Jones Soda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Jones Soda - Essay Example These two companies are actually selling their brands and have already expanded globally through their manufacturing and expansion strategies. Compared with Jones Soda, Coke and Pepsi have gained remarkable market share in the worldwide market for beverages. What these two companies are trying to enhance as of the moment is in line with preventing customer erosion. In this regard, they always would want to emphasize the uniqueness of their taste and so consumers would always differentiate them from another product brands. Although Jones Soda is not that far from this strategy, but eventually its entire entry into the market together with its highly differentiated products are a bit experimental in their forms. In modern times, websites are the most convenient means to reach potential customers. In the case of Jones Soda, its website could actually serve substantial contribution to its operation. For instance, in its website consumers could freely address their concerns with Jones and its product offerings. Consumers for instance could actually suggest for product development, cross their voices over to Jones especially regarding matters about customer service, retailing and distribution, and many others. At the end of the day, the information gathered from the customers via Jones’ websites and if assessed, could pave the way for its competitive advantage in the future. Product differentiation strategy of Jones is something different from its industry. Jones Soda having at some point weird tastes for its soft drinks that some consumers appreciate is a remarkable advantage. The major benefit of this strategy is the opportunity for recognition of Jones Soda as another brand and key players in the soft drinks manufacturing industry. However, at some point, this differentiation may substantially lack focus especially in acceptability of the product in certain situations or occasions,

Question 2. Standardized Testing of Students Essay

Question 2. Standardized Testing of Students - Essay Example Without a doubt, this uniform and consistent system of assessment has now become an indispensable and requisite part of most of the schools, colleges and universities all over the globe. These educational institutions therefore, spend millions of dollars every twelve months on this system wide testing of their students to judge them in all possible aspects and assist them in overcoming their faults and flaws (Sacks, 12). Initially there were only a few educational institutions that were adopting the special standardized system of assessments (Heller, 152). However with the rapid pace of time and the excessive competitiveness in the world a number of agencies have been developed that are conducting these tests. Some of the most prominent evaluation agencies of the world are named as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Educational Testing Service (ETC), National Council on Educational Standards and Testing (NCEST) and many more widespread all over the world. These a gencies have great expertise in their tasks and are highly professional in conducting the testing methods and practices. This standardized system of evaluating the students was basically introduced for the purpose of shaping the learners so that they get pretty much suitable for the remediation. In addition, this system has therefore gained so much in popularity that renowned educational institutions have started adopting this system. The reason behind this excessive adaptation is the fact that people have widely developed so much trust factor on these testing service agencies. The trust factor is developed because these agencies are well reputed, rated and most importantly known for their unbiased attitude. They treat all students with complete justice and make sure that no unbiased practice exists within their system. Thus all this results in a positive outcome that all the students are objectively judged and evaluated that ultimately lend them a hand to improve on their mistakes. No matter these testing systems are really authentic and bonafide but the question arises that, why do the school, colleges and universities pay so much to get these external services rather than conducting the tests within their management. The reason behind this statement is that these agencies not simply conduct the evaluative assessments but also provide countless benefits to the institutes that hire these agencies. Some major pros of these standardized tests can be highlighted as they are greatly efficient and effective to provide two most important sources of information. These information sources that include the standardized system can bring into play as to weigh up the student’s potential, capability, competence and aptitude towards his or her studies. In turn all these evaluations will lend a hand to the student and institute in order to endow with enhanced or improved teaching, responsibility, and the control (Hamilton et al, 3). Moreover, it also encompasses the piece of evidence that this information can even be used in order to make a number of important and imperative decisions. In addition, the overall focus of these harmonized and uniform tests revolve around her universal and collective nature. It is devised or proposed to the students in a common mode for the reason that the management and admin do not become erratic or capricious in reflecting the complete performance of the students. Thus, all these controlled and calculative variables escort to an

