The Ankin Law Office Offers Annual Academic Scholarship

The Ankin Law Office Offers Annual $2,500 Academic Scholarship 2020

Ride share apps liker Uber and Lyft are making efforts in keeping their customers safe. Do you think their effort are sufficient and how could they improve?

Not all of us have wandered on the side of the road with just a dream, backpack, two feet, and a thumb in the air letting the world know you needed 4 wheels to take you where you needed to go. If you’ve always wanted to get into a strangers car and put your destination and life in their hands, worry no longer! The art of hitchhiking has now been brought to the masses. It’s an opportunity available to anyone now with companies like Uber and Lyft. There are many dangers of hitchhiking of course, and those dangers come included with the upgraded Uber and Lyft version. Crazy then is still crazy now, and that crazy may just be getting paid to drive you around.

There are many things passengers can do to keep themselves safe. Countless number of pre-recordings are being shared via social media that go something like “Hey, when are you going to get here? We’re waiting for you. We’re checking up on ‘Find My Friends’ to see where you are.” These voice recordings are used to deter potential driving predators. There’s also tips that say to travel in groups, verify the car you are getting into is actually your driver, or wait for the driver inside a building. Other tips include the following:

“If you are uncomfortable with potential driver’s rating, cancel the ride and call for another. Share your trip details with friends or family.

“Uber users can tap “Share status” to share driver’s name, photo, license plate, and location with family or friends.

“Lyft users can tap the “Send ETA” icon which will send a text message to family or friends.

“If your ride hailing service doesn’t offer a status or ETA share option, snap a picture of the vehicle license plate and send it to a family member or a friend.” (https://rmis.ucsf.edu/tips-stay-safe-while-ridesharing)

All of these are great tips, but the company itself should also be responsible for the safety of the passenger while in the passenger is in the car that is representing their company.  “Uber and Lyft, popular rideshare companies, are currently under investigation for numerous allegations of physical assaults, rapes and sexual assaults, incidents of verbal abuse, and other forms of inappropriate conduct by their drivers.” (https://ankinlaw.com/rideshare-services-safety/) That’s not a headline you want associated with your company, I would think.

Uber needs to do better. “Investigations show that rideshare drivers with criminal backgrounds are often hired after minimal background checks that don’t include fingerprinting, putting rideshare passengers at risk of serious harm.” (https://ankinlaw.com/rideshare-services-safety/) 

Uber is taking steps to be more thorough in their vetting and screening process, but there is certainly more that they can do. Pervy Paul the driver is not the only issue a passenger could face while getting into a ridesharing car. Drunk drivers, drowsy drivers, distracted drivers, all of those are potential risks when hailing a ride through a simple app. Accidents have actually increased since Uber and Lyft have speeded their way into our daily routine. “Nationwide,  fatality car accidents have risen approximately 3% in cities where rideshare services operate. ” (https://mainorwirth.com/blog/rideshare-accidents/) 3% doesn’t seem like much, but when you consider that’s around 1,100 lives lost, it’s a much heavier statistic.

First step on lowering these statistics is to be even more thorough in vetting drivers. Requiring routine online training for drivers should be mandatory, as well as updated background checks as well.

Uber’s second step is to get better at responding quickly and effectively to flagged drivers. I recently came across an offensive and bullying themed tweet on twitter. Easy as you please, I clicked ‘report,’ the basic prompts asked me why, and then it was submitted. I got a dm from Twitter letting me know my report was submitted and then once a decision was made a few days to a week or so later, they let me know how it was resolved. If something like an offensive tweet can be investigated on such a large platform like Twitter, then surely Uber can make more of an effort investigating reports of drunk or disorderly driving, as well as reports on the behavioral problems of drivers. “Between August 2014 and August 2015, regulators with the California Public Utilities Commission reviewed 154 passenger complaints. Regulators claim that out of those 154 complaints, Uber only investigated 21 cases by contacting just 50 of the drivers accused of drunk driving.” (https://ankinlaw.com/drunk-uber-drivers/)

The third step would be to just have better communication overall. Their safety app is a very wonderful and useful tool, but it could be utilized even more. Do passengers or drivers even know how insurance and compensation is going to work out in the case of an accident in regards to ridesharing? They need to be more open about their coverage for $1 million third party liability, but only if the victim’s insurance doesn’t foot the bill. Economic and punitive compensation depends on state and seriousness of accident, so obviously they can’t provide exact answers, but Uber should be able to provide simple links to the user’s state legislature, or helpful reminders explaining the need for awareness for users.

