffer from these types of classifications are low-cost housing communities with correspondingly low revenues where homeowners who have been in domicile for years while paying regular amortization to secure rights to the property. In these instances, these homeowners are suddenly met with the prospects of relocation. With the area categorized as such, the real property value is extremely low that the proceeds of the sale are not even enough to pay for the downpayment for another unit in a new housing development site (Parlow, 2007). What about areas in commercial districts that have been subjected to the process of eminent domain? The owner may have lived or conducted business in the area for the past twenty years but the government has the temerity to invoke the provisions of eminent domain to take control of said property simply because the adjacent school needs a playground or perhaps a football field. Where do ethics come in or is this just plain common sense? If you are the owner of the property, will you be not in arms to stop the proceedings? Where is morality then? We trumpet the virtues of democracy to the outside world and yet in our own backyard we practice anarchy (Parlow, 2007). This will all redound to displacement of all families affected by the claws of eminent domain. Families will be evicted from their properties good if there is a ready site for relocation at least people can endure the inconvenience. But in most cases no relocation areas have been secured. Families will now be subjected to the task of searching for a new place as a consequence of eviction. What about their transportation need to and from work, school for their children and perhaps the affordable medical services that were readily available in their previous area (Blight, 2001). The final consequence maybe and I hope that this will not be met by evicted homeowners or storeowners or they could be relegated as the new scum of society, being degraded to a bunch of homeless citizens that have the potential of creating troubles for the government. The government shall have increased the problems associated with the housing needs and get the ire of the population. What then has this accomplished for the government in the end? Nothing, except perhaps that it compounds the problems of the locality (Hornberger, 2005). The law really smacks moral decadence, for how can you humanly evict families from their abodes without paying them fairly. Some may have inherited the property and as an ancestral abode, no amount would suffice in return for its sentimental value in the same way that no amount could compensate for the Statue of Liberty, being the symbol of freedom that Americans deeply treasure. How can you possibly sell an heirloom – a gift from the people of France, this is no longer a question of ethics, not even morality though it borders on bad taste and greed. What are the effects? Proponents of the measure on eminent domain will always sing the sad melody of development. Be that as it may, we can never stop development from happening because it is dictated by the social status of the locality. But can we not negotiate with property owners so they can also profit from the property they have tenuously preserved and paid for? It is more of a question of fair value for their property, an issue that is often ignored. Even for this gesture alone, the government, particularly the developers will benefit from the support and approval of the property owners. Let us not bully our neighbors by invoking the right of eminent domain, because that simply will not work. Who then does not desire physical development? When it means convenience to the inhabitants, particularly interchanges, super-highways, a modern airport terminal, a dazzling sports arena, an upbeat school campus or a modern hospital. Urban development on formerly blighted areas will be a big boost to the local trade as new shopping malls, five-star hotels, office towers and condominiums will be constructed. The local labor force will benefit as well, since hundreds or maybe thousands of jobs will be made available. It will be a shot in the arm for the local economy since development will encourage a lot of investors to take a chance on the improved infrastructure facilities. The government will likewise benefit from increased revenues and create more funds to finance the needs of local inhabitants. But most of all, this would drastically alter the locality’s image and skyline for the better. With a booming economy, the government can now plan ahead. Maybe exploit some more the bonanza that the new development concurred and build additional facilities to meet the increasing population requirements. As the citizen’s quality of life improves, new facilities will be needed, housing shortage will be felt, traffic congestion is possible as more and more cars will ply the streets and entertainment will be the call of the majority. The problems associated with crime and security will quadruple, new personnel will be added, police cars and gadgets will be required by our law enforcement agencies. There will be no stopping, once the wheel of development starts to roll. Then when everything seems to have settled and everybody is accustomed to the set-up, the arms of development will try to break the already serene environment. So the