Beauty Definition Essay Example for Free

Beauty Definition Essay Beauty is one of the most prevalent themes in the world. But what is beauty exactly? According to the Oxford Dictionary beauty is A combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. Based on the definition, one would assume that beauty is only on outward appearance but that statement is false. Beauty is not only appearance but it is also what people cannot see. Beauty is about being beautiful on the inside not just the outside. The media has fooled so many people into thinking the opposite. Beauty is not only outward appearance. People are not beautiful because they have the most expensive clothes or the shiniest hair. Beauty is not having the clearest skin; beauty is not about being thin; beauty is not having the fullest eyelashes; beauty is not about appearance at all. Many people look at allure as something they can obtain from putting a lot of time into their appearance. I remember in high school there was a girl named Jenna; Jenna had all the coolest clothes and always made sure she looked good. I remember envying her for her shinny hair and perfect teeth. Everyone seemed convinced that this girl was beautiful even I. Until one day I was walking past a classroom, I could hear faint voices coming out and I knew that there wasnt supposed to be anyone in the class. I creeped closer listening to the whispers when I immediately recognized a familiar voice. It was Jenna’s and she was saying horrible things about her â€Å"best friend†. At that moment I realized that Jenna wasnt so beautiful after all. All the clothes and makeup could not hide the fact that she had an ugly soul. The soul is what makes people beautiful. Being alluring is far deeper than just being attractive; it is about being a good person. You cannot see beauty but you can see what makes people beautiful. The person who stops when they see a stray animal sitting in the sidewalk is beautiful. The person who gives their last dollar to the homeless man is beautiful. The person who goes out of their way to be friendly to everyone they meet is beautiful. The person who puts the greater good for humanity before the greater good for themselves is beautiful. Audrey Hepburn an actress in the 50’s was one of the very first actresses to recognize that beauty isnt always just appearance. She states that â€Å"The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wea rs, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway  to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.† Todays media has done a terrific job in portraying allure as something that one can obtain from appearance. Media has convinced the world that beauty is only outward appearance. Today you cannot go five minutes without seeing a beauty ad; theyre everywhere. Turn on the television and you’ll see an ad for shampoo that shows a smiling girl claiming that her hair is now shinier. Drive down the street and you’ll see a billboard for an acne medication that claims it gives you ‘beautiful’ looking skin. These companies are preying on girls insecurities to make money. They claim that if you buy their product, you too can look beautiful. In reality no product can make a person beautiful because beauty is not something that you can see. Many girls look up to stars like Katy Perry, Hayden Panettiere and Emma Stone; all of who are advertising beauty products. When girls watch their favorite stars advertise makeup and other beauty products it gives the girls a false sense of beauty. It teaches our youth that by using a certain product then they can achieve beauty; if they wear a certain makeup then they will be â€Å"beautiful† like their favorite celebrities. Today’s media has put enormous pressure on young girls to be thin. Every commercial and billboard and magazine ad portrays a size zero model, always photoshopped. Young people look at these women and think that in order to be beautiful that they too have to be that thin leading to unhealthy decisions and life threatening illnesses. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 24 million people in the United States alone suffer form some sort of eating disorder. 24 million people think that their body is not good enough to fit societies definition of beautiful. 24 million people think that the only way to be beautiful is by harming their bodies. This number can be lowered dramatically if media stopped putting the emphasis of beauty on physical appearance. Beauty is not outward appearance but inner appearance. Beauty is having a beautiful soul and being a good person all around. Media has given society a false view on what really is beautiful. The next time you find yourself judging someone based upon their looks think again; beauty is not just what you can see, its what you cannot.

