Price Wars free essay sample

The key players in the wireless industry are Verizon Wireless, ATT, Sprint, and T-Mobile. With these four companies controlling 90% of the market, there are no other ‘key players’ in the industry. U. S. Cellular is not quite a ‘key player’, however they do hold approximately 2. 4% of the customer nationwide and must be in the overall picture. In addition, the data suggests that the pool of potential people that would get a cell phone is almost entirely saturated so it does not look as if there is any room for additional competition. If a price war will reduce margins, as the case suggests, why would any company ? embrace this strategy? Price is the most attractive marketing gimmick to attract competitors’ customers. As the case told, the cell phone subscribers have nearly topped 260 million in the US and the country’s population is 305 million. The remaining 45 million maybe too young for a cell phone or they have already decided they do not want to have a cell phone. We will write a custom essay sample on Price Wars or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This condition created no more new customer so wireless companies will compete each other to attract its competitors’ customers. Certainly, the existing customers will be reluctant to move to another wireless company without an interesting offering. The existing customers have to change their cell phone number that is not comfortable so the company should attract the competitors’ customer by offering low price. In the middle of rigor competition, the company should put attention to the competitor-based method to set its price. Furthermore, the case told that low price would have a risk of causing harm to their economic bottom line. Thus, the wireless company should formulate the marketing gimmick to compensate its low price. For example, Verizon lowers its voice plans price but in the flip side Verizon eliminates the data plan bonus. In addition, JP Morgan estimates that only 2% of wireless subscribers will end up with lower bills. Price wars do not always harm the companies or reduce margin as a whole business but it will stimulate company’s creativity to create a marketing gimmick to attract competitors’ customers. On what other strategy elements could the wireless companies compete? With a potentially unsustainable pricing war, companies will need find other methods to compete with each other. Currently, ATT and Verizon both battle back and forth between whose networks are bigger and whose 4G data speeds are faster. As the cellular data speeds continue to increase, this will surely continue to remain one of the major competition points between the service providers. Another competition point that is beginning to emerge is the ease and frequency with which customers can upgrade phones. With the capabilities of the new smartphones changing almost daily, customers who want the newest, best phone will be likely to move their contract to a provider who allows them to upgrade more often. These additional services are things that some customers will be willing to pay more for and can offer the service providers a way to help boost the margins that have been hacked by the pricing war. Which wireless provider do you use? Why? Given the benefits of each firms wireless ? program, did you make the best provider choice? Justify your answer. One team-member uses ATT as the wireless provider because his employer pays for the service. The building in which they are located is made of steel, making it problematic for cellular signals to penetrate. Of the four major providers, ATT is the only firm that is able to service our office, which is where the majority of employee phone usage takes place. Due to this functional issue, our wireless provider options were severely limited. Nevertheless, ATT still manages to offer a price break, and as a business this makes the plan more cost effective. Additionally, our employees were utilizing smartphones years ago, when ATT had an unlimited data plan. This plan feature has been extended for our company, which is not available at the same price point with other wireless providers.

