Management Information Systems Assignment Report

115. 107 Management Information Systems Assignment Report Contents Part 1 – ER Diagram2 Part 2 – Tables and Keys3 Part 3 – Queries4 Part 4: Spreadsheet filters and pivot tables7 List of Figures Figure 1 – ER diagram for event management system of hotel2 Figure 2 – Query 1 QBE for staff allocation4 Figure 3 – Query 1 output for staff allocation4 Figure 4 – Query 2 QBE for scheduled events beginning of October5 Figure 5 – Query 2 output for scheduled events beginning of October5 Figure 6 – Query 2 database report for scheduled events beginning of October6Figure 7 – Query 3 QBE for total number of registered participants6 Figure 8 – Query 3 output for total number of registered participants7 Figure 9 – Spreadsheet data with no filers or conditional formatting applied7 Figure 10 – Spreadsheet with the â€Å"show only events commencing after 15th October filter applied7 Figure 11 – Spreadshe et with the ‘show only events commencing after 1st November as underlined' conditional formatting applied8 Figure 12 – Pivot table8 Figure 13 – Pivot table as a bar chart8 List of TablesTable 1 – Attributes for ER diagram for event management system of hotel2 Table 2 – Attributes for ER diagram for event management system of hotel3 Part 1 – ER Diagram StaffMember Venue Event Registration Attendee Reserved for Manages Accept Makes Applies to 1.. * 1.. * 1 1 1 0.. * 0.. * 0.. * 0.. * Payment Accept 0.. * 0.. * 1 Gains entry Client System Presents 0.. * Record Details 1 0.. * Inputs 1.. * 1.. * Figure [ 1 ] – ER diagram for event management system of hotel Table [ 1 ] – Attributes for ER diagram for event management system of hotel Entity Type| Attributes| Key attribute|Venue| venueID, venueCapacity, venueDescription| venueID| Event| eventID, eventName, eventType, startDate, endDate, startTime, endTime, availableSpaces, eventFee| e ventide| StaffMember| staffID, firstName, lastName, jobTitle | staffID| Registration | registrationID, registrationDate, eventID | registrationID| Attendee| attendeeID, firstName, lastName, title, companyName, contactAddress, phoneNo | attendeeID| Payment| paymentAmount, paymentDate, paymentType, paymentCredit, creditcardID, creditcardName, creditcardExpiry| paymentID| Client| clientName, companyName, contactAddress, contactPhone, clientIndustry, clientNeeds| clientID| System| systemClient, systemAttendee, systemVenues, systemInvoice, | systemID| Part 2 – Tables and Keys Table [ 2 ] – Attributes for ER diagram for event management system of hotel Table| Column| Primary Key| Comments|VenueTbl| venueID, venueCapacity, venueDescription| venueID| | EventTbl| eventID, eventName, eventType, startDate, endDate, startTime, endTime, availableSpaces, eventFee, staffID| eventID| staffID is a foreign key into StaffMemberTbl. | StaffMemberTbl| staffID, firstName, lastName, jobTitle | staffID| | RegistrationTbl| registrationID, registrationDate ,eventID, attendeeID| registrationID| eventID is a foreign key into EventTbl while attendeeID is a foreign key into AttendeeTbl| AttendeeTbl| attendeeID, firstName, lastName, title, companyName, contactAddress, phoneNo, eventID, registrationID| attendeeID| RegistrationID is a foreign key into RegistrationTbl while event ID is a foreign key into EventTbl. ReservedforTbl| eventID, venueID, attendeeID, | reserveID| eventID is a foreign key into EventTbl while attendeeID is a foreign key into AttendeeTbl| Part 3 – Queries Query 1 -StaffAllocation Figure [ 2 ] – Query 1 QBE for staff allocation Figure [ 3 ] – Query 1 output for staff allocation Query 2 – YearEndSchedule Figure [ 4 ] – Query 2 QBE for scheduled events beginning of October Figure [ 5 ] – Query 2 output for scheduled events beginning of October **For unknown reasons, event 9, 16 & 17 is not listed in the search result e ven when the date falls within the range as set out in the criteria. I have attempted to modify the criteria selection to cover between the date range of 30/09/2011 – 01/01/2050 etc but it has still failed to come up. Query 2 – Year End ReportFigure [ 6 ] – Query 2 database report for scheduled events beginning of October Query 3 – Registration Numbers Figure [ 7 ] – Query 3 QBE for total number of registered participants Figure [ 8 ] – Query 3 output for total number of registered participants Part 4: Spreadsheet filters and pivot tables Figure [ 9 ] – Spreadsheet data with no filTers or conditional formatting applied Figure [ 10 ] – Spreadsheet with the show only events commencing after 15th October filter applied Figure [ 11 ] – Spreadsheet with the ‘show only events commencing after 1st November as underlined' conditional formatting applied Figure [ 12 ] – Pivot table Figure [ 13 ] – Pivot table a s a bar chart

Night by Elie Wiesel Essay

Night by Elie Wiesel. Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Eliezer is a young and strong –minded individual, but doubts his religious beliefs. He and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, which was known as the Holocaust. Eliezer, being a dynamic character had many thoughts and feelings towards life and his father. His thoughts and faith always changed (Wiesel 33). But, he always tried to stay strong, hopeful and determined for himself and his father. While in Auschwitz, Elie thought alot about how his life was changing (38). He went from a 13-year old deeply observant and very religious teen, into a wishing, confused and doubtful individual. Being dynamic changes you as a person and it affected the mood and tone of the story. Eliezer’s appearance wasn’t really mentioned in the story. But you could imagine what happened with eating just bread crusts, soup, and sometimes nothing to drink (54). When Eliezer broke his foot, he still hopped for survival along with his frail father (78). His belief and faith subsided the longer they stayed in the camps. Others lost complete faith in their God that they trusted (66). It was every man for himself and they would do anything to stay alive, even kill. While staying in the camps Eliezer sometimes decided between life and death, to escape the hurt, torture, and pain. Once they were finally released free, no one thought of revenge (115). All they wanted was to eat and when they were no longer hungry, they still didn’t think of revenge. Freedom and food were the only things left to think about (113). Eliezer is a young and strong-minded individual, but doubts his religious beliefs. Being a dynamic character means that you aren’t sure about decisions and your mind is always changed. When Eliezer found the strength to get up and look at himself in the mirror, the gaze that looked back at him never left him.

Evaluating, Narrating, and Describing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evaluating, Narrating, and Describing - Essay Example Backgrounder and Significance â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† a short story published in 1892, is about a young, upper-middle class woman who suffers depression within her marriage. Some literary critics said that this is a hyperbolic version of Gilman’s own experiences as a mother and a wife particularly after giving birth to her child in 1887 (Kurrus 68). In addition, during Queen Victoria’s reign, a woman’s role in the home was emphasized. The Queen became the icon of the ideal wife, mother, and woman. Women were expected to be content with domestic role and motherhood, and females are expected not only to fulfill such roles, but also to be entirely happy in doing so. What is interesting to note here is that the story was written over a century ago but the feminist struggle still echoes to this day. Women in the cities may experience some forms of gender equality, but women in the rural areas still live under the shadow of the gender stereotypes set by the society (Veeder 65). Any person, especially woman, who have felt oppression and inequality at some point will be able to sympathize with the story’s main character. ... y decides for almost every activity that the narrator will do, and even if she prefers the prettier but smaller room downstairs, John decides that they should stay in the upper, larger, airy room. In the short story, it is obvious that the narrator does not have any voice in the marriage, and she is expected to obey everything that her husband says. John, the narrator’s brother who is also a doctor, and the other family members also discourage the narrator from writing --- an activity she truly likes. Analysis Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story is laden with irony. Irony is a literary device that utilizes words to deliver different meanings that are usually contrasting each other. This literary device is used to convey the real setting of the short story. At several points in the story, the narrator uses dramatic and verbal irony to refer to her condition, the surroundings, her husband, and their marriage. Taken at face value, the setting of the story looks ideal: t he narrator marries a doctor, stays in a large summer estate with her husband, has a husband who dotes on her, a nanny to take of the newborn, and a sister-in-law who helps in the house chores. The irony in the story, however, emphasizes that these facades are not as ideal as the true setting that they cover. For example, the narrator marries a doctor and she is declared to have a temporary nervous depression. It may look ideal that her comfort is being taken cared for, but on the lines: John is a physician, and PERHAPS--(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)--PERHAPS that is one reason I do not get well faster. (p.1) one would immediately realize that there is something wrong in how she is being treated of her medical condition. Another

Name and describe the stages of the human life cycle. How are these Essay

Name and describe the stages of the human life cycle. How are these stages different from what is seen in our closest relatives - Essay Example The initial phase of the human life sequence is birth. Before birth, a human being starts as a single cell. The human cells multiply and specialize into definite body parts preparing for the delivery of an infant. Birth happens after a fetus has developed for about 9 months from date fertilization (Prior, Erin and Lisa 23). The second stage of human cycle is the infancy. During this stage, the child depends entirely on others for his or her life and safety. Consequently, parents assume the duties of feeding, bathing and helping the child move from place to place. It is during this stage that the child starts learning essential concepts for surviving in the world (Sigelman and Elizabeth 28). The third stage includes the childhood that runs for about ten years. The child is mainly regarded as the toddler for the first two years after infancy. The child develops as he or she learns how to walk, talk and become independent. Primarily, persons grow attaining more freedom and responsibility as they build knowledge about selves. Furthermore, the person starts developing his or her personal intelligence and character at this stage (Ulijaszek 19). The fourth stage of the sequence corresponds to adolescence. This refers to the age between 12 to 18 years. The stage initiates with puberty where boys develop to become men and girls grow to be women. This is a very controversial stage of human cycle because the young people struggle to manage various changes occurring in their lives. The person may start experiencing growth spurts and emotional disorders emanating from the effort of search for personal identity, hormone production, and quest of higher independence. Furthermore, the human prepares for adulthood or for maturity in this stage. Consequently, the person is growing to his or her highest size and one becomes physically able to reproduce (Prior, Erin and Lisa 19). The firth stage is the adulthood that is the longest of the