Cipla Pharmaceutical Company Business Model

Cipla Pharmaceutical Company Business Model INTRODUCTION This is an essay to identify CIPLA a generic Pharmaceutical companys business model and to explain the reasons why the company has to change its existing business model. This is done by first identifying the term business model and then using the definition to explain the business model adopted by the company, also determining the inherent changes in world policies and economic environment that prompt the change of the present business model. The second part of the essay addresses the issue of the conflict between the big ethical pharmaceutical companies and the relatively smaller generic pharmaceutical companies business models. This is addressed by highlighting the big pharmaceutical companies business model and comparing the two models (which will reveal the nature of their competitive relationship) thereby identifying if there seems to be a convergence in their models and they are both becoming competitors in the same market or companies producing the same products but competing in different markets or companies where a symbiotic relationship has become inevitable for their survival in this present economic situation. Conceptualization of a Business Model. A definition of a business model is required to highlight the context to which CIPLAs (a generic pharmaceutical company) business model can be identified. Chesbrough and Rosenbloom (2002) describe a business model to be a concept where technology and potentials are changed into economic output through the market and customers, comparatively, Rayport and Jaworski (2001 cited in Wimmer 2004) defined a business model as the four choices of (1) a value proposition or a value cluster for targeted customers (2) a market space offering which could be products, services, information or all three (3) a unique dependable resource system and (4) a financial model. However Shafer, Smith et al (2005) suggests that a representation of a firms underlying core logic and strategic choices for creating and capturing value (p.202); is a design or creation, not an accident; what structures are in place to ensure firms capture value. Also Brink Holmà ©n (2009, p.109 cited in Lambert n. d.) explains tha t The business model concerns how a firm creates value, the internal source of the firms advantage and how the firm will capture value. Factually no sole definition can adequately cover all aspects of the term business model; however a combination of all the stated business model definitions will give a better explanation for the Generic pharmaceutical company business model. Firstly the focus will be on the definition of this model since most generic companies including CIPLA initially followed this business model before the need for change in 2005. The focus on India is also due to the fact that CIPLA originated from that country. The Basic Business Model of Generic Pharmaceutical Companies. The Generic Pharmaceutical Company (GPC) business model in India is characterised by the production and selling of copy cat pharmaceutical drugs discovered and developed by the Big Ethical Pharmaceutical Companies (BEPC) such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), this was achieve through the reverse engineering of the drugs invented by the BEPC and sold at lower costs. This was made possible in India due to the availability of cheap labour in the country and the favourable environment encouraged by the Indian government at the time, which allowed low restriction on process patents, limited multinational companies having equity share in pharmaceutical companies in India and imposed price ceilings on some bulk and formulation drugs. (Greene 2007) Financial evaluation of CIPLAs business model Using the Profit and loss account for 2000-2010, sales turnover steadily increases from 2000-2004 but in 2005 there is a decline of about 10% which can be attributed to the implementation of the WTO law that affected the number of drugs available for replication. This also affected the earnings per share which dropped from about 51 to about 13 in 2005. Investment and debt also showed a steep decline of over 100% from 2004 2005; this corresponds to the change in business environment which can infer a reduction of debt incurred for drug production. However the excise duty showed steady increase from 2000-2005 indicating company focus on domestic market but in 2006 there is a steady decline in excise duties paid and this can be as a result of increased exportation of drugs following a change in business model. Change in CIPLAs Business Model The era of this type of business model however draws to an end as various changes in the economic situation and world policy will threaten the very successful model in which the generics pharmaceutical companies in India have been thriving. In 2005 Indian government changed its law concerning patent drugs and fell in line with World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Related Intellectual Property Agreement (TRIPs) this limited the production of certain drugs that was filed as a patent from January 1, 1995(Greene 2007). Another important point is that the rate at which ethical pharmaceutical companies come up with new blockbuster drugs is declining, as the well known procedure for creating chemicals to treat ailments is not as productive as in times past (Martinez and Goldstein 2007). With a shift of investment from Research and development (RD) to marketing this trend will continue in the nearest future. This can be as a result of the immense cost to deliver a new drug to the market; costs can range from 802million 1billion over a period of 10-15 years (Mogalian, Myrdal 2004). Yusuf Hamied (CEO of CIPLA) stated in an interview that it was his belief that since the implementation of the law in 2005 their businesses where at risk of being taken over by multinational drug