Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Justice In Orestes :: The Oresteia Equality Justice Essays
Justice in Orestes Aeschylus is primarily concerned with the nature of justice. In the trilogy The Oresteia, the Akhaians evolve from an older, more primitive autocratic form of justice, to a new concept of civil justice devised by Athena. He confronts the contrast between the old and new orders, the lives of the members of the House of Atreus, and the serious moral questions that Orestes' crime presents. The case against Orestes is strong. The son admits to striking down his mother, in violation of the sacred tenant of kinship. "But I came back, my years of exile weatheredââ¬âkilled the one who bore me, I won't deny it, killed her in revenge." (Eumenides lines 476-478) This shows that Orestes was fully aware of the act he was committing, that he willfully committed it, and that he must suffer for it. The bond between mother and child was broken when Orestes murdered Clytaemnestra. Marriage, arguably, is a tenant of Zeus and the Olympians. In the old order of things, family is by blood only. A husband and wife have no blood relation, yet the son is of the same blood as his parents. The Furies right to vengeance cannot be dismissed. Clytaemnestra is one who upheld the laws of the Furies. Agamemnon's murder of Iphegenia at Aulis was pure outrage. "Yes he had the heart to sacrifice his daughter , to bless the warâ⬠¦" (Agamemnon lines 222-223) Agamemnon killed his own blood relation in order to sail for Troy. This too, is a terrible crime, seemingly of the same weight as Orestes' act. Clytaemnestra believed she was justified in avenging her daughter, because her husband violated a sacred tenant of the old gods. "Here is Agamemnon, my husband made a corpse by this right handââ¬âa masterpiece of justice. Done is done." (Agamemnon lines 1429-1431) This shows a clear morality behind Clytaemnestra's motives. She appears to have justification for her actions. The curse on the House of Atreus is fulfilled. In the last lines of Agamemnon the chorus foreshadows Orestes' return. Clytaemnestra responds by saying to her new husband, "We will set the house in order once for all." (Agamemnon lines 1708) The chorus's purpose for suggesting Orestes's return is to show that the house is not yet cleansed of the curse.. Like his mother, Orestes possesses what he believes to be a just motive for revenge. Unlike his mother, however, Orestes has reservations about killing. He does not wish to strike down his mother, but realises that he must. The defense of Orestes is rooted in the fact that Apollo ordered him to do so.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Negative Utilitarianism: An Overview
Most utilitarian theories deal with producing the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. Negative utilitarianism (NU) requires us to promote the least amount of evil or harm, or to prevent the greatest amount of suffering for the greatest number. Proponents like Karl Popper, Christoph Fehige and Clark Wolf argue that this is a more effective ethical formula, since, they contend, the greatest harms are more consequential than the greatest goods. Karl Popper also referred to an epistemological argument: ââ¬Å"It adds to clarity in the fields of ethics, if we formulate our demands negatively, i. e. if we demand the elimination of suffering rather than the promotion of happiness. â⬠(Karl R. Popper,1945) Most forms of utilitarianism hold that we ought to do that which maximises the good and minimises the bad. There is some disagreement about what the good and the bad areââ¬â whether the good is people being happy and the bad is people being unhappy, or the go od is people getting what they want and the bad is people not getting what they want, or whateverââ¬âbut most utilitarians agree that whatever the good and the bad are, we ought to bring about as much of the former and as little of the latter as is possible. Negative utilitarians disagree. Negative utilitarians are concerned only with minimising the bad. They don't think we ought to maximise the good and minimise the bad, and that when we must choose between the two we must weigh the difference that we can make to the one against the difference that we can make to the other; rather, negative utilitarians hold just that we ought to minimise the bad, that we ought to alleviate suffering as far as we are able to do so. Suppose that I have a choice to make: I can either make the happiest man in the world even happier than he already is, or I can alleviate some of the suffering of the unhappiest man in the world. Suppose further that the difference that I can make to the happy man is much greater than the difference that I can make to the unhappy man. Most utilitarians would say that in this case I ought to help the happy man. As I can make a greater difference to the life of the happy man than I can make to the life of the unhappy man, it is the happy man whom I should help. Negative utilitarians disagree. Negative utilitarians hold that it is more important to alleviate suffering than it is to promote pleasure, and that I should therefore always choose to alleviate suffering rather than promote pleasure when forced to choose between the two. In most supporters of moderate NU the preference to survive is stronger than the wish to be freed from suffering, so that they refuse the idea of a quick and painless destruction of life. Some of them believe that, in time, the worst cases of suffering is defeated and a world of minor suffering can be realized. The big problem with negative utilitarianism is that it appears to require the destruction of the world. The world contains much suffering, and the future, presumably, contains a great deal more suffering than the present. Each of us will suffer many calamaties in the course of our lives, before those lives finally end with the suffering of death. There is a way, however, to reduce this suffering: we could end it all now. With nuclear weapons technology, we have the capability to blow up the planet, making it uninhabitable. Doing so would cause us all to suffer death, but death is going to come to us all anyway, so causing everyone to die will not increase the suffering in the world. Causing us to die now, though, will decrease the suffering in the world; it will prevent us from suffering those calamaties that were going to plague us during the remainder of our lives. Destroying the planet, then, will reduce the suffering in the world. According to negative utilitarianism, then, it is what we ought to do. That, though, is surely absurd. Negative utilitarianism, therefore, is false.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna - 1024 Words