Peculiarities of Girth Calculation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Peculiarities of Girth Calculation - Essay Example This has to be followed by Leveling and grading, then compacting and trimming of the wall surfaces that the excavation exposes. There is no multiple handling of the excavation materials on the site as the materials are considered inert unless there is a different description. Reinforcement of about 5% is applied to the beams and columns. The Horizontal work in this enforcement includes the beds, foundation, blinding, column, ground beams, base, slabs, attached beams and the beam casings. The shape is considered regular except when there is a contrary description. Any shape that is not rectangular or square is viewed as irregular. The concrete casings, columns and steel beams are regular shapes. DPC (Damp-proof courses) is made to an appropriate width of 300mm before the formation of cavity trays. DPCs are considered to be including the formation of laps, angles and edges (ends). They also cover the pointing edges exposed by the excavation. Finally, they cover bonds to the DPM (damp-proof membranes) and materials of similar properties. Openings, cavities, liners, DPCs and fixtures related to mechanical connections. This will require items like steel lintels, wind posts, wall end bonding, wall end ties, boiler seats, winders and landings. Additional requirement includes regularly shaped materials with accurate dimensions and references as specified in the NRM2 methods. The ground dimensions are obtained by squaring the sides of the rooms. The infilling panels are considered to include sealants, strips, and intumescent compounds, setting blocks as well as fixings. Other forms of block work are done in glasses, plastics and any form of glazing. The size of the glasswork elements are considered irregular, made in small rectangular size blocks. The panes are obtained from these rectangular blocks. Under the NRM2 standards, the constructions have two surfaces, including brickwork, stonework and block work.  

The Major Difference Between Fittings and Fixture in Land Law Coursework - 3

The Major Difference Between Fittings and Fixture in Land Law - Coursework Example These tests highlight not only the importance of distinguishing between fixtures and fittings but the major differences between the two. Although the distinctions are not always clear, a common trend can be identified: the significance of the item in terms whether or not it has become so attached to the land, that it should not be regarded as anything other than a part of the land. This paper examines the major differences between fixtures and fittings by reference to case law. The early case of Holland v Hodgson is a good place to start as it established two test for distinguishing between fixtures and fittings. In this case, the question was whether or not looms that had been installed at a factory could be regarded as part and parcel of the factory. Blackburn J stated that in order to determine whether or not an item was a fixture or a fitting it was necessary to consider the extent of the annexation and its purpose. In this regard, an item that was annexed to the land by virtue o f its own weight would not be considered a fixture unless there was an intention that the item would form part and parcel of the land.5 What can be gleaned from this ruling is that it is first necessary to look at the item and to determine whether or not it is actually fixed to the property and not merely supported by its own weight. If it is fixed, it is a fixture and will likely be considered part and parcel of the land. However, if the item is merely supported by its own weight, then the question will remain whether or not the item was intended to be a part of the land. Buckland J offered some guidance by referencing the case of a stone wall. For instance, if stones were merely plied upon the land there is an assumption that those stones were not intended to form a part of the land.

Be Fit or Be Out of Favor at CFI Westgate Coursework

Be Fit or Be Out of Favor at CFI Westgate - Coursework Example ive power, he made his policies legal and further made clear that the organization had the power to fire employees who would not comply with the new policy. In fact, his tactic is not consistent and cannot meet role expectations as it does not influence followers’ attitude. 2. Siegel’s idea of weight loss contest seems to have better effects when compared with his no-smoking policy results. The main reason is that he himself lost more than 20 pounds in a few years and thereby aroused inspiration among others in this respect. However, Siegel’s coercive style and thoughtless comments have far reaching adverse effects on employees’ morale. Although his objective is genuine and it can bring forth tremendous positive changes throughout the organization, the way he approaches the matter flaws in several respects. Since obesity is often a medical condition that involves genetic factors other than life style problems, one cannot lose weight overnight complying with a new policy. Siegel should find out better options that can trigger enthusiasm among employees. He can be successful in achieving this goal only if his persuasion becomes rational enough with factual evidence and logical arguments. In other words, his idea regarding weight loss should have inspirational

Summary of kristof argumment , his claim and reason on environmental Essay

Summary of kristof argumment , his claim and reason on environmental balance pick up a raffle - Essay Example Taking the first question, in the short essay Kristof hardly gives overwhelming proof, but I get convinced there is some problem. The most persuasive of the presented evidences is where he says that New Jersey â€Å"advocated deer hunting as an ecological need† in paragraph 16 (Red 187). I am less knowledgeable about New Jersey Audubon Society, but I suppose there are fellows greatly interested in nature and conservation and despite such a lot supporting deer hunting, there could be a matter to this solution (Red 187). I also share in his view that in this meat-eaters dominated nation â€Å"wringing one’s hands over dead dear is soggy mentality† (Red 188). As per Kristof, leaving the deer to die from hunger and disease is the current substitute to deer hunting. What I still doubt is that the lacking alternative of reducing deer population apart from hunting. In my view, Kristof’s explanation about certain birth control measures is insufficient. In summary, Kristof’s essay in my view is engaging and he presents a useful idea but I think his comment that â€Å"hunting is as natural as bird watching† in the last paragraph makes readers loose in his

Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Economy - Essay Example Principles of Political Economy and Taxation was published in 1817. In this publication, Ricardo developed law of rent as well as the labor theory of money (Gonner, 2013). The theory of comparative advantage, as developed by Ricardo, tries to explain the benefit of engaging in international trade. The theory was initially discussed by Adam Smith in the Wealth of Nations. The theory was, however, clearly developed by Ricardo in the book On the principles of Political Economy and Taxation. In the development of the comparative advantage theory, Ricardo observed that if two countries with a capability of producing two products participate in free trade, each of the two countries will increase productivity by exporting the commodity that it has a comparative advantage in production. The country would then import the other commodity. In this theory, Ricardo implies that comparative advantage, and not absolute advantage, is responsible for international trade (Gonner, 2013). The example used by Ricardo to explain comparative advantage involved England and Portugal. In this example, the two countries produce cloth and wine. However, Portugal is more efficient in the production of the two commodities compared to England. England needs 100 hours to produce a unit of cloth and 120 hours to produce a unit of wine. Portugal on the other hand requires 90 hours to produce unit of cloth and 80 hours to produce a unit of wine. In this case, England requires 100 hours to produce cloth, which can instead produce an incomplete unit of wine. Portugal can produce a unit of cloth with few hours compared to England. However, Portugal must forego the production of more units of wine in order to produce a single unit of cloth. Although Portugal has an absolute advantage in the production of cloth, England has a comparative advantage in the production of cloth. In this example, England has a comparative advantage in the