Uber can continue to provide resources like their app, but they can also do better at screening their drivers, responding and reacting more quickly and thoroughly to flagged drivers, as well as helping passengers and drivers know their options in case an accident or situation does occur.

-Natalie Rowley

https://ankinlaw.com/academic-scholarship

Mainor Wirth Academic Scholarship 2020

In rideshare accidents, drivers and passengers are afforded various levels of insurance coverage depending on who is at fault for the crash and the status of the rideshare vehicle involved. At least a portion of your essay should explain how rideshare insurance works, the amount of coverage available, and the damages that may be recoverable.

What I knew before this essay was that an insurance company would probably compensate whoever was not at fault for the accident, be it driver or passenger. If pressed, I would probably guess that ridesharing made the rate of accidents go down, since less people are driving themselves, and hopefully less drunk drivers, and instead are having ‘professional,’ and sober drivers take them places. That was the limit of my knowledge in regards to ridesharing accidents and insurance.

I now know a lot more, thankfully. Turns out, accidents have actually increased since Uber and Lyft have speeded their way into our daily routine. “Nationwide,  fatality car accidents have risen approximately 3% in cities where rideshare services operate. ” (https://mainorwirth.com/blog/rideshare-accidents/) 3% doesn’t seem like much, but when you consider that’s around 1,100 lives lost, it’s a much heavier statistic.

I thought these were all professional drivers, how can accidents be going up? It seems that practically any joe with a type A license can become an Uber driver. A clean record, a non-clunker car, and you’re set to go, speed racer. Now that I think about it, that explains the crazy Lyft driver we had in New York; I was wondering how he passed whatever ‘Lyft-driving-test’ they surely had in place. I’ll definitely be a bit more nervous next time I need to schedule a pickup from a ride-hailing driver.

That’s my experience as a passenger, but the drivers have reasons to be nervous as well. Who knows what kind of Curly, Moe, and Larry they could be picking up. They could be sharing a car for the next however miles with a very drunk, high, etc person. I’m sure at one point a child has thrown their toy from the back seat and hit the head of the driver and nearly caused an accident. Same thing is liable to happen, not necessarily with a toy, but you get the picture.

Then there is the added risk of congestion that ridesharing can cause. “Ridesharing drivers spend a lot of time looking for fares, which can lead to slow driving, parking along the roadway, and driver inattention. These are some of the reasons why ridesharing has been linked to an increase in auto accidents overall.” (https://embrylawfirm.com/rideshare-accident-statistics-that-drivers-need-to-know/)

Crazy driver, crazy passenger, or crazy congestion, all of these can lead to a crazy headache of an accident. After an accident, the main problem is the question of who is going to take pay for this. At this point I think it’s important to mention the controversy of calling it ‘ride sharing’ versus ‘ride hailing.’ It may just be semantics, but some people believe that making the distinction between the two is important. Splitting the cost of a taxi ride is, of course, ride sharing; but you are not actually sharing your ride with your Uber driver. You hailed the driver to you, and they are then transporting you to your new destination. When it comes down to paying for the cost of an accident, there’s not a lot of sharing going on. No one wants to points fingers, but for insurance companies, it’s the person at fault and the person who’s going to receive compensation.

If there’s no sharing, who is going to cover the cost? Uber has a $1 million third party liability coverage, but only if your insurance doesn’t foot the bill. Which they likely won’t since it’s ride-sharing. Side note, if you are an Uber driver, your regular auto insurance rates are more than likely to go up. Among the many costs of an accident there can be found economic compensation, like a damaged car or body, non-economic compensation, i.e. I’ll never get my right toe back, so you should pay for it, and then punitive compensation, which is like a slap on the wrist for making bad choices.  The amount for economic and non-economic compensation can vary depending on the seriousness of the accident, of course, but punitive can vary as well. Nevada, for example, has a cap on how much can be charged for punitive compensation. It’s 300,000, but is reliant on how much was already charged for regular compensatory damages (economic and non-economic.) (https://mainorwirth.com/blog/uber-punitive-damages/) New Mexico has zero cap on compensatory and punitive damages. Nebraska, on the other hand, has no cap on compensatory but “declared punitive damages to be unconstitutional.” (https://www.mondaq.com/a-50-state-survey-of-damages-caps-and-the-collateral-source-rule)