The SLOSS Debate in Conservation

The SLOSS Debate in Conservation One of the most heated controversies in conservation history is known as the SLOSS Debate. SLOSS stands for Single Large or Several Small and refers to two different approaches to land conservation in order to protect biodiversity in a given region. The single large approach favors one sizeable, contiguous land reserve. The several small approach favors multiple smaller reserves of land whose total areas equal that of a large reserve. Area determination of either is based on the type of habitat and species involved. New Concept Spurs Controversy In 1975, an American scientist named Jared Diamond proposed the landmark idea that a single large land reserve would be more beneficial in terms of species richness and diversity than several smaller reserves. His claim was based on his study of a book called The Theory of Island Biogeography by Robert MacArthur and E.O. Wilson. Diamonds assertion was challenged by ecologist Daniel Simberloff, a former student of E.O. Wilson, who noted that if several smaller reserves each contained unique species, then it would be possible for smaller reserves to harbor even more species than a single large reserve. Habitat Debate Heats Up Scientists Bruce A. Wilcox and Dennis L. Murphy responded to an article by Simberloff in The American Naturalist journal by arguing that habitat fragmentation (caused by human activity or environmental changes) poses the most critical threat to global biodiversity. Contiguous areas, the researchers asserted, are not only beneficial to communities of interdependent species, they are also more likely to support populations of species that occur at low population densities, particularly large vertebrates. Harmful Effects of Habitat Fragmentation According to the National Wildlife Federation, terrestrial or aquatic habitat fragmented by roads, logging, dams, and other human developments may not be large or connected enough to support species that need a large territory in which to find mates and food. The loss and fragmentation of habitat make it difficult for migratory species to find places to rest and feed along their migration routes. When habitat is fragmented, mobile species that retreat into smaller reserves of habitat can end up crowded, increasing competition for resources and disease transmission. The Edge Effect In addition to interrupting contiguity and decreasing the total area of available habitat, fragmentation also magnifies the edge effect, resulting from an increase in the edge-to-interior ratio. This effect negatively impacts species that are adapted to interior habitats because they become more vulnerable to predation and disturbance. No Simple Solution The SLOSS Debate spurred aggressive research into the effects of habitat fragmentation, leading to conclusions that the viability of either approach may depend on the circumstances. Several small reserves may, in some cases, be beneficial when indigenous species extinction risk is low. On the other hand, single large reserves may be preferable when extinction risk is high. In general, however, the uncertainty of extinction risk estimates leads scientists to prefer the established habitat integrity and security of a single larger reserve. Reality Check Kent Holsinger, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut, contends, This whole debate seems to have missed the point. After all, we put reserves where we find species or communities that we want to save. We make them as large as we can, or as large as we need to protect the elements of our concern. We are not usually faced with the optimization choice poised in the [SLOSS] debate. To the extent we have choices, the choices we face are more like †¦ how small an area can we get away with protecting and which are the most critical parcels?

Geography and Overview of the Caribbean Nation of Haiti

Geography and Overview of the Caribbean Nation of Haiti Population: 9,035,536 (July 2009 estimate)Capital: Port au PrinceArea: 10,714 square miles (27,750 sq km)Bordering Country: The Dominican RepublicCoastline: 1,100 miles (1,771 km)Highest Point: Chaine de la Selle at 8,792 feet (2,680 m) The Republic of Haiti, is the second-oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere just after the United States. It is a small country located in the Caribbean Sea between Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Haiti has years of political and economic instability however and it is one of the poorest nations in the world. Most recently Haiti was struck by a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake which damaged its infrastructure and killed thousands of its people. History of Haiti The first European habitation of Haiti was with the Spanish when they used the island of Hispaniola (of which Haiti is a part) during their exploration of the Western Hemisphere. French explorers were also present at this time and conflicts between the Spanish and French developed. In 1697, Spain gave France the western third of Hispaniola. Eventually, the French established the settlement of Saint Domingue which became one of the wealthiest colonies in the French Empire by the 18th century. During the French Empire, slavery was common in Haiti as African slaves were brought to the colony to work on sugarcane and coffee plantations. In 1791 though, the population of slaves revolted and took over control of the northern part of the colony, which resulted in a war against the French. By 1804 however, local forces beat the French, established their independence and named the area Haiti. After its independence, Haiti broke into two separate political regimes but they were unified in 1820. In 1822, Haiti took over Santo Domingo which was the eastern portion of Hispaniola but in 1844, Santo Domingo separated from Haiti and became the Dominican Republic. During this time and up until 1915, Haiti underwent 