The Atlantic World in the Early Modern Period Essay Example for Free

The Atlantic World in the Early Modern Period Essay Atlantic slave trade is a trade that involved the sale of African people to the colonies of the new world which took place in and around the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic slave trade was also referred to transatlantic slave trade and begun in the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century. Most slaves were acquired through coastal trading with the Africans, nevertheless others were incarcerated by European slave traders through raiding and kidnapping. Out of many stories that have been written about the Atlantic slave trade, most of them talk mainly about the economic benefits that the trade rendered to Europe and North America and the injustices that the slaves received while in America, even though little attention has been given to the devastative effect of the damage that was done to the Africans. From this point, it is arguable that the Atlantic slave trade enriched and developed Europe and impoverished and under developed Africa. The slave trade involved commercial trading system which involved forced recruitment of African workers and their transportation to Europe. The Atlantic slave trade unlike other slave trades was capital intensive and competitive among several European countries. The participants of this trade included both the Africans and the Europeans who were both influenced by the trade The question on whether the Atlantic slave trade enriched and developed Europe and impoverished and under developed Africa can be answered under three categories of discussions that is; the social cost in Africa of forced migration, the Atlantic slave trade and the rise and expansion of the western world and the enduring legacies of the world of slaves. The costs and the benefits of the Atlantic slave trade differentiate between the private, social costs and the benefits. From the Atlantic slave trade it can be said that the people who raided and took captives from Africans and the African leaders who were involved in the buying and the selling of slaves all gained privately. It is not clear on what quantity of gains were got by the slave raiders and traders of the slave trade or the amount of losses suffered by the Africans, though it is argued from human rationality that the slave traders and raiders would not have continued with the captive business for several years if they were not getting some private gains. Due to Atlantic slave trade, there was loss of labor in Africa because most working group were taken as slaves and under population because most people were taken as slaves and others even died in the process of slave raiding. These reasons meant that Africa, unlike Europe would not have sufficient labor force that would drive the real wages and work towards making possible industrial profits. This therefore leads to the say that Europe underdeveloped Africa through Atlantic slave trade. Several arguments have been put across claiming that the Atlantic slave trade, exported to the European continent part of the African’s comparative advantage in the production of commodities for the dynamic world market. This as a result is said to have hindered the growth and development of goods production for international, markets by the African continent. Further argument has been made that the African societies have been under structured and underdeveloped as a result of the Atlantic trade. In trying to relate the wealth of the European continent and that of Africa, it can be noted that through the Atlantic trade, Europe underdeveloped Africa when a comparison between the enrichment of Europe and impoverishment of Africa through the removal of labor power in the process of slave trading is made. The slave trade was followed by the entry of the Europeans into the interior part of the coastal region. This as a result facilitated the expansion of the slave trade at the interior parts of the coastal regions. The slave comprised an element of an economic cycle which consists of three parts. The Atlantic slave trade involved four centuries that is; from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth century, four continents and several people. According to the Africans and African – American scholars the slave trade would rather be called a great disaster since it involved a lot of suffering on the part of the Africans who were sold as slaves and especially those who were taken through raids and kidnapping. The suffering on the Africans was not however only felt by those who were taken as slaves but also the families of those who were taken as slaves and Africa as a whole. This is because in the process of raiding to get the slaves so many people were killed and several others injured rendering thousands of children orphans. In addition lots of property was destroyed during the raids leaving most Africans homeless and without any food. Furthermore many families lost their loved ones either by being kidnapped as slaves, being sold as slaves or being killed through the raids. Economically, Africans lost a lot, first from the destruction of property during the raids and secondly, most of the African men who were taken as slaves were the strong energetic men who could have worked in the African farms and industries to improve the economy of Africa. Other than the deaths that occurred in Africa during the acquisition of slaves, several other deaths occurred among the African captives both inside and outside America. These deaths occurred during the transportation of the Africans to the new continent, during their storage and at the preliminary landing in the new continent or so it is said. The total number of deaths that occurred is claimed to remain unknown up to this moment though the number was approximated to be between sixteen to twenty million. The Trans Atlantic slave trade was associated with cruelty and inhumanity when dealing with the African slaves which reduced the slaves to just mere commodities other than human beings. For the slaves who survived the middle passage were provided with very little amount of food, shelter and clothing and were expected to do a lot of work. The African slaves however were not enslaved for life, the slaves were paid salaries and from that they were able to acquire wealth. In addition to the salary and acquisition of wealth, the African slaves could buy their freedom and be given social promotion which was not good enough compared to the lives they could have led in their homes with their families. Looking at the economists like David Ricardo and Adam Smith they believe that the Atlantic trade impoverished Africa and advocating trade and competition are the source of maximum welfare gains to humanity. Since the occurrence of the Atlantic slave trade Africa has always been left behind with the Africans stagnating in the continent prevalent with disorders, AIDS, and negative growth rate. The Atlantic slave trade indeed contributed to the development of Europe. However according to some scholars the Atlantic trade brought mutual benefit to both Europe and Africa, for instance a comment made at the university of Bender Arena on the history of slavery and the development of America and Europe pointed out that â€Å"Africa subsidized America with all the labor provided, America subsidized Europe and therefore Africa was the mother of all subsidies. For the Europeans the Atlantic slave trade was a source of development as they believed that labor was removed from where it was totally unproductive to where it was tremendously productive. They claim that this gave an opportunity for the world output to grow far beyond what it would have been if the slaves could have been kept within the African continent. According to the Europeans it was better off for Africans to be taken to Europe and America as slaved than remain in Africa since they believed that Africans stagnate in their continent due to diseases, primitive technology and short lives. According to the Americans the slave was for the good of the Africans since they claimed that the Atlantic slave trade involved the transfer of the slaves from a region with scarce labor to a region with abundant labor. The African leaders sold away inland populations who lacked protection. In return to this the African leaders came with foreign commodities including the European gunpowder and Indian cloth among others which were some of the merchandise that the Europeans and the North Americans exchanged for the slaves. The Atlantic slave trade actually developed the European empire given that one of the reasons why the Atlantic slave trade was started was because one of the resources that were missing in the expansion of the European empires was work force. The African slaves were therefore to provide this work force to help in the expansion of European colonies. Therefore Europeans became beneficiaries of the Atlantic slave trade since through the trade they were able to expand their empires. The indigenous people had proved so unreliable in the expansion of European empire forcing the Europeans to go for more reliable work force. Most of the indigenous people were found to have been dying from diseases that were brought from Europe. On the other hand the climate was not fit for the Europeans and they also suffered from tropical diseases. The only people who were found to be reliable were the Africans who proved to be excellent workers and with their experience in agriculture and cattle keeping, they got used to the tropical climate, were resistant to tropical diseases and could be used to work very hard both in the plantations and mines. Due to this reliability, the Europeans had no option but to go for Africans whom they were convinced could work perfectly well. As a result they resorted to slave trade which they thought was the easiest way to obtain the Africans to work for them. The development of the Europeans also came about as a result of immediate planting of tobacco which they began as soon as they captured the African slaves and were therefore sure that they had sufficient labor to work in their tobacco plantations. The tobacco plantations became very productive making tobacco to become the first successful commercial crop in Europe. As a result of this slave trade plantation agriculture and sugar production also became very common in the parts of the Mediterranean which led to the production of sugar from Asia to Europe. In addition there was the production of indigo which was used in textile dyes and later became the turn toward sugar making it the most expensive commercial crop to produce in Europe. Apart from the plantation agriculture and sugar production, the Europeans also populated the African slaves in their mines and factories. In general the African slaves became very important labor force in European agricultural production. The Atlantic slave marked the revival of the European long distance trading. This was due to the first crusade which brought the European Christians into the slave trade and slave production. In addition, the Europeans got an opportunity to gain a plentiful labor supply for the exploitation of their new colonies from the Atlantic slave trade. As a result Europe began experiencing increased population growth by the sixteenth century and therefore relied so much on the migrations of her poorer peasants and urban dwellers to America to provide its American labor needs. The rise and the fall of Atlantic slave trade pose different problems to the participants. For the Africans the rise of the Atlantic slave trade was such a problem in that its effects on the African society became a critical problem in the African history. The rise of the Atlantic trade however for the European history was a multipart economic being which was centered on the production of tropical staples in America and which was to be consumed by the Europeans. The fact that this production of tropical staples was facilitated by the labor of African slaves was a very important factor for the Europeans in their competition for overseas empire in the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries. On the other hand the fall of the Atlantic slave trade was an important moment for the Africans as it marked a time when they were to start recollecting their lives and recovering their lost property. It also marked the end of mass killing of Africans by the slave traders. For the Europeans it marked a time when they had to seek alternative labor sources to be able to continue with their developments and productions in their plantations, farms, mines and factories. Conclusion It is a fact that development in Africa remains mysterious, not because there are poor rulers or perverted leadership in Africa but because Africa was severely destroyed in the process of slave trading and also by colonialism which came as a result slave trade. As this happens however, the Europeans continue to enjoy their success in the plantations which became successful as a result of labor force provided by the African slaves. The Atlantic trade indeed brought problems of population growth and economic development for the Africans while it became of European economic interests. The Atlantic slave trade definitely enriched and developed Europe and impoverished and under developed Africa. Bibliography Roger, Anstey. The Atlantic Slave Trade and British abolition, 1760-1810. London: Macmillan, 1975, 245- 53. Clarke, John Henrik. Christopher Columbus and the African Great Disaster. Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism London: Macmillan Press, 1999, 167- 179. Curtin, Philip D. Atlantic Slave Trade. University of Wisconsin Press, 1969, 463-69. Rescher, R. and Seymour J. From Slavery to Freedom: Comparative Studies in the Rise and Fall of Atlantic Slavery. London: Macmillan Press, 1999, 128- 135. Jacob Klein Herbert S. Slave Trade in the Atlantic. Cambridge: University Press, 1999, 15- 20. Thomas and Hugh. The Slave Trading: The Histories of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1440 1870. London: Picador, 1997, 400- 11.

