Citizen Action and Policy Process: The Case of Disney’s America and Pri

Citizen Action and Policy Process: The Case of Disney’s America and Prince William County, Virginia Introduction Regardless of point-of-view, the events surrounding Disney’s America theme-park provide compelling lessons to policy makers, business interests and citizen activist groups. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Disney’s America controversy through the lens of public policy process. I first analyze the core issues of the case. Second, I identify predominant actors and stakeholders. Third, I point out policy instruments and processes germane to the case. Finally, I discuss the outcome and lessons to be gleaned from the case. Issues Haymarket, a community with a population of 375, is located approximately 30 miles southwest of Washington D.C., in Prince William County, Virginia. It is situated in an area characterized by farmland in view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Nearby is a Civil War battlefield site, now a National Battlefield Park administered by the National Park Service, where 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died during two battles fought at Bull Run: the first land battle of the Civil War in 1861, and in 1862, when Robert E. Lee defeated Union forces as he led the Confederate toward the Potomac River. In the early 1990s, Chairman Michael Eisner of Disney, envisioned an American history theme-park to be called Disney’s America. Colonial Williamsburg in southeastern Virginia initially provided inspiration for Disney executives. Prior to 1993, Disney officials surreptitiously acquired land-options in Prince William county using false names in order to avoid increases in land prices in anticipation of the project. The theme-park, estimated to cost $650 million, would be con... ...on’t sugarcoat history." Washington Post, The 12 Nov. 1993: A-1 Spayd, Liz, and Paul Farhi. "Eisner ended Disney plan; chairman saw park fight harming company’s image." Washington Post, The 30 Sept. 1994: A-1 Tolme, Paul. "Five years after Disney fight, sprawl still creeps toward Civil War sites." Associated Press State and Local Wire 29 Sept. 1999 Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk) "Virginia not the place for Disney’s America." Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk) 26 Feb. 1994: A-13 Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk). "Disney’s second site: retreat from Manassas." Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk) 30 Sept. 1994: A-18 Washington Post, The. "Disney foes take protest to airwaves." Roanoke Times and World News 15 April 1994: B-1 Washington Post, The. "Feds warn against plan to widen battlefield roads for Disney park." Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk) 10 Sept. 1994: B-7

Mini Trial

Incredibly, there are currently over â€Å"3,000 asses of Mesopotamia annually' in the US and more than â€Å"1 0,000 cases† globally (â€Å"The Mesopotamia Center†, 2014). Asbestos lawsuits are continuously prevalent and can be identified by simply turning on a television set any given time of the day. More than likely there will be an asbestos lawsuit commercial on several channels. Since the sass's, Maryland has had its fair share of these lawsuits because of its asbestos production and inherent health risk posed to the surrounding communities.In 1 993, Baltimore had more than â€Å"200,000 cases† pending against the state of Maryland and the courts had become inundated with an insurmountable mountain of lawsuits (Ogden, 1 993, pig. 38). Attempting to manage all of these cases put a serious strain on the court systems and jeopardized the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the state's judicial infrastructure. The question for legal professionals was how t o handle such a large surge in caseloads. The answer came in the form of an Alternate Dispute Resolution (TAR) known as a Mini-Trial.This TAR process created a means for legal professionals to process large groups of disputants through a dispute resolution process in minimal time. Asbestos mini-trial proceedings in Baltimore were conducted in ropes and series so that the most severe cases could be handled first. The unprecedented decision to utilize mini;trials in this capacity yielded quicker results than normal bench-trial cases could and paved the way for the continued use of this form of 3 TAR. The unique style in how the mini-trials were applied to the Baltimore asbestos cases is what really stood out.Case Study As the amount of plaintiffs grew against multiple companies involved in asbestos manufacturing, Judge Marshall A. Levin of Baltimore's Circuit Court, ordered the majority of the cases to be performed as mini-trials (Person, 1993). This process would alleviate Some of th e limiting factors being experienced in regards to litigation saturation. With literally thousands of affected citizens, Judge Levin felt that a series of mini-trials would clear up a large portion of the individual claims bogging down Baltimore's court system.The first thing he ordered was for the trials to be conducted in groups. Within these groups, legal professionals to include the judge; would select the most important cases first. His first grouped involved over 600 cases in which patients were already sick or dying from asbestos related illnesses (Person, 993). It was important to process these cases quickly so that any damages awarded could be used for healthcare immediately. Another group involved a series of plaintiffs that were seeking damages from either being exposed to asbestos or not being properly informed of the dangers of asbestos.Even though these were of lesser importance, the process of the mini-trial still afforded the plaintiffs quick resolution. Because ther e were so many people involved in all of these cases, the judge would also only allow a select few to present testimony. By doing this, Levin prevented the same testimony from Ewing heard by thousands of plaintiffs with the same argument. This â€Å"abbreviated version† of a full court trial proved his theory that mini-trials were beneficial in lieu of (Colors, 2009, pig. 203). Time was not the only thing gained by these trials however.Judge Eleven's first mini-trial only took four weeks and caught the attention of several other judges. During the second set of 4 trial series, three judges from Baltimore joined him in hearing six more major asbestos cases. Those mini-trials yielded more than SSL 1 million in restitution for three out of the six cases (Person, 1993). Knowing that the number of asbestos cases would increasingly rise, Judge Levin created the â€Å"New Discovery Rule† that would supersede any statute of limitation Maryland had in regards to asbestos relate d lawsuits (Ogden, 1993).Applying additional gateways offset the non-binding agreement mini-trials and other forms of TAR normally have. Discussion The overall goal in hearing asbestos cases quickly and clearing the courts of hemorrhaging lawsuits was ultimately a success. Eleven's progressive approach to dispute resolution proved that alternate methods can be fair and equal. Properly categorizing claims that were more severe against claims that were to was paramount in choosing first to appear cases. The quick action of the mini-trial afforded victims in need compensation necessary to the treatment of their illnesses.By grouping the trials into series, the mini-trials also protected the asbestos manufactures of frivolous law suits and false claims of lung cancer due to smoking and not asbestos exposure. One of the biggest conclusions that can be drawn from this case is that the mini-trial is adoptable and long lasting. As recently as 2013, exactly 20 years after Baltimore's first a sbestos min-trial, Maryland is still using the TAR practice ND is a â€Å"major forum for asbestos litigation† (Richard, 2014). Baltimore's use of the mini-trial not only relieved the strain of over tasked court system, it proved that different forms of TAR could save time.

