Reference no: EM131423427

#1 Assignment Objectives

Government Involvement

Define the following ethical concepts and theories: virtue ethics, Kant's Categorical Imperative, ethical relativism, utilitarianism, corporate social responsibility, and social contract theory.

Identify and defend moral and ethical theories to ethical case studies and current events.

Solve ethical dilemmas from case studies and current events using moral and ethical theories.

Identify ethical quandaries regarding government involvement and laws impacting organizations' day-to-day operations and business decisions.

600 words

Article 1

1.https://resources.careered.com/LCMSFileSharePreview/Resources/AdobePDF/PHIL101_U4_IP_Article1.pdf

Article 2

Thompson, B. (2016, April 19). Michigan judge authorizes first round of criminal charges in Flint water crisis. Christian Science Monitor, n.p.

Michigan Judge Authorizes First Round of Criminal Charges in Flint Water Crisis Ben Thompson, April 20, 2016

Three Michigan officials will face criminal charges approved by the Genesee County Court on Wednesday, in what is expected to be the first round of an extensive criminal probe into the Flint water crisis.

Flint employee Michael Glasgow, along with Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) employees Steven Busch and Michael Prysby, were charged with a total of 13 combined felony and misdemeanor charges.

Justice Tracy Collier-Nix authorized the charges of evidence tampering and willful neglect of office against Mr. Glasgow, who prosecutors say altered water testing results, MLive reports. Mr. Prysby and Mr. Busch each were charged on several counts, including misconduct in office, tampering with evidence, and Michigan Safe Drinking Water Act violations.

The water emergency began in 2014 when Flint switched its water source from the Detroit water system to the Flint River as a cost saving measure. The river water, which was highly corrosive, went untreated and untested until 2015, despite complaints from residents and was not switched back to Detroit's Lake Huronsourced water until last October. By that time, the highly corrosive water had caused lead to leach out of the pipes and flow from residents' taps.

A state of emergency has been in place in Flint since December, and residents still wary of contamination are using filters or drinking bottled water.

While the crisis raised awareness of potentially contaminated water in United States, to some it also displayed the "limits in running a government as a business," as University of California in San Diego political science professor Thad Kousser told The Christian Science Monitor earlier this year.

"The private marketplace works because of competition, but governments often have monopoly," he said. "When Volkswagen screws up, you can buy a Ford. But when lead starts coming out of your tap, you can't just turn on another tap."

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's office says Prysby and Busch knowingly misled the Environmental Protection Agency, telling agency officials that the city was using corrosion control when both were aware that it was not. They are also accused of tampering with water tests and hampering a Genesee County Health Department investigation.

Busch is on paid leave following a suspension, while Prysby is working a new DEQ job. Glasgow also testified that Prysby informed him that phosphate would not be needed to treat Flint's potentially corrosive piping.

The Detroit News reported that Attorney General Schuette's action was "the first of more to come." Schuette, along with other investigators and officials, is set to make a "significant" announcement in Flint Wednesday afternoon. Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

ARTICLE 3

This article was retrieved from the Business Source Complete with Datamonitor (Ebsco) database in the CEC Library on February 7, 2017.

Snyder, B. (2016, January 20). Michigan's governor just apologized for the Flint water crisis. Fortune.com.

Michigan's Governor Just Apologized for the Flint Water Crisis Benjamin Snyder, 2016

There have been calls for his resignation.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, facing protests, lawsuits and calls for his resignation over drinking water contamination in Flint, on Tuesday apologized to the city's residents and called for the state to spend $28 million on fixes.

"To you, the people of Flint, I say tonight as I have before, I am sorry and I will fix it," Snyder said in his annual speech to lawmakers, adding that federal, state and local leaders had failed residents.

Snyder, a Republican, asked lawmakers to authorize $28 million in spending on diagnostic tests, health treatment for children and adolescents, replacement of old fixtures in Flint schools and day care centers and a study of the city's water pipes. He also said additional funding would be needed.

Some people have reported rashes, hair loss and other problems since Flint, under a state-appointed emergency manager, switched to Flint River water in April 2014 from a Detroit-run water system to save money, attorneys for the residents said.

Complaints about the water began within a month of the switch, but Flint did not return to Detroit water until October 2015 after tests showed elevated levels of lead in Flint tap water and in some children.

The corrosive river water caused more lead to leach from Flint pipes than Detroit water did, increasing contaminants in the tap water.

President Barack Obama met on Tuesday with recently elected Flint Mayor Karen Weaver over the crisis, which has become part of the U.S. presidential debate with candidates on both sides questioning the slow response.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it acted too slowly to address the situation in Flint. Snyder promised to release his Flint-related emails from 2014 and 2015 on Wednesday. He has rejected calls for his resignation by some protesters.