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was born in Jalapa, Veracruz Mexico, on February 21, 1794. He belongs to a ââ¬Å"criolloâ⬠middle class family. His parents were from Spain. He was a Mexican politician and military leader who was President of Mexico eleven times from 1833 to 1855. He was president officially six times, and unofficially five more. He was also a disastrous president of Mexico because he lost Texas and much more of the current American west in the United States. However, by far he was an important figure of his generation in the Mexican history. Many people love him during his first years of president, and he was remembered for two major conflicts, the Battle of the Alamo in 1836 during the Texas Revolution, and as a restored Mexican leader during the Mexican-American War in 1847 (tshaonline.org). The prestige of Santa Anna in 1829 helped him to gain the presidency in 1833. In 1829 he fought against Spainââ¬â¢s attempt to conquer Mexico, and after his victory everyone looked at him as a good leader. His victory from Spain makes him immediately turn over power. At that time the vice-president was Valentà n Gà ³mez Farà as, and allowed him to make some reforms, including many that aimed at the Catholic Church and the army. Because the people of Mexico do not accept his reforms, Santa Anna stepped in and removed Gà ³mez Farà as from power, and consequently he gained the presidency in 1833 as a Federalist and opponent of Roman Catholic Church. He was in power from 1833 to 1836Show MoreRelatedAntonio Lopez Essay675 Words à |à 3 PagesAntonio Lopez de Santa Anna was born on March 21, 1794 in Jalapa, Vera Cruz and died in 1876, in Mexico City. Santa Anna had started in the military in 1810 as a cadet at the age of 16, and was promoted to Brigadier General in 1822. In 1828 Santa Anna became the governor of Vera Cruz. He became governor again in Vera Cruz in the year 1829. Then in 1833 he was elected the president of Mexico. Santa Anna led the Mexican attack on the Alamo in Texas in the year 1835. Santa Anna eventually capturedRead MoreThe Texas Revolution Essay1025 Words à |à 5 Pagesand economic gain while under the Constitution of 1824. It gave Texas a steady population flow of American migrants moving onto Texas soil. It also gave them political liberty, freedom to own slaves and a steady economic progression. But Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, president of Mexico, wished to impose a stricter rule which could also explain why Texas felt the need to separate from Mexico. Another speculated cause was that the Anglo-Americans that lived there refused to conform to the Mexican rulesRead MoreSilencing the Past: Summary Essay663 Words à |à 3 Pagespoint of view. He talks about how Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna took over a Franciscan Mission with a total number of 189 defenders. (Little did he know that mythic heros Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were inside) The siege went on for twelve days before the Mexicans finally charged the fort and killed everyone inside. A few weeks later at the battle of San Jacinto Santa Anna was defeated by the Secessionist leader Sam Houston. The Texans went on to secede and Santa Anna went on to be the leader of a muchRead More The Alamo Essay2090 Words à |à 9 Pagesshould establish themselves as a separate state of Mexico. He was jailed for eighteen months. The Texans protested and soldiers were sent to control the mobs. After the release of Austin on September 1, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna had been elected President of Mexico. In the fall of 1835 Santa Anna had sent more troops, under the leadership of his brother in law General Martin Cos, to Texas in order to enforce the immigration laws. Austin and some soldiers had surrounded settlements in Mexican territoryRead MoreTitle The Alamo didnââ¬â¢t become a symbol of Texan Independence because it was a good idea on the1000 Words à |à 4 Pagestrained to become a lawyer and practice in Claiborne, Alabama. He came to Texas both to make his fortune and he supported the revolt against Texas (William Barret Travis). Santa Anna, the Mexican general, and dictator, who led the Mexican army against the Alamo, had already sent another general to do the job. This first general, Santa Annaââ¬â¢s brother-in-law, General Cos, had ââ¬Å"ordered the arrest of several troublemakers, including William Barret Travis (Sorrels 31).â⬠William Barret became the main reasonRead MoreEssay about Mexicos Economy An Politics In 19th Century863 Words à |à 4 PagesBustamante. Revolt followed revolt until 1833, when Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna was elected president. In 1834 a political crisis resulted in the overthrow of the constitution of 1824. A new centralist constitution, which stripped the Mexican states of their autonomy, was enacted in 1836. Protests against centralization encouraged the Texans to rebel against Mexican authority in 1835, in what came to be known as the Texas Revolution. Santa Anna was called back to the presidency to attempt to saveRead More The Alamo Essay2741 Words à |à 11 Pagesin a string of firecracker events the seeds of revolution and the battle of the Alamo ensued. à à à à à The Alamo first saw action when General Cos landed at Copano, and headed to San Antonio to meet up with Colonel Ugartechea. By now war was on everyoneââ¬â¢s mind and many events prior to Cos marching toward San Antonio set the playing field for war, but not everyone really was for it,..... at least not yet. Meanwhile, in Gonzales the revolution had started over a cannon that the settlers would not giveRead More Hollywood vs. History: The Alamo Essay1557 Words à |à 7 Pagesone of these settlers; he came to Texas to make a profit. Jim Bowie is best known to have built the bowie knife but even more so to have fought in the Alamo. Jim Bowie married a rich politician who is actually the sister of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was the new leader of Mexico; after he was put into power he proclaimed himself a dictator and abolished the Mexican constitution. As the Texan settlements prospered whites began breaking the codes and started smug gling inRead MoreThe Rallying Cry Of The Texans During Their Rebellion Against General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna At The Alamo1208 Words à |à 5 Pages92. The rallying cry of the Texans in their rebellion against General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at the Alamo mission in San Antonio TX in 1836 when 200 Texans made a heroic stand against 3000 Mexicans under Santa Anna. 93. The manifest destiny was belief in which Americans believe that America had a divine obligation to stretch the boundaries to the Pacific Ocean. A symbol of manifest destiny was the figure ââ¬Å"Columbiaâ⬠that moves across the land leaving the darkness with light. 94. Texan AnnexationRead MoreThe Battle at the Alamo Essay1730 Words à |à 7 PagesThe battle at the Alamo is one of the most significant events in the Texas Revolution, as well as in both Mexican and American history. For Mexican President and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, it was a tale of determination and holding to the principles of a strong, central government. For Americans living in Texas, the Alamo was a venture of small scale Revolutionary ideals; a people should be able to democratically express how they feel their homeland to be governed. As we know, both countries
