Sunshine and Sunset Laws Essay Example for Free

Sunshine and Sunset Laws Essay Sunshine laws created by different states are based on the Sunshine Act passed by Congress in 1976. In the United States, for the first time, the Sunshine Act requires that â€Å"multi-headed federal agencies† or those agencies that are headed by a committee instead of an individual such as the Securities and Exchange Commission hold their meetings regularly in public (Bardes et al., 2011, p. 423). As the term implies, the government wants more transparency, as well as, give interested parties the opportunities to observe or participate if possible. Moreover, these agencies are also required to provide public notice of these meetings in advance to allow people to take note of the agenda and be able to prepare questions if they have any. According to the Act, the term â€Å"meetings† encompass any formal or informal gathering of agency members and this includes even conference calls (Bardes, et al., 2011). The only exceptions to this rule of openness are meetings pertaining to court cases and personnel issues, among others. Currently, sunshine laws exist at all levels of government in practically every state. Nevertheless, each state has its own version of sunshine laws. For example, in California, open meetings must be held within the boundaries of the jurisdiction of the organization (BoardSource, 2010). In Virginia, there are about 20 exceptions to sunshine laws. In Colorado, electronic mail, if used to discuss public concerns, also constitutes as a meeting (BoardSource, 2010). It must be noted that states such a Florida and Utah have had sunshine laws even before the passing of the Sunshine Act (McLendon Hearn, 2006). The purpose of sunshine laws is to promote public access to information especially when it comes to decision-making processes that the government takes. Sunshine laws also aim to improve these decision-making processes by allowing public access (ACUS, n.d.). Among the most important policies that sunshine laws highlight are (i) expanding upon the democratic tradition of the United States; (ii) providing a check on governmental power; (iii) making government officials more accountable to  citizens; (iii) ensuring that information and the authorities that bring it â€Å"remain diffused and broadly accessible by different interests within society† (McLendon Hearn, 2006, p. 646). To note, sunshine laws ensure that the investing public are kept abreast of what’s happening among the agencies that function because of the taxes they are paying. Sunset Law Meanwhile, a sunset law is a statute or provision within a statute that requires periodic reviews of the justification for the continued existence of that specific law, â€Å"administrative agency, or other governmental function† (Hall, Clark, Ely, Grossman Hull, 2002, p. 770). This means that there are certain agencies, for instance, that will not be in existence forever. It is necessary to put a termination date for certain committees, for instance, since they need to be funded and once their works are over there is no more sense in keeping them. Occasionally, Congress identifies an end date when it establishes federal agencies or programs. In the event that an affirmative decision is not made for the continuance of an agency or program, then the â€Å"sun sets† on them and then they become automatically terminated (Hall, et al., 2002, p. 770). The purpose of sunset laws is to solve the problem of â€Å"legal obsolescence† which is a term used to describe the â€Å"reduced usefulness or applicability of a statute, regulation, or agency† (Hall, et al., p. 770). Sunset policies are unique in the sense that they mandate expiration of regulations and agencies on a specified date unless it is determined by legislature that the regulation or agency continues to be useful. The underlying rationale here is that a well-run agency or still-useful regulation will have no trouble getting renewed. States started adopting sunset laws between the late 1970 and early 1980 (Hall, et al., 2002). It is important to note that although Congress passed the Sunset Act of 1977 in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, it was never signed into law (Hall, et al., 2002). Sunset laws bring transparency and accountability because there are multiple reasons why laws become obsolete and therefore no longer useful for citizens. Among these reasons are (i) laws are created as  response to specific problems or crises; (ii) specific problems with laws may not manifest themselves for decades; and (iii) certain laws become obsolete in the face of international competition and rapid technological advancements. (Hall, et al., 2002). Because some laws have funding components, or are administered by the same entities for years, sunset laws enhance transparency and accountability. In conclusion, both sunset and sunshine laws are created so that the publics various rights in a democratic society are promoted. The sunshine laws promote greater public participation in government matters while sunset laws ensure that government funds are not squandered in committees or agencies that do not serve any purpose. References Administrative Conference of the United States. (n.d.). Government in the Sunshine Act. Retrieved on August 17, 2012 from http://www.acus.gov/research/the-conference- current-projects/government-in-the-sunshine-act/ Bardes, B., Shelley, M.C. Schmidt, S.W. (2011). American Government and politics today: The essentials. Independence: BoardSource. (2010). The handbook of nonprofit governance. New York: John Wiley Sons. Hall, K., Clark, D.S., Ely, J.W., Grossman, J.B. Hull, N.E.H. (2002). The Oxford Companion to American Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press. McLendon, M. K., Hearn, J. C. (2006). Mandated openness in public higher education: A field study of state sunshine laws and institutional governance. Journal of Higher Education, 77(4), 645-683.

