The Financial Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana Essay -- Argumentative

For over a century, marijuana has been illegal in the United States and in a lot of cases it remains prohibited because it has been prohibited for so long. Laws in California and Colorado are currently popular in the media because they are legalizing and taxing marijuana production and distribution. After adding sales and excise taxes to the sales price in these states, consumers are purchasing marijuana legally for a lower price than its black market price. Revenue gained from taxes in these states is being put towards such things as education and regulation of the substance. The responsible disbursing of marijuana tax is being exemplified in California and Colorado. Be that as it may, people continue to argue against legalizing and taxing marijuana for such reasons as its negative health effects, the ability of individuals to evade taxes on cannabis, and its legalization spreading to other states. Those opposed to changing marijuana laws stand firm in their beliefs that spending ta x dollars on incarcerating and policing marijuana users and distributors is beneficial to society. In turn, the current state of affairs remains unchanged, funneling billions of untaxed dollars in to the black market each year. If marijuana were legalized, the black market would see no other outcome than losing that capital to its competitor, state governments and hopefully the federal government as well. The theory that collecting taxes on marijuana, otherwise purchased untaxed through the black market, boosts state economies more than spending tax revenues on policing it as an illegal substance is a difficult theory to disprove. Although policing and incarcerating marijuana-related criminals certainly costs the government more than generating tax ... ...ues-u-s-government-to-stop-harborside-medical-marijuana-seizures/ Oldham, J. (2013, November 4). Marijuana Vote in Colorado Weighs 25% Tax. In Bloomberg | Personal Finance. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-05/marijuana-vote-in-colorado-weighs-25-tax-for-recreation.html Passie, T., Emrich, H. M., Karst, M., Brandt, S. D., and Halpern, J. H. (2012, June 26). Mitigation of post-traumatic stress symptoms by Cannabis resin: a review of the clinical and neurobiological evidence. In US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22736575 Woo, S. (2009, April 30). Oakland Council Backs a Tax on Marijuana. In The Wall Street Journal | Politics and Policy. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB124105239168771233

Nursing-Sensitive Indicators Essay

The structure, processes, and outcome factors of nursing care are reflected in Nursing-Sensitive Indicators (NSIs). There are several things that the nurses in the provided scenario could have done to promote quality patient care. By being aware of restraint use as an NSI the hospital staff would be more likely to increase their focus and attention to its need and any development of complications. This increased focus and attention could have led to the development of educational opportunities for the hospital staff on the identification of pressure ulcer related complications. Had the nurse and nursing supervisor been aware of patient/family/caregiver satisfaction as an NSI they may have reacted differently in the situation. According to the physician in the scenario, there have been multiple complaints by Jewish patients about the disregard for their dietary requests. Having this data and information available can aid in developing and educational session for hospital staff includi ng dietary workers, nurses, and certified nursing assistants about the importance of respecting patient’s cultural requests. It is possible that some of the problems identified in the scenario were a related to the structure of the system and a result of inadequate staffing, educational, or experience levels. Being able to collect data on these NSIs can aid in identifying issues within this organization structure and make appropriate changes to ensure better quality patient care outcomes. For example, some issues may be related to there not being an adequate number of nursing on the unit. Collecting relevant data would help to identify this as an issue, possibly a recurring issue, which would lead to the assigning of more nurses to that particular unit. Quality Patient Care Nursing-sensitive indicators can provide data to help identify needs and diminish risks. Part of the reason why nursing-sensitive indicators are used is to be able to make changes and adjustments to policies and procedures of  a hospital, if necessary. Quality patient care can be advanced in this situation by collecting data on specific nursing-sensitive indicators. Data on the prevalence of restraint use and consequential complications (e.g. pressure ulcers, contractions, anxiety, incontinence, and other complications) can aid in maintaining awareness of risks and allowing the nurse to take proper steps to limit their occurrence. Data on patient/family/caregiver satisfaction can help illustrate whether the quantity and quality of nursing care needs to be improved. Data on nursing satisfaction and staffing can help to assess whether changes need to be made to staffing numbers, whether more experienced nurses are needed, whether more educational opportunities are need for the hospital staff, for example. System Resources, Referrals, or Colleagues There are a few ethical issues that in the provided scenario which need addressing from the nursing shift supervisor. The first occurs when the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) fails to appropriately address the possibility of a developing pressure ulcer. A wound care team can be consulted about developing an educational program about pressure ulcers for hospital staff. Also, there is the issue of restraints. The ordering physician should be contacted about the necessity of restraint use. Along with the wound care team, data could be collected about the use of restraints and the subsequent development of pressure ulcers. In the scenario, the patient was not served a â€Å"kosher† diet as the order indicated. The physician could be contacted to illicit more information about the several dietary complaints. The hospital administrator can, also, be contacted to inquire about any other dietary complaints before contacting the kitchen supervisor. The hospital ethics committee is a valuable resource when a need for education arises. The daughter was not told of the dietary mistake and was later inadvertently informed by a dietary worker. Members of the Ethics committee may be able to conduct an educational session for hospital workers about being patient advocates.

