Argument for Welfare in the United States Essay -- essays research pap

Can a single mother of three working full time for minimum wage afford to pay ' by herself ' for food, clothing, transportation, childcare, occupational training and medical care? Without government aid, the obvious answer is no. Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), as described by Robert Kuttner, is a government aid program designed 'to help all of the working poor rise out of poverty.' It includes tuition reimbursements, wage supplements, and above all, childcare? (Kuttner). It creates a more equal opportunity for those at a disadvantage to improve themselves and their situation. TANF, 'which limits the time families can remain on welfare, appears to be a smashing success' (Cohn). First, if eligibility were to become stricter, seeking employment would become even more difficult for those in need of aid. Second, it would hinder the ability of an individual to become a productive member of society without proper training. And finally, if a family in need is not adequately aided be cause of strict requirements, they can ultimately suffer more than if they were never on welfare. With this in mind, I believe that welfare programs in the U.S., specifically TANF, have set the correct requirements for eligibility. According to the Department of Human Services (DHS), in order to acquire and maintain TANF aid, one must ?be pregnant or have a child under age nineteen who lives with them. Any child who is eighteen must be a full-time high school student. [The applicant] must be a U.S. citizen or meet certain immigration requirements. A client must work with DHS staff and develop a plan that outlines the steps they will take to become self-sufficient. [Applicants must] be screened for issues related to substance abuse, mental health,... ...mistakes or sick children. As a result, a great many people are diligently working but even worse off economically? (Kuttner). This statement illustrates the hoops that working people are jumping through to attain welfare. If these requirements became stricter, TANF and welfare in general, would become more difficult to maintain. This would not only discourage clients but also leave them more in need than before. If society expects these disadvantaged individuals to become self-sufficient, they must understand that they cannot do so without the help of TANF and other welfare programs. Society must also understand that the requirements for eligibility are as strict as possible without hindering the program?s original goals. If the requirements become stricter, welfare programs such as TANF, will become less attainable and will inevitably worsen the welfare state.