Apocalypse Now In The Heart Of Darkness :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As I read â€Å"Heart of Darkness† by Joseph Conrad, I kept feeling the illusion of dà ©jà   vu. It was as though I had been here before. I wasn’t sure how since I have not read 98% percent of the assignments for this class before. As the story progressed, the name of Kurtz kept signaling me. Click. Brando. Apocalypse Now. Francis Ford Coppela’s masterpiece about killing the evil that can reside in a human form. (Probably the best work that Martin Sheen has ever done in his career.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main character of the story is a man named Marlow. Marlow is relating an experience he had while he was a steamboat captain, hired to bring back Ivory from Africa. â€Å"’ I don’t want to bother you much with what happened to me personally,’ he began, showing in his remark the weakness of many tellers of tales who seem so often unaware of what their audience would best like to hear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He starts by explaining his childhood desire to go to Africa and, when he accepts a job with a trading company, is given his opportunity. The start of his journey finds him in an unorganized mess of a group. He is shown that his fellow employees have little concern for the lives of the natives employed to assist them in their search for ivory. â€Å"A nigger was being beaten near by. They said he had caused the fire in some way; be that as it may, he was screeching most horribly. I saw him later, for several days, sitting in a bit of shade lookin g very sick and trying to recover himself: afterwards he arose and went out – and the wilderness without a sound took him into its bosom again.† This lack of concern for human life is a theme throughout the rest of the story. During the first part of the story, Marlow is given insight to the inner station manager known as Kurtz. Kurtz appears to be everything to everyone. He is respected, feared, loved and hated. Marlow becomes intrigued by his perception of the man and begins to imagine what he is like. After Marlow hears of what occurred the last time anyone from the company had seen Kurtz, his vision of the man becomes pristine. â€Å"As for me, I seemed to see Kurtz for the first time. It was a distinct glimpse: the dugout, the four paddling savages, and the lone white man turning his back suddenly on the headquarters, on relief, on thoughts of home – perhaps; setting his face toward the depths of the wilderness, towards his empty and desolate station.

Penn foster study guide Essay

Welcome to Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education! We  hope that this course will add to your knowledge and help  you form new opinions about a subject in which you’re  already interested—educating young children. KNOW YOUR TEXTBOOK Your textbook for this course is Foundations of Early  Childhood Education: Teaching Children in a Diverse Setting  by Janet Gonzales-Mena. It’s important that you read the  material in your textbook and study until it’s completely  familiar to you. This is the material on which your examinations are based. The content of the textbook is divided into three sections: Part 1—Foundations of the Teaching-Learning Process:  The Role of the Early Childhood Educator Part 2—Foundations of Curriculum: Planning for  Learning Part 3—Foundations for Formal Education: Planning for  Learning As you read the chapters within those parts, you’ll discover the following features:  Chapter introductions, which provide overviews  Chapter outlines, which identify key topics  Sections titled â€Å"In This Chapter You’ll Discover,† which provide a list of things you should learn in the chapter   Marginal links that connect key content to the National   Association for the Education of Young Children early  childhood program standards  Your examples should be descriptions of specific incidents. For example, a child may have had a problem separating  from a parent the day that you observed. You would  describe exactly how the caregiver or teacher handled  the situation and redirected the child. Giving a general  description or providing brief examples of how the caregiver or teacher interacts with the all the children in the room isn’t sufficient for this part of your summary. 3. What is the guidance and discipline policy used at the  facility? Clearly explain how misbehavior is handled.  4. What did you like best and least about the program?  This part of your summary should state your views of  the program. Discuss three points you liked about the  program and three points you didn’t like. Provide specific examples to illustrate each point. 5. What are some suggestions for improvement? In this part  of your report, discuss some ways in which you feel the  quality of the program could be improved. What do you  think could be done differently that would better meet  the needs of the children in the setting? Remember, even  the best environment can be improved. List at least five  suggestions for improvement. Make any other needed revisions. Revise as many times as  you feel necessary, and then correct your report for spelling and grammar. Your final submission should be typed in a  12-point font with double-spaced formatting.

What We Talking About When We Talk About Love By Raymond...