Risk management is of vital importance in islam and takaful

Risk management is of vital importance in islam and takaful ABSTRACT Risk management is of vital importance in Islam and Takaful provides a way to manage risks in business according to SharÄ «ah principles. This research paper attempts to identify various types of risks involved in Takaful business that affect operational and investment functions of Takaful operators across the globe and finds the ways to manage those risks effectively. However, takaful operators often face difficulty in managing market and credit risks as SharÄ «ah compliant nature of Takaful contract does not allow Takaful companies to deal with interest rate and financial derivatives that have been unanimously considered repugnant to SharÄ «ah by Islamic jurists. This research identifies Islamic financial instruments like cooperative hedging and bi-lateral mutual adjustment that aim at providing mutual gains to both parties by the way of risk sharing and can be used as an alternative to conventional derivatives. The research paper attempts to provide a framework to enhance risk management culture among Takaful operators. It also discusses the challenges that need to be encountered to enhance risk management practices among Takaful operators. INTRODUCTION â€Å"Many Muslims misunderstand the concept of fate. For some Muslims believe that the future is in the hand of Allah, where they are facing with fatalistic mentality by putting themselves in the doctrine, whether one is rich or poor, happy or sad, it is fated by Allah. It is a good dealing with luck. In fact, efforts and prayers should precede this kind of belief† (Iqtisad Al-islamy, 2003). For a long time, same misconceptions have been associated with insurance. Muslim scholars and Islamic jurists have treated insurance illegal, haram and repugnant to SharÄ «ahwithout providing an alternative solution to Muslim Ummah. As a result of these prevalent misconceptions, any effort or risk management strategy to insure the assets or life has been considered against the fate and will of Allah. In Islamic financial planning, Takaful is a way to reduce the financial risk of loss due to accident and misfortunes (Iqtisad Al-islamy, 2003). As a matter of fact, Takaful plan is an alternative to the insurance in the conventional financial planning. In Takaful plan, the participant would pay particular amount of money as contribution (known as the premium) partly to risk fund (the participants special account) using the concept of tabbaru (donation) and partly to another party (known as Takaful company) with a mutual agreement that, the kafiil (Takaful company) is under a legal responsibility to provide for the participant a financial protection against unexpected loss, should it happen within the agreed period. The focus of this research paper is to identify various types of risks associated with Takaful business and devise criteria for managing risks and enhancing risk management culture among Takaful companies. It also discusses challenges to risk management in Takaful. RISK MANAGEMENT â€Å"Risk is the chance of happening of something that will have an impact upon our objectives. It is measured in terms of likelihood and consequences† (GOWA, 2002). Traditionally, concept of risk has been associated with uncertainty of events in future. Higher the uncertainty of events, higher is the risk. In insurance, risk is the amount of loss associated with property or life. Risk to property can be a loss or damage to car, building, house, etc. Risk to life can be described as poor health, premature death, bodily injuries as a result of accident etc. (Rejda, 2006; p.23). Risk management is a process that identifies loss exposures faced by an organization and selects the most appropriate techniques for treating such exposures(Rejda, 2006; p. 63). According to New Zealand standard of Risk Management, â€Å"It is the culture, processes and structures that are directed towards the effective management of potential opportunities and adverse effects†. In fact, risk management is an ongoing process that encompasses all aspects of our life. RISK MANAGEMENT UNDER SHARIAH Risk traditionally means possibility of meeting danger or suffering, harm or loss (Iqtisad Al-islamy, 2003). Risk is an element of life in this world for being ignorant of the future. It is also factor of investing that one should take time to understand prior to selecting any specific investment instruments or any new adventures. Muslims are asked to work hard in order to be able to change their conditions as obvious in the verse of Holy Quran, †¦ Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls)†¦ (Quran 3:11). However, it is true that only Allah knows ones future and fate, Muslims should strive to achieve the goodness in this world and the hereafter. Submission to Allah, of course, has a positive effect on human behavior. For it will lead to peace and contentment. Undoubtedly, one has to submit every single thing to Allah, but it supposes to be after his hands stretch out to do the best effort as he can, to ch ange himself, so that he would be able to manage and to cope with unforeseen calamities or misfortune. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him once asked a Bedouin who had left his camel untied, Why do not tie your camel? the Bedouin answered, I put my trust in Allah the prophet then said, tie up your camel first then put your trust in Allah( Sunan al -Tirmizi, vol.4, No. 2517, p. 668). This conversation depicts not only how should Muslims accept their fate but it also indicates how do Muslims reduce the risk of loss and calamities. Quran has presented stories of the previous prophets so that Muslims can take the lessons from their experiences. The story of the prophet Joseph, for instance, tells us about financial planning. The story of Prophet Yaqub, Josephs father, tells us about the management of risks as Yaqub commanded his sons to enter Egypt from different gates. Quran states, Further he said: O my sons! Enter not all by one gate: enter ye by different gates. Not that I can profit you aught against Allah (with my advice): None can command except Allah: On Him do I put my trust: and let all that trust put their trust on Him (Quran 12:67). The history of the prophets migration to Madinah gives us other lessons on how the Prophet (SAW) managed the risk. The Prophet reduced the risk of getting killed by asking Hazrat Ali (R.A.) to sleep in his bed during the night of emigration. It was reported that as night advanced, the Quraish posted assassins around the Prophets house. Thus they kept vigil all night long, waiting to kill him the moment he left his house early in the morning, peeping now and then through a hole in the door to make sure that he was still lying in his bed. All these above examples depict that risk management is in the roots of Islam. We, as a Muslims, should put our trust onto Allah only after meticulous planning and best utilization of all the available resources. NORMS OF ETHICS Obaidullah (2002, pp.2-4) has identified norms of efficiency and ethics for SharÄ «ahbased risk management in a business contract. These norms are also applicable to Takaful contract and are briefly described as follow: Each party in Takaful contract should be free to accept the terms and conditions of the contract and no coercion is imposed on any party. Takaful contract should be free from element of ‘riba (interest) that is prohibited by Shariah. One of the major objections on the contract of conventional insurance by SharÄ «ahscholars is element of ‘riba in its investments for which it is considered illegal and unIslamic. There should be no uncertainty or ambiguity about the nature of contract. Excessive uncertainty is not permissible in Shariah. For example, SharÄ «ahscholars disallow conventional insurance contract where no party clearly knows how and from where the insured amount is to going to be paid in case a loss or catastrophe occurs to the insured. There should not be any element of gambling in Takaful contract. It means that Takaful contract should not be aimed at getting a huge advantage at the cost of others. Rather, participants should have sincere intention of helping each other in case of loss or catastrophe from a joint fund. Contribution amount for participants should be adequate and fair and should be determined by actuaries and approved by SharÄ «ahscholars. Takaful customers (participants) should have equal access to adequate, accurate and timely market information related to Takaful products and companys performance where they want to contribute their money. Rights of any third party should not be adversely affected by Takaful contract between two parties. It means Takafulcontract should not be detrimental to any third party. There should be unrestricted public interest in Takaful products and its business contract which should work for the benefit of people at large. TYPES OF RISKS IN TAKÄ€FUL BUSINESS Business industry is prone to a number of risks. Five types of risks in business (Basel, 2006; IAIS, 2004) have been identified that are relevant to Takaful business. First two types of risks (underwriting and operational risks) are directly related to operations of Takaful company while remaining three (credit, liquidity and market risks) are associated with the investment activities of the company. i. Underwriting Risk: Underwriting risk is pertinent to insurance and Takaful. It occurs due to adverse selection of applicants or due to re-Takaful risk as a result of inability of re-Takaful operator to meet the obligation towards ceded company under re-Takaful agreement (IAIS, 2003; pp.32-33). Adverse selection refers to the tendency of selecting applicants that result in higher than average chance of loss (Rejda, 2006; p. 45). The risk of adverse selection arises when applicants with higher than average chance of loss succeed in obtaining Takaful coverage at standard rates e.g. high risk drivers or persons with serious health problems. It results in higher claim ratio and put the firm on high liquidity constraints. Re-Takaful risk occurs as the ceded company remains liable for a portion of outstanding claim to the extent re-Takaful operator fails to provide financial protection to Takaful operator in accordance with agreed terms. Both adverse selection and re-Takaful risk hamper the firms underwriting capacity; disturb the cash flow pattern and hence affect the stability of the profits of the company. ii. Operational Risk: Operational risk is not a well defined concept , yet Basel Report (2006, p.144) defines it as a loss that occurs as a result of inadequate or failed internal processes, people, technology or from external events. Internal processes failure occurs (Ahmed Khan, 2001; pp.29-30) as a result of inaccurate processing of transactions, inefficient record keeping, violating operational control limits, non-compliance of regulations etc. people risk may occur due to incompetence of employees, fraud and failure to perform the duties. Technology risk may arise as a result of telecommunication system or computer network breakdown. Risks from external events include unenforceability of regulatory policies, legislation and regulations that affect the fulfillment of contracts and transactions in the organizations. These risks are also called legal risks and are considered a part of operational risks. iii. Credit Risk: Credit risk occurs a result of default of counterparty when it fails to meet its obligations in time and in accordance with agreed terms (IAIS, 2004; p.14). In case of insurance, credit risk may be treated as default risk, migration risk, spread risk or concentration risk. Default risk occurs when Takaful operator does not receive or partially receive cash flows or assets to which it is entitled because the other party fails to meet the obligations of the contract. Migration risk occurs when probability of a future default of an obligator adversely affect the contract today. Spread risk occurs due to market perception of increased risk on either macro or micro basis. Concentration risk is the result of increased exposure to losses due to concentration of investments in a particular geographical area or economic or industrial sector. Takaful industry is also exposed to these risks. iv. Liquidity Risk: Liquidity risk is the risk resulting from Takaful companys inability to meet its obligations (i.e. claims payments and maturity price of policy) when they fall due. This risk occurs because the company has insufficient liquid assets or high level of liabilities (IAIS, 2004; p.18). Liquidity risk includes liquidation risk, affiliation investment risk and capital funding risk. Liquidation value risk is the risk under circumstance when assets are liquidated below their real (market) value. Affiliated investment risk is the risk that investment in an affiliated or member company might result in drain of financial or operating resources. Capital fund risk is the risk that insurance company will not be able to outsource funds in case of large claims. Takaful industry, just like conventional insurance company, faces similar types of liquidity risks. v. Market Risk: Market risk is the volatility of prices in instruments and assets of Takaful company in the market. It can be classified as equity price risk, interest rate risk, currency risk and commodity price risk (IAIS, 2004, p.12). Equity price risk is the risk of loss resulting from changes in market price of equities or other assets. Interest rate risk is the risk of loss resulting from changes in interest rates that adversely affect the cash flows of the insurance company. Currency risk is the risk of loss resulting from volatility of exchange rates that adversely affect the operations of insurance company. For a Takaful company, it does not include interest rate risk, however Takaful operators are exposed to mark up price risk as avoidance of interest based transactions is distinctive feature of SharÄ «ahcompliance. MANAGING RISKS All types of risks in Takaful require specific risk management strategy and need to be managed on individual basis. i. Underwriting Risk Management: Underwriting risk can be managed by establishing standard selection procedure consistent with the companys objectives. Most of the Takaful operators require physical inspection or medical reports of the applicants that have serious health problems or prone to higher than average risk. Some have introduced computerized underwriting system to standardized underwriting procedure and minimizing the chance of adverse selection. For example, Takaful Ikhlas Sdn. Bhd. of Malaysia uses computerized underwriting procedure for motor Takaful where applicants who meet standard requirements are automatically selected for Takaful. Others are rejected or alternatively are offered higher contribution rates for the extra risk. To minimize re-Takaful risk, Takaful operator can evaluate the financial strength of re-Takaful operators in the region and diversify the risk geographically by making arrangements with more than