My Thoughts on Your Midterm Presentation

Dear Business Blog Team Members,
As I have done with the other blog teams, I thought my first post on your blog should be my reflections on your midterm presentation yesterday.
First, Brandon focused the group and framed the issue. Then,Bill got things off to a rocking start with an understanding of the local EID reservoirs, the amount of water they currently lack, and took a couple well-deserved shots at El Dorado Hills for not doing their part to conserve. J'accuse!
Then, Alvah did a remarkable job of showing the impact of the drought on California's agriculture, particularly in the Central Valley. The charts she used were extremely effective in explaining the very particular effect the drought will have on different crops, including almonds and walnuts.  This may seem like a micro-issue, but remember the Irish immigration of the 30s was caused by one thing -- the potato famine.
Deanna then talked persuasively about the impact of the drought on wildlife and on forest fires, pointing out that while mountain lions may benefit from their prey being closer, this is a safety hazard for the rest of us.

This is the best beer in the world and the only good thing to ever come out of Chico, California.
Just ask Alice Waters. Get it? WATERS?

Brandon's presentation on the beer industry was a fascinating vignette into how something as basic as water supply can derail a business like microbreweries, which depend on certain water supplies like the Russian River, and that mineral contents in water can have a devastating effect on their product. This seems so obvious, yet I had never considered it before. It was interesting to hear of businesses adapting to the different water supplies, even those in Chicago. It's a shame that Brandon has such an undeveloped palate that he thinks Sierra Nevada is a terrible beer.  Everything about his presentation then lost credibility. But here's hoping that continued tasting, over and over, will improve his taste buds. and he will see the error in his ways.
Wei Wei, the newest member of your group, did a wonderful job of explaining the issue of water supply in China with pollution being a major problem, and children having to lug large amounts of water over kilometers to get it home.
Vince finished up with an explanation of water law, including riparian rights and the idea that water use is tied to land ownership, but that water because it is movable is really about usage rights. He did a great job of explaining how complicated water law is, which is certainly true.
In closing, this was a remarkable presentation and set a very high bar for the other groups to follow. I learned a tremendous amount about something that is terribly important. Congratulations on such a terrific job!

                                                    Drought impact on California


Last week Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency and has placed a limited suspension on the CEQA. The CEQA is a landmark 1970's environmental statue, that required environmental analyses for any major projects to occur. His plan is to dig and build tunnel that would streamline water transfers and exchanges between users within the central valley( home of the Agriculture).

Suspending this statue has the environmentalist angry because this is a back door attempt to divert more water from the delta, thus impacting the ecosystem that relies on the delta to survive.

In this case I would say that this is a State law because it is a state statue that is being suspended. I would have to say that both private and dispute regulation is in the works here because the environmentalist are openly disputing this and the Gov. has been able to privately regulate under the term "emergency". 

Microsoft turning into the NSA?

Microsoft is not really turning into the NSA but they are recently used invasive information gathering techniques in an investigation into "leaked" software that was passed from a former microsoft employee to a blogger in France.  Microsoft sifted through the customers emails and instant messages of a Microsoft operated hotmail accounts.  The actions were supposedly legal yet raise questions about the nature of a companies decision to gather and view private information of a customer without court order.  Microsoft's actions were legal under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act which is a federal law allowing companies to take such action if it is to protect the rights of their property.  Though the dispute is fairly private in nature given it being between a company, ex-employee and the ex-employee's friend.  Regarding fundamental rights, I believe this is still an area of the law that is under debate and contains a variance of view points.  Also, given the nature of technology and the internet in general our privacy over the web is constantly in question and disputes involving such conditions usually rest on the variables of the dispute.  The interests of businesses and the rights they have to protect their property are not really endangered here yet rather being questioned.    

General Motors is looking at $300 million in recall repairs this year with the final cost being much larger. GM will also most likely face up too a billion in criminal settlements due to product negligence. GM is protected from any wrongdoing that occurred before 2009 when they filed for bankruptcy. Since then the company has waited more than 5 years to recall more than 1.6 million units with faulty ignition switches. In this period accidents and fatalities have occurred when they could have been prevented or at least measures could have been taken. Not only does involve many private disputes, but also falls under tort law, and civil law. The players involved are the parties that have fallen victim to the companies’ negligence and the negligent party GM Motors.  People deserve to have their vehicles held to certain safety standard and if that standard is compromised then the company should move to correct it in a timely manner.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/20/news/companies/gm-recall-costs/index.html?iid=SF_BN_River