Love can be defined in many ways, but does anyone know the true meaning of it? In Raymond Carver’s short-story What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, he shows us the realism behind the true meaning of love with a menacing tone. This story particularly shows how different people may have different definitions of it that reflect who they are as a person by using strangle dialogue given by the characters and situations that reveal symbolic items. From the ironic remarks and slight rebuttals in this story, one could infer that the topic of love can bring the worst out of people. Through this story, Carver shows love through the lives of his characters, suggesting that each love is different, and all people have different views on it. In†¦show more content†¦Almost all of Carver’s stories have characters that have been through disturbing or weird events and is brought up by the symbolism used in his work. The symbolism in this story happens several times, mainly with the role of sunlight. Sunlight in this story represents the good and clarity in the room and conversation. At the beginning of the story, the light â€Å"filled the kitchen from the big window behind the sink,† and this shows how calm and happy the setting was before they talked about love (Carver 334). Any time the sunlight is mentioned, the characters are happy and are full of comfort. As the story progresses, and as the characters continue to talk about love, the light slowly leaves the room as a sense of all the innocent of the conversation fading away until the room was fully dark. Even though the sunlight is a major symbol, alcohol is also one. Carver uses alcohol to brighten the flexibility of conversation. When the bottle of gin is full the conversation is flowing but at the end when Mel spills his glass, it shows the end of the conversation. This is important as it shows an example of Carver using alcohol as a rhythmic device. It also shows the thought of Mel and Terri having difficulty mentioning past relationships without the help of alcohol, using the alcohol to hide their true feelings. The gin couldShow MoreRelated`` What We Talk About When We Talking About Love `` By Raymond Carver2397 Words   |  10 PagesWhat is love? Love can come from that of a friendship, a romantic relationship, the unconditional love that God has for one, or simply one person adoring another. These are all considered, in one form or another, love. However, as Mel McGinnis has asked: â€Å"what do any of us really know about love?† (333). Is love real, or is it just a figment of our imagination? What does the word LOVE even mean? The indefinability of love is the overlaying theme in the story â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk AboutRead MoreThe Sojourner And What We Talking About When We Talk About Love By Carson Mccullers And Raymond Carver1291 Words   |  6 PagesIn the short stories titl e The Sojourner and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, written by Carson McCullers and Raymond Carver respectively, the writers tell a story about love and its changing attitudes. The main characters in these stories all vary in regard to their personalities and their individual idiosyncrasies, however, the message being conveyed by McCullers and Carver is that of the changing nature of love, and how it can impact an individual’s sense of self in respect to how oneRead MoreRaymond Carver1583 Words   |  7 PagesRaymond Carver (1938-1988) was a poet and a simple realist writer of short stories. His prose addresses the average working-class citizen. Bill Mullen describes the book that contains the short story â€Å"What We Talk About We Talk About Love† to the â€Å"distinctly post-modern fate of contemporary working-class Americans† (Bloom). The writings are depressing and riddled with failures in life. The textbook calls his school of writing â€Å"A lcoholic Blue-Collar Minimalist Hyperrealism† (Bayam). This is evidentRead MoreImportance of Symbolism in What We Talk About When We Talk About Love1027 Words   |  5 Pagesmake. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is a short story about four friends trying to find the true meaning of love, trying to prove points through experience. In What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Raymond Carver uses very strong symbolism to help convey the theme of the story. Instantly, it is easy to recognize that Carvers story will be one on love, since the title clearly mentions it. He introduces the characters, two married couples, who are having a discussion about loveRead MoreEssay about Raymond Carver (what We Talk About When We Talk About Love)892 Words   |  4 Pages Mel McGinnis of â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love† seems like that one guy that everyone seems to know. He stands out from others; he’s unique. You either love him or hate him. Mel is very much like one of my good friends. They are both very individualistic and hey are both annoying drunks. They are both interesting characters though. I think the author Raymond Carver created the character Mel based off someone he knew. Carver created Mel for one reason or anotherRead MoreThe Many Sides of Dr. Melvin R. McGinnis1475 Words   |  6 PagesRaymond Carvers short story â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love† leaves the reader feeling as if they have sat down at the table with a bottle of Gin and experienced first hand the effects of alcoholism and depression. In the original version of this story the â€Å"Beginners† Carver carefully crafts the many sides of an alcoholic personality developing strong knowable characters. The fundamental personalities are left fairly intact from the original version. It should be noted that the feelingsRead MoreIt’S Interesting How Everyone Has A Differing And Personal1659 Words   |  7 Pagespersonal definition of love. Love is an indefinable heap of confusion. I guess I could say â€Å"in my opinion†, love is connection, trust, affection, and openness†¦love is the most extraordinary and satisfying expe rience that we can have as human beings. At some points in our life we will all experience love whether it’s for a human being or maybe just for your dog. Why is this question so hard to answer? I perceive love in a positive way but on the other hand Raymond perceives love differently. That’s okayRead MoreEssay on Raymond Carvers What We Talk About When We Talk About Love1355 Words   |  6 PagesLove is undoubtedly one of the most frequently explored subjects in the literary world. Whether the focus is a confession of love, criticism of love, tale of love, or simply a tale about what love is, such literary pieces force readers to question the true meaning and value of love. Raymond Carver accomplishes this in his short story â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.† As the unadorned setting and the personality of each character unfold, the reader realizes that Carver is making a graveRead MoreThe Complexity of Love in Raymond Carver’s What W e Talk About When We Talk About Love520 Words   |  2 Pagesto get wrapped up talking about is love. And it always has been. In Raymond Carver’s â€Å"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,† the four characters spend an entire afternoon discussing the simple word that has countless interpretations. Carver uses this story to convey how not everyone shares the same definition of love. He uses Mel, Terri, and Nick and Laura to show just a few of the ways love can be seen, expressed, or develops through stages. Mel McGinnis views love in a handful of differentRead MoreEssay about Cathedral Character Analysis1414 Words   |  6 Pagesthe story Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, the narrator is conflicted with issues of inner-demons that are manifested in a blind man whom he perceives as a danger to his marriage. The narrator in this story is a good example of an anti-hero showing negative characteristics while never actually being a bad guy. This gives the idea that he is very humanistic character. That being said, he is a flawed character who is just trying to please his wife while not giving up what he wants. In the end he realizes