companies. Most generic companies in India adapted to this setback in their business model by transferring focus from domestic market in India and increase export of copy cat drugs to Western Europe and the United States, also entering into RD agreements, mergers and acquisitions of foreign drug companies and developing alliances with foreign pharmaceutical firms. CIPLA however chose a slightly different approach than most generic pharmaceutical companies in India by focusing on organic growth in India and only seldom indulging in strategic business alliances, technological services (such as knowhow transfer, plant supply etc) and in licensing with big pharmaceuticals. CIPLA however increased the exportation of generic drugs to countries like United States and Western Europe. Some points in CIPLAs corporate presentation in August 2009 highlight the companys focus: Business model based on international strategic alliances- Business focuses on organic growth and leads to reduced capital commitment and regulatory/litigation risks. RD targeted at ensuring efficient utilization of resources and focused at developing and launching niche products. The graph below shows a steady increase in the value of Indias pharmaceutical RD expenditure from 2001-2006 as a result of a shift in business model. Exhibit 1 Source: William Greene, US Trade Commission (2007) The emergence of Indias pharmaceutical industry and implications for the US generic drug market, US Office of Economics Working Paper 2007-05-A The graph above shows the increase in RD expenditure in the generics companies in India where they now focus on creating their own branded drugs. This approach was also used by CIPLA to better compete in the changing business environment. They boasted of new drugs like Imidara, Lopimune, Bifilin and many more (CIPLA seventieth annual report 2005-2006) Business models of Big Ethical Pharmaceutical Companies and rational for changes in the model. The big pharmaceutical company business model is the traditional pharmaceuticals company business model which comprises of large scale Research and Development departments which discover new drugs for diseases and the sale of those drugs to consumers .This is a rudimentary definition of their business model as it also entails many more components than those mentioned above for instance in recent times we see a shift of emphasis from the research and development to sales and marketing campaigns due to the competitive nature of the environment. Mogalinan and Myrdal (2004) describe the process of bringing out a new drug to entail the discovery of a new branded drug for which the company has to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by handing in a new drug application containing a report on the drugs efficacy and safety. The document also highlights dosage, strength and dissolvability of the drug. Once approved the company sells the drug exclusively under the brand name for as long as it is under patent protection. However a new external threat has evolved apart from the usual competition of rival companies in the form of Generics pharmaceutical companies. These companies as mentioned in prior section of the essay have used the process of reverse engineering to create cheaper replicas of the drugs produced by these big pharmaceutical companies and selling the drugs at cheaper costs to consumers. This has been of great profit to the generics companies as they had to indulge in little or no cost consuming research for the development of new drugs in the first place and the availability of low cost of production was just an added advantage to their business model. Martinez and Goldstein (2007) noted however the treat of the generic pharmaceutical wont be a problem if the big pharmaceutical companies were creating new block buster drugs, but that is not the case. Exhibit 2: The decline in RD productivity Though the industry doubled its investment from 2002 till 2006 in RD it yielded 43% less than it had in five years during the 1990s of chemical-based drugs. There is a change in the business environment for generic companies in India however with the 2005 adherence to WTO laws. They generics companies are focused on RD to produce their own patent drugs and generic drugs have become more accepted in Western countries over the years, with the rising costs of healthcare these governments are looking to cut costs and are therefore encouraging the adoption generic drug prescriptions to patients. Another major factor affecting the big pharmaceutical companies is the problem of expired patents. Companies like Pfizer that had a blockbuster drug called Lipitor a cholesterol lowering drug will be coming off patent in 2010 and this will allow the generics companies to bring in a cheaper replica of the drug which will reduce the sales of the company drastically. Similarly Martinez and Goldstein (2007) explain that the expiration of patent will affect big pharmaceutical profits adversely, where a drug formally grossing 90% 95% profit under patent protection will fall in profit when its goes off patent and generic companies offer the drug at a reduced price (sometimes the cost of production). Furthermore drugs meant to be under patent protection for 20years will fail to get to the market before 10years have already elapsed. *Sales data is from IMS World Review (except for China and Poland) ** Patented/generic split is from ESPICOM. Generic defined as a drug whose patent has expired ***2001 values for China; 2000 values for Poland; 2003 values for Brazil reflects patented/unpatented (unpatented includes branded unpatented, generics, similar) Sources: IMS; ESPICOM; Factiva; EGA; Mckinsey team Analysis This development will result in the increased encroachment on the market share of the big pharmaceutical companies, though we can see from the chart that countries like China, Brazil, India and Poland have higher percentage of generic drug usage