government will now invoke their right of eminent domain and the result, chaos strikes once again. It will be an unending cycle. The population will simply have to bear inconvenience and unfair treatment in the name of development. It is in the outlying implementation of eminent domain that government failed because officials can be motivated only with the expected revenues from the urban renewal project to disregard their main advocacy and moral obligation to its constituents – to promote, protect, and upheld the rights of the populace. Conclusion The moral and ethical question of the law on eminent domain had been subjected to criticisms from all sectors of society. It may be an effective tool for government to spice up development, but it oftentimes falls oppressive to many property owners. Sadly, the people’s right to their property has been trampled once again with no less than the Supreme Court of the United States stamping its approval on the right of government to invoke the provisions of eminent domain. Consider this. In 1954 the Supreme Court gave a ruling in a controversial case that â€Å"effectively gave government officials unlimited power to confiscate and redistribute lands†, arguing that â€Å"the concept of public welfare is broad and inclusive. The values it represents are spiritual as well as physical, aesthetic and monetary. It is within the power of the legislature to determine that the community should be beautiful as well as healthy, spacious as well as clean, well-balanced as well as carefully patrolled† (Tenney, 1995). The comment of the High Court was indeed a chilling premonition since this gave government officials the legal right to evict anybody from their properties when necessary and at their convenience. In effect this erased the intentions of our forefathers and the framers of the Constitution the absolute right of individuals to hold on to their properties (Tenney, 1995). Just recently, in a new and daunting case of Kelo vs. City of New London, Connecticut, the High Court upheld the previous ruling of 1954. In fact after due proceedings, a notice was posted at the door of the petitioner’s home stating that the petitioner have four months to vacate the property or else power police power will be used to prosecute the order based on the power of eminent domain (Larson, 2004). Is the ruling even fair? Is it morally correct to inflict undue suffering to the respondents? And is it ethical? The answer is no. That is why all the States of the Union are putting up legislations to curb the damning influence and abuse on the power of the law on eminent domain. How it will affect the future, your guess will be as good as mine!

Frankenstein as a Modern Cyborg? Essays -- Frankenstein essays

Frankenstein as a Modern Cyborg?      Ã‚   The creature ("demon") created by Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus occupies a space that is neither quite masculine nor quite feminine, although he is clearly both created as a male and desires to be in the masculine role. Judith Halberstam describes this in-between-ness as being one of the primary characteristics of the Gothic monster--being in a space that's not easily classified or categorized, and therefore being rendered unintelligible and monstrous. Donna J. Haraway posits that the post-modern science fiction cyborg occupies a similar in-between space, or, perhaps, a non-space. Similarly, Cathy Griggs argues that the post-modern lesbian is linked to this notion of the cyborg. The lesbian is rendered monstrous in social discourse by her desire to ascend into the phallic privilege, connecting this in-between-ness as both a monstrous trait and a cybernetic one. Further, the transgender man (female-to-male) occupies a similar di scursive space and provides us with a post-modern link to Frankenstein's creature, as both are surgically constructed men, a construction that, in the eyes of society, renders them monstrous (particularly for trans-men who can't pass). Frankenstein's creature embodies gender transgression on two levels, both of which are the fuel for Victor's horror: the first being the creature's status as being a surgically constructed male, the second being Victor's own gender transgression in co-opting the feminine trait of reproduction, transforming his laboratory into a virtual womb. Given the scientific origin of the creature, as well as both its and Victor's unstable gender, is it possible that the modern Gothic monster pre-fi... ...th. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York: Routledge, 1990. Griggers, Cathy. "Lesbian Bodies in the Age of (Post)mechanical Reproduction." Fear of a Queer Planet. Ed. Michael Warner. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1993. 178-192. Halberstam, Judith. Skin Shows: Gothic Horror and the Technology of Monsters. Second ed. Durham: Duke UP, 1995. Haraway, Donna J. "The Promises of Monsters: A Regenerative Politics for Inappropriate/d Others." Cultural Studies. Eds. Lawrence Grossberg, Cary Nelson and Paula A. Treichler. New York: Routledge, 1992. 295-337. Haraway, Donna J. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. New York: Routledge, 1991. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. 1983 ed. New York: The Penguin Group, 1963. Zizek, Slavoj. The Sublime Object of Ideology. London: Verso, 1989.