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Research Paper On To Kill A Mockingbird - 2041 Words
Judicial Process Course Paper For my paper, I have chosen to analyze the movie ââ¬Å"To Kill a Mockingbird.â⬠This movie is based on the novel ââ¬â by the same name ââ¬â written by Harper Lee. The story has two major plotlines. One follows Jem, Scout, and Dill as they try to uncover the secrets behind the infamous ââ¬Å"Booâ⬠Radley. Itââ¬â¢s only at the end of the movie that we learn ââ¬Å"Booââ¬â¢sâ⬠real name to be Arthur, and that we discover he actually tries to protect people, as he saved Jem and Scoutââ¬â¢s lives. The other major plotline, and the one most relevant to this class, follows Atticus Finch, Jem and Scoutââ¬â¢s father, as he tries to represent Tom Robinson. Mr. Robinson is an African American man who has been charged with raping Mayella Ewell. The movie thenâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Therefore, this portrayal was fairly accurate. However, we never hear of an initial appearance before the grand jury indictment. This phase is when the defendant appears before a magistrate judge and is informed of the charges against them and the constitutional rights they are afforded. Furthermore, after hearing about the grand jury the movie progresses directly to the trial. This is not an accurate portrayal because it entirely skips the arraignment phase. An arraignment is a very important step in the criminal justice process because it is at this point that the accused will enter a plea. The audience never saw this phase; therefore, we have no idea if Tom formally pleads guilty or not guilty to the charge of rape. However, it can be assumed Tomââ¬â¢s plea wouldââ¬â¢ve been not guilty as he denies the charges during the actual trial. Also towards the beginning, the judge approaches Atticus and tell him that heââ¬â¢d like to appoint him to be Tom Robinsonââ¬â¢s attorney. Such does happen in the actual criminal justice system and is known as an assigned counsel. Not much later, Atticus asks for a postponement of the trial to give things a chance to calm down. This is also very common in the actual criminal justice process and is known as a continuance. Attorneys can ask for a continuance for several reasons, but most often they are used when a case has become largely popular in public opinion. When this happens, theShow MoreRelatedTo Kill a Mockingbird Research Paper1455 Words à |à 6 PagesMoral Development of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird Grace Mahoney Majewski 6/8/2012 Moral Development of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird * Scoutââ¬â¢s moral development throughout To Kill a Mockingbird has to do with how she is taught to see ââ¬Å"the otherâ⬠, her exposure to racism and injustice, and that she had Atticus as a parent to guide her through her childhood. These factors together create a stable learning environment for Scout to grow and develop in. Scouts relationship with the constantRead MoreRole Of Women During The 1930 S South And The Women 1156 Words à |à 5 PagesRole of Women in the 1930ââ¬â¢s South And the Women in To Kill a Mockingbird How would you feel if you were a woman that lived in the harsh 1930ââ¬â¢s? A womanââ¬â¢s life was very hard, and some people wanted it to change in real life and the book. Scout and the married women in To Kill a Mockingbird are pushed by the men to work hard everywhere without a reward. Women had many responsibilities at home and also when they were working. Women were expected to be a housewife and working parent. Women believedRead MoreAnalysis Of More Than One Way1317 Words à |à 6 PagesOleynik Mrs. Coad Honors Sophomore English March 19, 2015 Reevaluating the Mockingbird When one embarks on reading Jennifer Murrayââ¬â¢s article, ââ¬Å"More Than One Way to (Mis)Read a Mockingbirdâ⬠, it becomes known that she is taking her readers through a thorough reanalysis of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Murray proclaims that Harper Leeââ¬â¢s novel is somewhat misunderstood and over appreciated. She claims that ââ¬Å"To Kill a Mockingbird, despite its awards and popularity, is a less than great novelâ⬠, and insteadRead MoreHarper Lee Essay896 Words à |à 4 PagesTimes and Life Research Paper Harper Leeââ¬â¢s Life Story Have you ever wondered who wrote ââ¬Å"To Kill a Mockingbirdâ⬠or who is the author that wrote it? Well Iââ¬â¢m here telling you who that author is. The author who made the book is named Nelle Harper Lee but she is just called Harper Lee on the book. This paper is on Harper Leeââ¬â¢s life and times during the 1900ââ¬â¢s. She is known from her best-selling book, ââ¬Å"To Kill a Mockingbirdâ⬠. Even thoughRead MoreRacial Issues In Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird775 Words à |à 4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird Research Paper In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee highlights racial profiling and how peoples perceptions change their actions towards others, which continues to be an issue in todays society. One racial issue we see during To Kill a Mockingbird is social injustice in the court system, shown through the Tom Robinson trial. For example, Jem doesnt quite understand the unfortunate, but true state of the injustice in the courts, so Atticus explains to him, Tom RobinsonsRead MoreCensorship Of Classic Books1325 Words à |à 6 PagesTitle: Research Paper Censorship of Classic Novels in Canada and the United States Ashley Sprague 7607211 College Reading and Writing Skills/ COMM1085 Dawn Grimmer Many novelists in todayââ¬â¢s society have the growing responsibility of censoring their work, ultimately loosing their freedom of expression. Canada is no different from other countries who have begun the long list of ââ¬Å"banned and challenged classic novels.