"Lansing failed in one of its most basic functions, ensuring the well-being and health of our citizens," state House Democratic Leader Tim Greimel said after the speech. At least 1,000 people protested at the Capitol on Tuesday, some holding baby bottles filled with brown water.

"The governor has a business agenda and his business agenda was to take over the water to profit in it," said Lila Cabbil, a demonstrator from Detroit.

Several lawsuits have been filed. The latest on Tuesday asks a judge to stop Flint from issuing shutoff notices to residents, who are still receiving bills for water declared undrinkable.

Attorney Cary McGehee said lawyers have heard from more than 500 people reporting health problems and financial hardships.

ARTICLE FOUR

This article was retrieved from the Regional Business News (Ebsco) Database in the CEC Library on February 7, 2017.

Bernstein, L., & Dennis, B. (2016, July 29). Six Michigan employees charged with misconduct in Flint water crisis. The Washington Post.

Six Michigan Employees Charged with Misconduct in Flint Water Crisis Lenny, Bernstein & Brady Dennis, July 29, 2016

Six Michigan state employees were charged Friday with misconduct in office for their alleged roles in the lead contamination of Flint's water supply, which has exposed thousands of children to the toxin and left most city residents drinking bottled water for more than two years.

Attorney General Bill Schuette (R) filed the charges against three employees of the state's Department of Health and Human Services and three others from the Department of Environmental Quality, including the former chief of the Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance.

The filings bring the number of government workers accused in the water crisis to nine. Schuette, who is overseeing the probe, filed charges in April against two other Department of Environmental Quality workers and a Flint water-quality supervisor. He also filed civil charges in June against two engineering firms that allegedly "botched" their work on the water supply system, contributing to the crisis.
"These individuals concealed the truth," Schuette said at a morning news conference. "They were criminally wrong to do so. And the victims, these are real people who have been lied to by government officials and been treated as if they don't count."

The disaster in the once-thriving industrial city of about 95,000 began in early 2014. For decades, Flint had used water piped in from Lake Huron, with anti-corrosion chemicals added along the way by Detroit water officials.

Then in April 2014, with the city under the control of an emergency manager appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder (R), officials switched to Flint River water to save money. But the state's environmental quality agency failed to ensure that corrosion-control additives were part of the new water supply; the omission allowed lead and other substances such as iron to leach from aging pipes.

Flint switched back to its previous water source last fall, but most people are still drinking bottled water.

The Health and Human Services employees - Nancy Peeler, Robert Scott and Corrine Miller - all face charges of misconduct in office, conspiring to commit misconduct in office and willful neglect of duty, according to Schuette. They allegedly hid or disregarded test results that showed high lead levels in Flint residents' blood.

An investigator from Schuette's office said in court Friday morning that Peeler and Scott, who work in the department's program to prevent lead poisoning in children, conspired with others "to effectively bury" a report from an epidemiologist that warranted more investigation, according to the Detroit News. Miller, the state's head epidemiologist, allegedly ordered a department employee to ignore the findings of high lead levels and take no action.

LianeShekter Smith, the former top drinking-water official, and current environmental agency officials Patrick Cook and Adam Rosenthal were charged with misconduct in office related to federal regulations that limit lead in drinking water. Rosenthal is accused of tampering with evidence to conceal lead levels in water, and Cook allegedly forwarded false information to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Shekter Smith's attorney, Brian Morley, told the Associated Press that the charge was "disappointing," adding, "I think we're going to be really hard-pressed to find that she did anything wrong, and certainly nothing criminally wrong."

The AP noted that it left messages for Cook and Miller and could not find listed numbers for Rosenthal, Peeler or Scott.

Schuette said more charges could be filed. "We're a long way from done," he said. "We're way far from done. We will not rest until we have delivered justice for Flint."

[email protected]

[email protected]

ARTICLE 5

This article was retrieved from the ABI Inform Collection (Proquest) database in the CEC Library on February 7, 2017.

The United States: Remarks by the president after meeting with federal responders on the Flint, Michigan water crisis-food bank of Eastern Michigan-Flint, Michigan. (2016, May 06). Asia News Monitor. Bangkok, Thailand.

The United States: Remarks by the President After Meeting with Federal Responders on the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis-Food Bank of Eastern Michigan-Flint, Michigan Asia News Monitor, May 6, 2016

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I just had the opportunity to meet with the federal responders who have been on the ground here in Flint, joined by Governor Rick Snyder and Mayor Karen Weaver. And our discussion underscored how important it was for us to mount a whole-of-government effort across agencies and across levels of government to meet one core mission, and that is make sure that the people of Flint are healthy; that they've got safe water to drink and to use; that we are ensuring that we have a plan for the system to work over the long term; and that we are certain that our kids here in Flint are going to be able to take advantage of their talents and opportunities well into the future.