It’s important to know what compensations you qualify for in case of an accident while hitching a ride with Uber or Lyft. You will want to double check with your state laws to see if there is a cap on compensatory or punitive damages. For example, I learned that my state, Utah, has a ‘sort of’ cap on punitive. In the Utah legislature it states “(a) In any case where punitive damages are awarded, the court shall enter judgment as follows: (i) for the first $50,000, judgment shall be in favor of the injured party; and (ii) any amount in excess of $50,000 shall be divided equally between the state and the injured party, and judgment to each entered accordingly.” (https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title78B/Chapter8/78B-8-S201.html) That’s good to know!

We should lobby for Uber and Lyft and other ride sharing companies to have more of a screening process for their drivers, and we need to be careful when we get into a strangers’ cars, of course, but the third and most important step is to know what you should be receiving as compensation in case of an accident.

-Natalie Rowley

 

http://mainorwirth.com/academic-scholarship/

DePaolo & Zadeikis Law Offices Academic Scholarship 2020

Describe different jobs you have worked in, the safety risks associated with them, and design a step-by-step guide for the employers with ideas on how to make them safer.

I have worked at 3 different places the past 7 years, and they can be rated from bad to ok to very good in terms of work safety and how they communicate about said safety. The job I most recently quit to attend school full time could be used as the template for how work safety should be handled. I worked on the customer service call floor for Young Living Essential Oils for almost 2 years. In those two years we had 6-7 safety trainings. We had to take an online course on how to stay safe in the workplace frequently, especially during the winter time. The course covered everything from how to be aware so you don’t trip over a cord, all the way to what to do in case of a shooting. When COVID-19 first started to become a thing, education on how to social distance, how often and how thorough hand washing should be taking place, and what to do and who to contact should you start to show symptoms was quickly communicated. Young Living always had 24 hour security and frequent fire department checks, and they always sure they kept everything up to code and encouraged anything amiss to be reported immediately. They frequently sent out surveys to gather data on whether every employee knows who to contact in case of an accident or injury.

They also had frequent required training on Human Resources type of things like discrimination in the workplace and how to report sexual harassment, etc.

Once they moved everyone to work from home because of the pandemic, there was multiple online trainings and communications sent out about who and how to contact in case of injury, how to stay safe, and the time frames with which to report an accident if there was one. This last point was one that was emphasised repeatedly by the employers. “One of the most common reasons a workers’ compensation claim is denied is because a worker fails to report the injury soon enough.” (https://dzinjurylawyers.com/unwitnessed-injuries/) It felt reassuring that our employers were concerned enough to make sure we were aware of the time frame so that we could get compensation if needed.

As reported in the article done by DePaolo and Zadeikis law firm, it talks about how even injuries like carpal tunnel or neck and back sprains should be reported. (https://dzinjurylawyers.com/working-at-home-injuries/) The first few days they sent out multiple reminders and graphics about how to avoid those kind of injuries, like where to place your computer and how high your seat should be raised, etc.

The bigger the company, it seems, the more the little details need to be paid attention to.

What’s learned from Young Living in regards to workplace safety is that communication is key. On the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website it says, “Employers must provide safety training in a language and vocabulary workers can understand.” (https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/worker/employer-responsibility.html) Let’s take a look at the other two places I have worked at the last few years to see what they could be doing to make the work environment more safe.

The place I worked at before Young Living was at a clothing warehouse. We packaged and shipped hundreds of orders every day. Because it was clothing, the weight of the packages was much less than for a warehouse that sold furniture or for a warehouse like Amazon, that selled a plethora of different goods. However that being said, this company could have done better at communicating the risks of shipping. An coworker once got cut with a box knife and bled pretty badly. They didn’t end up needing stitches or anything, but they weren’t aware that they could have taken this to the company and gotten some form of compensation.