A Comparative Look at the Japanese Healthcare System

A Comparative Look at the Japanese Healthcare Systems The Japanese health care system is one of the most efficient in the world. In fact, it is so efficient that the people of Japan have the highest life expectancy rate of any other country in the world (The Economist, 2011). Life expectancy at birth was 83 years in 2009 ; 79. 6 for males and 86. 4 years for females (Wikipedia, 2012). The Japanese government has been able to accomplish this through strict regulations and policies.Although this system has worked for the people of Japan since its institution in 1961, heir healthcare system is now facing financial ruins if changes are not implemented in the near future. It is my intent to explore why the Japanese health system has been able to function in a cost effective way and how it affects health outcomes. Japan has a universal health system called kaihoken (The Economist, 2011). Citizens are required to get insurance. Most people get it through their employers and are responsible for paying10%, 20%, or 30% of their healthcare costs depending on their family size and income.The government covers the difference (Wikipedia, 2012). If a itizen cannot get coverage through an employer then they have the option of participating in a national health insurance program that is managed by the local government (Wikipedia, 2012). Japanese citizens are free to go to any physician or healthcare facility that they want and cannot be denied treatment (Wikipedia, 2012). Because of this freedom, Japanese citizens visit the doctor four times more than the average American does in a year (Wikipedia, 2012). Japan has strict regulations on the healthcare system that allows them to keep their costs down.Japan has about the owest per capita health care costs among the advanced nations of the world, at around $2,873 (Arnquist, 2009). They are able to do this for many reasons. The first being they set a fixed price for services and medications with physicians every two years. This way there is no question about what their compensation will be (Harden, 2009). Also, administrative costs are four times lower than they are in the United States, partly because insurance companies cannot set rates for treatment or deny claims. It is against the law for them to make profits or advertise to attract low-risk, igh-profit clients (Harden, 2009).The downside to all of this is physicians in Japan are overworked and underpaid, making an average of about $125,000 by the time they are midway into their careers (The Economist, 2011). There is evidence that physicians and hospitals compensate for minimal reimbursement rates by providing more services. This is acceptable because the fee-for-service system does not limit the supply ot care comprehensively. Japan's physicians oversee almost three times as many consultations a year as their colleagues in other developed countries do. There s also a shortage of physicians within Japan, especially those who practice specialty medicine. In Japan, physicians who practice primary care makes more money than their colleagues who practice highly specialized care (Arnquist, 2009). This is the complete opposite from American doctors. Some other issues that the Japanese healthcare system faces are an aging population and an overutilization of services. As stated earlier, Japan has the highest life expectancy rate in the world. This also means that the government will have to take care of more of their citizens' medical eeds for an extended period of time. It is estimated that by 2050 two-fifths of the population will be over the age of 65 (The Economist, 2011).With an aging population and low birth rates, this puts a substantial strain on government spending. Another problem that Japan faces is an overutilization of services. By this I mean citizens are much more likely to go see a physician for minor illnesses because there are no restrictions on which they can see at any time, without proof of medical necessity and with full insurance coverage (Henke et. al. , 2009). Since everyone has access to edical care, long wait times in physician offices and overcrowding in emergency rooms are commonplace.A report has shown that more than 14,000 emergency patients were rejected at least three times by hospitals in Japan before getting treatment (Wikipedia, 2012). The average length of a hospital stay is two to three times as long in Japan as in other developed countries (Henke et. al. , 2009). In contrast, the U. S. has a lower life expectancy than Japan at 78. 7 years (CDC, 2010). This is in large part to our high obesity rates and unhealthy lifestyles. The older population, those persons aged 65 years and older, makes up about 12. % of the U. S. population (AOA, 2013).Both Japan and the U. S. have seen declines in their birthrates. But unlike Japan, Americans are less likely to seek medical care for minor ailments such as the Japanese. This is due to the fact that a large number of Americans have little to none insurance coverage. Those that do have coverage often have copays. Another vast difference between the two healthcare systems is the insurance regulations that many Americans encounter. It is not an uncommon practice for insurance companies to deny patients claims and not cover certain medical treatment.The patients are then forced to appeal the claim, pay out of pocket, or simply do without the treatment that they needed. One would think that because the Japanese have so much access to health services that their health outcomes would be above average. This is not always the case. The physician