Health in the United States

When you come to think about it, the current status of health in the United States is appalling. This is due primarily to the withholding of information by the pharmaceutical corporations that dominate the American health industries. The American governments needs to get more involved in the monopolizing of these huge drug conglomerates and implement laws that prevent them from withholding from us medications that would give to the American people the needed medications that would vastly improve their lives and in many other situations actually help to save lives the world over.

I believe that the current administration is definitely in touch with the American people by implementing the needed health programs that are formed within Affordable Health Care Act. The administration also through the Cabinet has implemented fact finding organizations that have informed the public on how to better take care of their health issue. The American public needs to be educated about the need to perform some light and non-strenuous exercises such as the thirty minute walks and a more healthy selection of meal planning and also better food choices, such as staying away from fast and fattening foods. The video stated that people who walk their dogs can get the needed daily exercise that their bodies require and the more exercise at least up to sixty minutes will give even greater health benefits. Studies have been conducted that by performing these exercises a large percentage of people can vastly increase their personal health.  In my opinion the video that was viewed gives very pertinent information that can be utilized by the public in the efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Los Angeles

          Los Angeles is one of the great cities of the world. Los Angeles has for decades attracted many forms of businesses to its city limits for many reasons; one of its major reasons is location. The Pacific Ocean is at our doorstep and attracts millions of people from all over the globe to the City of Los Angeles. 

          The yearly climate remains pretty much at a constant eighty six degrees, not to hot and not to cold, it gives Los Angeles the Goldilocks’ affect as far as temperature goes. Many businesses are attracted to us because of our great weather, and who can blame them. Our universities in Los Angeles are also some of the best in the world, and we graduate individuals that any organization would be proud to employ.

          The city of Los Angeles is in a prime position to offer businesses prime incentives to locate here. We will assist any business that wishes to relocate here or wishes to set up facilities here in procuring the most effective locations pertaining to their business. We will also assist with the optimum tax deferments that are allowed by law. We are confident that your decision to locate your facilities here in the great city of Los Angeles will prove to be a wise one. Special considerations will be given to your corporation if you choose to build a manufacturing plant in the inner city. Extremely special incentives will be provided by the federal, state, and city governments.
The Hope VI grant is definitely something I would consider if I was in a small city.  But, Los Angeles is not a developing city and it is not small.  It does not need the grant to shine on its own.  It is a wonderful city with a lot of activity and commerce and is indeed capable of supporting itself on its own.

Extra Credit - High Speed Railway

The longer video is a libertarian critique for why highways are a better investment than high speed rail, and the other videos provide some details about current projects.  Assess the feasibility of high speed rail from the concepts we studied in class and the reading. Would mainstream economist support this initiative? What are they not considering in their analysis that we discussed?  At the end of your discussion, discuss your own position on high speed rail projects


The high speed rail concept is a great idea which however fails in execution.  The current system is that most people prefer to use their cars rather than trains.  The speaker talks about how the railway line between Chicago and St. Louis takes approximately 3.5 hours.  A high speed rail system would take the time to around 3 hours.  Thus, this system would not really be helpful.  Highways on the other hand are being currently used by people and are guaranteed funded by the highway tax.  They allow 99% of the surface travel and thus need to be improved instead of money stolen from their funds towards this new technology which is questionable at best.  The mainstream economists would not approve of high speed rails because this is not a growing technology.  People is Asia and Europe are also opting to use personal transportation over railways.  Therefore, it seems that investing in something that has less of a market share is not such a good idea.  The discussion is on money and whether this form of transportation is convenient.  Rather, the focus should be on whether cars are the way to the future.  Personal cars pollute the environment and are unsafe.  Highways are also great disruptors of the natural environment.  High speed rails on the other hand are more efficient energy wise and can move more people and goods.  They are also environmentally friendly and are very safe.  
I think the high speed rail project is the way to the future.  People might argue that they are expensive and that will not be used.  I disagree, if high speed rails are the only mode of transportation then people will ride them.  If they are convenient and cheap, people will ride them. Cars are a great option for travelling to rural areas.  However, in cities and between cities, high speed train travel is the only way to go.

Education system

                                                        Testing the test scores

     I have interviewed several teachers about the governmental need to get and to keep American test scores high. According to these teachers and educators the program which was implemented by former President George W. Bush “No student left behind”, has placed a great burden on them.

     These educators claim that education has become a political issue instead of a learning one. They are being squeezed and pressured by their school administrators to pass students that should and need to be held back a year or maybe even more in order to grasp the concepts being taught to them. The pressure being applied to the teachers to pass students is in order to keep the funds from the federal government coming into the district coffers.

     I can honestly see why the government wants to educate the students. I think it was for good and honorable reasons, but as usual money has corrupted the entire system. Greed on the part of the school districts and politicians’ has took what was an issue with good and proper intentions and turned it into a money making cookie cutter educational system that in my opinion needs drastic reforming. 

Week 2 Blog Post

Hello! I am an international student so unfortunately lack the perspective that some of my American colleagues have regarding the city of Phoenix.  In my opinion, low income immigrants would choose to stay away from Phoenix since it is an expensive area.  They would live in the suburbs such as Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa. They also would not want to pick Tempe since Tempe is basically a college town.  I would not choose to move away from this place since it is so convenient for me.  I can wake up and be in school within half an hour.  The metro rail provides quick access to downtown if I ever feel the need to go there.  However, I don’t go to downtown since I have everything I need here in Tempe.  The model of gentrification is definitely here in Tempe.  The old people are moving to Chandler which seems like a good place to raise a family since it is quieter and away from the rush. According to Burgess model I would choose Zone Four as the place for my immigrant family.  Since this zone would have apartment complexes be a bit lively and have access to economic opportunities.  This is what I would choose since money would be tight and the place would have to be affordable.

The other thing that I think would impact my decision to live as an immigrant would be to see if people from my ethnic background were living in the same area.  Migrant families go through a phase of assimilation in which the foreign customs seem odd to them so they look for familiarity.  The people from back home give them assurance that there is someone out there who talks like them and reminds them of back home.  These people would also have gone through similar experiences and as such would be able to understand.  Thus in my opinion, the migrant family depending on their background might choose to live in a different place than would make sense financially.

Introduction

Hello,
My name is Ali Alqubaisi and I from the U.A.E. I am a senior finishing up my degree in Urban Policy.  I like to go hiking and play sports.  I am very interested in this class since it deals with policies and procedures.  I do think that this class will help me learn about how public policy is formulated.  I did not know that there were so many ways a policy can be dissected before it is finally rolled out.  Looking at the elite theory I was struck by how the powerful people control the policies and procedures to their advantage instead of the masses.  It makes me think whether democracy itself is a big sham where we elect between two parties and it doesn't really matter who wins.  I do think that powerful visionaries such as Martin Luther King can help the masses get together and to change the rules in favor of the common man!