one re-Takaful operator. ii. Operational Risk Management: Management of this risk is more complex as it arises from failure of internal processes, people, information system breakdown and non-compliance with regulatory standards (Ahmed Khan, 2001; pp. 38-39). Senior management and board of directors of Takaful company should devise policies and develop strategies to manage and reduce operational risks. Sources of operational risk (i.e. people, processes and technology) should be handled carefully. This raises the importance of corporate governance culture in the organization. Given the newness of Takaful industry, computer software available for conventional insurance might not be appropriate for Takaful industry. This calls for recruiting talented professionals in the field of informational technology so that they could develop software to meet peculiar needs of Takaful industry. Independent external auditors can also play an important role in mitigating operational risk as they point out flaws in internal processes of the organization. T his calls for proper disclosure of activities and independent and secure reporting system. iii. Credit Risk Management: Under conventional insurance system, credit exposure limits are established within companys investment policies to mitigate and manage default risk, migration risk, spread risk and concentration risk as discussed under credit risk. Usually, following credit exposure limits can be established for insurance company investment and credit activities (IAIS, 2004; pp.16-18). Internal and external rating of counterparties Limit on maturity of credit facility (prefer short term credit over long term credit) Limit on maximum investment amount or a certain percentage of investment exposure to a single issuer, industry, geographical region or some other risk classification. Prohibition of interest does not allow Takaful companies to investment in interest-based instruments (Chapra and Khan, 2000). Moreover, Takaful companies do not have access to credit derivatives that are considered effective instruments for credit risk mitigation. Yet Al-Suwailem (2006; pp.67-68) argues that futures and Option contracts result in losses for more than 70% of the time and hence such instruments are considered as factors of loss, not of gain. The non-availability of Islamic derivatives raises the importance of internal control mechanism for Takaful operators which ensures that credit risk exposures are maintained within limits of prudential standards defined by internal controls. iv. Liquidity Risk Management: IAIS Report (2004, p.20) identifies two approaches in order to hedge liquidity risk that are also applicable to Takaful industry. These are: Cash flow modeling Liquidity ratios Cash flow modeling is done in order to assess the amount of deficit, surpluses or liquidation value risk in order to meet the needs of Takaful industry. Takaful operator should make sure that it has sufficient liquid assets in order to meet liquidity risk and unexpected liquidity requirements. Use of liquidity ratios will help Takaful operator to set the amount of liquid assets required to meet demands of liability portfolio, desired level of liquidity ratio will also help in determining Takaful operators investment policies. Capital funding risk could be mitigated by setting contingency plans and drawing cash from re-Takaful policies. This form of liquidity hedging could be recognized by knowing current level of liquid assets in hand to meet Takaful operators investment policies. In order to identify and evaluate liquidity risks, Ahmed and Khan (2001, p.38) emphasize the need of adequate internal control and proper disclosure of information in the organization. Towards this end, it is essential to have regular independent reports and internal audit function should periodically review the liquidity risk management process. v. Market Risk Management: In conventional insurance, management of market risk includes devising strategies to manage interest rate risk, exchange rate, and commodity price risk as well as equity price fluctuations. Takaful operators are not involved in interest based transactions so they do not face this risk. However, KIBOR (Karachi Inter Bank Offered Rate) can be used as bench mark for markup in Islamic financial institutions in their financing activities. Conventional institutions manage the market risk using financial derivatives such as futures, forward, option or swap contracts (Chapra Khan, 2000; p.55). Takaful operators face difficulty in managing market risk as these financial derivatives are not compatible with SharÄ «ahin the eyes of Islamic scholars. However, according to Al-Suwailem (2006; pp.118-126), cooperative hedging and bi-lateral mutual adjustment are acceptable instruments under SharÄ «ahto mitigate currency risk and interest rate risk respectively. Additionally, Takaful operators could apply stress tests and Value at Risk (VaR) techniques to mitigate commodity price risk and equity risk. Stress testing is one of the risk management tools that can be employed to assess the vulnerability of portfolios to abnormal shocks and market conditions. Value at Risk is the probability of portfolio losses exceeding some specified proportion. ENHANCING RISK MANAGEMENT CULTURE Cultivation of risk management culture is extremely important to form a robust and resilient Takaful industry in Pakistan. This objective, however, could not be achieved without active participation and collaboration of regulatory authorities, senior management of Takaful companies and members of SharÄ «ahSupervisory Board (SSB). Towards this end, regularities authorities should make sure that stress testing and Value at Risk (VaR) reports as identified above are regularly produced and obtained from senior management of Takaful operators in addition to reports of Takaful risks. Regular review of these reports will greatly facilitate the regulatory authorities as well as Takaful operators to enhance risk management practices in Takaful industry. Moreover, effective implementation of internal control and corporate governance system could prove to be of vital importance to Takaful operator as well as to concerned regulatory authority. It will help the authorities in effective monitoring of Takaful activities and managing different types of risks hence enhancing the functioning of Takaful operators in the industry. Figure 1 shows the steps for effectively manage the risks in Takaful business. In the first step, possible risks in the way of Takaful business are identified. In the second step, strategies are developed to cope with and manage the risks effectively. In the third step, process of identification and strategy formulation and implementation related to each type of risk is examined through review reports and effective measures are taken to counter any flaw or discrepancy in the previous process. CHALLENGES TO RISK MANAGEMENT In spite of effective risk management techniques discussed above, there are certain challenges in the way of risk management for Takaful. i. Internal Controls: Internal controls are indispensable for recognizing and assessing risks faced by financial institutions including Takaful companies. Basel Committee (2005) and IAIS (2006a) reports have focused on the importance of internal controls for banking institutions as well as for conventional insurance companies respectively. Chapra and Ahmad (2002) found that existence of effective internal control have prevented the financial institutions from systemic crisis and enabled them to have early detection of problems and associated risks they might face in future. These experiences highlight the importance and need of internal controls for Takaful companies. Unique nature of these companies from conventional insurance demands the fulfillment of SharÄ «ahaspects. IFSB and IAIS joint working group (2006) maintains that to have effective internal control mechanism, Takaful companies must ensure SharÄ «ahcontrols in addition to all statutory regulations. It urges the need of a regularSharÄ «ahaud it as a part of an on-going internal control system. ii. Corporate Governance: The corporate governance structure specifies the distribution of rights and responsibilities of the Board, manager, shareholders and other stakeholders (OECD Report, 1999) yet effective corporate governance ensures the independence of board of directors (BOD) who in turn devise polices and implement strategies for risk management and hold the management accountable to shareholders (Psaros and Seamer, 2002; p.7). Lack of an effective corporate governance framework hampers the independence of board of directors (BOD) and hence poses a challenge to risk management. It in turn increases the operational risk which might result in failure of operations due to inability of BOD to implement unbiased and independent decisions for the best interest of all stakeholders. Takaful companies are confronted with an additional challenge related to corporate governance of SharÄ «ahSupervisory Board (SSB). Grais and Pellegrini (2006b) identify corporate governance issues that affect their role and fun ctioning in the organizations. It calls for a greater need to incorporate corporate governance culture to overcome related issues of Takaful industry. iii. SharÄ «ahBased Challenges: According to Ahmed Khan (2001), most of the risk management techniques are not applicable to Islamic financial institutions due to the requirements of SharÄ «ahcompliance. It creates SharÄ «ahbased challenges to risk management for Takafulcompanies as well. These challenges arise as SharÄ «ahrestricts the use certain instruments that are considered useful in conventional risk management e.g. derivatives (futures, options, swaps etc.) and sale of debts. Al-Suwailem (2006, pp.89-90) argues that SharÄ «ahconstraints to human behavior do not hinder creativity, rather these constraints are the major driving force behind the creation of innovative financial instruments. He suggests several Islamic financial instruments for risk management and concludes that SharÄ «ahis abundant with real solutions to the present problems of gambling and speculation. It provides directions to SharÄ «ahscholars and experts of Islamic finance to explore the dimensions of SharÄ «ahin order to integrate risk management practices with value creation. iv. Financial Engineering: Financial engineering aims at designing new and innovative SharÄ «ahcompliant Islamic financial instruments for IFIs including Takaful companies. Chapra and Ahmad (2002) maintain that financial engineering has emerged as the greatest challenge faced by SharÄ «ahscholars of present time as it poses major threat to IFIs to become competitive in the contemporary business environment. Process of giving fatwas by SharÄ «ahscholars regarding the permissibility of a financial instrument is quite slow and over-conservative (Iqbal et al, 1998; pp.47-48) as SharÄ «ahscholars and experts of modern finance have different academic backgrounds. They use technical terms related to their own field that are most of the time not easily understandable to other party. The need is to produce scholars with SharÄ «ahbackground that also have working knowledge of modern finance to meet the acute challenge of financial engineering. v. Islamic Financial Market: Islamic financial market provides a secondary market for trading of Islamic financial instruments. In the absence of this market, it will be extremely difficult for Takafulcompanies to maintain its liquidity position to make prompt claim payments when they become due. Retaining a large portion of Takaful fund to maintain high liquidity ratio will affect the efficiency of the firm and its competitiveness as compared to conventional insurance companies that have ready access to liquid bonds and t-bills. Islamic Financial Market will greatly facilitate the Takafulcompanies to invest large portion of their fund in Islamic financial instruments and increasing their efficiency and competitiveness while maintaining low liquidity ratio. It will also help Takaful companies in hedging market risk by providing alternative instruments to financial derivatives that are not acceptable under Shariah. vi. Need of Private Credit Rating Agencies: Although International Islamic Rating Agency (IIRA) has been set up in Bahrain to judge the SharÄ «ahcompliance and financial strength of Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) including Takaful companies, it is not be possible for IIRA to rate thousands of counterparties with whomTakaful companies deal. Consequently, it calls for the need of private credit rating agencies in each Muslim country that could provide information related to financial strengthen, fiduciary risk and credit worthiness of thousands of counterparties that privately issue financial instruments (Chapra Ahmed, 2002; pp.80-81). This information could provide great help to IIRA in rating these companies and make it readily available to Takaful companies and other interested parties. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Risk management is of vital importance in Islam and Takaful provides a way to manage risks in business according to SharÄ «ahprinciples. Five types of risks have been identified in Takaful business that affect operational and investment functions of Takaful operator. Operational risk can be managed by enhancing corporate governance culture in the organizations. Cash flow modeling and use of liquidity ratios is quite helpful to identify liquidity constraints. Takaful operators might face difficulty in managing market and credit risks asSharÄ «ahcompliant nature of Takaful contract does not allow Takaful companies to deal with interest rate and financial derivatives due to their speculative nature by which they tend to benefit one party at the loss of other. On the other hand, Islamic financial instruments like cooperative hedging and bi-lateral mutual adjustment aim at providing mutual gains to both parties by the way of risk sharing. Risks associated to Takaful have raised several challenges that need to be encountered to enhance risk management practices. Regular SharÄ «ahaudit is found to be an integral part of effective internal controls that prevent the companies from systemic crisis. Corporate governance calls for independence of BOD to devise policies for effective risk management, make unbiased decisions and resolve issues related to functioning of SSB. SharÄ «ahbased challenges call for devising innovative Islamic financial instruments as SharÄ «ahis abundant with real solutions to present business dilemma and does not hinder creativity. Exploring those solutions will help to meet the challenge of financial engineering. Islamic financial market will greatly facilitate the task of Takaful companies to invest large portion of their fund in Islamic financial instruments and increase their efficiency and competitiveness. There is need to establish private credit rating agencies that could assist IIRA to ra te thousands of counterparties for the benefit of Takaful operators.

