DQ 4-2

DQ 4-2

Pick an issue and describe how you would attempt to influence a public administrator as a member of society. Be specific in your description.

responses

1.

My issue would be the purchase of automobiles from outside of Pima County. As someone who has worked in the fixed assets division of Pima County, I have seen the amount of money spent on vehicles. Inevitably, those vehicles are purchased from outside the county, and the final decision is made based on the total, final purchase price. However, what this does not take into account is everything else, such as providing jobs within Pima County, and the generation of tax revenue based off of net profits.

I would try and influence a public administrator by utilizing the Utilitarian Analysis method. This states that you should identify the issue, state who will be affected by it, figure out both the good and bad consequences of any actions taken, and then “sum the good and the bad consequences. The action is morally right if the benefits outweigh the costs.” (Johnson, 2013)

As an accountant, I would sit down and look at the overall cost/benefit analysis of purchasing those automobiles within the county, even if the initial purchase price was higher. Then I would attempt to show that by purchasing them within Pima County and allowing that revenue to remain within our own tax base, in addition to providing local jobs at those car dealers, whose employees will then go on to return even more money back into the local economy, you are in actuality proving a far grater benefit overall than the amount being saved on the initial purchase price.

Johnson, C. E. (2013). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/sage/2013/meeting-the-ethical-challenges-of-leadership_ebook_5e.php

2.

Criminal justice system is something that still be looked at even with the recent success of the first step act bill there is a lot of work that need to be done. As a member of society, I would look at the current policy and making recommendations much like the first step act. This will differently change the way public administrator jobs functions, the way I would help influences this would be having an Evidence based approach. The first step act is a very good example if legislation that society has been supporting for long time. Under that recent law there wasn’t things like “Evidence based treatment or opioid and heroin abuse, Federal prison reentry initiative re-authorizeation or modification of Imposed terms imprisonment. In the past there wasn’t much treatment for people who had previous drug addictions also reentry wasn’t that effective. According (NCSL Staff, 2018) The new first step act is dedicated to the creating and funding evidence-based recidivism reduction programs in federal prisons with the main goal of achieving successful reentry of inmates into their communities upon release. The second focuses on the expansion of good behavior and early release programs in which inmates can participate during their incarceration in federal prison. The third contains amendments to federal sentencing laws. In doing this I would should how many peoples eighth amendment under the cruel in a usual punishment clause was and still is being violated. Lastly public administers job will always change because of the new law and Legislation put to key is trying to find a way to make sure that it is effective.

References:

Staff, N. (2018, December 14). Legislative News, Studies and Analysis | National Conference of State Legislatures. First Step Act Section by Section Summary. Retrieved February 17, 2019, from http://www.ncsl.org/documents/statefed/First_Step_Act_Summary_Dec2018.pdf

3.

Hello,

An issue that I have personal experience with, along with thousand of other mothers is breastfeeding in public. I am passionate about this topic and I have already done some research on this matter because of the negativity that breastfeeding mothers get in different public settings. There are a lot of people in the public sector that do not know about the laws that protect breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding and pumping in public have a negative stigma as well as limited accommodations for comfort or ease of the breastfeeding mother. Oftentimes when offered a separate place to breastfeed, the provided area is a closet or other unsuitable accommodation such as restrooms or storage rooms. When breastfeeding in public, mothers are often harassed by other patrons or even the employees of the establishment where they are, this happens even though there are legal protections against this sort of harassment. In the state of Arizona, the law states the following: A mother is entitled to breastfeed in any area of a public place or a place of public accommodation where the mother is otherwise lawfully present. A.R.S. 41-1443 and Indecent exposure does not include an act of breastfeeding by a mother. A.R.S. 13-140 (Breastfeeding & the Law, 2018)

As a member of society, I would utilize the Utilitarianism approach. Johnson (2013) states that there are four steps to conducting a utilitarian analysis of an ethical problem:

clearly identify the action or issue under consideration.

specify all those who might be affected by the action, not just those immediately involved in the situation.

determine the likely consequences, both good and bad, for those affected.

sum the good and the bad consequences.

I would find others that support this cause and provide the following possible solutions to public breastfeeding and pumping areas to public administrators:

A pilot program for state facilities to perform research on the effectiveness of public breastfeeding and pumping areas. These areas should have a required accommodate a minimum of two nursing or pumping mothers, a required minimum square footage, and required plugs and tables for pumping. No requirement of walling off area as long as there is a designated space, but providing privacy is also acceptable. According to Nguyen & Hawkins (2013) Legislation could encourage support of breastfeeding by creating and providing a supportive non biased environment for breastfeeding mothers outside the home, such as by letting women that breastfeed to do so in any location without discrimination or harassment as stated by the law.

When building new structures provide comfortable breastfeeding and pumping areas as a requirement for blueprint (esp. in state buildings) and Provide funding and tax breaks for updating older buildings in both public and private sectors.

Instate required training for service industry to educate on legal requirements for public breastfeeding for all employees.

I would then follow the possible solutions with stating a few of the benefits provided to the mother and child would be by making changes to the laws on breastfeeding to support and provide an area for breastfeeding and pumping mothers. A few benefits such as:

The health and wellbeing of the child and mothers. As stated in the article, Public health: Breastfeeding Battles (2015) the World Health Organization says that breastfeeding is a cause for public health concerns worldwide because of the impact of minimizing child mortality and non-communicable diseases.

Comfort of breastfeeding and pumping mothers.

Provides area for those constrained by religion from breastfeeding or pumping in public.

Allows traveling professionals places to pump while out on travel and not at home.

Provides areas to plug pumps in for mothers who are unable to have their child with them.

Keeps mothers from feeling as though they have to leave an establishment to feed their child.

Potentially prevents harassment or discrimination of nursing mothers.

Breastfeeding is extremely important to the health and wellbeing of every society, and these breastfeeding/pumping rooms are potentially going to improve the public breastfeeding outlook. In the article by Nguyen & Hawkins (2013) the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that to achieve the Healthy People 2020 objectives for breastfeeding, breastfeeding mothers need support so they are able to breastfeed outside the home in private or public facilities. Hopefully by having enough support from society, providing examples of the benefits to both the mother and child, and giving examples of possible solutions we can get the support needed from public administrators to address this important matter of providing breastfeeding and pumping areas to the next level. Johnson (2013) states that if the action is morally right the benefits outweigh the costs.

References

Breastfeeding State Laws. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx

Breastfeeding & the Law. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.lllofaz.org/breastfeeding--the-law.html

Johnson, C. E. (2013). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN-13: 9781452259185 URL:http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/sage/2013/meeting-the-ethical-challenges-of-leadership_ebook_5e.php

Nguyen, T., & Hawkins, S. (2013). Current state of US breastfeeding laws. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 9(3), 350-358. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2011.00392.x\

Public health: Breastfeeding Battles (2015). British Journal of Midwifery, 23 (6). Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=2da4a978-f9f5-484e-868d-4d808719885f%40pdc-v-sessmgr06&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=109794503&db=ccm