So we've got a short-term challenge, which is water, but we've also got a long-term challenge, which is making sure that the city of Flint can prosper going forward.

I want to thank everybody who's participating. Everybody here has been working hard on the ground for months now to respond to this crisis. It's an all-hands-on-deck approach. And just to give you some examples of the work that's being done -- FEMA is expanding access to water and filters by providing water commodities to the state of Michigan. The EPA has been actively testing and monitoring the city's water, and is providing technical assistance to the city to make sure that the water distribution system is safe again. The CDC is investigating concerns that we've heard from people about health symptoms that may have been connected to the water.

Some good news -- we're hoping that if it hasn't already happened, that it's going to happen shortly, that legislation is being passed by the state of Michigan that allows the federal government, in partnership with the state, to expand access to Medicaid and provide additional services to individuals under 21. So making sure that our kids are covered and have these additional services, as well as pregnant women. And I want to thank the state of Michigan, working with us, to develop that plan.

Thanks to the USDA, and Debbie Stabenow has been outstanding in guiding this. And obviously the rest of the Michigan congressional delegation have worked hard on this, as well. USDA is making sure that infants get the formula that they need and that children are getting access to healthy food.

There are a couple of things that I want to address to the press directly. I'm going to have a chance after this meeting to meet with a number of Flint families so that they can address directly to me their fears and concerns, as well as their hopes, and then I'll have a chance to speak to a larger audience after that. But a couple of things that I want to focus on right now.

Number one is that it is really important, particularly with this expansion of Medicaid, that any parent in the city of Flint takes the time to check to make sure that their kids aren't affected, that they don't have elevated lead levels. And I know that that can be hard. Sometimes folks have difficulty accessing the system. One of the things that we spent a lot of time talking about is how do we make sure that there is enough community outreach so that people know that there are doctors out there and health providers who will see their children.

But I want everybody in the city of Flint to just know that you should have your child checked -- because although lead poisoning or lead impacts can be serious, what is also true is that there are a lot of ways to address whatever concerns are raised and to make sure that those kids are healthy and are thriving.

So the key is to know, like any other situation where your kid might get sick or have some sort of environmental impact, you got to know what's going on and then take the steps that are needed to make sure that they get the treatment or the help that they need. And if you don't know, then that could end up leading to problems.

So we're really going to emphasize parents accessing the expanded health care providers that are going to be available here in the city of Flint. That's point number one.

Point number two. I know that there is a lot of suspicion about whether or not the water coming out of people's taps in their homes are safe, or whether they are still contaminated and still a problem. And I want to emphasize that the EPA has looked at this very carefully, and they are very confident that if you use a filter, then it is safe for kids over six. We're still, out of an abundance of caution, recommending bottled water for children who are under the age of six, or pregnant women. But if you're over six, then, in fact, filtered water is safe and it works. And that's not just the opinion of federal agencies. A lot of independent studies have been done to confirm that the water is safe.

So, working with the state and the city, filters are now available for everybody in this city. And the key is for people to go ahead and access them and use them. And I'm going to emphasize this when I'm speaking to the larger audience: I understand why people might be mistrustful and concerned. But right now, it is safe for you to install a filter in your home, or to use a standalone filter and to go ahead and drink that water. But you got to use it. And it's available to you -- for free. But people have to have confidence that will work.
That doesn't mean that we still don't have to replace a number of the pipes in this city.

And the mayor is working hard on a plan to fast-track getting pipe replacement. The governor is budgeting dollars to expand that program. And the congressional delegation of Michigan is working hard so that we get additional funds to help replace those pipes that pose a threat. But that may be a long-term process. It may take a year. It may take two years. It might take more to get all the pipes replaced. And in the meantime, folks have to be able to use water. So trust that the tests have been done and the filter system works.

Third point. In order for us to clean out the system, to flush out the contaminants, and to have confidence that, as we fix the system, it's actually going to be safe for all the households in Flint, we need everybody in Flint to start helping us flush out that system. And so I guess there's a program called Flush For Flint. It's not the most elegant name. (Laughter.) But the concept is pretty simple if you think about it, and that is we need everybody to turn on their tap in the kitchen, in the tub for five minutes a day so that the water is running and whatever contaminants are sitting in there start getting pushed out.

And what that allows us to do is then to go back after some water has been running and the flushing has taken place, then the EPA can go back and test some more and see, all right, where are the levels now? How are we doing in terms of coating the pipes? What steps being taken -- are they being effective or do additional steps need to be taken? But we're not going to know that if people just let the water sit there.

Now, I understand if people are scared and they're not using their water, that they may wonder why is it up to me to be part of this process of fixing it. But the bottom line is, is if you're not doing your part, then these outstanding folks around the table who want to help can't do theirs.