There was a new type of product that had to be packaged a certain way. After a few days of packaging this new item, I noticed a pinch in my back between my shoulder blades. It was very intense and painful. I was considering going to a doctor; I spoke to my direct supervisor about it first. We figured it might be because of the new product, so they stopped having me do that specific job. The pinch eventually went away. If I had gone to the doctors about my back, I wouldn’t have known that my employers should be held accountable.

They did have a safety inspector come the required amount of times per year. Once the fire department came for an inspection and told them to reorganize how the warehouse was set up to make it more safe, and they complied. This employer appeared to take the required steps to adhere to the legal safety regulations, but their problem was communication. They had frequent company meetings about how the company was doing and what their plans were for the future. The step I would suggest for them is to occasionally add health and safety training to those meetings. Step two would be to make sure we knew what our rights were as employees. No one really knew what we were entitled to as far as work safety was concerned. Having posters about evacuation procedures and information posted somewhere with the contact information for who we would need to contact if there was an incident, would have been very helpful.
The place before the warehouse was a bakery. There are a lot more regulations in the food business than anywhere else, but I often feel that employee safety is considered to be much lower on the list of importance for employers than food safety is. Both are incredibly important. The bakery’s owner had the health inspector come once a year or so, when it was required, but often didn’t make the changes that were recommended. The step I would suggest for this bakery is to make sure the building and procedures are up to code first. All the bakers were young girls and when we would close the bakery at night and lock up, we had to leave through the back. The bakery was situated next to businesses that closed sooner than it did, and the back was facing a dark alley and then the freeway. Nothing else was located there. To this day the owner hasn’t added a security camera to the back of the building. Even after some employees reported that a homeless man would sometimes hang around the dumpsters, no actions were taken.

If the owner wants to avoid future lawsuits, the step by step plan would be to first align their business with the basic requirements of the health and safety department. They need to take seriously the complaints of the employees. Thankfully, there was never any ‘whistleblower’ punishments and unfair treatment, but action taken after the complaint was rarely, if ever, taken either. After all of the basic requirements are taken, the employer will then want to communicate with the employees. They were required to have a valid food handlers permit to work, but these young girls were definitely not aware of any worker’s compensation plans. It’s probably a good idea that he lets them know where the fire extinguisher is, at least.

In conclusion, the first step an employer should take is to make sure their business practices are up to regulation and they are getting inspected at regular intervals. (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs) The 2nd, and very necessary step is to communicate with the employees about what their rights are, and how to avoid injury while at work. The first company was a wonderful example of how a harmonious relationship between an employer and an employee by communicating regularly can positively affect the workplace.

-Natalie Rowley

https://dzinjurylawyers.com/

 

Why I Believe I Deserve This Scholarship

Turns out, rock bottom is just the stepping stone to better places. That is what I have learned in life, and I’m excited to learn more. While at rock bottom I learned to appreciate the little things. Little steps can climb big mountains, you know? While at the bottom, some days getting out of bed was a struggle, but when I finally did I was able to see the morning sun filter through the trees, and feel my dog’s soft curls, and hear the birds respond as I whistle back to them. When those little moments happen I can think, ‘Ah, so this is why I’m climbing this mountain.’

I quit my job recently so I can go to school full time and dedicate my everything to it. Quitting was a leap of faith, and after I did, it was like I was clutching a bundle of anxiety in my fists. A few days later I was driving to the post office to drop off some packages and I saw some little boys wearing masks and gloves selling lemonade to pay for soccer camp. I didn’t think about it and gave them the last $10 I had in my wallet for a 50 cent lemonade. I had been holding onto that $10 for a long time hoping that it would exponentially grow. It felt so good to let it go, knowing that I was the one exponentially growing. A tiny cup of lemonade took the place of my anxiety that day. $10 isn’t much, but I believe it can do a whole lot of good, at least it did for me. $1000 might not be much in the grand scheme of things, but I would be so very grateful for it, and I know I would put it to good use. Please help me climb my mountain, so that one day, through my drawings and words and hope, I can help others hear the birds sing and climb their mountains.

-Natalie Rowley

https://whiteglovemoving.us/scholarship/

 

Storm and Associates 2020 Scholarship

If you had to submit a family member to a nursing home, what accommodations would you be looking for? Create a check-list of “must-haves” for the nursing home. It should include safety measures and aspects to avoid.