â⬠Most of the Canadian population can remember studying Harper Leeââ¬â¢s ToRead MoreAnalysing Harper Lee and his Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird713 Words à |à 3 PagesAlabama Academy of Honor Archives, Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama to Amasa Coleman and Frances Finch Lee. In the south, it is customary to be called by your middle name. Therefore, throughout the rest of this paper, Nelle Harper Lee will be referred to as Harper Lee. Harper Lee went to college to become a lawyer. Shortly thereafter, she moved to New York where she worked as a reservations clerk for Eastern Airlines. Harper Lee was an avid writer who likedRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird Argumentative Essay881 Words à |à 4 PagesTom Robinson, a black man in To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the main characters in this story that causes controversy because of his skin color. Is the storyââ¬â¢s relevance based on Mr. Robinson and his skin color? In my opinion yes, the book revolves all around his skin color and racism of the time. Tom Robinson is treated unfairly because he was black not because of what he supposedly did. The controversial subject matter in this book is immense in numbers, but out of all them, racism stands outRead MoreLiterature : My Life As A Person s Life1104 Words à |à 5 PagesLiteracy Memories What do you think of when you hear the word literature? Most people think that literature is just analyzing poems that have no real meaning behind them or writing a 10 page paper that your English teacher assigns you to do in one night. But recently I have learned that literature plays one of the biggest roles in a person s life. You use reading and writing every single day. Reading texts, reading signs, writing emails, and the music that you listen to are all examples of literatureRead MoreLiterature As A Person s Life Essay1081 Words à |à 5 Pagesschool I was moving into the big middle school. The first class of the day that I had was English with Mrs. Levon. In this class she did a lot of reading out loud to the class. The first book we read was To Kill a Mockingbird. This was the first historical book I had ever read. To Kill a Mockingbird was a very important book in my life that gave me a view on how hard times were during segregation and times before the civil war. Also in this class we read many old poems such as ââ¬Å"The Ravenâ⬠. This was
Friday, December 20, 2019
Essay about When the Levees Broke Rhetorical Analysis
Chase Caldwell Professor Gwaltney English 1102 14 March 2013 When The Levees Broke Rhetorical Analysis Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana on the morning of August 29, 2005. The storm produced sustained winds of up 125 mph when it hit that morning. On that same day Katrina caused 53 different levee breaches in greater New Orleans, spilling the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into the city and flooding an overwhelming majority of New Orleans. The floodwaters destroyed countless homes and lives along the way. Some estimates of the cost of Katrina were up in the 200 billions but according to Kimberly Amadeo, ââ¬Å"The actual cost of Hurricane Katrinas damage was between $96-$125 billion, with $40-$66 billion in insured losses.â⬠Thisâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Lee was legitimately upset about what happened in New Orleans during Katrina and even toys with the idea that the U.S. government blew up the levees to rid New Orleans of poor blacks. Needless to say, Lee will not hesitate to tell anyone what he believes and is the center of many different controversies in Hollywood. His personality is best described as that of a ticking time bomb. His feelings for the people of the ninth ward coupled with his outspokenness on political affairs and race relations were the driving force behind When The Levees Broke. Leeââ¬â¢s intended audience is really anyone who takes the time to watch his work. He really wanted to get the story out to the public and that is exactly what he did, he let the world see exactly what was happening in New Orleans without any sugar coating. Lee does not hesitate to put a floating, swollen dead body on screen just to let the viewers know the grotesque reality of what happened. Lee uses this documentary to voice his opinion against how the government handled Katrina. He felt that the government did not do what it should have done during this time and he shows his disappointment with the federal government through the movie. Lee conveys a huge array of arguments in this film from the government blowing up the levees to George Bush not caring about black people. Throughout all of these arguments hisShow MoreRelatedWhen the Levees broke rhetorical analysis1864 Words à |à 8 Pagesï » ¿Max Massimo Professor Gwaltney English 1102 18 March 2014 When the Levees Broke Rhetorical Analysis On August 25th at six thirty P.M, one of the most devastating natural disasters the U.S had ever seen touched ground in Florida. Hurricane Katrina was a category five hurricane that had made its way to New Orleans by August 29th. This storm was so destructive that not only did it leave a mark in the gulf coast, but it put the whole country into complete turmoil. Spike Lee was one of the first
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Urban Redevelopment
Question: Write an essay on Urban Redevelopment. Answer: Urban redevelopment is the rehabilitation or urban areas by replacement of old buildings with better houses, parks, roads, industrial areas according to comprehensive plans. During this renewal, major impacts on landscapes occur, playing a part in the history of cities (Wang, 2010). Further, there is business relocation, destruction of structures and displacement of people during this renewal. Redevelopment involves coming up with better pedestrian zones, making better use of the underutilized regions of the city by integrating them into a citys history. In addition, it involves renovation of sidewalks, integration of business activities and residential, afforestation and increasing the number of security lights (Wang, 2010). Australia having the highest population growth level among developed nations put pressure to housing, health and transport infrastructure. Sustainable development has been an issue of concern in this country in order to improve the living standards of the citizens. Coming up with the appropriate policies of carrying out urban development without affecting low income earners is therefore a pressing need to Australia. According to Downs, A. (2009), the challenge is coming up with viable cities incorporating transformation projects