than US, Japan, Germany, France and UK the problem of the global recession may cause an increase in the use of the generic drugs in these countries as well since developed countries like UK are hoping to cut costs on public expenditure like healthcare costs. Definition of relationships Based on these new developments in the business environment of pharmaceuticals companies and my research I begin to recognize a trend where big pharmaceuticals and generics have increasingly instances of working together in order to thrive in the new environment. This aids me in my definition of in tension asked in the question, I identify this as the type of relationship generating between the big pharmaceutical and the generics companies and we can see that it if morphing from a completely competitive one to a more competitive-collaborative relationship, where we can even see a convergence in their business models in some cases. We see the return of big pharmaceutical companies to India after the 2005 law passed by the government protecting their drugs, so they can benefit from the availability of cheap labor and low cost of innovative talent, they are even cooperating with the generics companies for Research and Development, in licensing and use of their distribution lines to transport their drugs to underdeveloped countries formally catered to by mainly generics companies. Companies such as AstraZeneca, Bristol-Meyers and GlaxoSmithKline have announced their intention to outsource a portion of manufacturing to countries such as India ,Eastern Europe and China since they believe it is of the same quality and at a cheaper cost to them (Martinez and Goldstein 2007). However though we see them working together big ethical pharmaceuticals companies still have some strategies to compete with generics pharmaceutical companies. Some defensive strategies of the big pharmaceutical companies are to develop new generic subsidiaries of their organization so as to be able to better compete with generics companies. By having their own licensed generic companies, they are able to limit the rate at which generics encroach on their market share for drugs that are off patents, they accomplish this by allowing their licensed patents to release generic copies of their blockbuster drugs into the market just before they are off patent thereby gaining market share before the other generic companies release theirs. Novartis CEO Dr. Vasella foresees bountiful opportunities for quick growth in generics as a result of impressive performance of its generic unit Sandoz which accounted for 20% of its overall revenue and grew about three times as fast as its initial operati on (Martinez and Goldstein 2007). Competitive strategies of the big pharmaceutical companies include investment in biotechnology and diversification. Biotechnology is of great appeal because of the inability for generics companies to create copies of the drugs as of now. Diversification on the other hand will allow the company to expand the range of services it offers its customers and allow it to get alternative sources of income. CONCLUSION In conclusion we make-out CIPLA business model to be the production of copycat drugs by reverse engineering of branded drugs and the sale of the generic drugs at cheaper prices to the Indian economy and any other country where the big pharmaceutical drugs do not have patent rights, however a change in the business model became inevitable in 2005 because of the Indian government adoption of WTO laws and caused a shift of the business model of CIPLA to focus more on RD for the production of its own Branded drugs and strategic alliances which entail cooperation with Big Ethical pharmaceutical companies through in-licensing and know how transfer. Another point to note is the change in relationship between the generic company and the big pharmaceutical where we see a competitive symbiotic relationship brewing, with increased dealings between the two types of firms where big pharmaceutical companies benefit from the cheaper cost of production and access to generic companies distribution pi pelines and generics gain from the in licensing agreements where they share profits with the bug pharmaceutical companies. However big pharmaceutical companies still maintain development of competitive strategies to combat the generic companies by creation of their own generic companies and increased investment in both diversification and biotechnology. Biblography Brink, J., Holmà ©n, M. (2009). Capabilities and radical changes of the business models of new bioscience firms: Changing Business Models of New Bioscience Firm., 18(2), 109-120. Chesbrough, H., Rosebloom R.S. (2002). The role of the business model in capturing value from innovation: evidence from XEROX Corporations technology spinoff companies. Boston Massachusetts. Harvard Business School. CIPLA Corporate presentation August 2009 Lambert, S.(n. d.) Business Models available from http://www.audiencedialogue.net/documents/Businessmodels_Lambert_000.pdf (accessed 15 December 2010) Martinez, B., Goldstein, J. (2007) Big Pharma Faces Grim Prognosis Industry Fails to Find New Drugs to Replace Wonders like Lipitor Mogalian, E., Myrdal, P. (2004) Whats the difference between brand-name and generic prescription drugs? USA.   The University of Arizonas College Rayport, J.F. , Jaworski, B.J. (2001). e-commerce. New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin. Shafer, S.M. Smith, J.H. Linder, J.C. (2005) The power of business models. In: business horizons. 48(3), 199-207 William, G. (2007) The Emergence of Indias Pharmaceutical Industry and Implications for the U.S. Generic Drug Market .U.S. international trade commission 05-A, 1-36. Wimmer, M.A. (2004) Knowledge management in electronic governance. 5th ed. IFIP International Working Congress. (2009) CIPLA Pharmaceuticals Yusuf Hamied: I Am Not Against Patents I Am against Monopolies. India [emailprotected], May 07 available from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4374 (accessed 10 December 2010)