My brother and his pregnant wife live with her grandmother who has alzheimer’s. It is becoming more and more apparent, however, that a nursing home may just be the best option. The most recent evidence to the correctness of the nursing home choice was when they came home to see smoke coming out the window. Grandma had apparently tried to microwave something that was very not microwavable. She is reaching the stage where almost constant supervision, or perhaps housing without possible dangers like microwaves and stoves, is needed. The question they now have to consider is what are their ‘must-haves’ when it comes to nursing homes. It’s not really anything one thinks about until the choice is quite suddenly put before them.

The needs may vary depending on the reason an elderly loved one is moving there. A grandma with alzheimer’s may have needs that are different than one who is mentally sharp but physically dependant. However, there are certain regulations and requirements that every nursing home should be meeting under federal and state regulations. My brother and his wife will certainly want to make sure that there is adequate staffing. This is very important for a mentally confused patient, but people who are physically challenged require this as well. “Regulations require nursing homes to have adequate staffing levels that meet the needs of each resident at all times. This includes licensed nurses, certified nursing assistants, and qualified caregivers. Facilities must post in a visible location the number of licensed and unlicensed nursing staff directly responsible for resident care for each shift on a daily basis.” (https://stromlawyers.com/blog/2019/06/standard-of-care/) The requirement to visibly post current staff isn’t something that I would have thought of, but would definitely be a calming assurance to the family of the resident.

When looking for pet sitters, I am very careful to choose sitters that would be qualified to administer medication if needed, as well as the ability to provide emergency attention. I would never take my dog to a sitter that would give my dog medication and then didn’t tell me, or give medication when not needed, or fail to provide the necessary medication just because they deemed it not necessary. If I’m that careful with my dog, then of course I would want my grandparent to be given the same courtesy. It is absolutely critical that the chosen nursing home have qualified medical staff and will follow through and keep exact records.

Open visiting hours are also absolutely vital for my family. “Under the Nursing Home Reform Law, a nursing home should be as homelike as possible. Consistent with this philosophy, a nursing home cannot impose visiting hours on any person visiting with the resident’s consent.” (https://www.justiceinaging.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/25-Common-Nursing-Home-Problems-and-How-to-Resolve-Them_Final.pdf) A nursing home isn’t a prison, the residents family should be able to see their loved one whenever the resident wishes.

These are the most important and critical requirements that a nursing home must meet. A person’s fragile life can be reliant on whether those needs are met. But then the quality of life is also very important for a loved one of mine. Beautiful gardens, places and activities to socialize, a room that the resident feels is their own and decorated and furnished as such; all of these are absolute musts for me so that the last stages of life are pleasant for someone so dear to me.

The final ‘must-have’ is that the nursing home must be accommodating to the individual resident and their family’s needs. Every person is different and the care they require matches that. Again, these are nursing homes, emphasis on the word home. This isn’t a public school system where standardized tests are considered good enough.

Strom and Associates state that, “You should always revisit and modify the care plan regularly depending on changes in health conditions, shortcomings in the previous plan and any complaints which were communicated to you by your loved one.” (https://stromlawyers.com/blog/2019/10/nursing-home-care-plan/) If the family is willing to modify and update the care plan, the nursing home should be as well. 

My grandpa suffered from cancer before he passed away. He lived in an apartment on my uncle’s property. My Grandfather was a very active man in life, and was having a hard time adjusting to being bedridden. My father and uncle built a pull-up bar right above his hospice bed so that he could lift his upper body occasionally. The bar was built as an effort to help grandpa feel more like the ‘go-getter’ and hardworking man he once, and still was. A pull up bar as an example is a bit random and odd, but that kind of care and attention to my loved one’s needs and personality is nothing less than what I would expect in a nursing home where this beloved person would spend the remainder of their years.  A nursing home should all be based on the individual needs, so bottom line is, the nursing home needs to be very willing to work with residents and the residents family’s specific care plan and that is number one in the ‘must-haves.’

-Natalie Rowley

https://stromlawyers.com/academic-scholarship/

Seeing Faces- Marvel Optics National Scholarship Contest

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”- Helen Keller

I have many well-meaning friends and relatives that say they don’t “see race,” or they don’t “see skin color.” While the idea behind these statements is surely kind, I’m afraid it can do more harm than good. Amends need to be made for the centuries of mistreatment white people have made towards people of color. All of us need to see color so that we can see the pain, and the beauty of the faces of the people that do not share our same experiences. I think this can best be described through the words of a poem my brother wrote.

