Assignment 5A– Identifying Local Opportunities
- “Are
There Better L-Train Shutdown Solutions? City Didn’t Study Them”
- In
this article, written on February 27, 2018, Aaron Gordon and R C Baker describe
NYC’s DOT analysis of transportation alternatives to the L Train, should
there be a breakdown of this popular form of travel between Brooklyn and
Manhattan. They point out that the city only named 5 scenarios, likely leaving out many other options that could prevent commuters from using ride-hailing services and further congesting the roadways. The city’s lack of foresight means a slow commute and disorganization. Many factors need to be considered. The needs of drivers, transit uses, homeowners,
delivery people, as well as businesses on the route need to be calculated in the analysis. A twenty-page memo did little to bolster the confidence of these two reporters.
- The
problems: In the very likely event of a
shutdown of the L Train, the DOT has not proposed the best workable solutions, considering all parties involved. People would likely just call an Uber or drive personal vehicles making traffic a nightmare.
- The
people: Commuters of all kinds,
train riders, bus riders, drivers, delivery people, NYC DOT officials,
would all be inconvenienced by shutdowns and lack of viable transportation alternatives.
- “Opioid
maker allegedly paid kickbacks to access electronic health records”
- In this
article, written on January 30, 2020, Mark Hayward reports the alarming
story that a San Francisco based electronic health record software developer
took kickbacks from drug companies in return for access to health records.
The information was used to influence the prescription-writing practices
of doctors in the NH Vermont area, opioid prescriptions included. The
company, Practice Fusion, will pay $26 Million in criminal fines and
$118.6 million to the federal government
- The
problems: The medical information software company used its access to patient’s information to alert drug companies. These drug producers, in turn, increased the marketing and sales of their products through the direct influence of prescribing physicians. At
a time when opiate use and abuse was at its height, these company’s
preyed on potential addicts.
- The
people: Doctors, the government, patients,
families, insurance companies, rehab centers, healthcare facilities are
all likely to suffer from the opportunity for exploitation by
unscrupulous information system developers.
- “‘A
bonanza for traffickers’: Why a Miami Super Bowl is a magnet for
sex-trafficking”
- This eye-opening
article reported on January 30, 2020, by Linda Robertson shows us the darker side of the lead up to the Super Bowl this weekend in Miami. She
sites statistics of arrests surrounding previous events to illustrate the
trend of sex workers being moved into cities hosting major events. Those charged include athletes as well as high ranking NFL stakeholders. Other
than sweeps of likely hotels, “spas” gentlemen’s clubs, resorts, and
street sides, Miami police can do little owing to the fact that
traffickers leave no paper trail, pay in cash, and are often gang and
mafia supported. Miami is the largest trafficking hub in the State of Florida,
which is ranked third in the nation for the same.
- The
problems: Apparently where there
are major sporting events there is sex trafficking. This is not just a
theory, it is substantiated fact that traffickers move their victims into
host cities of events such as the Super Bowl to capitalize on the influx
of male sports fans and athletes.
- The
people: The sex trafficking
victims, their abusers (those holding them in bondage as well as those
paying for the sex acts) local city of Miami law enforcement, event
organizers, business owners.
- “How to
keep your dip, wings, and guac from poisoning your Super Bowl party guests”
- This article reminds us that the Super Bowl lasts 4 hours, which means that mayo dip just sits out there warming up waiting to send some lucky party guest to the john with gut ache or worse, to the emergency room with food poisoning. David J Neal shares practical tips for staggering food service,
chilling options, cleaning, separating, and cooking guidelines in order
to keep party foods out of the temperature danger zone: 40 to 140
degrees. The USDA recommends two hours as the maximum time to leave food out, which means new food at halftime. Any questions can be answered at the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline. Ironically, it’s only open on weekdays.
- The
problem: Hosts put so much effort into ensuring vast quantities in choice and volume of game day favorites that often food safety practices get ignored. Chilled food warms up to temps that support the growth of bacteria if left out for too long. Partygoers
are often drinking as well and don’t use caution.
- The
people: The hosts, it sure stinks if you kill a guest. The guests, not what you were expecting when you RSVP’d to that party. It’s Super Bowl Sunday, not Toilet Bowl Sunday.
- “Fears
of coronavirus fuel anti-Chinese racism”
- This
article addresses the ugly and illogical racism expressed in Boston Area schools, targeting Chinese and Chinese American students as a result of the coronavirus panic. Young people often bully, in person and via social media and this outbreak gives new shape to their taunts. Parents are in on the action, petitioning school boards to keep kids whose families have traveled to China at home. Schools are not the only place. Chinese customers are being turned away from places of business all over the world. Unbelievably,
8,000 people in America have died of the influenza virus since the beginning of the season in October yet that dangerous health crisis fails
to attract the attention it deserves. History of racist propaganda feeds the hateful treatment of immigrants and American born Chinese alike. The
threat of the coronavirus was all that was needed to justify the ignorant
behavior.
- The
Problem: Fear of disease awakens long-held racist beliefs that Asians bring parasites and sickness. Media coverage inflates risk while attempting to inform. It’s hard to know how
this particular virus will migrate and how soon it will be contained.
- The
People: Chinese and Chinese-American
students, their families, staff at area schools, The ill-informed
bullies.
1. Sarah in your first article the author talks about potential breakdowns in the mass transportation system. The words "very likely" are used informing the reader that something might occur soon. Is this referring to mechanical malfunctions or is this to people problems like a strike? Either way, it's a great example of a problem.
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3. I"m just now realizing you have a great format for each article. The story, the problem, and who it affects. Very useful. I didn't know there was correlation between sports events and illicit sex. That's really interesting. It seems, from the rundown, that there's not much that can be done about it. Is that true from your reading?
4. Your "problem" area has me in tears over here. All very true. We don't want to kill a guest, nor do we want to change the name of the super bowl. Do you think anyone pays attention to the USDA's announcements?
5. The last story is quite sad. It's my opinion that not much can be done to douse the flame of ignorance. If someone infringes on an Asian's Constitutional rights because of the virus, then that entity will face the consequences in a court of law. Finger wagging does nothing to bring the ignorant out from their pits.
Nice ariticles. Good writing. Lots of problems in the world. It took my longer than I thought to find some problems I wanted to write about though.
Keep up the good work Sarah.
I love your selection of articles! While maybe not every single one leads to an easy method of capitalization, I am sure a few of these could fuel government-funded projects. The last one got me. Anti-Chinese racism seems to run rampant in America, from the made-up "MSG crisis" to this. I have seen people share videos of Asian people eating exotic foods from markets other than the one containing contaminated meat, and it really seems to be turning into a race/culture issue when the reality is that there were unsafe practices being taken. Chinese Americans who have not travelled to the specific marketplace where this virus originated clearly have no chance of obtaining the virus from China.
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