Insect-Borne Disease and Australia :: Diseases Health Medical Essays

Insect-Borne Disease and Australia Insect borne diseases loom as a potential threat in many countries including Australia. Australia has been relatively free of insect-borne diseases compared to other southern land masses such as South America and Africa. Australia has several characteristics that influence the prevalence of insect-borne disease. Some these features include low altitudes, tropical forests, Southern Oscillation, and the fact that Australia is an island continent. Some of the most common insect-borne diseases of concern in Australia include Murray Valley encephalitis, Malaria, Dengue fever, Ross Valley virus and Yellow fever. The most common vector in Australia is the mosquito, in particular Aedes aegypti, which is the Dengue vector. Dengue fever is a flavivirus and is the greatest insect-borne disease threat in Australia. Two presentations of Dengue fever are known; classic Dengue fever and Dengue hemorrhagic fever. Classic Dengue fever is fairly common, usually in urban areas, and usually not life threatening. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a very serious illness. Dengue is usually isolated to North Queensland, which is brought in by infected international travelers and maintained by the large Aedes aegypti population in Queensland. Australia and north Queensland have implemented management plans to control and eradicate Dengue fever and other potential insect-borne viruses. Keys to this plan are disease surveillance, mosquito control and surveillance, and education. Introduction Insect-borne diseases are a common threat to travelers, especially when traveling to tropical countries. Insect-borne diseases are usually transmitted by mosquitoes and are caused by several types of microorganisms. Vaccinations, mosquito control, and education are common methods utilized in minimizing the effects of insect-borne disease. In this paper I will attempt to give an overview of insect-borne disease in Australia. In doing this, I plan on describing the most common insect-borne diseases in Australia, the vectors behind these diseases, and common methods used in prevention of insect-borne disease in Australia. Australian Geographical Features Compared to other southern land masses, such as South America and Africa, Australia has been and is relatively free of insect-borne disease (Kettle 1993).

Falstaff :: essays research papers

Romanticism, as stated in the American Heritage Electronic Dictionary is, "An artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual's expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions." Falstaff is the ideal romantic character. In an article written by Harry T. Baker titled, "The Two Falstaffs" Baker writes against all the critics who claim that the Falstaff from Henry IV parts I and II is a different character then the Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor. He believes that, "although, as the critics declare, Falstaff is not himself, this is due to the [change in] situation, not to the inconsistency of character portrayal." In Henry IV parts I and II we see Falstaff as the romantic character that is stated in the definition above, defying everything that the Classical character, Prince Hal, stands for and believes.. He refuses to take life seriously. He believes that "War is as much of a joke to him as a drinking bout at the Boar's Head." He uses people solely for his own purposes, either for money or for food and drink. He is rude and crude to all those around him and is one of the best liars who continually gets caught in his lies but makes new ones to cover for the old failed ones. Yet Baker states that, "His presence of mind and quickness of retort are always superb; his impudence is almost sublime. Yet the man thus corrupt, thus despicable, makes himself necessary to the prince that despises him, by the most pleasing of all qualities, perpetual gaiety. Falstaff creates around his capacious bulk a sort of Utopia which frees us temporarily from the worries and troubles of the actual wo rld. What does it matter that Falstaff ridicules chivalry, honor, truth-telling, and bravery in battle? He is not to be taken seriously...he is a wholly comic character." At the end of Henry IV part II we can see what happens to Falstaff when he is surrounded by reality, he is caught off guard and is out of place. Baker states that when Falstaff is entangle with the realities of life "he cannot shine." We see this first at the coronation of Hal, once his friend in mischief, when Falstaff is told, quite bluntly by Hal that " I know thee not, old man.

Best Man Wedding Speech -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Best Man Wedding Speech Good Evening everybody...I hope you are all enjoying everything so far...My name is Frank Levy, and I am Rick's Best Man for the evening. I happened to find out that there was a pool going on as to how long my Best Man's speech was going to be, and I was the only one who bought in at 60 minutes, so you might as well all just relax, sit back and enjoy the ride. When Rick first asked me to be a "Best Man", I wasn't really sure what my responsibilities were suppossed to be. I asked around, and was told that my main duties for today were: To ensure that the groom arrives on time, To make sure he is sober, And to make sure he is looking good. Well 2 out of 3 isn?t bad... After all I?m best man, not a plastic surgeon! I was also worried about how long...

Research on Cost Control and Management of Real Estate Project Essay

This paper takes the cost control and the management of real estate project as the object in research, and analyzes and studies relevant issues. By analyzing the cost structure of real estate construction, this paper identifies problems in cost control and management of real estate construction at present. Along with the fast development of China’s economy, the real estate industry has achieved wonderful successes, pulling economic development significantly, and contributing a lot to China’s economic development. Today, real estate construction assumes more tasks. In 2008, 3,000 billion RMB enters real estate construction. The cost control and regular management of real estate construction turns into the focus. Once the construction cost is out of control, it will lead to a great waste and will bring about more pressures for property management in later. A nice cost control is meaningful for the whole real estate construction project. To realize better cost control and management of real estate construction is important for today’s harmonious society. The cost of real estate construction is composed of four parts. The first part is the land cost, accounting for 30% of the total cost. It mainly refers to cost for building land, greening land, equipped facility land, and property management land. The second part is the construction installation cost, as the main body of real estate construction cost, accounting for 20%-50% of the total cost. Among the construction installation cost, materials cost the most, accounting for 60% of construction installation cost. The third part is the cost for equipments and machines, accounting for 1%-3% of the total cost. This part is mainly for meeting the needs of operations, management, and maintenance. The fourth part is other cost, accounting for more than 15% of the total cost. It is difficult to control this part. It mainly includes the cost for investigation and design, the cost for project supervision, and the cost for infrastructure. In special, the management cost usually surpasses the budget, which is the largest part that is hard to control in real estate construction. The management cost is only accounting for 1% of the total cost. But the absolute amount is large. It is easy for the construction company costing more in management. At present, serious problems exist in the cost control and management of real estate construction. For example, for some real estate construction, the design is earlier than the study of feasibility, which makes the later turn into useless. In bidding, some construction companies perform illegally, which makes the bidding fail to control project cost well. The popularization of assigned subcontracts and various subcontracts serve as potential threats for project quality. The delay for project payment, especially for workers’ wages, is serious. Some projects can not manage the changes of designs. Construction companies fail to follow the designs completely, which may lead to larger costs for construction. Some construction companies emphasize on the control of quality and period but fail to control the cost. All these activities make the cost of real estate construction out of control in China, which is harmful for the sustainable and healthy development of real estate industry . * Fail to Estimate the Project Exactly: Investment estimation is performed at the very beginning, namely in the study of feasibility. Present compilation of study of feasibility is lack of details. No effective items to control the number of project. The estimation has a lower preciseness. Besides, the study of feasibility has no necessary investigation. Some potential geological disasters can not be identified effectively, which leads to the rise of costs. Although some companies make â€Å"details for implement†, the effect is poor. In order to establish the project, some companies may reduce the number of project and decrease costs. * The Compilation of Project Budget Has Poor Reliability: At the stage of design, the investigation is far from sufficient. Some fundamental materials for design are inexact. As a result, the design may be irrational and will be changed significantly in construction, which causes the poor reliability of budget. * Working Drawing Budget is Unpractical: At the working drawing design stage, compile the project budget according to the design. The working drawing budget is to calculate the cost of design. The rationality of working drawing budget is about how to organize the construction and how to reach the design requirements by what kinds of methods, plus how to arrange the construction period, and how to manage workers and machines under different seasons, according to scientific designs. All these tasks are supposed to be arranged by construction companies. For design companies, to compile the budget is unpractical. * Do not Follow Basic Construction Procedures and Cannot Control Costs: For some projects, time is urgent. Therefore, the design is maybe imperfect. And the construction does not follow the basic procedures strictly. Sometimes, the study of feasibility turns into useless papers. As a result, the estimation and the budget cannot control the project cost effectively. * Contract is not Managed Well, Especially for Subcontracts and External Workers: Some real estate developers neglect to manage contracts. They do not follow the terms written in contracts strictly. Besides, some developers cannot calculate the cost of project quantities correctly. They are incapable of managing external workers effectively. * Irregular Management and Many Changes for Project: Real estate developers cannot design properly and have to change the management methods. Or, the execution is weak. They can change the design as will. Then, the scale of project is increasing and the cost is rising. * The Financing Structure is Unreasonable and Depends on One Financing Channel too Much, Which Contributes to the Rise Of Costs: At present, the funds for real estate construction in China are mainly from domestic loans, foreign funds, self-collected by construction companies, and other sources. Although financing ways are few and some are immature, limits are more. Sometimes, funds can not arrive in time. In order to insure the process of project, the construction companies have to apply loans from banks. Therefore, a large proportion of construction funds are from banks as loans. And the credit period is long and cannot match with investment return. The characteristics of real estate industry determine the lagged-behind investment return. One financing channel increases risks and costs, which leads to the accumulation of loan balance in banks, increasing construction costs and pressures for later in operation. * Cost Management is Unscientific. Lack the Idea of Cost Control. System is Imperfect. Management Cost Is High: By auditing lots of projects, we find that management is one of factors that cause overspending. Main items that cause overspending include management fees, compensation fees for removing, and supervision. Main reasons include: Lack a perfect cost control system and cannot manage and control the cost systematically, which makes it hard to identify the out-of-control of cost in time. Lack the idea of cost control and the constraint mechanism. Project managers are always focusing on quality and construction period, but not cost control. The absence of system makes the expenditure more irregular. No integrated standards for management fee are effective. Workers are more than necessary in construction companies.

