I am lobbying Global Warming. I want the state of Pennsylvania to do something toward Global Warming. As of right now the state of Pennsylvania have no real big supporters to help stop or slow down the process of Global Warming. Global Warming can possibly cause our children’s children to really be in trouble.
Maybe some of the ideas that have  already been presented to help Global warming should be put to the test to help out the ozone. I feel as though if the city of Pennsylvania does something, because of its influence on the United States, that other people would follow and we could possible help out our future children. One of our main supporters are the STATOIL company.
I've looked up my areas legislators which are Vincent Hughes and Anthony H. Williams and I haven't heard or saw anything recent about them stressing the importants of clean energy or a decrease in burning of fossil fuels. Anthony Williams is apart of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee but hasn't spoke out about using less factorial methods of creating energy.

Barbara Adams is another Pennsylvania supporter of stopping global warming. She was under the governorship of Ed Rendell.

I think a good place for me right now is to find away to come in contact with some of our representatives and talk to them about how passionate I am about helping the situation. If they can hear a high school kids concern on the situation it might do some good.

Here is my lobbying assignment. For the final lobbying assignment,I decided to transfer all my information into a newspaper article. 
I thought this would be a better way to explain my topic and my point of view etc.

My Benchmark Ant Byrd

When thinking about the water issues you need to conceder four main things:

Water scarcity: I some parts of the world the hot climates are drying up water resources leaving 1.1 billion people without access to safe water. This leads to death and illness from drunken unsafe water, affects ford production, leads to hunger and increased global food prices. 

Water sanitation: Throughout poor countries access to clean water and basic sanitation is a major problem. 2.6 billion people are lacking adequate sanitation leading to 5 million deaths per day. 

Water access:Many people have to travel long distances to get the water they need because the other ways of getting water such as through ground water, a spring, or a river. 

Resource management: This is often a political issue, usually there are many groups trying to use the same water source and without political intervention these fights for water can become nasty

This is a link to "World Toilet Day 2009" 

http://waterwars.pulitzergateway.org/?p=7060

Nearly 2.6 million people world wide, 40% of the worlds population, lack access to basic sanitation. 

1.1 billion do not have access to clean water. 

1.8 million people mostly young children die each year form water relatable diseases. 

In sub-saharan Africa the lack of sanitary water is holding back economic growth.

On this site are some videos from the Representatives from Water for People, Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Strategic and International Studies and Water Advocates. These people went to these places and saw first hand the depth of the crisis and came p with possible solutions. The above link will take you to their videos.

http://waterwars.pulitzergateway.org/

This is a good website to go and check out the Water Wars. On it you can take a test to see how many gallons of water you use and give your opinions and you can also see whats going on with the rest of the worlds water struggles and you can see what many people are doing to help the problem, you can also share your ideas on helping the water problem. 

I created a Facebook page for my lobbying topic to gather supporters. 

Facebook Page   

I wanted to write and present a petition, but then I realized that I didn't know EXACTLY what I would be requesting in the petition. I haven't written a new policy to suggest, so I stalled on trying to figure that out. 

Desireé Mack

Am Gov Benchmark

 

 

Legislative Branch 

 

Child labor law of Pennsylvania- Positive

The Child Labor Law (CLL) was put into place for the safety and health of minors by not allowing the minor to work in certain establishments and occupations, an under a certain age. CLL makes minors have work permits before starting work. Except farm or domestic work in a private home, the law covers any establishment other than the minor’s home.

 

Impact on My Life

            As a teenager for me it’s important to look my best, go out and have fun, and buy the things that are important to me for example Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E CD when it comes out, to do this I need extra money that my not be in my families budget so I have to get a job. I work for the Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia. This law protects me from my employer exploiting me as a worker. This allows me to be sure I am working in safe conditions and are not doing jobs that could put me in danger. Also it assures me a break during my workday and proper payment for my labor.

 

Affirmative Action Law- Positive 

            Affirmative action is when a business or governmental agency gives special rights of hiring or promoting to ethnic minorities to make up for past discrimination against that minority.

 

Impact on My Life

            Working in the art field as I do now it is hard to get a head with so many artist vying for the job so having Affirmative Action is an advantage. Instead of being maybe otherwise over looked for a new position I have an advantage at getting ahead. It makes me more excited to work hard at my job because I know my hard work will pay off and help me advance.

 

H. R. 3962 Health Care Reform- Positive

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes. 

 

 

 Impact on My Life

            The health care bill has a big impact on my life. I have rheumatoid arthritis, which is an auto-immune disease. It causes your immune system to attack your joins and break down the bone and cartledge of the joint along with other side effects. I have to go to my doctor and a specialist frequently. Between the doctors appointments and the medication I take it cost lot of money. Without health insurance I would be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. With out health insurance I would have to live in pain and watch my body breakdown.  

 

Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act- Positive  

Promoting health and reducing childhood obesity, helping schools improve the nutritional quality of school meals.

 

Impact on My Life

            I normally take my lunch on the days that I forget or cannot bring it, I buy lunch from school. With this new law I can be sure the food being served is healthy and of good quality. This bill makes it so more local food is being used which is better for students because local farmers don’t use the same strong pesticides as the big companies. The bill also gives schools more money to get better cooking materials and appliances for better production.

 

Judicial Branch   

 

New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)- Negative
Students have a reduced expectation of privacy in school.

A teacher accused T.L.O. of smoking in the bathroom. When she denied the allegation, the principal searched her purse and found cigarettes and marijuana paraphernalia. A family court declared T.L.O. a delinquent. The Supreme Court ruled that her rights were not violated since students have reduced expectations of privacy in school. 