22 changes in its government and experienced political and economic chaos. In 1915, the United States military entered Haiti and remained until 1934 when it again reclaimed its independent rule. Shortly after regaining its independence, Haiti was ruled by a dictatorship but from 1986 to 1991, it was ruled by various temporary governments. In 1987, its constitution was ratified to include an elected president as head of state but also a prime minister, cabinet and supreme court. Local government was also included in the constitution via the election of local mayors. Jean-Bertrand Aristide was the first president to be elected in Haiti and he took office on February 7, 1991. He was overthrown that September however in a government take-over which caused many Haitians to flee the country. From October 1991 to September 1994 Haiti had a government dominated by a military regime and many Haitian citizens were killed during this time. In 1994 in an attempt to restore peace to Haiti, the United Nations Security Council authorized its member states to work toward removing the military leadership and restore Haitis constitutional rights. The U.S. then became the major power in removing Haitis military government and formed a multinational force (MNF). In September 1994, U.S. troops were prepared to enter Haiti but Haitian General Raoul Cedras agreed to allow the MNF to take over, end military rule and restore Haitis constitutional government. In October of the same year, President Aristide and other elected officials in exile returned. Since the 1990s, Haiti has undergone various political changes and has been relatively unstable both politically and economically. Violence has also ensued in most of the country. In addition to its political and economic problems, Haiti has most recently been impacted by natural disasters when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Port au Prince  on January 12, 2010. The death toll in the earthquake was in the thousands and much of the countrys infrastructure was damaged as its parliament, schools and hospitals collapsed. Government of Haiti Today Haiti is a republic with two legislative bodies. The first is the Senate which comprises the National Assembly while the second is the Chamber of Deputies. Haitis executive branch is made up of chief of state whose position is filled by the president and a head of government which is filled by the prime minister. The judicial branch is made up of Haitis Supreme Court. Economy of Haiti Of the countries in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is the poorest as 80% of its population lives below poverty level. Most of its people contribute to the agricultural sector and work in subsistence farming. Many of these farms, however, are vulnerable to damage from natural disasters which has been made worse by the countrys widespread deforestation. Larger scale agricultural products include coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum, and wood. Although the industry is small, sugar refining, textiles, and some assembly are common in Haiti. Geography and Climate of Haiti Haiti is a small country located on the western part of the island of Hispaniola and is west of the Dominican Republic. It is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland and is two-thirds mountainous. The rest of the country features valleys, plateaus, and plains. Haitis climate is mainly tropical but it is also semiarid in the east where its mountain areas block the trade winds. It should also be noted that Haiti is in the middle of the hurricane region of the Caribbean and is subject to severe storms from June to October. Haiti is also prone to flooding, earthquakes, and droughts. More Facts about Haiti Haiti is the least developed country in the Americas Haitis official language is French but French Creole is also spoken Source Central Intelligence Agency. (2010, March 18). CIA - the Worldfactbook Haiti. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html Infoplease. (n.d.). Haiti: History, Geography Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107612.html United States Department of State. (2009, September). Haiti (09/09). Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1982.htm

How television advertisements affect children's purchase Essay

How television advertisements affect children's purchase psychologically - Essay Example This "How television advertisements affect children's purchase psychologically" essay outlines the impact of the advertisement on the consumers' behavior as children of today are tomorrow’s adult consumers. 1998; How Markets Target Kids, n.d). The autonomy of children in making decisions regarding family purchases has greatly increased compared to previous generations (How Markets Target Kids, n.d). The casual and friendly approach of parents towards their children has immensely contributed to such behavior. Children are not hesitant to openly voice out their needs in today’s households and parents yield to their requests either due to constant pestering from the child or to overcome their guilt about not having enough time to spend with their kids (How Markets Target Kids, n.d). In addition the changing family systems such as dual income, nuclear families and having children later in life have also influenced the buying capacity of the parents (How Markets Target Kids, n.d; Bhattacharyya & Kohli, 2007). However, in families where there are financial constraints such pestering can lead to child-parent conflicts which could have an impact on their relationship (Hoek, & Laurence, 1991). Constant pestering and crying f or long periods could have an irritating effect on parents especially after a hard days work. The pester power of children is increasingly seen in consumption of food products especially junk foods such as burgers, pizzas and fries. Other products include clothes or choosing holiday destinations of their interest.