and properly planned infrastructure at the same time bringing up social and economic development. Discussed in this paper are the policy recommendations necessary for urban redevelopment without raising house rent that results to displacement of low income earners in Australia. Trueventus urban renewal Australia Trueventus urban renewal Australia is a strategic framework and discussion platform with the aim of shipping the Australian urban renewal policy in creating a sustainable city. Government representatives, policy makers, investors and other key decision makers are coming together to address the issue (Wang, 2010).The government has the duty of coming up with policies which safeguard the quality and ensure affordable housing such that its citizens despite their income level can easily access housing(Wang, 2010). A multifaceted strategy addressing housing challenges is necessary to achieve this objective. Importantly the government should ensure affordability of the houses where the low income earners reside. Protection policy In order to protect the people from rising rents, the government should come up with a protection policy. Good cause eviction policy is one way to protect the tenants as it ensures they are not evicted without a good reason (Berry, 2003). As much as it does not protect those who cannot afford rent it reduces indiscriminate evictions, allowing residents to adjust to rent hike. In addition residents get more time to get alternative housing. The owner is required to issue a good reason for eviction such as failure to pay rent and intentional destruction of the unit. Again for the purpose of protecting low income earners the government should come up with clear processes for filling petitions as well as penalties for landlords who unfairly evict tenants. In addition vulnerable groups such as pregnant woman and the elderly should be protected from no fault evictions (Wang, 2010). Condominium Conversion Protection Condominium conversion protection serves as a policy which protects the renters from their rental units being converted into condominiums and sold to other renters. In addition it solves the issue of inadequate rentals to the low income earners. Residents should be issued with up to three years notice before conversion even giving them a chance to buy a unit before selling it to new residents, saving financially capable residents from displacement. Condo conversion protections also requires that the owner pays a fee that is directed to affordable housing to minimize the impacts of reduced rental housing brought about by condo conversion. A lottery which restricts the number of convertible buildings annually should also be established as a means of preventing displacement. The residents have the right of first refusal against the owner selling the entire building which can lead to the transfer of ownership to a person who is ready to preserve the building for rental purposes affordabl y. Give Density Bonuses Another policy applicable in Australia to increase affordability of housing amidst urban redevelopment is the policy of density bonuses (Shaw, 2004). Under this land owners receive a bonus such as to build more units than the allowed ones if they agree to make a certain portion of the unit affordable to low income earners. In another approach of the density bonus policy, owners are allowed to develop their property beyond existing zoning specifications (Shaw, 2004). In return they make sure a share of the new residential is affordable to low income earners. The owner can also receive financial assistance for development from the community with a promise of including affordable units in the development. In addition the government should mobilize initiative from volunteers to build affordable houses in favor for the low income earners as a moral persuasion. The government may give landlords who consent to the moral persuasion a land tax holiday or tax cuts as incentives (Shaw, 2004). Rent Stabilization Notably rent stabilization is a practical strategy to prevent displacement and rent hike. The strategy ensures that rent can only be increased by a specific amount annually making it easy for those unable to adjust to sudden rent rise. In addition rent stabilization policy assist renters to select a house based on their anticipated income for the future. Mandatory inclusion zoning is another strategy addressing housing needs of the low income earners, (Lees, 2008). The requirement of this policy is that developers should make a portion of the newly developed units affordable. According to this policy about 10 to 20% of the new unit should be affordable to individuals at a certain income levels. For effectiveness the policy should be adopted prior to the development (Lees, 2008). Tax Increment Financing According to Zukin (2007), tax increment financing is a strategy for financing infrastructure plus other public improvements the government should use to reduce the negative externalities caused by tax burden on land owners. Tax increment financing raises the capability to maintain a low but steady rental increments. It includes funding for investments such as sidewalks, electricity bills and water expenses. Therefore, communities are able to pay increments on property taxation. Zukin. (2007) explains that the policy can be used for other purposes such as pooling funds for affordable housing as well as prioritizing cheap home ownership. Linkage Fees Program Linkage fees program is a mechanism where the government generates funding for affordable housing in places undergoing redevelopment (Zukin, 2007). It does so by asserting a fee to nonresidential developments and spends the money to come up with affordable housing. Hotels, manufacturing facilities are examples of the nonresidential developments that raise the funds. Justification of this fee is in the fact that in areas with both residential and nonresident developers, competing for land, land value rises as well as housing challenge. This is in contrary to areas where developmental and non-residential are not in direct competition. Further, the initiative of funding nonresidential development can foster neighborhood change through creation of amenities that attract extra charges and higher income earners who want to reside near their workplaces (Zukin, 2007). In return rent and home value increase tremendously which explains the justification for linkage fee and promotes fair sharin g between the nonresidential developers and the commercial developers (Zukin, 2007). According to Davidson. (2008) Linkage fees also acts as a solution for the imbalance caused by the job housing ratio where commercial developers