 

Impact on my life

            As proud citizen of the united states I have the right to privacy, the reason police need a search warrant to dig through my privacy. Why when I enter a building I lose my rights as a human being. That makes no sense to me.

 

 

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)- Positive
Students do not leave their rights at the schoolhouse door.
            To protest the Vietnam War, Mary Beth Tinker and her brother wore black armbands to school. Fearing a disruption, the administration prohibited wearing such armbands. The Tinkers were removed from school when they failed to comply, but the Supreme Court ruled that their actions were protected by the First Amendment. 

 

Impact on my life

            Every person has a right to their own opinion and to express that opinion. It is not okay to tell some one because they are in school that they lose their First Amendment right. If a person is not blatanly forcing their views on others than they should be able to express it freely. As a person who likes to express her opinion this court decision makes it so no one can take that right from me.

 

Goss v. Lopez (1975)- Positive
Students are entitled to certain due process rights.
             Nine students at an Ohio public school received 10-day suspensions for disruptive behavior without due process protections. The Supreme Court ruled for the students, saying that once the state provides an education for all of its citizens, it cannot deprive them of it without ensuring due process protections.

 

Impact on my life

            As student it protects me from my school make quick rash decisions that affect me in a negative way. Not following due process is like arresting someone with out reading them their rights.

 

Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1983)- Negative
Administrators may edit the content of school newspapers.
            The principal of Hazelwood East High School edited two articles in the school paper The Spectrum that he deemed inappropriate. The student authors argued that this violated their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. The Supreme Court disagreed, stating that administrators can edit materials that reflect school values.

 

Impact on my life

            Every person has a right to their own opinion and to express that opinion. It is not okay to tell some one because they are in school that they lose their First Amendment right. If a person is not blatanly forcing their views on others than they should be able to express it freely. As a person who likes to express her opinion this court decision makes it so no one can take that right from me.

 

Executive Branch

 

Unemployment

Pennsylvania unemployment benefits provide temporary compensation to those workers meeting the eligibility requirements of Pennsylvania law. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and each other state's unemployment office administers its own unemployment insurance program within Federal guidelines.

 

Impact on my life

This has had an impact on me and the people I know. Last year my Aunt Theresa lost her job as research scientist with Temple University. She lost her job because the money from grants they had ran out. It impacts me because my aunt is a contributer in my household she and my mother split the bills. With unemployment benefits she is able to have money and still help pay bills.

 

Philadelphia Police Department DIRECTIVE 7 (12-09-05)- Positive

The purpose of this Directive is to establish effective guidelines, consistent with Title VI of the Civil rights Act of 1964 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, and the Mayor’s Executive Order of September 29, 2001, for departmental personnel to follow when providing services to, or interacting with, individuals who have limited English proficiency (LEP).The purpose of this Directive is to establish effective guidelines, consistent with Title VI of the Civil rights Act of 1964 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, and the Mayor’s Executive Order of September 29, 2001, for departmental personnel to follow when providing services to, or interacting with, individuals who have limited English proficiency (LEP).

 

Impact on my life

This impacts my life a lot because these are the officers that enforce the law were I live and are their to protect me and my family. There is a lot of crime and violence in the area so we need our officers. Seeing the blue uniform I feel safe. They are putting them selves in danger to protect others. I believe the police officers of Philadelphia are extraordinary people. I aspire to be one of these extraordinary people when I graduate from college.

 

FAFSA- Positive

 

Impact on my life

My family can not afford to send me to college with out help from the government. FASFA is huge asset to my future because it provides me funds for education. Without FASA I wouldn’t be able to go to college and without a college degree I can not be an FBI agent that aspire to be after I serve my time as a police officer.

 

 

Law & Policy: Funding Schools Fairly

State Law

Pennsylvania has three main sources of law on school funding. The Pennsylvania Constitution requires “a thorough and efficient system of public education.” Other Pennsylvania laws lay out, in general ways, how state money can be spent. The annual state budget contains most of the details on funding for public education.State policy

There are three main policy issues affecting education funding in Pennsylvania:

•                Adequacy. Most public schools do not spend enough money per student to give all children an adequate education and a fair chance for success. Pennsylvania has never conducted an official “adequacy study” to determine the actual amount per child needed to provide a quality education.

•                Equity. There is little equity between the spending levels in different school districts. Some districts spend more than twice the amount per student as other districts.

•                State Share. Pennsylvania provides only 36 percent of the total cost of public education, one of the lowest state shares in the country. Local school districts provide most of the funding for public education through property taxes. This means that wealthy districts have more money to spend on education than poorer districts.

 

Impact on my life

This impacts my life because my school gets funding based on how well we do. I think that makes the schools who don’t do well do even worst because they are not given the money for better books and other material that would help them progress. I think the schools should get an equal amount of money because no school should be left out and made to fail because of budgeting. This affects all student because in we are not getting the money we deserve.  

 

Websites I used:

http://www.votespa.com/portal/server.pt/community/child_labor_law/7508

http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/affirmative-action/

http://www.caricom.org/jsp/secretariat/legal_instruments/model_legislation_sexual_harassment.jsp

http://www.uscourts.gov/EducationalResources/ConstitutionResources/LegalLandmarks/LandmarkSupremeCourtCasesAboutStudents.aspx

 

Reflection

 

Finding laws and court cases that applied to me was a little challenging. I tried to look for things that were relevant to my life and the people around me. Being a young person not many things affect me but as I get older I will feel the affects of the government lot more. Form this I know more of my rights as a student and the differences between the branches.