Report Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Report - Case Study Example Note that the standard labor hours per unit = $ 5.75. Therefore, with respect to the application rate of the combined variable and fixed cost, the standard number of hours allowable = (5.75*4,100) = 23,575. Since we have the price of overhead per hour ($ 29.37), the standard combined variable and fixed overhead rate = (29.37*23,575) = $ 692,398. The predetermined total overhead cost per hour = $ 29.37. The variable cost per hour = $ 8.10. Therefore, the fixed cost per hour = (29.37 – 8.10) = $ 21.27. The variable portion of the overhead = (8.1*23,575) = $ 190,957.5 Consequently, the fixed portion of the predetermined overhead = (21.37*23,575) = $ 501,440.25. The variance with (-) sign denotes the unfavorable deviations in the above exhibit. Some of the potential risk identified is a possible case of surplus or deficit unit production. Another imminent risk is failure to completely cover the overhead costs. These variances occur due to less focus on the prediction of the future conditions. A possible way forward is to predict possible changes and include a certain margin to cover for any uncertain unfavorable variance. The organization can implement the use of linear programming or regression analysis to establish an inclusive variable prediction (Berger,

Internet Gambling Essay Example for Free

Internet Gambling Essay The technoculture related topic that I am going to explore is the phenomenon of Internet gambling. With the emergence and explosion of gambling on television such as the World Series of Poker of ESPN or The World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel, online gaming has quickly become a major player in the technoculture of contemporary society. I feel it is important to explore this issue because of American societys fascination and obsession with gambling. Gambling can and has become a very serious and damaging activity to many people in this country. According to CNN. com, studies have shown that people who gamble on the Internet tend to have more serious addictions than people who wager through more traditional venues. Through my research, I hope to further explore why Internet gambling has the potential to be more dangerous than traditional casinos and how younger generations of Americans and the government are responding to this ever-growing phenomenon. Literature Review The research I discovered on Internet gambling is fairly recent and comprehensive. Since online gaming is a reasonably new trend, the material written on the matter was rather current. Furthermore, there was a substantial amount of information within these three sources. It was evident that the three authors conducted high-quality research, and it showed with the use of graphs, charts, and case studies. Also, the three sources had a very similar outlook on the present and future situation of online gaming. With that being said, given that online gaming is at the peak of its existence, it is imperative that further exploration and examination within the subject be carried out. Because of the instant access one has to a gambling venue and the privacy factor of the Internet, online gaming has become a risky undertaking for many. According to David Schwartz (2003), Internet gambling presents new problems for individuals and society (p. 214). Instead of driving to an actual physical casino, problem gamblers can enjoy betting in the comforts of their own home. At home, they are not monitored by other gamblers and/or casino personnel which results in the ability to set their own limit. The Internet also allows the gambler to maintain a level of privacy not found in real casinos. If there are no friends or family around to supervise, then the gambler can engage in irresponsible betting without any time constraints. Finally, unlike real casinos, Internet casinos are readily available at the click of a button. If an online gaming organization will not accept ones money, one can bet that there are thousands of others that will be happy to take ones funds. The demographics of gambling are interesting to investigate within the subject. According to Rachel Volberg (2001), adults ages 18 to 29 are substantially more likely than older adults to have gambled privately (p. 34). Young adults are also more likely to gamble for excitement compared to older adults (Volberg, 2001). This is not a difficult concept to grasp. Normally, young adults have a less appreciative concept of money because they do not have as great of a responsibility as older people in regards to providing for family, paying bills, and spending money on expenses that are traditionally not familiar to a younger person. Furthermore, young people are usually unsupervised, especially in the collegiate demographic. Without the approval from mommy and daddy, young adults all across America are enjoying the financial freedom to do whatever they want with the money they have. In addition, according to Thomas Barker and Marjie Britz (2000), many college students have deep pockets ? Mom and Dads (p. 139). With this new found autonomy and fiscal assistance from parents, college kids are engaging in online gaming for fun and excitement. However, if left untreated and unsupervised, the fun and excitement can soon turn into a dangerous addiction with serious consequences and ramifications. With the possibility of Internet gambling becoming a serious problem, the government has been asked to step in and legislate the situation. According to Volberg (2001), The fact that Internet gambling