Tax Reform essays

Tax Reform essays When the American people think of taxes, the acronym that immediately comes to mind is IRS. Associated with these three letters are the audits and spools of red tape that Americans travel through each year to earn a temporary hiatus from government intervention into their lives. The permanent escape from this burden of record keeping and paper pushing is just one of the benefits reaped by replacing the current federal income tax system with a national sales tax. Simplification of the federal bureaucracy through a national sales tax would eliminate the need to even have an agency such as the Internal Revenue Service. The burden of individuals being forced to keep financial records for seven years and the nightmare of filing annual tax returns under a complicated system of rules few can decipher would no longer exist. In order for our country to institute a just and ethical means of taxation, establish a secure method for appropriating government funds, and to honestly save the taxpayer money; the United States should initiate tax reform by eliminating federal income tax and create an across the board federal sales tax. The government's reliance on the current income tax system creates a great emphasis on the appropriation of tax revenue. This collection mentality encourages taxpayers who are in high tax rate brackets to pursue avenues of tax avoidance by finding loopholes in the ever increasingly complex tax code. Extremely difficult for the everyday American to understand, the federal tax code can encourage tax evasion and avoidance by taxpayers of all rate income levels because nearly everyone attempts to "outsmart the system". This situation causes an economic loss by creating extra work for the government and lost tax revenue. With the cost of investigation and the cost of collecting money owed the federal government rising, the amount of capital needed from taxpayers to pay for th...

Bogomil - Who and what the Bogomils were

Bogomil - Who and what the Bogomils were A Bogomil was a member of a heretical sect that originated in Bulgaria in the tenth century. The sect was evidently named after its founder, the priest Bogomil. The Doctrine of the  Bogomils Bogomilism was dualistic in nature that is, its followers believed that both good and evil forces created the universe. Bogomils believed that the material world was created by the devil, and they therefore condemned all activities that brought mankind into close contact with matter, including eating meat, drinking wine, and marriage. Bogomils were noted and even praised by their enemies for their austerity, but their rejection of the entire organization of the Orthodox Church made them heretics, and they were therefore sought out for conversion and, in some cases, persecution. Origins and Spread of  Bogomilism The idea of Bogomilism appears to be a result of a combination of neo-Manicheanism with a local movement aimed at reforming the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. This theological viewpoint  spread over much of the Byzantine Empire during the 11th and 12th centuries. Its popularity in Constantinople resulted in the imprisonment of many prominent Bogomils and the burning of their leader, Basil, in about 1100. The heresy continued to spread, until by the early 13th century there was a network of Bogomils and followers of similar philosophies, including Paulicians and Cathari, that stretched from the Black Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. The Decline of  Bogomilism In the 13th and 14th centuries, several delegations of Franciscan missionaries were sent to convert heretics in the Balkans, including Bogomils; those they failed to convert were expelled from the region. Still Bogomilism remained strong in Bulgaria until the 15th century, when the Ottomans conquered parts of southeastern Europe and the sects began to dissipate. Remnants of dualistic practices can be found in the folklore of southern Slavs, but little else remains of the once-powerful sect.

Webmonkey 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Webmonkey 2 - Essay Example The weightage given to each of the respective users mentioned above would be such that the portal would be accessed 85% by students, mainly current students. Then around 14% of the site’s usage would be by the course instructors and facilitators and lastly the parents of prospective students may access the site for information acquisition. This last accessing of the website would be about 1% of the site’s total access. The students would attempt to pursue information regarding the structure of programs and their respective course outlines. The details regarding the credit structure of the courses and their prospective time tables can also be pursued by prospective students. The current students would attempt to pursue their existing course enrollment possibilities by searching the list of courses there are eligible to take or those which are being offered to them. Moreover, the learning portal for the enrolled courses and the access to the virtual library would also be via the proposed system. The financial profile of the current students as well as their fee payment history would also be maintained as part of the current user profile menu and can be accessed whenever required by the students. The BSITM proposed website would be accessible to the students who have passed out. The history of their study tenure, the issuance of transcript and online library access would be available to such students. The Instructors would be handling the lecture disposition and assignment/quiz postings by students on the BSITM portal. The Instructors may even become a part of the online group discussions regarding their active courses. Other websites having similar domain topics like BSITM need to be evaluated for architectural strength. This would eventually create proper awareness of what other websites are up to. Browsing already done work often results in better thought streaming and enables generation of even better thoughts for