Leadership at Amazon.com Essay

Amazon.com is an internet giant in terms of e-commerce. It was incorporated by Jeff Bezos in 1994 under the name Cadabra. In 1995 he changed the name to Amazon because he decided the former sounded too similar to â€Å"cadaver† and because he wanted a name beginning with â€Å"A† so it would potentially be at the top of any search results returned in alphabetical order. Amazon.com has headquarters in Seattle, Washington but has retail websites across the globe. It is the world’s largest internet company. Jeff Bezos has a solid reputation that is appreciated by colleagues, employees, and customers alike. Forbes magazine touts his status as â€Å"our greatest living CEO† while his employees perhaps know him best for leaving an empty seat open at conference meeting tables. The empty chair is symbolic of the customer at Amazon.com and Bezos often refers to it as â€Å"the most important person in the room† (Hartung 2013). While many leaders in retail recognize the importance of customer satisfaction, by making the customer an active presence at meetings Jeff Bezos sends a powerful message to his constituents. Some of the characteristics of Jeff Bezos leadership style are that he always challenges idle thinking, he makes customer service a main priority, and he continuously renovates his approach. Bezos does not accept that there is one truth about the way things should be done, even if that way has proven to be successful previously. An example of how Bezos challenges idle thinking also illustrates his stark belief that failure is an opportunity to progress: Years ago, when the bulk of product was written and spoken language the company hired editors to write book and music reviews then decided to use customers critiques instead (Anders, 2012). That relatively small decision speaks volumes of Jeff’s commitment to truth and to customer satisfaction. A hallmark of Jeff Bezo’s leadership style is his innovative reinventing of any process, idea, or task regardless of how big or small it is. Bezo has a critical eye for improvement, and the intestinal fortitude to make changes where and whenever he sees fit. An example of this is Bezo’s solution to shipping fees. Instead of the expected shipping and handling fee added to  each item at checkout, he invented a unique solution. He implemented Amazon Prime, a service that charges an annual fee for unlimited 2 day shipping on eligible items, of which there are thousands. This has significantly reduced the hassle of checkout for several reasons. Subscribing to Amazon Prime eliminates calculating extra fees based on distance and the timeframe for delivery of items. It also promotes a positive customer experience by not seeing totals continue to increase as tax and shipping fees are tacked on during the last few clicks of checkout. Lastly, it speeds the checkout process by offering one click ordering using previously saved information such as address and payment info. A simple solution to the sometimes painful fees associated with product delivery has made a huge impact on the customers Amazon.com shopping experience! My own individual leadership styles and characteristics are similar to Jeff’s in regards to reinventing. Though I have never used that word to describe my approach it is in line with how I tackle and solve problems. I am never satisfied with one way to do things, and I abjure routine. At the forefront of my leadership style I am always considering my resources whether it be an innovative new process or lesson, considering the ideas my partner or team presents, and utilizing help in any fashion to carry out effective leadership. To be an effective leader, all of the leadership styles commonly associated with powerful leadership abilities would apply and they include Directing, Coaching, Supporting, and Delegating. The challenge for the leader is the flexibility to recognize the dynamics of the situation and be versatile in the application of the different styles. Consider a Mass Casualty Incident, or â€Å"MCI† such as the recent tragedy in Boston, the marathon bombing. MCI leadership would first be responsible for establishing command and Delegating others to oversee patient triaging, which is the sorting of victims by severity of injury or illness. As Emergency vehicles and personnel respond to the scene, MCI leadership would Direct resources to the appropriate locations. Because there may be so many different levels of personnel at the scene of an MCI, leadership may have to Coach lesser trained personnel to effectively carry out necessary tasks involved in scene management. Finally, an effective leader in this scenario would recognize where Supportive care, resources, and needs of the team should be addressed. Some of the leadership characteristics I share in common with Jeff Bezos are  passion, fearlessness, and confidence. Environmental or Societal factors that might influence my approach to leadership at this organization would be politics and inexperience. Even as I feel as though my leadership characteristics are similar to the CEO of Amazon’s, it would be a challenge to understand how they apply in a business model. In contrast, I have achieved efficiency and success with similar styles in a healthcare setting which can somewhat be comparable to business in the interest of organization, responsibility, and professionalism. Even if I were in a different organization I do not feel as though my style or characteristics would alter. I may adjust them to meet the demands of the current situation, organization or environment but I would always be functioning on a core set of values that would adapt to my needs, versus my needs adapting to my values. Economic conditions would influence my approach to leadership affecting budget and finances. Like Jeff Bezos, I support spending a significant amount of resources dedicated to customer service and evaluations of what the customer wants. In times of a strong economy I would want to expand the Amazon product and consider a restaurant line to the online retail chain as a means of satisfying 2 venues: a retail storefront, and a new experience for fine dining. Diners would be able to experience the Amazon style of purchasing by specifically choosing what ingredients, cooking methods, and dinging decor they want by placing orders through the website at tableside mounte d computers. Amazon Prime members would receive a discount or some type of special privilege, and orders would be delivered in a timely manner to the customer. References Amazon.com. (2014, February 9). Retrieved September 2, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com Anders, G. (2012, April 23). Jeff Bezos’s Top 10 Leadership Lessons. Retrieved September 5, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2012/04/04/bezos-tips/ Hartung, A. (2013, January 8). Why Jeff Bezos is Our Greatest Living CEO. Retrieved September 5, 2014. McGinn, D. (2013, October 18). How Jeff Bezos Makes Decisions. Retrieved September 5, 2014, from http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/10/how-jeff-bezos-makes-decisions/

Should government provide health care essay

Should Government Provide Free Health Care? The issue of health care is one of the most important aspects of an election campaign of any political party, which certainly reflects the extent to what the society depends on a good healthcare service. A well-organized, efficient health care system is not that easy to provide and one of the key problems on the way to the ideal hospitals and medical help is proper funding. Nowadays, there are three basic types of funding: private, insurance and state. Nevertheless, many people believe that the government must bear full responsibility for providing the money our health care service needs. However, I do not completely agree with the idea. The government will not be able to provide enough money to guarantee the use of the most innovative methods of treatment. It is not a secret that medicine and medical equipment are outrageously expensive. Moreover, government has several branches of the social sector, such as education and culture, which also do not produce anything, but need funding. Providing enough money for all these spheres will sooner or later result in the budget deficit and, as a result, in the increase of taxes, which means that the main financial burden is on an average citizen again. In my opinion, an ideal variant will be a combination of all the existing sources of finance. Some rich people may prefer to pay for medical treatment, while the government must necessarily subsidize the health care for children, senior citizens, the unemployed and the homeless, as these social groups cannot provide for themselves and, thus, are extremely financially vulnerable. However, working adults can use the benefits of the medical insurance, which will give them an opportunity for a decent medical service and reduce the general taxation burden.