“Faces I’ve Never Seen

-My Tribute to the Hurting

by Joseph Rowley

Burning eyes, hollowed in the sockets of the tortured faces ravaged by every cause I never caused but didn’t take as my cause because I never saw those eyes.

Is it my fault that their pain isn’t my pain? What’s done is done, what could I have done? But I didn’t, and nothing has ended—

is it not done because of what I haven’t done?

So many millions of faces twisted with hunger or with hate… hatred IS hunger, desperate for the love and the life that I have. Can they see it in my face? That I have everything I need? That I have no idea what they need? Because I haven’t seen their faces.

Any face in pain is a life that suffers from my ignorance and apathy. No, I can’t help all, all I can do is help. They are suffering from the help I haven’t given: the faces I’ve never seen.”

Vision is seeing the faces of the people around me. I may have sight, but if I don’t use that sight to help and love others, do I deserve to see?

 www.marveloptics.com

Property Tax and Education

Law Offices of Gary H Smith, P.C.’s Annual Academic Scholarship of 2020 Essay

by Natalie Rowley

Hot take: the devil could possibly be responsible for the United States of America’s current system of property taxes funding education. Or rather, the fight against the devil caused it. It was once said by old puritans that ‘the old deluder, Satan, [wants] to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures …” (https://www.npr.org/2016/04/18/474256366/why-americas-schools-have-a-money-problem) These early puritans believed that the responsibility of teaching children, specifically how to read the Bible, belonged to the entire community. They made a law to make sure this belief was carried out. To translate to today’s vernacular and laws, schools are roughly, varying from state to state, funded 10% federally, 45% state funding, and 45% from local homes and businesses. The 45% local funding is how the village is ‘warding off satan’ and raising a child, apparently. It is an ongoing debate on whether this distribution is wise and actually beneficial for schools and business owners.

Taxing local businesses for education could be seen as symbiotic. To further promote their business, an owner would be wise to not just elevate the quality of their offerings, but the quality of the businesses around them. A little paradise found in a ghost town doesn’t do much good for anyone but ghosts. A nice business wants to be surrounded by other nice businesses, and be located in a nice community, so they get nice consumers, essentially. By supporting the local education system, a business could boast a claim on the students, aka potential future consumers, that are produced from that particular school.

As win-win as the situation previously described sounds, more often than not, it’s the other way around. Local businesses get “squeezed” by unfairly high tax rates (https://garyhsmith.com/commercial-property-owners/) and schools get an unfair distribution of funds. With local homes and businesses providing a large majority of school funding, the differences in quality of education found in a single state is vastly different.

A court case in California, early 1970’s, debated this distribution. A quote cited from this case stated, “The source of these disparities is unmistakable: in Baldwin Park the assessed valuation per child totaled only $3,706; in Pasadena, assessed valuation was $13,706; while in Beverly Hills, the corresponding figure was $50,885—a ratio of 1 to 4 to 13. Thus, the state grants are inadequate to offset the inequalities inherent in a financing system based on widely varying local tax bases.” (https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/articles/school-finance-property-taxes) These schools in California were getting a large majority of their funds from their local business and property owners. Some schools had the fortune of pulling from affluent businesses and neighbors, others not so much.

If properties are taxed, the quality of education can be a source of debate. But what about the properties themselves? A small business trying to get its footing is often tripped and felled by high taxes. Of course, the business wants to support a better education in their community, but at the cost of its own future, probably not.

