Friday, December 27, 2019

Cunto invertir para obtener visa E-2 de inversionista

Las leyes de inmigracià ³n de Estados Unidos no dicen especà ­ficamente quà © cantidad de dinero hay que invertir en un negocio para que se obtenga la aprobacià ³n de la visa E-2 por inversià ³n. Simplemente una inversià ³n sustancial para el negocio que se desea emprender. Pero,  ¿cuà ¡nto una inversià ³n es sustancial? Para la mayorà ­a de los abogados de inmigracià ³n Muchos de los expertos que se han especializado en este tipo de visas consideran que las inversiones a partir de los $100,000 tienen oportunidades reales de ser aprobadas y que a partir de los $250,000 es, realmente, un caso muy fuerte para su obtencià ³n.  ¿Es posible obtener la visa E-2 con una inversià ³n inferior a los $100,000? Sà ­, hay numerosos casos en los que se ha obtenido con inversiones en torno a los $40,000-$50,000. Depende del tipo de negocio e Inmigracià ³n no va a pedir a un posible inmigrante extranjero que invierta una cantidad superior que la que invertirà ­a un ciudadano americano para el mismo tipo de negocio. En estos casos se recomiendan dos cosas: primero, contar con un buen abogado que crea en el proyecto. A la hora de elegirlo es posible que se tenga que realizar entrevistas previas con varios de ellos. Y segundo, tener un excelente plan de negocios y entenderlo y buscar el tipo jurà ­dico de empresa correcto de los 10 posibles en Estados Unidos. Es fundamental arriesgar dinero real y estar dispuesto a ello (se trata de un negocio), tomarse el tiempo para estudiar quà © se quiere hacer, en dà ³nde, cuà ¡les son los posibles clientes, cà ³mo obtenerlos, quà © diferencial puede ofrecer el negocio, etc. A la hora de confeccionar el plan de negocios y la carta de presentacià ³n que le acompaà ±a es muy comà ºn contar con la ayuda de profesionales que entienden de nà ºmeros y los aspectos tà ©cnicos. Pero aà ºn en los casos en los que se encarga la redaccià ³n del plan de negocios es fundamental entenderlo, tomarlo como un asunto propio. Otra buena opcià ³n es abrir una franquicia con un modelo de negocio probado. Estas son las 10 franquicias consideradas como las mejores en USA. Si se està ¡ pensando en una inversià ³n inmobiliaria, es muy importante asesorarse bien ya que debe tener forma de negocio real y activo para que pueda calificar.  ¿Dà ³nde es frecuente que surjan problemas en el proceso de tramitacià ³n de la E-2? Una vez que el Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) aprueba la solicitud, es necesario pasar una entrevista en el consulado (o Embajada) del paà ­s en el que se reside.   La entrevista es dura. El oficial consular (llamado cà ³nsul en algunos paà ­ses), va a querer quedar convencido de que la persona que solicita la visa tiene capacidad para sacar adelante un negocio, que lo entiende, y para eso va a hacer preguntas en profundidad sobre el plan de negocios. Asimismo, va a querer quedar convencido del origen legal de la inversià ³n y evitar casos que persigan actividades delictivas como blanqueo de dinero.  ¿Cuà ¡nto cobra de media un abogado de inmigracià ³n por completar planilla de solicitud de E-2? Unos $5,000, generalmente se puede negociar pagarlo en distintos plazos. Ademà ¡s, hay que sumar el pago por llenar las planillas de cada miembro de la familia que acompaà ±e al inversor.   Asimismo hay que tener en cuenta que se pueden generar otros gastos, como por ejemplo, la elaboracià ³n del plan de negocios, que puede costar en torno a $2,500 dependiendo de las circunstancias de cada caso. Otros gastos que pueden influir son los relacionados con la creacià ³n de la empresa, si todavà ­a no se ha hecho y se encarga al mismo despacho de abogados. Los precios por lo general està ¡n fijados, pero van a variar un poco si se contratan varias gestiones como presentacià ³n papeles visa, creacià ³n de empresa y elaboracià ³n de plan de negocios o sà ³lo una. Tambià ©n influye en el precio si el abogado debe buscar papeles o se le proporcionan todos y si ya està ¡n en inglà ©s o los hay que traducir. Tambià ©n es comà ºn que se cobre una cantidad por la consulta que puede oscilar habitualmente entre los $200 - $400 y, si se sigue adelante, se descuente del total. Es decir, saldrà ­a gratis pero sà ³lo si se sigue el caso con ese despacho de abogados. Puede resultar de interà ©s cuà ¡nto  cobra un abogado de inmigracià ³n para otros asuntos. Tener en consideracià ³n que eso son medias y que existen grandes diferencias segà ºn el prestigio de los despachos y tambià ©n segà ºn el lugar donde radian. De interà ©s para emprendedores que desean emigrar a USA La visa E-2 es parecida, pero diferente, a la E-1 para comerciantes de importacià ³n/exportacià ³n. Si se tiene un negocio de ese tipo. Si ese es el caso, explorar esa posibilidad. Otras opciones son estas  8 posibles visas para