Health Care Spending Essay

In the past seven decades health care spending has been increasing tremendously. The industrial era brought in a new system to help population duel with the cost of medical care. New technology has become a much needed investing in the 21st century which has yield to a great margin between small and big facilities. When looking at all of these factors there is no wonder the nation is spend way too much money on health care, although at times might seem that there is not enough. It seems that the right investment is needed to help aid those that need help the most the elderly and unemployed, with the economy in a fragile state and unemployment rates increasing with the quarters there is no question that decisions about how we are spending on health care needs to change. Even though so many factors are involved in the spending this paper would focus on our current level of expenditures, how and where is the money spent, forecasting what would be coming next. Current level of national healthcare expenditures According to â€Å"Physicians for a National Health Program† (2012), â€Å"National Health Expenditures was $2.8 trillion, and the spending as a percent of GDP was 18% for 2012† (National Health Expenditure Projections: Modest Annual Growth until Coverage Expands and Economic Growth Accelerates). When looking at these facts many would even argue we are spending quite enough when it comes to healthcare or perhaps too much, however is the complete opposite not enough spending is in the right place. These figures does not represent the spent on one area of health care the graph below will provide an idea as to what, when, and where was spent on 2009. Total = $2.3 Trillion Source: Martin A.B. et al., â€Å"Growth In US Health Spending Remained Slow in 2010; Health Share of Gross Domestic Product Was Unchanged from 2009,† Health Affairs, 2012. As shown on the graph 51% of the spending is towards hospital care and physician/clinical services which are great to be invested in, however the rest of the spending in my opinion is not proportionally distribute, yes those areas are extremely important but it would be beneficial if more can be distributed along medication, and other professionals services to include the testing and diagnose of serious illnesses such as cancer. The investment is require to subsidize the needs on these areas, 45 percent of people under age 65 who don’t have insurance coverage for prescriptions said they had not filled a prescription in the last year because of the cost. Additionally, 84 percent of working-age people in the U.S. without insurance coverage for prescriptions said they had taken some action such as spending less on groceries or postponing paying other bills in order to pay for their medications, an increase from 71 percent last year (Rowan, 2012). Regarding testing for patients with cancer there should be more funding for the new technology available for test that many patients are not aware, because they cannot afford it or simply because it is not available in their area. Spending: Too much or not enough? In 2010, $2.6 trillion was spent on health care services and products, 61 percent of which purchased hospital care, physician and clinical services, and retail prescription drugs. Private health insurance paid for 33 percent, out-of-pocket sources for 12 percent, and other third party payers and programs for 7 percent. The two largest government health care programs, Medicare and Medicaid, purchased $925.1 billion worth of health care goods and services in 2010, accounting for 36 percent of total health care spending (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2012). The increase of cost would continue to rise according to economists, health care managers, and advisors forcing for a new reform to change the system. Thus many are not too please with this idea is a phenomenal that cannot be avoid, there is a need to change in policies and methods in which we spent or invest in health care. Suggesting that the investment is too little would be a denial statement, everyday more and more patients are relying on programs such as Medicare and Medicaid to get the attention required at the moment. As the economic recession set in deeper less would be available to afford just the basic needs, medication or any treatment; unemployment rates are on the rise and it does not seem it would stop anytime soon. Although the new reform would try to establish some type of stability, until the insurance companies and policy makers come to an agreement to provide a universal premium for service which can be affordable for all, the same problems would continue to emerge. Many factors also have effect on spending considering for example the demand for new technology in the 21st century; this trend has become to some degree a factor in the rise on health care spending. Much of this new technology is beneficial if it provides a new way to used already establish technology, however many studies have revealed that most of them are only here to replace such technology and at some circumstances increase the cost of service. As a country a deeper consideration of such technology is needed not only to save money, but to invest wisely as to what would help the system cut in spending. Future economic needs of health care For years to come the enduring effects of the economic recession and slow recovery, due mostly because of partial growth in incomes, are expected to continue to limit health spending growth. In 2014 the coverage expansions laid out in the Affordable Care Act for Medicaid and for private health insurance are expected to increase the growth rate for health spending, with notable increases expected in spending on physician services and prescription drugs for newly insured patients. By the end of the year, higher income growth and the continuing shift of baby boomers into Medicare are expected to cause health spending to grow roughly two percentage points faster than overall economic growth, which is about the same differential experienced over the past thirty years. Therefore a necessary reform of a national health care perhaps would provide the change needed, the only issue with this suggestion is the funding. Thus a national health care would help every citizen reach the so needed medical attention required at an affordable price there is no surprise that the funding through Federal programs are thinning, and the cost of private insurance keeps on raising. Therefore a more evaluated reform should be put in place where the cost of care should be regulated, and more affordable options are given to the population; an increase on reimbursement of healthcare for basic health needs is necessary to subsidize the cost for complex health needs in order to keep the cost regulated. According to â€Å"Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services† (2011), â€Å"In 2014, national health spending is projected to rise to 7.4 percent, or 2.1 percentage-points faster than in the absence of reform, as the major coverage expansions from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are expected to result in 22 million fewer uninsured people† (National Health Expenditure Projections 2011-2021). Increases in Medicaid spending growth, and private health insurance growth will contribute to the overall acceleration in national health spending in 2014. There is no question that technology would also continue to raise to help the system provide the best and fast way possible services to those in need. Investing more in health care can only benefit the nation; however the right decisions needs to be made in order to keep the spending growth under control. Reference Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/downloads/dsm-10.pdf Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and -Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/Downloads/Proj2011PDF.pdf Martin A.B. et al., â€Å"Growth In US Health Spending Remained Slow in 2010; Health Share of Gross Domestic Product Was Unchanged from 2009,† Health Affairs, 2012. Physicians for a National Health Program. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.pnhp.org/news/2012/june/2012-health-care-spending-including-administration Rowan, K. (2012). Fox news.com. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/09/13/why-americans-prescriptions-are-going-unfilled/