The distribution of local, state, and federal funds has, and will likely always be, a hot topic in this country. Luckily many smart individuals are working towards solutions great and small. Rather than eliminating completely the taxing on property for education, many have suggested a circuit breaker of sorts. Just like wires, a circuit breaker system in place means that there would be more situation-based taxing going on. “taxpayers earning below a certain income level should be given some amount of property tax relief when their property taxes exceed a certain percentage of their income.” (https://itep.org/property-tax-circuit-breakers-1/)

It is also suggested to divide and distribute the taxing more equally state wide, and not just locally based. “. . . property tax burdens that are excessive in relation to a household’s current income can be alleviated directly, rather than indirectly through increasing state aid for education. Furthermore, in the face of scarce resources, states should make limited use of measures that extend relief to all taxpayers, including high-income and wealthy ones. . .  This report is among several which conclude that circuit breakers are the best means of targeting property tax relief to ability to pay” . (https://www.lincolninst.edu/sites/default/files/pubfiles/the-property-tax-school-funding-dilemma-full_0.pdf)

In conclusion, for the sake of property and business owners, as well as for schools, it is clear that the more moderate and considerate approach for specific local and business needs is the correct choice. More moderate property tax and more equal distribution for schools, the match made in heaven that society, and perhaps even the early puritan colonizers, are looking for.

Sources:

https://garyhsmith.com/commercial-property-owners/

https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/articles/school-finance-property-taxes

https://www.lincolninst.edu/sites/default/files/pubfiles/the-property-tax-school-funding-dilemma-full_0.pdf

https://www.npr.org/2016/04/18/474256366/why-americas-schools-have-a-money-problem

https://itep.org/property-tax-circuit-breakers-1/

Smart Cars Can Lead to Dumb Driving.

Essay for ‘Law Offices Of Steinberg, Goodman, And Kalish Annual Academic Scholarship’

A father places car keys and a loaded gun down onto the table and then asks his teenager, “Which do you think I am more comfortable with you holding?” The answer may surprise many, but to those who know the statistics of teenage car accidents, it is clear that car keys to an inexperienced and often distracted driver may, in fact, be worse than a loaded gun.

In an article written in behalf ‘Steinberg, Goodman, and Kalish’ the correlation of age and gender in the number of car accidents is discussed. The statistics given show that young drivers, and often, young male drivers are more likely to be involved in serious car accidents. The article states “The age of the driver does come into play, and it’s more than just saying that young drivers cause accidents due to inexperience.” (https://www.sgklawyers.com/blog/2020/02/the-role-of-age-and-gender-in-car-accidents/)

The CDC agrees and says, “Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Six teens aged 16 to 19 die every day from motor vehicle crash injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers aged 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash.” (https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/index.html)

From these painful statistics the question arises of what can be done to alter or lessen the blow of this harsh reality. Many argue that the age of license eligibility should be increased or that the states should have stricter driver’s license requirements. ( While increased minimum age would likely help, it may also lead to alternative consequences like delayed life planning and delayed independence for these young people. Stricter license requirements, such as a ‘no failing grades’ policy to show a level of responsibility, or increased minimum hours at professional driving schools would also be incredibly helpful. Schools could also put as much weight to driving education as they do for math or science classes. All of these possible solutions are worth discussing, but it is also important to bring to the table more immediate and less controversial answers.

The CDC, American SPCC, and many other authorities place heavy importance on the influence of parents. “Parents can help to play a pivotal role in helping their young drivers stay safe and to prevent . . . car accidents” (https://americanspcc.org/2020/06/22/how-to-prevent-teen-car-accidents/) The importance of example cannot be overstated. Parents should enforce seat-belt rules for their children starting at a very early age. They should discuss with children the negative consequences of drinking and driving. Communication between parents and children is key in preventing numerous driving errors according to many resources.

Distracted driving is a huge issue young drivers face, especially in this modern age. Smart cars and smartphones lead to many dumb driving mistakes. (https://www.sgklawyers.com/blog/2019/09/driving-distracting-cars/) Again, parents should be an example and never text and drive, and never talk on the phone while driving either. It would be great if car manufacturers would work harder on enabling their smart cars to make it difficult to use technology while the car is in motion. Luckily in the meantime, there are already apps created for that purpose. In an article about safe teen driving, Liberty Mutual Insurance talks about an app called CellControl that helps avoid distracted driving. CellControl “lets you put limits on what your teen is and is not able to do on their phone while the car is moving. You can also customize the app for “passenger-zone,” meaning it will only work in the passenger areas of the vehicle. As soon as you put your phone back into the driver’s seat zone, it starts blocking texts once again.” (https://www.libertymutual.com/masterthis/reduce-teen-risk-of-crash)

In conclusion, parental discussion and example should be the first step in the efforts to lower the rates of teen driving accidents. Technology advances should also be used to its full advantage with apps such as CellControl and others, which makes distracted driving the rarity and not the default. Society may be surprised at the positive affects parental involvement has on teen driving. Just like the father who made the analogy of driving and a loaded gun, parents should emphasis to children the great responsibly they have when behind the wheel of this helpful but potentially deadly tool.