outpace affordable housing in a certain neighborhood. Commercial projects, offices and parks increase demand for affordable houses whose members are workers in this businesses. Imbalance between demand and supply for affordable units raise rent hence distorting the peaceful existing of the neighborhood. Linkage fee policy has several purposes such as determining how and who benefits from the fee. In the linkage fee program, communities decide a balance between the amount of funds to be raised and the economic development to foster. Increasing costs discourages commercial development (Zukin, 2007). Housing Trust Funds Notably, housing trust funds is a practical policy in reducing housing coats and minimize displacement. The policy works to generate and bring together financial resources to promote housing development and support local government departments to maintain affordable housing for the low income earners. Societies that establish new funding incentives, an example of tax increment financing can come up with a housing trust fund that prioritizes on expenditures. In addition the policy can be financed through revenue bonds, real estate transfer of taxes and taxes collected from building improvements. Housing trust funds have the advantage of flexibility which allow communities come up with initiatives that meet the needs of the society. Further, the policy can be used for preservation and growth of homebuyer assistance programs and promotion of ongoing rental subsidies, (Lees, 2008). Targeting Local Housing Resources Targeting federal, state and local housing resources is important in promoting affordable housing. The initiative uses Home and Community Development Block Grants that assist in funds distributing to ensure equality in the community by giving equal weights to applications from all individuals. The policy makes the decision on whether and how to come up with the allocation target for the resources in the community Boddy, M. (2007). Importantly, recognition of societys decision on grant allocation and available funds outdoes the impact on the production of affordable rent rates, due to the federal decision on raising the funding through the low Income Housing tax credit. Communities have a chance to increase their allocation if they are willing and have the capability to control the funds. Tax Incentives According to Atkinson, R. (2004) Local and state tax incentives should be used to encourage maintenance of existing affordable housing. Tax incentives, promote housing goals such as development of affordable taxes, lower property tax rates and a longer period of tax payment. Credit facilities should be offered in cases of property underutilization which promotes development through the raised tax rate for land improvements. Tax incentives foster development without a specified population target but with a great emphasis on the requirements needed to meet the tax objectives. The government should use tax to stimulate development projects if they lead to increased affordable housing. In addition, the tax policies should specifically aim at promoting affordable units in the allocated neighborhoods (Lees, 2008). Parking Incentives In reference to Lees. (2008), the government should as well make use of parking incentives in creating affordable shelter for the people of Sydney. Parking incentives policy aims at motivating development without increasing the cost and space required. Reducing parking requirements for residential developers, reduces the cost of production, hence increasing the availability of affordable housing. This would particularly be applicable for Sydney with its large population and high land costs. Like other incentives, parking incentives promotes different kinds of development (Freeman et al, 2004). Hence, the government must specify the target population that benefits from the new units. In addition, the incentive should consider raising developmental units without expanding the parking space. Yet, as the population density raises, parking space tightens, reducing transit space which raises concern as to whether parking supply is a sufficient strategy. Expedited Permitting Accordingly, the government should enhance expedited permitting, which is important in cost reduction associated with delays and red tapes in permits acquisition. According to Weber, R. (2002) Time is an important factor and therefore long durations of obtaining building permits or approvals could cause a great deal of efficiency. Expedited permitting can reduce development costs by coming up with clearer and shorter permit processes such as online fees payment and automated payments. Communities should clearly differentiate between requirements and development needs to receive expedited permitting. For those who chose expedited permitting policy, parallel processes should be put in place to ensure affordable and new developments (Berry, 2003). Impact Fees Impact fees is another incentive the government can use to the advantage of low income earners as far as housing is concerned. According to Berry. (2003), it is designed as a onetime charge to cater for development project such as waterlines, schools and pathways. In reference to Berry .(2003),through cutting this fees, new development projects for affordable housing can foster incentives to lower costs even further. Summary To summarize, bearing in mind the consequences that come along with poor housing, the government has a large pool of choices to pick from to ensure affordable housing. The mentioned incentives are especially a shortcut in fighting this challenge. A combination of the incentives would be far more efficient not only to promote affordable housing but also to maintain the housing. If anyone is to be productive out there, then it begins from a comfortable home. References Atkinson, R. (2004). The evidence on the impact of gentrification: new lessons for the urban renaissance?. European Journal of Housing Policy, 4(1), 107-131. Berry, M. (2003). Why is it important to boost the supply of affordable housing in Australiaand how can we do it?. Urban Policy and Research, 21(4), 413-435. Boddy, M. (2007). Designer neighbourhoods: new-build residential development in nonmetropolitan UK citiesthe case of Bristol. Environment and Planning A, 39(1), 86-105. Davidson, M. (2008). Spoiled mixture: where does state-ledpositive'gentrification end?. Urban Studies, 45(12), 2385-2405. Downs, A. (1981). Neighborhoods and urban development. Brookings Institution Press. Freeman, L., Braconi, F. (2004). Gentrification and displacement New York City in the 1990s. Journal of the American Planning Association, 70(1), 39-52. Lees, L. (2008). Gentrification and social mixing: towards an inclusive urban renaissance?. Urban Studies, 45(12), 2449-2470. Randolph, B., Holloway, D. (2005). The suburbanization of disadvantage in Sydney: new problems, new policies. Opolis, 1(1). Shaw, K. (2004). Local limits to gentrification. Gentrification in a global context, 172. Wang, Y. P., Murie, A. (2000). Social and spatial implications of housing reform in China. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 24(2), 397-417. Weber, R. (2002). Extracting value from the city: neoliberalism and urban redevelopment. Antipode, 34(3), 519-540. Wu, F. (2004). Residential relocation under market-oriented redevelopment: the process and outcomes in urban China. Geoforum, 35(4), 453-470. Shaw, K. (2004). Local limits to gentrification. Gentrification in a global context, 172. Swyngedouw, E., Moulaert, F., Rodriguez, A. (2002). Neoliberal urbanization in Europe: largescale urban development projects and the new urban policy. Antipode, 34(3), 542-577. Zukin, S. (2007). Gentrification: culture and capital in the urban core. Annual Review of Sociology, 129-147.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Financial Evaluation Of The Hypothetical Company SSS
Question: Discuss about the Essay for Financial Evaluation of The Hypothetical Company SSS? Answer: Introduction The assignment is about the Financial Evaluation Of The Hypothetical Company Sss. The financial performance measurement will be done using the ratio analysis. The balance sheet and the income statement of the company will be prepared using the data from the trial balance of the company. Additionally, the statement changes due to using IAS 1 like comprehensive income and position of the income statement will be critically analysed in this paper. The change in the ratios and the financial performance of Golfy and Tenniswise will be prepared in this study and the comparative analysis for investment decision for the investor will be recommended in this assignment.Final accounts of Sunny Soccer Sports for the year end 31st October, 2013 Profit and Loss a/c of SSS as at 31st October, 2013 Income Sales 120000 cost of goods sold 40000 Gross income 80000 wages 17000 Heat 2000 Advertising 5000 postage 500 Rates 700 Petrol 2300 Total o/h 27500 Income from Rent 300 Net profit before tax 52800 Table 1: Profit and Loss a/c of SSS as at 31st October, 2013 Balance sheet of SSS as at 31st October, 2013 Current assets Bank 22000 cash 500 Debtors 8000 closing stock 80000 Balance 80000 Rates Total CA 110500 Current liabilities Trade creditors 11000 Additional creditors 1200 Total CL 12200 Working capital 98300 Fixed assets Premises 200000 Vehicles 25000 Total fixed Assets 225000 323300 Capital 270500 Add: PAT 52800 Total equity 323300 Table 2: Balance sheet of SSS as at 31st October, 2013 Statement on changes to reporting standards under IAS for profit statement and financial position The 1st standard of IAS provides the information of the general application of providing the financial statement according to the reporting style mentioned in IFRS. The objective of the international accounting standard is to provide information about the financial performance, financial position of the entity and cash flow of the firm. The report consists of statements of assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses and cash flows mainly. Further, the statement also provides the information regarding the attributed profit to the shareholders on an annual basis (ey.com 2011). The IAS 1 has changed the reporting style of the accounts of an entity balance sheet as statement of financial position and income statement as statement of comprehensive income. The comprehensive income of the entity requires to be disclosed in a separate statement so that the surplus of the asset revaluation can be understood from the accounting statement. Additionally, the actuarial gains are also added in the comprehensive income statement. The gains or losses from foreign entitys translation selling the firms assets and hedging of the commodities or foreign currency are reflected in this statement too (Iasplus.com 2016). The financial position of the companies is expressed in the fair value of the assets and liabilities. The change in the balance sheet of the firms has been taken place lately where the changes in the financial position of the different attributes are observed except changes in the equity. Additionally, the current assets are presented in fair value of the market to present in a materialistic way (Ifrs.org 2016). The financial position of the firms must be classified into four parameters mainly current and non- current liabilities ad assets. However, the current value of the equity and reserve of the firm is also disclosed here. Change in the shares, the portion of the shares in the subsidiaries are required for the companies to be disclosed in the statement of the financial position (Lole 2014). Meaning of financial ratios There are many financial ratios present in the market under which we can measure the financial performance of a short-cut method. The method of ratio analysis provides the direction to the different stakeholders for analysing the performance of the firm in point of view of profitability, position of liquidity in the company as well as the efficiency of the management. According to McKeown et al. (2014), ratio analysis provides the analysts the understanding of financial performance as well as the financial position of the company on an accrual basis. Profitability ratios provide information about profit margin as well as the return to the investors. Gross profit and net profit margin provide the information regarding the profitability from the revenue of the business. However, the return on equity is the measurement of the return to the shareholders on the basis of their investment in the company. The capital is invested in the business and the return is the profit after tax for the firms (Nicholls 2013). The profitability margin shows good result due to the high value of the financial statements from time to time. The analysis can show that profit and return on the business due to change in different activities of the firm. Gross profit margin = gross profit / sales Net profit margin = Net profit / sales ROCE = Net profit / capital employed in business Liquidity ratio of the company can provide the information regarding the liquid present in the company's balance sheet. The liquid assets are the backbone of the business to run the operation smoothly to get better performance from the daily activities of different aspects of the business. Further, measurement of the liquidity may show that the capacity of the