So I'm urging everybody in Flint to participate in this flushing program. Again, it's a matter of turning on your tap in the kitchen, in the bathroom, five minutes a day, just to get that water flowing, getting some of the contaminants out. It will then be retested after that.
Now, these are all short-term issues. And one of the things that we all emphasized here is that the city of Flint had suffered from some hard times and neglect long before this particular crisis. And what I'm encouraged by is I think a recognition at every level of government that we have to take what has been a crisis and see if we can turn this into an opportunity to rebuild Flint even better than before.

The problems of water were a symptom of a broader issue, and that is a city that had lost a lot of resources, lost a lot of its tax base, was cutting a lot of services, and increasingly, didn't have capacity. And so our goal here is to use this moment in which everybody's attention is focused to see if we can start rebuilding and moving Flint in a better direction.

I'm confident that we can do that if we're all working together. And I emphasized to the governor and I emphasized to the mayor that my job here today is not to sort through all the ins and outs of how we got to where we are, but rather to make sure that all of us are focused on what we need to do moving forward on behalf of the children of Flint. That's my priority. And that's got to be all of our priorities.

And there are times for politics and there are times for turf battles -- this is not one of those times. This is where everybody locks arms and is focused on getting the job done. And I'm very proud of the team -- Gina McCarthy at the EPA, Secretary Burwell at Health and Human Services, and everybody who is represented around this table. That's their commitment, and that's their order from me. And Dr. Lurie, who's been heading up the federal response, I think has been doing a great job in coordination here.

But all of us are going to have to really keep our eye on the ball, even when the cameras go away. That's what we owe to the people of Flint, and that's what we owe to their kids.

Last point. I think people are understandably scared when they hear that their child may have ingested some lead, it may have gotten into their system, and that that may have some long-term impacts or create particular challenges for kids. But it is really important for all of us to remember that kids are resilient. And every kid in Flint is special, and has capacity, and can do great things. And the fact that they may have had some drinking water that was contaminated doesn't automatically mean somehow that they're going to have huge problems or that they're not going to be able to reach that potential.

And so for the parents who are out there, I want to emphasize: Get your child checked, but be confident that your child can thrive and will be fine as long as you know what they need, and know how to access the resources that they need. It's useful to remember, just to keep things in perspective, that the laws banning lead paint in homes and reducing the lead that was in our environment, those laws really were put in place just a generation ago.

When I was five or six or seven, a lot of homes still had lead paint in it. I might have ingested some lead paint when I was two or three years old, because at the time, people didn't know it. So we've got an entire couple of generations of Americans who have done really well despite the fact that they may have had something that is not optimal.

And how lead interacts with any particular child is going to be different, and what each child needs is going to be different. And some kids are going to be fine, and they're not going to be affected. Some kids may have more of an -- it might have more of an effect.

But the bottom line is, is that we now know what to do. We know how to mitigate these effects. But parents and communities have to be proactive in order to assure that we're doing the right thing by our kids. We can't just sit back and feel panicked and feel scared. Those emotions are understandable. But if we want to make sure that our kids are properly taken care of, then we've got to be proactive and get out ahead of this thing.

All right? Thank you again, everybody, for the great work that you guys have done. Thank you, press. I will see you again in the larger rally.

Q Try the water?

THE PRESIDENT: Generally I don't do stunts, but here you go. (Takes a sip of water.) Now, this had a filter on it. The water around this table was Flint water that was filtered. And it just confirms what we know scientifically, which is that if you're using a filter, if you're installing it, then Flint water at this point is drinkable. That does not -- I want to repeat -- negate the need for us to go ahead and replace some of these pipes, because ultimately you want a system in which you don't have to put a filter on it in order to be assured that it's safe.

But as a short-term measure, this is the right thing to do. And, frankly, it's going to be a lot more convenient than people traveling long distances to try to lug back a bunch of bottled water. All right?
Thank you guys.

Source: U.S. Government - The White House

Word count: 2353 Copyright Thai News Service Group May 6, 2016

Article 6

https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/04/us/flint-water-crisis-fast-facts/

#2 Assignment Objectives

Global Issues and Globalization

Identify and defend moral and ethical theories to ethical case studies and current events.

Solve ethical dilemmas from case studies and current events using moral and ethical theories.

Identify ethical quandaries regarding government involvement and laws impacting organizations' day-to-day operations and business decisions.

200 Words

Locate a news article that depicts an ethical dilemma in the workplace. Possible examples may include the following:

Employees facing backlash at work for social media posts

A business discriminating against a customer

An employer with controversial policies

You are encouraged to explore beyond this list of topics to find an issue or example that interests you.

In your discussion, address the following:

Summarize the article and situation.

Relate the situation to at least 1 of the ethical theories from this course.

Describe how you might handle the situation differently.

A minimum of 1 reference should be used to reinforce your thoughts. Be sure to include it both as an in-text citation and on your reference list at the end of your discussion post.