 

Resources:

https://www.sgklawyers.com/

How to Prevent Teen Car Accidents

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html

https://www.libertymutual.com/masterthis/reduce-teen-risk-of-crash

Ben&Jerry’s, One-way London Roads, and Other Examples of Photography Principles.

 

Photography:

Three photographic elements frequently used by photographers are the rule of thirds, depth of field, and leading lines. I will show examples of each in a couple of photographs. With each element, I will include a photo done by Nnonyrow and then one of my own photos that I just took today. Try to guess which one is which. It might be challenging.

Nnonyrow:

https://nnony-row.squarespace.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nnonyrow/

 

Rule of Thirds

Rule of thirds, though it makes the point of interest slightly off centered, creates a sense of balance in a photo.

Depth of Field

Depth of field is created in these photographs by layering them and having eye catching things in the foreground as well as in the background. This creates a sense of depth.

Leading Lines

Leading Lines draw the eye further into the photograph. I believe Nnonyrow’s example to be especially effective because there is the natural lines of the building, as well as the more eye catching yellow lines on the street.

 

In conclusion, nnonyrow (as well as myself, obviously) expertly shows that if a photographer were to implement the rule of thirds, depth of field, as well as leading lines, their photos will be eye-catching, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing because it will bring a feeling of balance.

A Decorative Slab in the Face- Get off Your Phone!

Original Creator: Unknown

(http://www.topdesignmag.com/nice-typography-in-advertising-design/)

Company: ‘THINK!’. The UK government’s designated road safety campaign.

(https://www.think.gov.uk/)

What is ‘THINK!’?

In their own words:

THINK! has become recognised internationally for its iconic and ground-breaking campaigns that have challenged dangerous behaviours on Britain’s roads. Our campaigns have evolved from encouraging the use of seat belts to tackling excessive speed, drink and drugs, and the use of mobiles at the wheel. In the decade that followed the conception of THINK!, road deaths in the UK reduced by 46%.

I believe this campaign will most certainly support THINK! in their goal of helping people remember road safety, and the following reverse engineer post will explain a few reasons why.

Slab Serif:

This font is in the Slab Serif Category. There is a vertical stress in the letters as well as horizontal serifs. Modern and Slab Serif are very similar in design, but I believe this one to be under Slab Serif, because there is only a slight contrast between the thick and thin lines, rather than a drastic one.

 

Decorative:

Decorative font is rather easy to spot in this one because the thought of reading an entire novel in this font doesn’t just make you want to “throw up a little”, it makes you want to be sick for days. Though it could be considered handwritten, it is not ‘Script’ because no calligraphy pen could create such a masterpiece. Interestingly enough, underneath the marker and messiness of it all, the decorative could be considered a Sans Serif because of the lack of serifs, as well as the lack of stress and thick/thin transitions. However, it is still a Decorative because of the shakiness and randomness of each individual letter.

 

Contrasting:

These two different types contrast rather well because of the differences in structure, form, direction, and color. The structure is different because they are from different categories. The form is different because one is clean and sharp, while the other is wobbly, varying in size between the individual letters, and smudged to incompletion in places. While they are both going from left to right, the Decorative font tilts slightly downward at times, making it going in not quite the same direction as the Slab Serif. Color is one of the most effective uses of contrast in this piece as the solid black is very different from the rainbow splattering of the Decorative font.

 

Conclusion:

Overall, the contrasting pieces are very eye-catching and effective. The use of the Decorative font, in particular, is interesting because it uses the principle Robin Williams speaks of in her book, The Non-Designer’s Design Book, about how to use a decorative font in a way that is different than one would originally think of. Instead of using this font in a fun toy advertisement or something similar, it is used in a very serious ad about warning adults to be more aware of child traffic safety. Contrasting it with the bold and easy to read Slab Serif, adds to the seriousness and almost haunting quality of the advertisement. This contrast helps the piece make a fascinating statement that won’t be easily forgotten.