Waste Management Scandal - 883 Words

Waste Management Scandal BUS 320 Finance 1/8/16 Waste Management Waste Management Incorporated is considered the nations largest waste collector (Feder). Waste Management is a well known brand and dominates regions of the United States and Canada where they provide services. Anyone who sees their trucks tends to think, Garbage. During the early 1990s, instead of just picking up the garbage, Waste Management provided garbage to their investors in the form of an accounting scandal. This scandal would eventually cost investors around 6 billion dollars (Bloomberg News). This event was described by the associate director of the SECs Division of Enforcement, Thomas C. Newkirk, as possibly one of the most egregious accounting frauds†¦show more content†¦Waste Management survived as an entity for several reasons. For one reason, they were a profitable company versus an operation using accounting fraud simply to survive. The company had made money, in fact a lot of money, but nothing close to the numbers provided by the executive team. Secondly, the new management took their roles very seriously and rather than shuffling their feet and papering over the problem, they acted. The new management came clean with the public, settled with shareholders, and paid $26.8 million of the $30.8 million to settle an SEC lawsuit against their former executives (Bloomberg News). This proved to be a cheaper option than continuing their obligation to pay the legal costs of fighting the suit for the group. Lastly, Waste Management was and still is a leader in the environmental side of waste hauling. They have figured out a way to profit from recycling which is of course a big issue in our nation and the world today. While people may never forget the accounting scandal, today Waste Management is seen as a leader in green projects. The goodwill from this and a competent management team have the company in a favorable position less than 15 years after the scandal which must be considered as very strong accomplishment. Works Cited Feder, Barnaby J. Waste Management Stuck in Accounting Mire. Ed. New YorkShow MoreRelatedWaste Management Scandal861 Words   |  4 PagesWaste Management, Inc. is the nations largest waste collector (Feder). In other words, they collect and recycle garbage. They are a known brand and dominate the regions of the country and Canada where they provide services. Grownups and kids alike see their trucks and think, Garbage. Which could sound awful, but garbage is lucrative. In the early 1990s, Waste Management, instead of just picking up the garbage, provided garbage to their investors in the form of an accounting scandal whichRead MoreWaste Management Scandal Essay882 Words   |  4 PagesWaste Management Scandal Dean Buntrock established Waste Management, Inc. in 1968. 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