Is Super Size Me Convincing? Essay

The doctors were certain that if he did not end the experiment immediately, he would have caused irreparable damage to his body. Using the rhetorical triangle, we can illustrate how the documentary utilizes the three points of logos, ethos, and pathos in order to establish a well founded, credible, and effective argument. Without the use of the rhetorical triangle, trying to create a well founded, credible account of anything would be difficult. One could argue that if an argument lacks any part of the rhetorical triangle, the argument is incomplete, and has no credibility or effectiveness. The rhetorical triangle provides the structure; the frame of a well thought out and well presented meaningful argument. And by doing so – using the rhetorical triangle, on can create a nearly foolproof reasoning and support for something they believe or support. This is what Spurlock has done here. The message; the appeal to ethos – the argument, the reason, data, evidence, and structure. The documentary uses simple, straightforward scientific methods to gather, collect, and analyze the data obtained from the study. Spurlock does this in order to get the message to people that eating nothing but fast food all of the time is terribly detrimental to your body. Your health suffers, and can even affect you mentally. Throughout the movie, he provides a simple structure of the task at hand, to eat nothing but McDonald’s all day, every day, for every meal. He does this to show that in no way is eating fast food good for you and that it should absolutely be limited if not totally eliminated from your diet. Fast foods have caused – or at least helped to cause many American’s problems with obesity and iseases such as diabetes. There have been many studies to support these claims and none are unfounded assumptions. The next unit of the rhetorical triangle that the documentary has covered is that of pathos – the audience and the appeals to their emotions, beliefs, values, knowledge and experience. Every American and many of the other peoples of the world have heard of McDonaldâ⠂¬â„¢s. They all know of food, and most have had experience with it as well. They know that it tastes good, and is fast and easy. They believe that it is perfectly harmless as well, most of them, anyhow. What they don’t know is that it is absolutely terrible for you and causes much more harm than good. What the movie tries to do is show how the effects of eating so much fast food can harm you. The results can be absolutely horrible, and if left uncorrected could lead to permanent damage. The movie tries to use the shock and scare factor of your emotions to get their message across that this stuff is no good. Any intelligent, rational person will take a step back and think twice about what they eat and especially whether or not to eat fast food, even a little. The effect for some people may be nothing, but others, like me will initially completely avoid fast food because of the shock that the movie gave us. Later on, however, after the shock has passed it is no big deal to go back for a burger – which can be dangerous. The biggest appeal to fast food it just that – it is fast. It is fast, easy, convenient and tasty. Quite appealing. The use of pathos on children is especially prevalent in McDonalds. They target children everywhere, on television, in schools, on signs, and on billboards. Children today cannot avoid them. They use these advertisements almost subliminally, so that the children will crave and seek out their food. Once they get there, they are overwhelmed with flashy, fun advertising gimmicks. They have happy meals with toys to entice them with, and a playground too. Why wouldn’t a child want to go to a place like that? Food, toys, and a playground all in one, it is wonderful. I remember I used to always enjoy going there as a kid. I cannot stand McDonalds now, however, for many it has and will become a life-long bond of company and consumer. This is exactly what McDonalds wants and is what they thrive on, f course – they are a business. The last appeal to be covered is that of ethos – credibility, authority, appearance and eloquence. Here, as in other aspects there are two sides to the ethos in this documentary. On one side is Spurlock and his doctors and professionals, and on the other side, McDonalds. First off, McDonalds wants you to think that their food is noth ing but tasty and filling – which it can be. They do not want you to know the harmful and unhealthy aspects of eating there. After all, they want you to come back and spend more money! What Spurlock wants to do with his documentary is get the message out that what we are doing to ourselves by eating this food is hurting us. He wants to expose that what the fast food business is doing is wrong. He does a good job of doing this, as he is very clear about what he is doing, and how he does it. He uses credible people such as doctors, scientists, and specialists to support his claims and make sure what he tells us is accurate. He does a great job of creating a convincing argument – one that is difficult to pick apart and find fault within. He has done a great job of providing clear, concise, convincing data. The movie Super Size Me is a great documentary and does a wonderful job of – well, documenting the research that Spurlock has done. He put himself through thirty days of hell of eating nothing but McDonald’s food in order to show what would happen if that is all you ate – nothing but McDonald’s food for an entire month. The result was shocking and horrifying at the same time. Spurlock gained over twenty pounds of body fat – while probably losing quite a lot of muscle mass and gained nearly twenty percent body fat. After thirty days that is amazing. His health deteriorated to the point that he nearly caused permanent damage to some of his vital organs such as his liver. The results were simply shocking, and they were foolproof as well, everything was done in a way that no one can argue with them and say that well, this was not caused by eating only McDonald’s. It was all directly caused by the food. This a very well structured and convincing study and they have done a great job through the documentary of portraying the information to the public.