Difference and diversity in Ontario Schooling Thesis

Difference and diversity in Ontario Schooling - Thesis Example Despite this, there are discontent voices in the overall education system of Canada. Not enough is being done in the education system to be able to provide all rounded education to people of divergent cultures. It will be naive to think that by providing a ‘standard’ form of education to everyone would yield same desired results. The truth is culture and diversity plays a key role in the education of an individual. An individual is a product his surrounding and these surrounding dictates that adjustment should be made to accommodate, assimilate or just understand that particular individual. The Canadian system has been criticized for seemingly favoring the dominant culture at the expense of immigrant cultures. The dominant white culture seems to be the propagated and ‘ideal’ way of living being fronted by the educational quotas. The concept of ‘Educating across difference’ has had its fair form of challenges that have cultural connotations. In r eality it is not the cultural values themselves that bring out the difference in the education system, but it is the values that are attached to particular cultural practices that breed contention. To bury our heads in the sand and ignore issues centering on power and minority can greatly work to undue our delicate social fabric. Power related issues such as ethnocentrism, racism and sexism should form the basis of the discussion on the divergent cultural issue. To be able to understand and appreciate the urban educational system, we first have to learn a brief history of Canada. When faced with the question of diversity and difference, Canada has chosen five broad based responses, each determined by the ideology that was stronger at that specific time in the period. These five responses are; suppressing difference, insisting on the difference, denying difference, inviting difference and lastly critiquing difference. This model of response and framework have been granted by various scholars (Fleras and Elliot, 1992 and Murkerjee 1988; Sleeter and Grant 1944). 1. Suppressing Difference: Aggressive Assimilation The first framework of suppressing is an unsurprising form of human reaction when one meets diversity and divergent views. The dominant and the most widespread at the time take precedence and any new culture has to conform to the pre-existing one. The need for ‘civilize’ others saw some communities being forced to give up their language, religion and forced to embrace the superior French culture (Ashworth, 1993). This campaign of suppression was referred as aggressive assimilation and it was subjected on early immigrant families. The late 1800 brought more quests to ‘Canadize’ the huge numbers of immigrants arriving from Eastern and Southern European countries. This euphoria of the New Canada unwittingly gave rise of fascist and white supremacist movements, which had their support stemming, albeit innocently at first, from all li festyles. Social Credit and CFF parties had endorsed such views bringing together the newly formed the United Church of Canada (Jaenen, 1977, pg. 89). Theories of Social Darwism emphasized on the superiority of Christianity, Anglo-Saxon, Western industrialization and capitalism. Therefore in this sense education was to be used to eliminate the difference in culture and propagate the ‘right’ cultures. 2. Insisting on Difference: Separation and Segregation The

Pollution prevention Essay Example for Free

Pollution prevention Essay The article written by Chris Wiant â€Å"What is the P2 trend all about, and how are environmental health professionals involved?† discusses the history, objectives and significance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s pollution prevention (P2) program to the environment and public health. In the early 70s, there was already a conscious effort in protecting the nation’s vital natural resources which was pioneered by Congress. But EPA wanted to expand their strategy in environmental protection which resulted in the birth of the P2 program. The main thrust of the pollution prevention program is to encourage companies to get involved in the community level by taking the initiative in becoming leaders in protecting the environment. In addition, the application of the program has facilitated the identification of its â€Å"potential for significant economic benefits by avoiding the need for treatment at the end-of-the-pipe.† Since P2 has been well received by businesses and its positive benefits are eminent, the next challenge is â€Å"how to institutionalize P2 as a standard business practice, and 2) how to get businesses and communities to see that P2 can be a pathway to a new partnership between them† (Wiant, 1997, p. 24). Moreover, the pollution prevention program is not only a directive that is focused on conservation and preservation of the natural resources. It is more directed at the sustainable maintenance of the activities that were already started by companies and the EPA but in a larger scale. Th e certainty of the success of the program can only be guaranteed if all sectors of the society work hand in hand in order to achieve a single goal which is to reduce the damage inflicted to the environment. Another aspect of the P2 program that is very appealing is its emphasis on preventive measures. Its design of â€Å"reducing the emission of toxic Pollution Prevention 2  substances into the environment, focusing on the manufacturing process as the point in which to control toxin emissions† is an innovative idea that will dramatically trim down the production of harmful substances. Through this approach a potential problem can be addressed to its initial stage. Instead of using the end-of-the-pipe strategy, businesses can already start with prevention during the manufacturing process. As a result, massive damages to  the environment can be avoided and it can also eliminate the risk of inflicting impairment to the public’s health. Also, it can significantly reduce the cost for businesses in decreasing their toxic emissions. It is like shooting 2 birds in 1 stone because companies can save a lot of money and time by just implementing the P2 program in their business p rocedures. By mandating business to utilize the P2 program, changes in common business practices will occur. But this alteration would be for the overall improvement of the policies and procedures of a company. Moreover, in a community that practices such programs, the quality of life of the people will greatly improve and the relationship of coexistence between man and nature will continue to flourish for the better (Wiant, 1997, p. 24)†¦ †¦ Works Cited Wiant, C. J. (1997). What is the P2 trend all about, and how are environmental health professionals involved?. Journal of Environmental Health, 59, 24.