I agree with my group members Blogs/ opinions on how our country should handle such a case. I think that a combination of moral/ethical and government consequences would be the most effective. If we start out the country with incentives to encourage businesses to not be discriminative then the majority of businesses will want to continue this practice but if they don't then the society will then take its course through the morals and ethics. Our country may be very diverse and its citizens would have to be aware of this diversity and hopefully with the incentives and a little education that will ultimately help with acceptance. In the end everyone is satisfied to the extent that discrimination would be come rare because the social standard would be accepting of diversity.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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Religious Discrimination

Under our constitution freedom of religion and its relationship to private business practices will be fairly out of our control.  Businesses will retain the right to refuse to conduct business when such business infringes upon their religious beliefs.  Though given economic and capitalistic freedoms such business can always be obtained elsewhere.  Discrimination of customers upon this religious premise will not be extended to race and gender.  Discrimination against, for example, homosexuality will be allowed.  As always such are general, framework ideas of our constitution and may be altered or changed.    

Under our groups constitution individuals will have the right to refuse service to anyone based on race, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs. We hope that the businesses of our country will act in the best interests of their business and allow service to all customers without discrimination. If they do decide to discriminate they may be shamed by society and their business will be negatively impacted as a result. This sort of shaming will motivate businesses to be open to serving everyone in order to grow their businesses.  These ideas are of my own and not the groups as a whole

Constitution: Form and Limitations

Form/ Nature of Government:
Officials will be democratically elected by the people and serve their interests while staying within the boundaries of the power they hold.  Limitations will be instituted inhibit centralized, tyrannical power. 
Structure:
1.  A branch of thirteen (13) legislatures will be elected to serve the interests of the people via creation of law.  Of the thirteen one will be appointed to position of leader to apply further amounts of guidance and insight to the decisions of the group.  All members of the same power. 
2.  A branch of five (5) judiciaries will be appointed to review, analyze, and interpret created laws. 
Will also oversee legislature. 
3.  Legislature will decide issues as they are voted for by region.
4.  Legislatures will be appointed via vote by each region.  
National Structure:
Nation will be divided into thirteen (13) regions with no individual rights.
Limitations:
1.  Officials of the legislature will serve one finite six year term.
2.  Amendments may be made to constitution via a two-thirds vote of the regions.
3.  Full transparency will be imposed on the proceedings, affairs, decisions, and information of the legislature.
4.  Legislative power will be checked via the judicial branch.

Business Group Constitution Taxes and Judicial System

Taxes

Taxes will be limited to a flat sales tax of 10% of the total sale, and a flat 20% income tax. The sales tax revenue will be split evenly between the region in which the sale was incurred, and the overarching government. 

On the Regional Level

• The Sales Tax revenue within the region will go to providing transportation and maintaining the infrastructure of the region. 
• Income Tax revenue will go to providing health services, police, fire departments, and public education. 

On the Government Level

• The Sales Tax revenue will go toward maintaing an able military, and offering a limited amount of welfare programs that have strict requirements for enrollment.

Judicial System

The limited power of the Government will be enforced through a supreme court at head of a judicial system. This will be a 5 person committee elected by the people. Members will be elected for 8 year terms with the ability to serve two terms. There will be one member of the court elected by the other members as the head justice for the court. The judicial system will not have the power to create legislature, but will be carry the ability to enforce it. 

On the Regional Level

• There will be regional courts with presiding judges for each individual region
• Those regional judges will have the power to mitigate issues within their region
• If the people wish to overturn a judges decision they may appeal to the supreme court with a 2/3 majority vote.

On the Governmental Level

• The supreme court will handle all impeachment or disciplinary hearings involving ranking members of the government, and hold them to the highest of standards.
• Ensure that all legislation does not violate the terms of the constitution or infringe on the bill of rights

Bill of Rights

    The Bill of Rights as Mr. Williams sees it. Originally written as a formal essence of a thing. As in a   Document. In regaurds to that being said. When it was originated the Bill of Rights was nothing more than the permanent, as it was contracted together but with accidental elements of just being. It just exists. Formal or not, the individual real is in the essence to just being and or ultimate nature of nothing more than a thing. Which inturn leaves us with a matter of concern. This just being, has lead the High Power of todays society to turn an ethical Bill of Rights it was. Into an unethical being, as in the formal essence of nothing more than a thing. As Bill sees it, in a simplified diverse appreciated approach type of way. God Bless….