crear un negocio en Estados Unidos  y si se tiene al menos medio millà ³n de dà ³lares, explorar cà ³mo obtener la  green card por inversià ³n: EB-5. En todo caso, antes de invertir informarse sobre las leyes en diferentes estados porque la regulacià ³n es muy distinta en diferentes partes del paà ­s siendo estos los 10 mejores estados para hacer negocios. Si se està ¡ abierto a otras opciones diferentes a Estados Unidos, estos son 20 paà ­ses en los que es posible adquirir la ciudadanà ­a (pasaporte) y/o la residencia por inversià ³n. Las condiciones y las cantidades son muy diferentes de un paà ­s a otro. Y si la decisià ³n es elegir los Estados Unidos, estas son 10 cosas que saber antes de emigrar o si se es recià ©n llegado. Conocerlas facilitarà ¡ mucho la vida. Empezando por el principio Es comà ºn que personas que desean emigrar a los Estados Unidos y no tienen un familiar que es residente o ciudadano que consideren la inversià ³n como el camino a explorar para hacer realidad su sueà ±o de mudarse. Pero o se tiene al menos medio millà ³n de dà ³lares para comenzar a calificar para una green card por inversià ³n por la visa de inmigrante EB-5 o bien, si lo que tiene pensado es una visa temporal E-2, que es de la que trata este artà ­culo, tiene que comenzar por el principio, es decir, asegurarse de que tiene un pasaporte de un paà ­s que ha firmado un tratado de inversià ³n con los Estados Unidos. Si falla ese requisito, no aplica la visa E-2, aunque se cumplan todos los demà ¡s requisitos. Por lo tanto, verificar el listado, que nada tiene que ver con el de paà ­ses que han firmado con los Estados Unidos un tratado de libre comercio. Favor de evitar esta confusià ³n. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

The Leadership Style And Qualities - 1830 Words

Strong leadership is vital to the success of any business, institution, school, team, or even church. Leaders that are considered effective encompass a leadership style and qualities that work to influence and motivate their followers. Joel Osteen, an evangelical pastor from Houston, Texas is truly one of the 21st centuries most captivating leaders. So much so, that he as selected by Barbara Walters as one of her 10 Most Fascinating People of 2016 (ABC News, 2006). His appeal is a phenomenon that is unmatched by any other current leaders in his profession. Over the past 15 years he has built a church, where he ministers one of the largest and most diverse congregations in America (Romano, 2005). Aside from his 45,000 attendees at his weekly services, his sermon is broadcasted in every television market in the United States and in over 100 other nations around the world (â€Å"About Joel,† n.d.). Joel Osteen is a prime example of a compelling leader who practices an effective l eadership style that resonates with people on a personal level. Leadership Style Joel Osteen is known as â€Å"the smiling preacher,† and considers himself to be a happy person who is meant to motivate people to be the best they can be by focusing on the goodness of God and living an obedient life (Romano, 2005). In order to accomplish these goals with his followers he mimics a team leadership approach, where he leads by positive example and encourages his members to do the same (Gorton Alston, 2012). His styleShow MoreRelatedLeadership Styles And Leadership Qualities1662 Words   |  7 Pagestraits between management and leadership, they both provide direction and the ability to influence the people around them. They need to create an atmosphere where people are motivated to meet the goal, no matter if it is planned or unplanned. With that being said, Yoder-wise differentiated leaders and managers when she stated, â€Å"Managers address complexity and change, whereas leaders primarily address change† (2014). The leadership style or a leadership I emulate; qualities I possess that make me an effectiveRead MoreThe Qualities Of Leadership Styles Essay1232 Words   |  5 PagesI define leadership as the ability to provide strength and coverage to support a Sailor, regardless of rank. The ability to instill Core Values, provide training and the tools a Sailor will need to excel in both their professional and personal life. A true leader will support a Sailor, any Sailor, during the high times of a career, but to be a solid force if there are any lows. We all have the opportunity to learn from all manners of leadership. The good leaders and the bad leaders will haveRead MoreQualities Traits And Styles Of Leadership1364 Words   |  6 PagesEssay # 2 Qualities, Traits and Styles of Leadership - Research and evaluate a theory of leadership and the role of one or more ethical leaders in creating and maintaining an ethical business organization. Leaders and their chosen styles of leadership are all different. In an early study of identifying the different styles, Kurt Lewin ,who led a group of researchers in 1939, performed the first major study of leadership styles. This early study has remained quite influential as it establishedRead MoreQualities Of A Successful Leadership Style845 Words   |  4 Pagesa successful leadership style. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to serve numerous exceptional leaders off and on throughout my career. I have taken the opportunity to capture admirable traits from all of these leaders. I have used these traits to mold my leadership philosophy. I will continue to strengthen and refine the leadership behaviors noted in reference (a) utilizing the Coast Guard s Leadership Competencies. The primary traits that form my definition of leadership include manyRead MoreQualities Of A Successful Leadership Style850 Words   |  4 Pagesa successful leadership style. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to serve numerous exceptional leaders off and on throughout my career. I have taken the opportunity to capture admirable traits from all of these leaders. I have used these traits to mold my leadership philosophy. I will continue to strengthen and refine the leadership behaviors noted in reference (a) utilizing the Coast Guard s Leadership Competencies. The primary traits that form my definition of leadership include manyRead MoreDifferent Styles Of Leadership Quality Company Culture865 Words   |  4 Pagesperceive the company, client treatment and how the company should react to various changes in the environment. An organizational culture is a mirror of the company leadership. Different styles of leadership ensure maintenance of various corporation cultures. The climate within an organization determines a company’s financial performance. A quality company culture integrates each employee or customer ensuring that their propositions are deemed important . Job-related problems, either personal or work relatedRead MoreLeadership Styles And Its Impact On The Quality Of Patient Care2110 Words   |  9 PagesIn every health care organisation, strong leadership and management skills play a pivotal role in the provision of quality patient care. Among health care professionals, a strong leadership style is one that motivates the team to practice ‘direct involvement in clinical care while constantly influencing others to improve the care they provide’ (Cook, 1999). This is echoed by Porter-O’Grady (2003) who stated, ‘Primarily nurses may use leadership ‘styles’ to effectively identify and achieve goals,Read MoreLeadership Styles Of Leadership Style1088 Words   |  5 PagesConsider what leadership or management style speaks most to you. Discuss that particular style, explain why it fits you better than others. Alternatively, consider the leadership or management style fits you least. Explain what is least desirable with that style from your perspective. What leadership or management style speaks most to me? They are a few leadership styles that I venerate. The Transformational Leadership, the Visionary Leadership, and the Charismatic Leadership styles are the mostRead MoreEssay on Leadership Reflection Plan836 Words   |  4 PagesRunning head: LEADERSHIP REFLECTION PAPER Leadership Reflection Paper Shaynee Olson February 18th, 2013 University of Phoenix CUR/510 Dr. Park Abstract The purpose of this research is a self-reflection on the author’s personal leadership style. This research will include qualities of effective leadership, the author’s philosophy of leadership, and examples of the author’s leadership style. This research will also include a reflection of the author’s personal strengths as well as how theRead MoreThe Nine Leadership Styles The Following Styles1195 Words   |  5 PagesUpon review of the nine leadership styles the following styles: ______ mostly closely mirror my personal perspective. Each of these leadership philosophies has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, each is congruent with what I believe is necessary to craft the ideal leader. Through the combined usage of these styles I strive to emulate the wholesomeness of leadership as I am continuously exposed to the nuances experienced by leaders. Furthermore, they are in unison with the