shortage means long wait times and shorter consultations. Those that have complicated medical cases often do not get the proper amount of medical attention (The Economist, 2011). The Japanese are only a quarter as likely as Americans to suffer a heart attack, but twice as likely to die if they do (The Economist, 2011).An oversaturation of hospitals also affects health outcomes. Research has shown that health outcomes are better when the centers and physicians responsible for procedures perform large quantities of them. Because Japan has so many hospitals, very few are able to achieve this (Henke et. al. , 2009). The small scale of most Japanese hospitals also means that they are inadequately equipped with intensive- care and other specialized units. Very few Japanese hospitals have oncology units. Theretore, a number ot ditterent departments in each hospi tal deliver care tor cancer Henke et. l. , 2009). In the U. S. physicians and nurse are required are certain number of Continuing Education hours every few years in order to renew their license. This helps them stay current with medical practices and sharpens their skills. In Japan, once a doctor or nurse is licensed, they are no longer required to further their education. There is no central agency oversees the quality of these physicians' training nor are there criteria for board certification in specialties (H enke et. al. , 2009). Despite some flaws, the Japanese healthcare system is able to do many hings well.For one, the Japanese system is quite proficient in chronic care, particularly due to the fact that it has so many older people. Along with appropriate medical care, Japan also provides long-term care to all older people who need it through a public insurance system that started in 2000 (Henke et. al. , 2009). In Japan, a person's income does not influence the quantity and quality of medical care that they receive. Premiums and out-of-pocket costs are minor concerns for most people, and those whom have a low-income and the elderly receive subsidies to afford care Arnquist, 2009).

Personal Statement on Why I Want to Join Pharmacy School

I have for a long time been interested in drugs and their interactions. As a child, I remember my younger brother being allergic to crustaceans. This meant that I would always go to the drugstore to purchase anti-allergy drugs which would bring him relief. His allergy resulted in severe physical symptoms like: swollen face; difficult breathing due to reactions in his respiratory tract; and rashes all over his body. It always amazed me and my brother how the medicine seemed to work like magic and this aroused my curiosity about how it worked. This inspired me to take Biology at the University. At community college, I unfortunately achieved a low GPA of 3.0 due to the difficult circumstances under which I was studying. This was because my father developed stomach cancer and had to undergo surgery. This left me to work hard and support our family; I had to work at my father’s tire shop during the week and weekends. Thankfully, my father’s condition improved and by the time I was transferring to 4th year at university, my GPA improved to 3.53. This was because he was able to come back to work, leaving me with more time to study, though I still continued to help out at the shop. I want to join pharmacy school because of the interest I cultivated in childhood. As an adult, my interest changed into passion; I am intrigued by drug discovery and design. The passion and drive which I have for pharmacy will enable me to work very hard in pharmacy school. Since January 2011, I have been working as a lab technician for a company which manufactures a variety of dietary supplements. This position requires me to test for the chemicals in the dietary supplements. Working as a lab technician has enabled me to understand the various components of the dietary supplements and their various interactions. This job has confirmed my passion for pharmacy and ignited a desire to join pharmacy school so that I can learn more and make a contribution to the great science of pharmacy. It is my great aspiration to be part of a team in developing a new drug after completing Doctor of Pharmacy. I am part of a volunteer organization called HGME in Northridge which provides support and services for children with autism. HGME operates a program which helps autistic children to adapt to society with the active support of volunteers. Each volunteer has to complete the requirements by SGPV Chapter of the American Red Cross for adult, child, and infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation, (CPR). Working with autistic children has taught me the value of patience and selfless dedication; one cannot expect great short term changes because observing changes in autistic children can take a long time. These values will be priceless as I pursue a career in pharmacy because patience and dedication are necessary in the long and grueling process of drug design. In conclusion, I believe a career in pharmacy will be a natural progression for me in my life. Since my childhood, my interest in pharmacy has been ignited and fuelled. My family experiences with my allergic brother and sick father also served to fuel my passion. My job as a lab technician cemented my burning desire to become a pharmaceutical scientist. I am eager to study hard and make significant contributions to the world of pharmacy in service to humanity. Works Cited Bureau of Labour Statistics. Pharmacists: Occupational Outlook Handbook. Web.14 June 2011. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos079.htm