Free Essays on Role Of Blacks In The Civil War

Black Involvement in the Civil War â€Å"We must fight now, not because we want to subjugate the South but because we must,† (McPherson 486) was the cry of the Northerners during slavery. Like Galations 5:1 states, †It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burned again by the yoke of slavery.† This means that we should stand firm against everything that is wrong, because Jesus has set everyone free from sin just like the Civil War set slaves free from slavery. The Civil War, also known as the war Between the States, was fought on American soil and was the result of the disagreement between the South and the North on slave issues. After the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation it become a fight of freedom for blacks (Sawyer 15-18, Meltzer 73-82). During the slave trade, African American were transported by Europeans who planned to sell them as slaves. If the slaves were weak or unhealthy they were often abandoned. Nearly 50,000 blacks chained side-by side were brought to America. They were placed in the slave market when they arrived in America, and at auction white property was often sold along with the slaves (Hughes 14-16). Opponents of slavery, called Abolitionists, believed slavery was immoral and the Declaration of Independence should be applied to everyone, slaves as well as whites, that they might enjoy the rights of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† (Hughes 40-42, Meltzer 79-84). The Civil War occurred for many reasons. One was the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States in 1860. The Southern Democrats did not accept Lincoln as president, because they believed that his stand against the expansion of slavery would ruin the South (Encarta). Another reason was the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed each new territory to decide whether the new state would be a free state or a slave state. This lau... Free Essays on Role Of Blacks In The Civil War Free Essays on Role Of Blacks In The Civil War Black Involvement in the Civil War â€Å"We must fight now, not because we want to subjugate the South but because we must,† (McPherson 486) was the cry of the Northerners during slavery. Like Galations 5:1 states, †It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burned again by the yoke of slavery.† This means that we should stand firm against everything that is wrong, because Jesus has set everyone free from sin just like the Civil War set slaves free from slavery. The Civil War, also known as the war Between the States, was fought on American soil and was the result of the disagreement between the South and the North on slave issues. After the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation it become a fight of freedom for blacks (Sawyer 15-18, Meltzer 73-82). During the slave trade, African American were transported by Europeans who planned to sell them as slaves. If the slaves were weak or unhealthy they were often abandoned. Nearly 50,000 blacks chained side-by side were brought to America. They were placed in the slave market when they arrived in America, and at auction white property was often sold along with the slaves (Hughes 14-16). Opponents of slavery, called Abolitionists, believed slavery was immoral and the Declaration of Independence should be applied to everyone, slaves as well as whites, that they might enjoy the rights of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† (Hughes 40-42, Meltzer 79-84). The Civil War occurred for many reasons. One was the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States in 1860. The Southern Democrats did not accept Lincoln as president, because they believed that his stand against the expansion of slavery would ruin the South (Encarta). Another reason was the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed each new territory to decide whether the new state would be a free state or a slave state. This lau...

