Amalgamation in The Local Government in Canada Essay

Amalgamation in The Local Government in Canada - Essay Example Studies were carried out that proved that Toronto would provide better services to its citizens while saving tax payers’ money. There were initially six municipalities, each with a single fire chief, but after the amalgamation, the result was one fire chief instead. The merger observed in Toronto had been proposed as a cost-saving measure. By the year 2000, the goal was attained when it was observed that the city had saved 136.2 million dollars per year resulting from the amalgamation. Several other municipalities were amalgamated, though with opposition from some critics. The opposition was, however, widely experienced in Toronto. Data carried out within the city showed that the majority of the citizens were against amalgamation. However, three years later, data from an interview carried out within the residents showed that majority of the citizens were satisfied with the newly amalgamated government (Emmanuel and Martin, 2010). Some of the benefits accrued to amalgamation at the municipal level for the citizens of Canada include reducing the number of officials elected and reduce duplication. Reducing the number of elected officials implies that tax payers’ money shall be put into a better use. This resulted to the government offering better services to its citizens. Cost was significantly reduced with amalgamation. At the same time, efficiency was streamlined and improved significantly. This was an advantage to the citizens since they experienced efficient services and transparent expenditure of the public money. Accountability was also improved. This is because it was evident to the citizens in what manner their money was spent. This resulted... Amalgamation in The Local Government in Canada The biggest issue of controversy among politicians and municipal administrators is whether or not municipals should be amalgamated into larger ones or should be left on their own devices. Municipal government refers to a local government that is created to provide services that are handled under a local control. The link between administration and policy making is supplied in municipal governments by a committee or a council. The number of committees that the municipal government creates depends on local priorities and circumstances. Canada has a federal system of governance, where responsibilities are divided between national or federal government and territorial and provincial governments. The division of powers evident in the Canada Government was set out in 1867 by the British North America Act (BNA Act). â€Å"One idea that all politicians of different stripes agree upon is that a bigger municipal government is better than a smaller one.† Though to the common citizens amalgamation has positive impacts, to the administrators and politicians who are directly affected, the effect may be negative. This is because as a result of reducing the size of a municipal, several politician and administrators lose their jobs. In conclusion, it is possible for one to predict the future of Canada. As far as the municipal government reorganization in Canada is concerned, it is debatable that the citizens shall continue enjoying good services form the government. The entire economy of Canada is expected to improve immensely.

America Behind Bars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

America Behind Bars - Essay Example The attitude of society towards criminals makes it difficult for them to change their ways and lead normal lives once they have been released from prison. This increases the number of repeat offenders who go back in to prisons. Stricter laws and longer prison sentences have also contributed to the problem. If offenders spend longer times in incarceration for smaller offences, the chances of their being sent to prison again increases leading to a vicious cycle. The California's prisons hold twice the number of people as they can and this has given to rise to awful living conditions inside the prisons for the inmates. This results in physical and psychological abuse of the already mentally troubled criminals. According to Building Blocks for Youth, a Juvenile-advocacy alliance in Washington, children in adult facilities are five times as likely to be sexually assaulted and twice as likely to be beaten by the correctional staff as children in juvenile facilities. A prison gang may be defined unofficially as any gang activity in prisons and correctional facilities. These gangs are responsible, not only for providing protection to their members in the prison, but also for drug, alcohol and tobacco handling inside the prison. Robert Walker, an expert on prison gangs, defines a gang as "a group of three or more persons who: Share a common identity, usually through a gang name Typically adopt and use certain signs, symbols and/or colours and, Who individually or collectively engage in criminal activity " Most studies have focussed only on street gangs. However studies were conducted based on data from the Bureau of Prisons by Gerald G. Gaes et al in 2001 to evaluate the contribution of prison gang affiliation to violence and other forms of misconduct within prisons. The authors of this study also examined the level of commitment exhibited by gang members and how this commitment linked up to the degree of violence perpetrated by such members. Rick Ruddell et al in their 2006 study Gang Intervention in Jails had as survey respondents 134 jail administrators in 39 states. This study dealt with the prevalence of gang members in their facilities. When asked about the problems that these inmates caused in their facilities, respondents reported that while gang members were less