firms to pay its obligations regarding the operations. The daily activities of the business always require the liquid assets and cash to run the operation without hazards (Parmar 2014). However, he saw that higher liquidity may reduce the efficiency of the funds as the cash may become idle due to lack of many actions in the business. In this context, the analysts prefer two tests mainly - current ratio and acid test ratio. The test of the liquid assets in the firm's financial position may be judged using the current assets where the relative measurement of current assets is done with the current liabilities. However, the invent ory is not much liquid as observed by many analysts (Ross 2012; Taillard 2013). Thereby, the change in the method is applied by deducting the inventory from the entire current assets and measure the current ratio of quick responding assets those can be liquidised fast. Current ratio = current assets / current liabilities Quick ratio = (current assets inventory) / current liabilities Management efficiency is very crucial to the performance of the firms as they are depended on the efficient decision-making ability of the management. It is clear that the management of the companies is responsible for delivering the better performance to the business from time to time. Therefore, the main concerned issue for the analysts is to measure the efficiency of the measurement (Velez-Pareja and Davila n.d.). However, the decisions made by the management of the firms could not be disclosed in public as it may reveal the strategy of the company in the outside world. So, it is customary to measure the efficiency of the management by measuring their efficiency and effectiveness in managing the working capital of the business as well as the change in the payables and receivables position of the business (Vickerstaff and Johal 2014). Inventory turnover ratio = Sales / Inventory Days of collection = Receivables / (sales/365) Days of payable = Payables / (sales /365) Report on comparative analysis of financial performance and position Profitability measurement The profitability measurement of Golfy and Tenniswise was done here where the gross margin from the business observed. Golfy had almost half the gross margin of Tenniswise in the current period. However, the difference in net margin of the two companies reduced havoc as the operating cost of the former was low in the concerned period (Zaimah et al. 2013). The same picture was observed for measuring the return on equity whereas both the company yielded almost negligible difference to return the shareholders from the annual financial performance. Thereby, from the ROCE point of view, it can be said that Golfy had used the lesser capital to return more comparatively with Tenniswise. SSS had better profit margin as well as yielded better return to the shareholders in the current year. Liquidity Liquidity measurement of the two companies showed that Golfy had the better position of liquid assets in the company as it had better ratio compare to Tenniswise. In this context, the liquidity ratio of SSS was better than these two companies (McKeown et al. 2014). Efficiency The efficiency ratio of the companies showed that Golfy's management was more efficient in collecting the debt and managing the creditors. However, the payment days of the creditors for Golfy was lower than Tenniswise; the creditor management was better for the first company. However, the inventory turnover ratio of Golfy was poor compared to Tenniswise as seen in the calculation. Thereby, it can be said that the later one has performed well in turning over the inventory into sales faster than the former one (Hillier 2013). Comparing with SSS, the working capital management of Golfy and Tenniswise was poor. Conclusion In power point The efficiency ratio of the companies showed that Golfy's management was more efficient in collecting the debt and managing the creditors. However, the payment days of the creditors for Golfy was lower than Tenniswise; the creditor management was better for the first company. References Ahmed, A. (n.d.). Financial Ratio Analysis of Square Pharmaceuticals Limited.SSRN Electronic Journal. Berk, J., DeMarzo, P. and Harford, J. (2012).Fundamentals of corporate finance. Boston: Prentice Hall. Beyersdorff, M. (2014).International GAAP 2014. Chichester, UK: J. Wiley Sons. Beyersdorff, M. (n.d.).International GAAP 2014. Brealey, R., Myers, S. and Marcus, A. (2012).Fundamentals of corporate finance. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Collings, S. (n.d.).Corporate finance for dummies. Dr.Vani R Kamath, D. (2013). Ratio as a tool of financial analysis for Indian Retail sector companies.IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 10(5), pp.32-34. ey.com, (2011).Changes to the presentation of other comprehensive income amendments to IAS 1. [online] Available at: https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/IFRS_Developments_Issue_7/$FILE/IFRS_Developments_Issue_7_GL_IFRS.pdf [Accessed 9 Feb. 2016]. Hillier, D. (2013).Corporate finance. London [u.a.]: McGraw-Hill. Iasplus.com, (2016).Revised IAS 1 requires statement of comprehensive income. [online] Available at: https://www.iasplus.com/en/news/2007/September/news3764 [Accessed 9 Feb. 2016]. Ifrs.org, (2016).Illustrative examples - Statement of financial position, statement of comprehensive income, and statement of changes in equity. [online] Available at: https://www.ifrs.org/XBRL/Resources/Documents/Illustrative%20Examples%202013/ixbrl_example2_2013-03-28.xhtml [Accessed 9 Feb. 2016]. Lole, J. (2014).Accounting standards. Kingston upon Thames: Wolters Kluwer [for] the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. McKeown, W., Kerry, M., Olynyk, M. and Beal, D. (2014).Financial Planning. Milton: Wiley. Nicholls, C. (2013).Corporate finance and Canadian law. Toronto, Ont.: Carswell. Parmar, V. (2014).Analysis Of Financial Statements. SaarbruÃÅ'Ãâ cken: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. Ross, S. (2012).Fundamentals of corporate finance. New York: McGraw-Hill. Taillard, M. (2013).Corporate finance for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Velez-Pareja, I. and Davila, M. (n.d.). Financial Analysis and Control - Financial Ratio Analysis (In Spanish).SSRN Electronic Journal. Vickerstaff, B. and Johal, P. (2014).Financial Accounting. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. Zaimah, R., Masud, J., Haron, S., Othman, M., Awang, A. and Sarmila, M. (2013). Financial Well-Being: Financial Ratio Analysis of Married Public Sector Workers in Malaysia.Asian Social Science, 9(14).
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