Hawthornes Characters: Pride Of Intellect :: essays research papers

Hawthorne's Characters: Pride of Intellect Many of Hawthorne's characters wrap themselves in a pride of intellect. The characters become victims of their pride and consequently suffer. Goodman Brown, from "Young Goodman Brown" and Hooper, from "The Minister's Black Veil" are two characters that suffer from a pride of intellect. Their pride causes them similar problems and they end up living similar lives, although they came from different backgrounds. Hooper and Goodman Brown both become isolated from society. Hooper had a revelation, and he feels that he truly understands human nature and sin. However, he believes that he is above everybody else because he has this understanding. This is what causes the major separation between Hooper and society. After Hooper dawns the veil he can no longer function or act as a normal person, because of this feeling of superiority. His perception of an ultimate human isolation leaves him the man most isolated in what Hawthorne describes as that saddest of all prisons, his own heart . . . "(The Minister's Black Veil,228). The veil affects all parts of his life, his fiance leaves him and he can no longer relate to his congregation the same way. "As a result of wearing the veil, Hooper becomes a man apart, isolated from love and sympathy, suspected and even feared by his congregation"(Minister's Black Veil, 228). Goodman Brown suffers the same fate because he also has a feeling of superiority over the rest of the village. He attains this feeling after he sees all the people that he though were good and pure participating in satanic rituals in the forest. He looses all faith in the community and feels as though he is above them because he was able to resist the devil. The lack or trust trusting that Goodman Brown had separated him from the community because he was a strong Puritan and felt as though he could not associate devil worshipers. "Brown, despairing and embittered, belongs neither to the Devil's party nor to the only other life-sustaining cause he knows--that of the Puritan faith and the Puritan community"(Levy,119). Hooper and Goodman Brown's pride of intellect cause them to loose a loved one and their kind and loving nature. Hooper drives his fiance Elizabeth away by wearing the veil. Elizabeth sees how Hooper is separating himself and it scares her away from their purposed marriage. "Hooper's fiancee, seems at first unawed by the veil. To her it is merely a cloth that hides the face she most delights to see. But, like a sudden twilight in the air, Elizabeth suddenly senses the unapproachable inner isolation of the man who wears it, and its'

The History of the American Education System: A look at the 1900s Essay

The History of the American Education System: A look at the 1900s The dawn of the 1900s brought with it progressive education. With a growing population due to an influx of immigrants, many cities decided to build more schools. Chicago was one such city. Before 1889, the city of Chicago had only five high schools. By 1990, the Chicago Board of Education had developed the Chicago Normal School, 15 high schools and 234 elementary schools. These schools provided not only education for students but also job opportunities for many individuals. This dramatic change opened up positions for 5,709 teachers (filled by 394 men and 5,315 women), who were paid about $325 per year. In 1990, there was a total of 255,861 students enrolled in public schools in Chicago. 244,962 of these were enrolled in elementary schools, 10,241 enrolled in high school, 497 in normal school and 188 in the school for the deaf. Average attendance that year was about 199,821. (School attendance officially became compulsory in every U.S. state in 1918.) In high schools, there was an average of 33.9 students per teacher. An average of 42.7 students per teacher characterized the elementary schools in the district. In June of 1990, 1,249 students graduated from Chicago public high schools. Maria Montessori opened the first Montessori school in 1907. She is credited as being a pioneer in the field of education for developing such tools as â€Å"classrooms without walls, manipulative learning materials, teaching toys and programmed instruction,† (Family Education 2004). In 1921, the National Education Association (together with the American Legion) sponsored the... ...virginia.edu/photo/education.html. Sandholtz, Judith Haymore. (2004). Teachers, Not Technicians: Rethinking Technical Expectations for Teachers. Teachers College Record. 106(3), 487-513. Retrieved April 21, 2004, from Academic Search/EBSCO database. Schugurensky, D. (March 2003). History of Education – Selected Moments of the 20th Century. Retrieved March 20, 2004 from http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~daniel_schugurensky/assignment1/. Whitfield, Patricia. (2004). Teachers as â€Å"Healers†: 21st-Cenutry Possibility? Or Necessity? Multicultural Perspectives, 6(1), 43-51. Retrieved April 21, 2004, from Academic Search/EBSCO database. Whitley, Peggy. (2003, July) American Cultural History. Retrieved April 21, 2004 from http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade90.html

Conscious Efforts Equate to Saving Lives