is conducted in a networked, data-intensive environment offers opportunities for regulation and oversight in several critical areas, including licensure, testing for game integrity and site security, auditing and oversight, taxation, and consumer protection (p 97). Basically, Volberg is supporting a regulatory system that will be able to monitor the activities not only of the individual gambler, but of the gambling website as well. If the government actually does get involved, certain problems can be remedied. For example, every transaction made by a player can be closely followed and tracked. If a player indicates behaviors that suggest irresponsible decision-making, the player can be flagged and possibly suspended from a gambling website. However, all in all, Internet gambling will most likely always have its problems. Just like alcohols are with minors, people will get their hands on something they probably should not be touching. Internet gambling is an intensifying activity in American culture. With all the limitless possibility and endless potential of the Internet, online gaming will continue to be a major player in the world of technoculture and the information society. Nevertheless, what is important within this public sphere is to be able to responsibly deal with the world of Internet casinos. We need to come to a positive middle ground between the two sides of the spectrum; the fun and excitement of gambling and the spiraling addiction. Current Trends Like anything in life, when you create stimulus you are going to yield a response. In regards to online gaming, the stimulus that was created was the buzz generated by the constant bombardment of gambling programs on television. ESPN annually televises The World Series of Poker during the summer in which thousands of people descend upon Las Vegas to gamble in all types of events including poker, blackjack, craps, etc Many times they tell the story of some average Joe who enters a tournament and eventually ends up winning thousands of dollars. This false sense of hope has grabbed millions of Americans into thinking that they too, have the ability to win a substantial amount of money. The response to this stimulus has been the emergence of online casinos. However, instead of people winning money, crime has actually been the fallout of this risky behavior. According to ABCnews. com (2006), a Lehigh University student by the name of Greg Hogan Jr. attempted to rob a local bank in order to pay off his gambling debts. He was eventually caught and pleaded guilty to the offense and now faces up to three years in jail. During his interview with Good Morning America, Mr. Hogan blamed his addiction to online gambling websites for his setback, and cautioned the American public to the dangerous power of Internet gaming. In addition to his story, according to ABCnews. com (2006), 2. 9 million Americans between the ages of fourteen and twenty-two gamble with cards online at least once a week, and fifty percent of male college students and twenty-six percent of female college students gamble on cards at least once a month. To combat this growing epidemic, the House of Representatives took a proactive stance on the matter by passing legislation that would make it illegal to use credit cards on gambling websites and make it significantly more difficult to access these sites. Whether it gets passed by the Senate and the Executive Branch is another matter, however, at least the government is recognizing the problem sooner rather than later. In conjunction with this theory of crime, many Internet scammers have found opportunity within this growing trend. An article on ABCnews.com (2006) describes an elaborate scheme where bookies took sports bets through an Internet gambling site. The insecurity of the website allowed these thieves to launder millions of dollars and corrupt the free enterprise system of the Internet gaming business. Fortunately, these criminals were caught. Nevertheless, it makes you wonder how frequent this sort of thing exists in the online world. Some have argued, nonetheless, that Internet gambling has its benefits. According to Tom W. Bell (1998), the inclusion of the Internet has fostered competition to a business that has long enjoyed the sanctuary of restraining licensing practices. Rather than having to fly out to isolated casinos in Vegas or Atlantic City, you can enjoy the experience of gambling in the comforts of your own home. Bell (1998) also supports the belief that gambling in your home allows an individual to escape the traps found in real, physical casinos. A person does not have to be surrounded in a windowless structure while being harassed by cocktail waitresses carrying a tray of free booze. Because of online gaming, the business world has more free enterprise and has given the individual a sense of security not found in traditional locales. In terms of my own personal experience, I actually signed up to one of these gambling websites to investigate how they attract and seize the public. The website was www. gambling. com and in order to register, all I had to give them was a current e-mail address. I found it sort of comforting to know that they pledged that they would not pass any of my information on to any other company and/or website because I did not want my stagweb to become flooded with junkmail from these websites. Immediately after becoming a member, I was granted 400 Ludos. I had no clue as to what Ludos were, but after some probing, I discovered that they were basically a form of Internet currency. For every twenty five