The Doomed Journey of Panfilo de Narvaez in Florida

The Doomed Journey of Panfilo de Narvaez in Florida Panfilo de Narvaez (1470-1528) was born to an upper-class family in Vallenda, Spain. Although he was older than most Spaniards who sought their fortunes in the New World, he nevertheless was extremely active in the early conquest period. He was an important figure in the conquests of Jamaica and Cuba in the years between 1509 and 1512. He acquired a reputation for ruthlessness; Bartolome de Las Casas, who was a chaplain on the Cuba campaign, recounted horrible tales of massacres and chiefs being burned alive. In Pursuit of Cortes In 1518, the governor of Cuba, Diego Velazquez, had sent the young conquistador Hernan Cortes off to Mexico to begin the conquest of the mainland. Velazquez soon regretted his actions, however, and decided to place someone else in charge. He sent Narvaez, with a large force of more than 1,000 Spanish soldiers, to Mexico to take command of the expedition and send Cortes back to Cuba. Cortes, who was in the process of defeating the Aztec Empire, had to leave the recently subdued capital of Tenochtitlan to return to the coast to fight Narvaez. The Battle of Cempoala On May 28, 1520, the forces of the two conquistadores clashed at Cempoala, near present-day Veracruz, and Cortes won. Many of Narvaez’s soldiers deserted before and after the battle, joining Cortes. Narvaez himself was jailed in the port of Veracruz for the next two years, while Cortes retained control of the expedition and the vast wealth that came with it. A New Expedition Narvaez returned to Spain after being released. Convinced that there were more wealthy empires like the Aztecs to the north, he mounted an expedition that was doomed to become one of the most monumental failures in history. Narvaez got permission from King Charles V of Spain to mount an expedition into Florida. He set sail in April 1527 with five ships and about 600 Spanish soldiers and adventurers. Word of the riches earned by Cortes and his men made finding volunteers easy. In April 1528, the expedition landed in Florida, near present-day Tampa Bay. By then, many of the soldiers had deserted, and only about 300 men remained. Narvaez in Florida Narvaez and his men clumsily made their way inland, attacking every tribe they met. The expedition had brought insufficient supplies and survived by pillaging meager Native American storehouses, which caused violent retaliation. The conditions and lack of food caused many in the company to become ill, and within a few weeks, a third of the members of the expedition were severely incapacitated. The going was tough because Florida was then full of rivers, swamps, and forests. The Spanish were killed and picked off by irate natives, and Narvaez made a series of tactical blunders, including frequently dividing his forces and never seeking allies. The Mission Fails The men were dying, picked off individually and in small groups by native attacks. Supplies had run out, and the expedition had alienated every native tribe it had encountered. With no hope to establish any sort of settlement and with no help coming, Narvaez decided to abort the mission and return to Cuba. He had lost touch with his ships and ordered the construction of four large rafts. The Death of Panfilo de Narvaez It is not known for certain where and when Narvaez died. The last man to see Narvaez alive and tell of it was Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, a junior officer of the expedition. He recounted that in their final conversation, he asked Narvaez for help the men on Narvaezs raft were better fed and stronger than those with Cabeza de Vaca. Narvaez refused, basically saying â€Å"every man for himself,† according to Cabeza de Vaca. The rafts were wrecked in a storm and only 80 men survived the sinking of the rafts; Narvaez was not among them. The Aftermath of the Narvaez Expedition The first major incursion into present-day Florida was a complete fiasco. Of the 300 men who landed with Narvaez, only four ultimately survived. Among them was Cabeza de Vaca, the junior officer who had asked for help but received none. After his raft sunk, Cabeza de Vaca was enslaved by a local tribe for several years somewhere along the Gulf Coast. He managed to escape and meet up with three other survivors, and together the four of them returned overland to Mexico, arriving some eight years after the expedition landed in Florida. The animosity caused by the Narvaez expedition was such that it took the Spanish years to establish a settlement in Florida. Narvaez has gone down in history as one of the most ruthless yet incompetent conquistadors of the colonial era.