Rehab vs Retribution Essay

I negate the resolution which states: Resolved: Rehabilitation ought to be valued above retribution in the United States criminal justice system. The value for this round will be: justice, where everyone gets what they are due. In order to provide a criterion for which to judge the value, as well as a way to achieve my value, the value- criteria shall be: retribution, where the punishment of an individual is more often than not weighted by the gravity of the crime that they committed. This is not to say that the justice system is justified in putting our criminals through excruciating torture and interrogations in order to ensure that they never commit a crime out of fear. However, this means that retribution makes more sense than rehabilitation and thus should not be valued less than rehab. Note: By negating, I can say that retribution is just as valuable as rehab, just not less valuable? Contention One: The retribution system only serves criminals what they are due in return for th eir actions. A: Retribution is not the same as revenge. Background and context The criminal justice system comprises many distinct stages, including arrest, prosecution, trial, sentencing, and punishment (quite often in the form of imprisonment). As will become clear, it is in the last two of these many stages that the debate over rehabilitation and retribution is of special significance. It is a very serious mistake to think that the retributive ideal in the criminal justice system is about vengeance, retaliation or payback. Rather, it is an extremely sophisticated idea that often forms the basis of, and arguably is even the leading indication of, a developed sentencing system. The term ‘retribution’ is therefore unfortunate because its everyday meaning connotes ‘revenge’; it is better described as ‘desert’, ‘just deserts’ or ‘proportionality’ theory. The debate between rehabilitation and ‘retribution’ involves two broad questions: ideologically, which is the more satisfactory justif ication for punishment; and practically, which can serve as a more useful guide for sentences and other agents in the criminal justice system? B: RETRIBUTIVE IS NOT THE SAME AS REVENGE Pojman, 04: Louis P. Pojman, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at West Point Military Academy, in an essay titled â€Å"Why the Death Penalty is Morally Permissible,† from Adam Bedaus’ 2004 book titled Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment? The Experts on Both Sides Make Their Best Case, wrote: â€Å"People often confuse retribution with revenge†¦ Vengeance signifies inflicting harm on the offender out of anger because of what he has done. Retribution is the rationally supported theory that the criminal deserves a punishment fitting the gravity of his crime†¦ Retribution is not based on hatred for the criminal (though a feeling of vengeance may accompany the punishment). Retribution is the theory that the criminal deserves to be punished and deserves to be punished in proportion to the gravity of his or her crime, whether or not the victim or anyone else desires it. We may all deeply regret having to carry out the punishment, but consider it warranted. When a society fails to punish criminals in a way thought to be proportionate to the gravity of the crime, the danger arises that the public would take the law into its own hands, resulting in vigilante justice, lynch mobs, and private acts of retribution. The outcome is likely to be an anarchistic, insecure state of injustice.† http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001004 When you are a little kid, your mother most likely put you in time-out when you did something wrong. We have been taught all our lives, then, that there is a consequence for every action, whether that action is moral or immoral, conformed to the guidelines of society or looked down upon by society. Teenage life and adult life is no different- people must be made aware of effects that what they do have on other people. Retribution is the answer. B: Retribution restores justice. RETRIBUTION REQUIRES ONLY THE RESTORATION OF JUSTICE Budziszewski, 04: J. Budziszewski, PhD, Professor of Government and Philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, in an Aug./Sep. 2004 OrthodoxyToday.org article titled â€Å"Capital Punishment: The Case for Justice,† wrote: â€Å"Society is justly ordered when each person receives what is due to him. Crime disturbs this just order, for the criminal takes from people their lives, peace, liberties, and worldly goods in order to give himself undeserved benefits. Deserved punishment protects society morally by restoring this just order, making the wrongdoer pay a price equivalent to the harm he has done. This is retribution, not to be confused with revenge, which is guided by a different motive. In retribution the spur is the virtue of indignation, which answers injury with injury for public good†¦ Retribution is the primary purpose of just punishment as such. The reasons for saying so are threefold. First, just punishment is not something which might or might not requite evil; requital is simply what it is. Second, without just punishment evil cannot be requited. Third, just punishment requires no warrant beyond requiting evil, for the restoration of justice is good in itself†¦ For these reasons, rehabilitation, protection, and deterrence have a lesser status in punishment than retribution: they are secondary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001004 Contention Two: Retribution helps deter crime. Barton, 99: Empowerment and Retribution in Criminal and Restorative Justice, Professional Ethics, A Multidisciplinary Journal. Volume 7, Issue 3/4, Fall/Winter 1999, 28   Selected Papers from the 1999 Conference of the Australian Association for Professional and Applied Ethics, Charles Barton, Pages 111-135 Restorative justice critiques of the status quo in criminal justice often miss their mark because of the mistaken belief that current practice in criminal justice is essentially, or predominantly, retributive. What is being overlooked is that restorative justice responses often contain retributive and punitive elements themselves – and sometimes, such as in serious cases, necessarily so. (Barton 1999, Ch. 10) Therefore, blaming retribution, or even punitiveness, for the ills of the criminal justice system is largely beside the point. Punishment and retribution cannot be ruled out by any system of justice. By implication, a more plausible critique of the status quo is needed†¦ More generally, even if the threat of punishment is no longer a deterrent to a relatively small number of repeat offenders, that does not mean that the prospect of punishment, such as imprisonment, for instance, is not a deterrent to the majority of people who otherwise might be more tempted to break the law and violate the rights of others in pursuit of their own goals and interests. At best, the evidence on this point is inconclusive, but the phenomenon of sharp increases in mindless vandalism, looting, and violence by otherwise law abiding citizens when they feel that they can get away with it, should cause us to re-think the wisdom of rejecting punishment altogether. Contention Three: Victims must be taken into consideration; present and future If victims feel that justice has not been served, then self help will be sought out, putting more people in danger and increasing the overall crime rate. SELF HELP IS SOUGHT OUT WHEN â€Å"DESERVED† PUNISHMENT IS NOT ENACTED In Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976), the US Supreme Court in a 7 – 2 decision written by Justice Potter Stewart, JD, stated: Gregg v. Georgia, 1976: â€Å"The death penalty is said to serve two principal social purposes: retribution and deterrence of capital crimes by prospective offenders. In part, capital punishment is an expression of society’s moral outrage at particularly 66boffensive conduct. This function may be unappealing to many, but it is essential in an ordered society that asks its citizens to rely on legal processes, rather than self-help, to vindicate their wrongs†¦ The instinct for retribution is part of the nature of man, and channeling that instinct in the administration of criminal justice serves an important purpose in promoting the stability of a society governed by law. When people begin to believe that organized society is unwilling or unable to impose upon criminal offenders the punishment they ‘deserve,’ then there are sown the seeds of anarchy — of self-help, vigilante justice, and lynch law.† http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001004 Although the general public is not in a position to determine the fate of every single incarcerated person there is in the U.S., their interests must still be taken into account when attackers and abusers are put in to prison.

Suffolk County Legislators

Today, we are in an age where local government is extremely important. Each county of every state has elected legislators that represent town throughout that county. I have selected two legislators which are both republican. The first is Cameron Alden a 49 year old man that represents the greater Bay Shore Area. He is also on the Conservative and Independence lines. The second legislator is Angie Carpenter, a very nice lady, that represents West Islip. Cameron Alden was born on August 28, 1950, in Bay Shore and grew up in Islip, Long Island, New York. He graduated Islip High School in 1968, where he played varsity football, basketball and baseball. Mr. Alden graduated from Suffolk County Community College in 1970 with an AA degree. He was a member of the SCCC varsity baseball team. Mr. Alden graduated from Dowling College in 1974. He was a member of the Pi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and played varsity basketball and golf Mr. Alden attended Tuoro Law School, graduating in 1990 with a Juris Doctor. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1991. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Prior to attending Law School he was a local Bay Shore business owner. A catering/grocery store and school bus companies were among those he owned. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Alden chose community-development work after undergoing a mastectomy during a bout with male breast cancer in law school, which â€Å"totally changed my focus† to an interest in public service.(Interview) He practiced law at the Town of Islip Community Development Agency, which provides affordable housing and economic development projects in the Town of Islip. He is a former Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Islip. Cameron Alden was elected to serve as a Legislator for the Tenth District and sworn into office January 2, 1998. Legislator Alden has been selected by his colleagues to serve as Vice-Chairman of the Parks/Land Preservation and Planning Committee. In addition Legislator Alden is a member of the Energy/Environment and Transportation, Health and Human Services, Public Works, and Finance Committees. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) The 10th Suffolk County Legislative District (L.D.) serves Islip, East Islip, Bay Shore and Brentwood. There are 52 election districts (E.D.s) with 33,058 registered voters. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Alden says his primary focus would be to ease the burdens on taxpayers. A critic of the LILCO-LIPA deal, Alden admits he does not yet have many specific legislative initiatives but says he is the better candidate because his fiscal policies would be more conservative. (Interview) Currently Cameron is working on a proposed bill that would support the elimination of taxes on clothing in Suffolk county. This proposed bill would enable signs 6to be erected throughout Nassau asking consumers to come shop in Suffolk due to its no lax bill as long as the clothing items are under one hundred and ten dollars. He has also worked on such other bill like trying to raise the salaries of Suffolk county legislators because he fells they are underpaid. Mr. Alden does not really receive a large amount or Pac money from anyone but he does have many supporters. These supporters include the Police and other safety bureaus and also many factory unions. (Interview) Angie Carpenter was born on Long Island in the mid fifties and is currently happily married and a mother of two. (Interview) Angie's dedication to the community is what led to her nomination to run for the Legislature, a position she has held since February 1993. (Interview) Legislator Angie M. Carpenter is founder of ACT Communications Group, a full-service advertising and marketing company specializing in multi-media graphic design and printing. The business is currently run by her sons Richard and Robert enabling her to devote her attention full-time to her duties as an elected official in Suffolk Government, but still affording her the opportunity to remain sensitive to the concerns of the business community. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Angie continues to devote her time and efforts to her community and constituents. As former Chairman of the Legislature's Economic Development and Education Committee, Angie Carpenter worked to bring the Touro School of Health Services to downtown Bay Shore which is opening early in 1999. She has worked tirelessly to increase aid to Suffolk Community College, and led the fight to cut tuition costs so that the college is affordable for all of our residents. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) She continues in her role as an avid supporter of the college and is extremely proud of the fact that the fastest growing campus of Suffolk County Community College is in her legislative district. Angie worked from the beginning, to see the construction of the $54 million-dollar Health and Technology Building scheduled to be completed in the Fall Semester of 2000 (Interview). Angie has almost served every committee during her tenure on the Suffolk County Legislature. Currently Angie is serving as the Legislature's Budget Committee Chairman, and Vice Chairman of the Public Safety Committee. She continues to serve as a member of the Economic Development and Education Committee, Budget Committee, Consumer Protection, Labor and Investigations, and Veterans and Seniors, as well as the Public Safety Committee, Parks, Planning and Land Preservation Committee, the Health and Human Service Committee, Sports Committee, and the Public Works Committee. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) In the past, Angie has helped in implementing a mass transportation public information program for Suffolk County, enacted a linked Deposit Program to promote local business expansion, directed the County Health Department to provide free testing for prostate cancer and cosponsored a resolution to provide environmentally safe golf course management to help protect our groundwater and hopefully help reduce the risk of breast cancer. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) She has made efforts to invest in the county†s Timber Point Golf Course to maximize its economic potential and preserve jobs for the county workers employed there. (Interview) Most recently, Angie co-sponsored legislation to rollback sales tax on clothing and shoe purchases under on hundred and ten dollars per item. Angie has also sponsored a resolution to â€Å"boot† the vehicles of deadbeat parents that are not complying with the child support payments. This â€Å"booting† of cars is huge lock that goes over the tire and wheel and makes automobile impossible to drive. A resolution that Angie sponsored last year now requires the Suffolk County Health department to hold annual Public Hearing and Health Fair. This gives government an opportunity to hear first hand from our residents about the County†s health care delivery system and also raises public awareness or what is available. (Interview) Over the years, Angie's commitment to her community has been recognized time and again with honors from Islip Town, Boy Scouts of America, Loyal Order of the Moose, The American Legion, Pronto, Zonta International, the West Islip and Bay Shore School Districts and Suffolk County Arts Council, to name a few. She has been involved in the community as President and founder of the Chamber Council of Islip Town, President of the West Islip Chamber of Commerce, Vanderbilt Museum Trustee, Board of Our Lady of Consolation, Salvation Army, Youth Enrichment Services and ASK US (an after school care program in West Islip). (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Angie has dedicated her efforts to the growth and expansion of business here in Suffolk. She has brought education to the forefront as one of the many issues addressed under her leadership, and continues her unwavering commitment to her family, community, and those she was elected to serve. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) She receives her support from many people including the Police, the Suffolk County UNE, and many other unions countywide. (Interview) Legislators, Cameron and Angie are very willing to do what their people are asking for and sacrifice a lot of their time to make their residents happy. In my own opinion I think Angie Carpenter is a better Legislator than Cameron Alden because I feel Angie had sponsored and produced more bills than he has and in my eyes she is a nicer and more heart worthy person.