Ludos, I received a dollar. That equals sixteen dollars. But, heres the catch. For me to actually receive the Ludos and use them to gamble, I would have to give them my credit card information and pay a montly fee which was actually just about as expensive as the Ludos themselves. Brilliant. Moreover, the website contained links in which I could learn how to play games by reading tutorials, and then, actually play those games. I conducted a little experiment of my own to see how many times I won during one of the games. Out of twenty-five spins on one of the slot machines, I ended up winning sixteen times. That is a sixty-four percent average of winning. Now, anyone who understands anything about gambling knows that the absolute best percentage of winning is fifty percent. However, most of the games are not even close to that percentage. My suspicion leads me to believe that these websites give a false sense of hope to their members. If they succeed in tempting people to try these games, and these games yield a winning percentage better than fifty percent, more often than not, someone is going to believe that they actually have a great chance of making money. It actually is a genius scheme to lure in the public. Make them believe. Once they have accomplished that, these websites have them right where they want them. Conclusions The effects of online gaming are now becoming more clear and transparent to technoculture and the information society. It is apparent that online gaming has become a microcosm of the digital divide that exists within society. According to one of our readings during the semester written by Oscar H. Gandy, Jr. (2002), the differences that make up the digital divide are more than just social constructions. The actual construction is molded due to the new systems of communication that have surfaced within the last twenty years. In relation to online gaming, Internet gaming websites are now competing to display the flashiest, most hypertextual sites in order to attract customers. Due to this competition, better bandwidth and enhanced software will result, thus highlighting the digital divide. Data mining and this notion of surveillance has also entered the conversation regarding online gaming. Because an individual has to present private information about ones self on a website to facilitate gambling, the possibility of gambling website selling personal information in return for financial gain is a distinct possibility. As aforementioned, the site I visited before pledged that they did not engage in data mining. Yet, this seems to suggest that other sites do exercise this right which effectively gives companies useful information about yourself. Moreover, whenever someone uses the Internet, especially in a situation where one willingly submits personal information such as credit card and phone numbers, the possibility of third party surveillance is always present. It really conveys the authentic risks one undertakes when participating in the latest innovation. Another theory that online gaming illustrates is the constant tension between structure and agency. The government represents structure. As a stable entity, it looks to control the path of Internet gambling by establishing rules and regulations in hopes of creating some order. Internet gambling, on the other hand, is the perfect example of agency. Gambling, in and of itself, is the exact definition of what agency represents: the ability of uncertainty and chaos to influence the parameters through which we live. However, as much as these two concepts seem unrelated, there is an interdependence that spurs the creation of new technologies, not only in the world of online gaming, but throughout the technological landscape. Annotated List of Relevant URLS 1. http://www. playwinningpoker. com/resources/sites2. html : This website is a resource for gamblers.It allows the user to learn new games, find new games, and contact certain people involved with gambling. 2. http://www. gambling. com/best/online-gambling-sites. htm : This website directs users to the best gambling websites on the Internet. It has a list on the left hand side with about sixty different links to other gambling sites. 3. http://www. out-law. com/page-6655 : This website is about illegal activities on the Internet. It contains a few articles on illegal mishaps that have occurred through Internet gambling websites. 4. http://www. becker-posner-blog.com/archives/2006/08/on_internet_gam. html : Blog that contains articles about Internet gambling. Website constructed by Gary Becker and Richard Posner. 5. http://www. cardplayer. com/blog/entry/179 : Blog that is pro-Internet gambling. Players write their feelings on why they think Internet casinos are fun and exciting. 6. http://www. istoppedgambling. com/ : Website founded to help people with gambling problems. Includes personal stories, how-to instructions, and negative articles about gambling. 7. http://www. nomoregambling. com/ : Website founded to help people with Internet gambling problems. Has a hotline and other medias to help combat irresponsible Internet betting. Works Cited Barker, Thomas Britz, Marjie (2000). Jokers Wild: Legalized Gambling in the Twenty-first Century. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Schwartz G. , David (2003). Suburban Xanadu: The Casino Resort on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis Books, Inc. Volberg A. , Rachel (2001). When the Chips Are Down: Problem Gambling in America. New York, NY: The Century Foundation, Inc. http://www. cato. org/testimony/ct-tb052198. html.