United States Department of Labor Case Study Assignment

United States Department of Labor Case Study - Assignment Example Individuals who qualify for the programs require disbursing the premium exclusively to cover a maximum of one hundred and two percent of the plan cost. COBRA assimilation by parliament took place in the year 1986, and its health benefits provisions prove accredited. The law reviews the ‘Employee Retirement Income Security Act’, the ‘Internal Revenue Code’ and the ‘Public Health Service Act’ ensure continuation of collective health coverage which would not have been in existence (United States & United States, 2007). Employers with more than 20 employees, for more than a year in the program, have the benefit of extension of health coverage, designed for their employees and their families, in cases where the coverage plans deems ending. Cobra gives out the methods by which the employees and their families can elect coverage continuation through their employers (United States & United States, 2007). Compliance with the federal laws Cobra ensures that it complies with the federal laws and any other related agencies. Its department of labor and treasury has power over private sector collective health plans. The Department of Health and Human Services expresses the operational law coverage affecting public sectors health plans. The labor section’s deductive and authoritarian accountability confines the release, and notification needs of COBRA. Number issuing done to customers in case one needs clarifications of any form. COBRA’s activities are regulated by the Internal Revenue Service, D epartment of the Treasury, it monitors their qualifications regarding, coverage and premiums, the continuation coverage needs for collective health plans. The departments responsible for implementation of these provisions are the labor and treasury departments (Jasper, 2009). How employees use this information to ensure that their right are protected Information is useful in ensuring the rights of employees are protected in that when the employees know who is legible for compensation, and in what cases they can claim compensation; there would be fewer cases of grievances in the organization. The employees are provided with contacts on who to consult in case they have any query relating to temporary extension of their health returns. Employees should always ensure that; COBRA or any other organizational plan is in use, depending on their organizational strategies to avoid any inconveniences. Continued coverage takes various forms as it may cover union members with collective bargaini ng agreement. The requirement, for employers and health plan administrators, of supplying a general notice in case they deem entitled to COBRA benefits is inevitable. COBRA subjected employees always receive notifications of their membership immediately after assimilation in a COBRA registered organization (United States & United States, 2007). In case of termination of an employee’s legibility to health coverage, the employer is responsible for providing notifications concerning the right s of the employees to COBRA continuation returns. Plan administrators wholly depend on employers for notifications concerning termination or lessened work hours to enable them successfully terminate the health benefits of the affected employees. The employer must provide information concerning the affected employee thirty days after the alteration of the employee’s contract. After which the plan administrator provide information to the employee within the fourteen days of the after

Financial Statement and Operating Indicator Analysis Essay

Financial Statement and Operating Indicator Analysis - Essay Example The current ratio is a liquidity ratio and indicates the extent to which an organization can cover its short term liabilities by its liquid assets. It is calculated by dividing the total current assets in the organization with the total current liabilities.This ratio seeks to examine the revenue of the organization as a function of its expenses. It includes the revenues of the organization from all sources in its calculation. The ratio is usually derived by dividing the net income of the organization with the total revenue. A high ratio means that the organization can cater for its costs efficiently, and indicates profitability. On the other hand, a lower ratio indicates that an organization could be experiencing financial difficulties, and may not have the ability to give viable returns to investors (Chandra, 2010).A major challenge concerned with financial statement analysis relates to the inability of the statements to recognize the seasonal qualitative changes, which occur in the course of normal business. These changes include changes in management, government policies, as well as labor strikes. Such changes affect the financial position of the business, thus including them in the financial analysis is significant. Therefore, users of analysis should require financial analysts to assess the implications of such factors on the organization’s profitability, and report to them (â€Å"Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives†, 2008).