Mirrors Don’t Lie in Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.s The Lie Essay -- Kurt Vonne

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s The Lie - Mirrors Don’t Lie In The Lie by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Eli Remenzel is a thirteen-year-old boy on his way to The Whitehill Preparatory School with his parents.   Little do they know that Eli is keeping a big secret from them: he didn’t get accepted to the school.   As the story unfolds Eli finally cracks under the pressure of the lie as the headmaster informs his parents that he wasn’t accepted at Whitehill.   What happens next is a disaster.   As I was reading the story I noticed a lot of qualities in the different characters that are traits I see in myself.   Eli, his mother Sylvia, and his father Doctor Remenzel all have different characteristics that reflect me.   These characteristics are what blend together to make me a unique individual. First I’ll focus on the similarities between Eli and myself. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. writes, â€Å"Eli sat up again, but began to slump almost immediately (†¦) hoping to die or disappear.†Ã‚   This was written while Eli kept the secret from his parents. As I reread the passage I disliked the way Eli decided to handle his secret. Instead of coming right out and telling his parents what the problem was, he ignored it, and every mile they drove it became bigger and harder to hold in. Notice the word slump in the above passage from the story.   This was the first thing to pop out at me indicating our similarity, because the word creates a vivid picture of myself when I am in similar situations. I felt Eli’s frustration building, and I realized I handle problems with my family in the same way.   My parents never have the same reaction to a problem, so I’m always scared that they’ll be angry or disappointed in me. This causes me to do exact... ...tor Rememzel, I accomplished nothing embarrassed myself, yet the next time I was unhappy I would repeat my actions over again. I no longer throw temper tantrums, but I do speak before I think and often say and do things that I do not mean. Unlike the other previously mentioned faults, I am quite aware of this one, and I recognized the similarities between Doctor Remenzel and myself right away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, I disliked The Lie, because the characters in it exemplify the worst qualities in myself.   Whether it’s not being honest with my family, being self-absorbed, or my uncontrollable temper, I cannot like characters that possess these traits because I hate these traits within myself. Reading about the characters is like looking into a mirror, and like the title says, mirrors don’t lie.   

Radical Energy Technologies

A radical energy technology is one that is not classed as â€Å"business as usual† and takes a different approach, such as renewable resources, for instance using solar cell technology instead of traditional fossil fuels. It could be a wide range of different technologies, including nuclear, wind, and other fuels. A policy regarding energy or energy consumption reduction could be a target to reduce consumption over the next decades, such as seen in the Kyoto protocol. It could also be more local or domestic such as recycling targets.With the world’s primary energy needs set to grow by 55% by 2030, and electricity consumption to double over the next few decades, managing future need is a global challenge, and one of the most significant of our time. The International Energy Authority (IEA) estimates that $22 trillion of new investment will be needed by 2030. At the same time, there is the global challenge of climate change and the need to develop cleaner sources of energ y in order to improve the health of our environment.There are two main ways of achieving this; measures such as emissions controls, carbon trading and green taxation to encourage a reduction in energy consumption and an increase in energy efficiency, this known as a ‘carrot and stick’ approach. The alternative to this is to develop new and radical technologies that are sustainable and bring energy security. An example of a stick and carrot approach would be through ‘green axes’. In some countries taxation measures, known as green taxes, have been introduced with the aim of cutting the use of natural resources and encouraging waste recycling.In the UK these include new vehicle excise duties (VED) that tax vehicles according to their level of carbon dioxide emissions. Owners of so called ‘gas-guzzlers’ pay more, as do those with older, less fuel-efficient vehicles. Other ideas for taxes aimed at reducing energy consumption include removing stamp duty on the sale of carbon neutral homes, raising the duty on petrol and diesel, and raising air passenger duty on flights out of the UK.Greater use of renewable energy and advances in energy technology may be one answer to a more secure energy future. However, all the new technologies that have emerged so far have their own advantages and disadvantages. Offshore wind turbines for instance costs at least 50% more than on land, but wind speeds at sea are generally double those on land, so offshore turbines can generate more electricity. The fact that offshore wind turbines cannot be seen nor heard from landcommunities, this being a massive advantage, as proposal to build inland wind farms have been strongly opposed by those who claim they are visually unappealing and far too noisy. Horns Rev, in the North Sea off Denmark is one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms. It opened in October 2002, covering an area of 20 km2, and costing in excess of ?220 million to build. It g enerates 160MW through its 80 turbines. A prime factor in the selection of the site was the strength of the winds from all points of the compass.This will make the future of Denmark’s energy much more secure because they know they are guaranteed this supply of energy. Geothermal energy is a new radical technology becoming popular in areas of the world geographically suitable to do so. In the Philippines, 25% of the electricity supply is generated from an underground supply of heat. This renewable geothermal heat is free, inexhaustible and available day and night, due to local geology. The heat is used to turn water into steam, which generates electricity in turbines.Geothermal energy has significant advantages over other renewable resources. There is no need to cover several square kilometres of land with wind turbines or solar panels, when certain parts of the world (main areas include Iceland, the USA and south Australia) have the ‘hot rocks’ that make recovera ble heat possible. However, extracting this heat is not easy. In many locations the heat is too deep to be extracted economically, and the local geology can create problems.