Vouchers and School Choice are Long Over-due :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

School Choice: Long Over-due    This paper reports on my position on school choice, what I believe is the ideal school choice program and the steps that must be taken to successfully implement school choice. First and foremost, the idea of school choice is not a new concept. Those who could afford it always have had school choice. Now as a potential option for more parents, choice will be constricted by the amount of money and the type of resources (transportation, political influence, etc.) one has.    I approve of the idea of school choice that empowers parents to select their children's school. However, as choice is now proposed this empowerment will not happen for all parents. Those with the least amount of money and resources will have the fewest choices. In cases where lower income parents lack transportation to the school of their choice, the nearest school will most likely be their only option. Also, where will the additional money come from when lower class parents do not have enough to pay for the school of their choice?    According to economist Lester Thurow (1996), the middle class was created by the government's investment in education, i.e., GI Bill. School choice seems like the government's way of sharing the wealth with the middle class in addition to providng more schools to choose from. This effort appears to be an attempt at widening the ever-closing gap between the middle class and the lower class (a.k.a. working poor). School vouchers or educational opportunity grants may even entice parents who send their children to private schools to send their children to public charter schools thereby reducing what they now spend on tuition.    Although school choice does not guarantee a quality education or the employability of graduating students, I believe that school choice will offer competition and have a positive influence on operational efficiency. Based upon conditions in some inner-city public schools (crumbling infrastructure, lack of access to technology, few and/or outdated books, etc.), there will probably be even less students in traditional public schools thereby having a positive effect on reducing the classroom size. This could make teaching in a traditional public school more manageable.    In the readings an argument made for school choice was that children who might otherwise fall through the cracks will be given the chance at an education best suited to meet their needs. Vouchers and School Choice are Long Over-due :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics School Choice: Long Over-due    This paper reports on my position on school choice, what I believe is the ideal school choice program and the steps that must be taken to successfully implement school choice. First and foremost, the idea of school choice is not a new concept. Those who could afford it always have had school choice. Now as a potential option for more parents, choice will be constricted by the amount of money and the type of resources (transportation, political influence, etc.) one has.    I approve of the idea of school choice that empowers parents to select their children's school. However, as choice is now proposed this empowerment will not happen for all parents. Those with the least amount of money and resources will have the fewest choices. In cases where lower income parents lack transportation to the school of their choice, the nearest school will most likely be their only option. Also, where will the additional money come from when lower class parents do not have enough to pay for the school of their choice?    According to economist Lester Thurow (1996), the middle class was created by the government's investment in education, i.e., GI Bill. School choice seems like the government's way of sharing the wealth with the middle class in addition to providng more schools to choose from. This effort appears to be an attempt at widening the ever-closing gap between the middle class and the lower class (a.k.a. working poor). School vouchers or educational opportunity grants may even entice parents who send their children to private schools to send their children to public charter schools thereby reducing what they now spend on tuition.    Although school choice does not guarantee a quality education or the employability of graduating students, I believe that school choice will offer competition and have a positive influence on operational efficiency. Based upon conditions in some inner-city public schools (crumbling infrastructure, lack of access to technology, few and/or outdated books, etc.), there will probably be even less students in traditional public schools thereby having a positive effect on reducing the classroom size. This could make teaching in a traditional public school more manageable.    In the readings an argument made for school choice was that children who might otherwise fall through the cracks will be given the chance at an education best suited to meet their needs.