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Business Research Method Research Proposal-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Business Research Method Research Proposal? Answer: Introduction Global management teams of a company are the section that operates in handling the issues that are faced in the global market. Their duty is to manage the companie resources in the global level. There are some Organizations like the Multinational Enterprises that are large global organizations that is incorporated in one country but operate in global level. A MNE can be identified from some of its major characteristics. These types of companies are large in size and they operate in global level, but their activities are primarily controlled centrally by their parent companies. This paper will be focusing on the challenges that are faced by the management teams in global levels of their management. In other words, the paper will be discussing about challenges of global management of the companies operating in the global market. Literature review is highlighted in the paper, prior to which, scope and the objective of the project is also presented. Project Scope The project will be carried forward keeping its central focus on the challenges that are faced by the management teams of the companies in global context. Project Objective To identify the challenges that is faced by the global management team around the world. To preparing new global management strategies eliminating the problems and to ensure the growth of the company in the globalization market. To manage the outsourcing of innovation. Literature Review Challenges in HR management The human resource management team of different international companies is currently facing challenges due to the changes in the economy, domestic diversity, globalization and technology. All these changes have placed new demands in front of the industry and propelled the field in some entirely new direction. This is a major challenge for the industry as they have to bring variety of changes in the organization. With greater challenges came new opportunities for the HR and the organization (Stone and Deadrick 2015). Challenges in subsidiary level The complexity in the interaction due to globalization increased the challenges for the Multinational Enterprises in managing them. The MNEs have to manage two levels of multiple embeddedness, one at MNE level and another at subsidiary level. In order to exploit similarities and differences of their host locations effectively, they have to set their network in accordance with that. On the subsidiary level, they have to balance the internal and the external embeddedness of the company. Thus it creates both challenges and opportunities for the company, where the challenge lies in operational part and the opportunity on the other hand is in business growth (Meyer, Mudambi and Narula 2011). The alignment of capabilities and the charters are required in order to bring changes in subsidiary level. A managerial coordination is essential for the purpose which are interaction based, charter and experience coordination. Implication of these mechanisms can result in alignment of the charters. It can also introduce us to the new insights into the misalignments which can become a useful source for distinguishing the HQ mandates and subsidiary actions. (Friesl and Silberzahn 2017). With the growing globalization of the business in todays market bring complexity in Multinational Enterprises and highlights the challenges of managing headquarters subsidiary relationships. Hoenen and Kostova highlighted various subsidiary relationship issues in a wide range of MNEs and concluded that implementation of the agency theory; specifically recent progression can advance the understanding of the issue and provide guidance for resolving it. Static multilateral, static bilateral, dynamic and social and contextual streams of agency theory can is suggested by the authors (Hoenen and Kostova 2015). Regional management centers are often replaced by the regional headquarters or management mandates in the field of multinational enterprises. It is to operate the subsidiaries. In the article, Multinational enterprise regional management centers; Characteristics and performances the authors have identified several differences in the characteristics and the performance gap between RMMs and RHQs. Longitudinal sample of 855 Japanese RMCs in 41 countries has been used in the article for this. The authors suggested a structural complement to regional strategy extensions of the integration responsiveness framework and gave an important large sample baseline. It results new theoretical and empirical research into MNE regional management strategy and structure (Chakravarty et al. 2017). Parrot (2013) highlighted the challenges of mainstreaming microfinance and the role of socially responsible investment. It also integrated illustrations of the micro credits generated by the pilot and pointed the potential sales that will generate the promotion of housing microfinance and the number of people will get impacted. Challenges in cross-cultural management Lou in is article Toward a reverse adaptation view in cross-cultural management in 2016 identifies the need of maintain the independence of both global and local level management. He further stated that, these global MNEs often approach their local talent needs in an unproductive and uncoordinated way. On