Livery cab driver killings — the challenge that New York City had to combat and a situation that allowed authorities to prove that they were doing their job. The killing of livery cab drivers was a time that united the people of New York (Rashbaum, 2000). Livery cab driver killings had been a major problem in New York for over 30 years. Every year, policemen and the government had to deal with countless investigations to provide justice for dozens of killed drivers each year. Not only were the livery cab drivers killed — they were also robbed (Rashbaum, 2000). The people who had enough means and power to do something about it, like the government and the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, did something about it, and here are as follows: The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers led by Fernando A. Mateo employed several safety measures to reduce livery cab driver killings. Mateo and his subordinates obliged all livery cab drivers to put bulletproof partitions inside the livery cabs. Because of this, the livery cab drivers were divided into parts where the livery cab driver was protected from his passenger who may have been a potential robber or murderer, through a wall or divider. While the wall or divider, or what the federation technically terms as partition, can prevent robbery, it obviously may not keep the livery cab drivers from murder at all since bullets can pass through walls. This possibility was a major concern of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers. To counterattack what was left of the problem, the federation ordered livery cab drivers to use bulletproof partitions. Bulletproof material prevented the livery cab drivers from getting shot. To further make this protective measure effective, livery cab drivers were ordered to close the partitions all the time. While it was true bulletproof material was used as a shield from gun shots and other means of killing, these partitions still made a driver susceptible to killing once it is left open. The use of surveillance cameras was also ordered by the city and the federation. Through this, a livery cab driver was given the chance to put another eye at the passenger's area. The driver can readily see the potential harms a passenger may do even before he does it. A passenger, for example, who releases a gun from his bag, will be readily seen by the driver. The time the potential murderer is releasing a gun is also the time a driver can call the police or employ other preventive measures to protect his own life. That time, every time a driver became suspicious of a passenger, he can readily report it to the policemen who were monitoring him through a secret alarm system. The city's mayor, Rudolph W. Giuliani, showed his support for these safety measures by providing each livery cab driver with enough financial assistance. The city released $5 million worth of protection equipment. Each livery cab driver in New York City was given $325. This amount of money served as an assistance to pay for the needed equipment like partitions and bulletproofing. Surveillance cameras cost $700. This means that the city paid for half the total expense of a driver for one surveillance camera. If a driver chose to put up a partition inside his livery cab, then he may put up one which cost $275 on the average. The city, together with the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, employed other preventive and protective measures without the use of material things. The city revised its law regarding the punishment for liver cab driver killers and robbers. Tougher sanction was applied in which another two to three years were added to the years a convict will have to spend in jail. Police decoy was also widely used. This was another preventive and protective measure to investigate murder and robbery cases more efficiently. With the use of police decoy, an officer pretended to be a livery cab driver. He went around the neighborhood to get passengers and picked up their fares. This was an effective step since robbery and murder reduced from 2,000 to 455 cases. The efficient investigation allowed for this impressive change in the statistics. Aside from police decoys who served as patrols, protection was maximized especially when livery cab drivers were required to stop at areas where there were police officers. These officers obliged drivers to pull over to see their current condition. The police officers ensure the safety and protection of drivers by checking the passengers. Police officers were able to prevent 50 possible livery cab driver killings by spotting 50 passengers with guns. Such intense conscious effort caused very pronounced victory than expected. Before 2000, no single year has passed without dozens of livery cab drivers being killed. When these aforementioned measures were employed, the year came when no single case of livery cab driver killing or robbery was reported. With this change in statistics, the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers and the government of New York City proved that with efficient action, achieving a goal becomes possible. Because of this, the federation and the city became more inspired with employing more measures to totally alleviate killings so that such victory won't last for only a year. To maintain positive changes, the federation and the government worked hand in hand to put up tracking systems for the drivers. This way, the drivers were always monitored. The police tracked down the whereabouts of every livery cab driver. Adolfo Carrion, Jr., New York City's councilman, was willing to co-sponsor this to further improve livery cab driver killings. In 2000, statistics dramatically changed from drastic to impressive when it comes to cases of killings. Every livery cab driver did not just begin to feel safer and more secured with his job — his children and wife patiently waiting at home were finally able to sleep soundly at night. All they needed to wait for was a goodnight kiss from their father. References: Michaelluo. (2004). Police Measures Avert Livery Cab Killings. New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/07/nyregion/07livery.html ?ei=5007&en=f4b0e5806c7261c&ex=1391576400&adxnnl=1&partner= USERLAND&adxnnlx=11143479799ScWbxozk+DIlE+9e5ddS Rashbaum, W. K. (2000). After Deaths, City Plans Millions for Livery Cab Safety. The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html ?res=950CE2DA1631F936A25757C0A9669C8B63 Â   Â   Â