Business Commons^™

Dirigo Health: A Small Business Perspective, Deborah Cook

Maine Policy Review

In her commentary Deborah Cook, executive director of the Maine Small Business Alliance, discusses Dirigo Health from the viewpoint of small businesses, whose employees and families, along with the self-employed, represent the largest proportion of uninsured in Maine’s population. She notes that rising costs of health care and insurance are a major threat to the viability of small businesses.

Can World Poverty Be Eliminated?, William F. Felice

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

World Poverty: New Policies to Defeat an Old Enemy edited by Peter Townsend and David Gordon. Bristol: The Policy Press, 2002. 454pp.

and

World Poverty and Human Rights: Cosmopolitan Responsibilities and Reforms by Thomas Pogge. Malden, MA: Blackwell/Polity, 2002. 264pp.

and

There is an Alternative: Subsistence and Worldwide Resistance to Corporate Globalization edited by Veronica Benholdt-Thomsen, Nicholas Faraclas, and Claudia von Werlhof. New York: Zed Books. 2001. 288pp.

Masthead

University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Dean, Gregory J. Weidemann

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Reconsidering Gender And Investment In The Intrahousehold Decision-Making Process, Lin Johnson Iii

University Avenue Undergraduate Journal of Economics

In the very recent past, the economics of the household and the economics of development appear to be edging toward a new convergence of concern around the nature and use of assets. However, these two literatures of economics continue to exist in separate spheres. I draw from both bodies of literature in order to examine gender differences in asset portfolios. I find systematic differences in the way that certain assets held by husbands versus wives influence household decision outcomes. A clear understanding of the nature and functions of various types of assets in hands of husbands and wives is necessary …

Ethical Issues In Open Source Software, Frances Grodzinsky, Keith W. Miller, Marty J. Wolf

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

In this essay we argue that the current social and ethical structure in the Open Source Software (OSS) Community stem from its roots in academia. The individual developers experience a level of autonomy similar to that of a faculty member. Furthermore, we assert that the Open Source Software Community's social structure demands benevolent leadership. We argue that it is difficult to pass off low quality open source software as high quality software and that the Open Source development model offers strong accountability. Finally, we argue that Open Source Software introduces ethical challenges for universities and the software development community.

The Challenge Of Preserving And Expanding Affordable Health Care In Maine, Wendy Wolf

Maine Policy Review

Maine’s health care system is in crisis. The state’s health care expenditures represent the third highest percentage of Gross Domestic Product in the nation; state health care spending is projected to top $11 billion per year, or $8,291 per person per year, over the next seven years; businesses in Maine pay 12-23% more for coverage than the national and New England state averages; and, the state’s uninsured and vulnerable populations continue to grow. In this article, Wendy Wolf charts the rising cost of health care in Maine and the implications of these costs for all Mainers. In turn, she looks …

Trade And Border Security As Political Issues In Canada, Howard Cody

Maine Policy Review

On February 5, 2003 the Maine International Trade Center and University of Maine Canadian American Center co-sponsored a day-long forum on the challenges and opportunities of free trade between Canada and the United States. In this article, edited from his presentation at this forum, Howard Cody begins with passage of the Free Trade Agreement and brings readers up to the present day, where trade and border security concerns have become inextricably combined. Cody argues that Canadians will not persuade Americans to distinguish between the two concerns and, consequently, that Canadians will eventually accept some sacrifice in national sovereignty in order …

The Changing Nature Of Long-Term Care In Maine, Paul Saucier, Julie Fralich

Maine Policy Review

The increase in the proportion of older adults, many with one or more chronic medical conditions, will increase the demand for long-term care. Paul Saucier and Julie Fralich discuss the socio-demographic factors affecting long-term care policy, and describe various state and federal options for providing and financing long-term care. They note that Maine’s long-term care system has so far been able to absorb considerable growth in people by serving increasing numbers in lower-cost settings. Cost sharing has been introduced, and tax policy has been changed to provide incentives for long-term care insurance. Policymakers must now consider whether the current balance …

Getting Creative About Elderly Housing, Frank O’Hara

Maine Policy Review

In his commentary on Stephen Golant’s article in this issue, Frank O’Hara notes that Golant has very successfully identified the problems of some older homeowners. However, he suggests that the solution Golant proposes—government-assisted rental housing—may apply to only a few members of the group. Moreover, very little government-subsidized rental housing is being built or planned in Maine. Using Golant’s data, O’Hara extrapolates that affordability is the primary problem for older Maine homeowners. He notes that very few are interested in the public policy alternative that would best meet their needs, namely reverse mortgages. However, he observes that older Maine homeowners …

Government-Assisted Rental Accommodations: Should They Accommodate Homeowners With Unmet Needs?, Stephen M. Golant

Maine Policy Review

Stephen Golant, a national expert on elderly housing concerns, describes the types and seriousness of housing problems facing elders nationally and in Maine. Although older adults are predominantly homeowners, national policymakers often downplay the needs of this group and hand over responsibility to state and local governments. The author reviews arguments that cynics have offered for deemphasizing older homeowners’ needs, and discusses various solutions to meet those needs. He poses the question: Do we unrealistically romanticize aging in place? As the title of the article suggests, Golant proposes that a good solution to the needs of older homeowners is to …

Dirigo Health, Sharon Anglin Treat, Michael Brennan, Ann Woloson

Maine Policy Review

Maine’s pioneering Dirigo Health program aims at reducing health care costs, improving quality, and increasing access by providing health insurance coverage to all of Maine’s currently uninsured population. State senators Sharon Treat and Michael Brennan and co-author Ann Woloson provide an overview of the components, structure and financing of the program. They discuss some of the challenges and opportunities posed in Dirigo Health’s implementation, and give an insider’s perspective on the process by which the program was enacted.

Dirigo Health: Its Opportunities And Obstacles, Godfrey Wood

Maine Policy Review

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Cruise Ship Passengers In Maine: The Example Of Bar Harbor, Todd M. Gabe, Colleen Lynch, James Mcconnon

Maine Policy Review

Maine’s expanding cruise ship industry can provide local economic benefits and add to the state’s already large tourism economy. The authors describe results of a survey they conducted among passengers from eight ship visits to Bar Harbor, a town that has emerged as a popular port of call on New England summer and autumn cruises. They found that cruise ship passengers have higher household incomes and spend substantially more per day than typical Maine tourists. They make several suggestions for how ports can maximize the benefits from cruise ship passengers. These include using cruise ship visits to extend the local …

Exceeding Expectation And The Knotty Question Of State Tourism Policy, Kathryn Hunt

Maine Policy Review

In the Margaret Chase Smith Essay, Kathryn Hunt reflects on Maine tourism policy, using as a springboard for discussion two recent events: the National Folk Festival held in Bangor and the Biathlon World Cup held at the Maine Winter Sports Center venue in Fort Kent.

Governmental & Accounting Profession Changes Implemented In An Attempt To Prevent Another Major "Enron Type" Corporate Collapse, Emily Dennie

The Corinthian

One thing that remains constant through the Enron collapse and subsequent investigation is the resolve of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the accounting profession to assure the public that they are taking the appropriate measures to avoid a situation like this in the future. Since the SEC released its intent to investigate Enron, in October 2001, both the SEC and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AI CPA) have made and implemented many changes including four new Statements on Auditing Standards (SASs) and at least two new programs. Of the four new standards, only SAS No. 99 …