contrary, the MNEs can also create competitive advantage by taking a global approach to its talents. This transformation and cultivation of local into global talent necessitates endeavor from a wide range of corporate, individual and subsidiary level in cultural, structural, professional, organizational and informal aspects. As an international organization, the MNEs have to operate in a global level, therefore, not only deal with people of various geographies, but also from various cultures. This is a major issue that every MNEs manager has to face. Moreover, there are various issues are related with the geographical and cultural phenomena, which are, linguistic, spatial, political, economic and societal issues which needs to be dealt with a single HR plan. It puts the manager in a tough situation to prepare a strategy for all these (Allen, Lee and Reiche 2015). Challenges in CRS CSR or Corporate Social responsibility is a recent trend which gained importance in 1960 and is closely related to the MNE industry. It is the responsibilities to the society and a large section of the stakeholders beyond the shareholders of the organization. In order to manage the social obligations, different MNEs have established dedicated organizational units to explore the variety of options for their corporate engagements. MNEs have to have broad management strategy in order to handle the CSR issues. The sole reason for this is that the MNEs have to work in a global market in a broad geographical territory. Hence, they have to deal with more than just one society. Various social obligations need to be considered while forming the CSR policy of the company (Wang et al. 2016). Lopez and Fornes (2015) in their paper Corporate social responsibility in emerging markets: case studies of Spanish MNCs in Latin America discussed about the CSR policies of MNCs in emerging markets from developed countries. They supported their thought with eight case studies which they collected through in-depth interview of the senior managers. Their findings indicated that the MNCs under study faced similar kinds of challenges in forming CSR policies for their respective companies. Diversity of culture and ethnicity of the operating countries possessed threat for the company to form a proper CSR policy which can be resolved with the help of instrumental theory. The theory is guided by the strategic tool to achieve economic objective, positive relation between the financial performance and them and use these to strengthen their reputation (Lopez and Fornes 2015). Challenges in legal grounds According to Gashu (2016), the companies should operate by the rules of the home country as well as the host country and the international laws. Which means, that the company should make a versatile policy for the legal environment to handle all the societies under operation. They should also consider prepare separate flexible and adaptable law and other legal rule for each society. The knowledge of the operational countries is essential for the management of the company to make these rules which can be a challenge. These laws and regulations can also increase the risk factors for the country as the investors will withdraw their branches from the respective countries if the laws do not fit profitable for the company. It impacts the company in an identical manner as they may lose a strong market for their company. Challenges related to technology MNE also faces challenges in the technological grounds which is an important source of economic advantage for both the company and the host country. For that, the company needs to have superior technological capabilities in comparison to the domestic companies of the host country as it leaves an opportunity for the company to grow. It will also result in increase in productivity (Narula and Driffield 20125). Challenges in the ground of talent hunt Another essential factor that plays a vital role in the success is the talent and here lies the challenge. MNCs often come across competition for talent worldwide by increasing their efforts in global talent management. MNCs often incorporate information and communication technology to increase the efficiency of the strategic alignment of Global talent management. Companies face hurdle in this part, where they have to properly align these two for the success of the company (Rul and Lake 2014). Challenges in communication gap Klitmller, Schneider and Jonsen (2015) in their paper worked on relation between media choice, language difference and social categorization in the global virtual terms where they came across with various hurdles a MNC faces. They found that there is a significant gap between verbal media and language proficiency difference which lead to social categorization in the employees and also in dealing with the client. Surprisingly, they received a different feedback in case of the written media. It became a challenge for the MNCs in managing its employees in the organization. Eventually it decreases the efficiency of the team as the team members find distance between themselves because of the language issue. Similar problem arises when a team is relocated in a different part where there is a difference in language. For example, if a American team is relocated in their office in France, it drastically reduces the efficiency of both the team and the office where they are posted due to the la nguage barrier. This obstacle lies within every global company and no solution have been proposed for resolving it. Challenges in Outsourcing Innovation Outsourcing the innovation is another vital challenge that a MNC faces. It is hard for a MNC to come up with an innovative strategic idea in this era of globalization. The companies need to bring adjustments in outsourcing the research and development. The problem arises in decision making at the time, when there is a characteristic gap between the home country and the host country. Heterogeneity between the host and the home country impacts on the autonomy of the innovation at the host country which results in higher transaction cost. As the transaction cost in the primary determinant of making decision, it leaves direct impact on the outsourcing of the innovation (Yeo et al. 2017). Gap in the literature The above studies discussed about the challenges that are faced by a companys global management team. Various articles gave insight on issues in various grounds. But there are still a lot of scopes to conduct research. There is clear need of further research in cross-cultural management. Though there are some articles available in the ground, further research is always welcomed in the field. The existing studies discuss very few on about the outsourcing of the innovations of the global companies which can be the primary focus of the company. Conclusion From the above the discussion, it can be concluded that there are various challenges that are face by the MNE management in the changing market. The changes in the management of the industry are essential to cope up with the changes in the global market. The challenges that are currently faced in outsourcing of innovation are a field where much opportunity is available to carry out the research as there are only few works has been conducted. On the other hand, the communication gap due to cultural differences is a forever issue of the MNC industry. It can never be completely eradicated as the ethnic and linguistic gap can never be minimized as the industry operates in global level. Though numerous studies have been conducted on the issue, but there is much scope to work in it as it requires more advancement to manage the issue. Multiple embeddedness, subsidiary management issue, culture issues, CSR management challenges, technological problem and some other issues have been highlight ed in the proposal. References Allen, D., Lee, Y.T. and Reiche, S., 2015. Global work in the multinational enterprise: New avenues and challenges for strategically managing human capital across borders.Journal of Management,41(7), pp.2032-2035. Chakravarty, D., Hsieh, Y.Y., Schotter, A.P. and Beamish, P.W., 2017. Multinational enterprise regional management centres: Characteristics and performance.Journal of World Business,52(2), pp.296-311. Friesl, M. and Silberzahn, R., 2017. Managerial coordination challenges in the alignment of capabilities and new subsidiary charters in MNEs.Organization Studies, p.0170840617693271. Gashu, Mekoyet, 2016. Challenges faced by Multinational Companies: The Case of Castel Winery Company in Ethiopia, International Journal of Scientific Engineering Research, vol-7. Hoenen, A.K. and Kostova, T., 2015. Utilizing the broader agency perspective for studying headquarterssubsidiary relations in multinational companies.Journal of International Business Studies,46(1), pp.104-113. Klitmller, A., Schneider, S.C. and Jonsen, K., 2015. Speaking of global virtual teams: language differences, social categorization and media choice.Personnel Review,44(2), pp.270-285. Lopez, B. and Fornes, G., 2015. Corporate social responsibility in emerging markets: case studies of Spanish MNCs in Latin America.European Business Review,27(2), pp.214-230. Luo, Y., 2016. adaptation view in cross-cultural management.Management,23(1). Meyer, K.E., Mudambi, R. and Narula, R., 2011. Multinational enterprises and local contexts: The opportunities and challenges of multiple embeddedness.Journal of Management Studies,48(2), pp.235-252. Moran, T., 2014. Multinational corporations. Narula, R. and Driffield, N. 20125. Does FDI Cause development? The ambiguity of The evidence and why it matters, The European Journal of Development Research, Vol.24, no.1, 1-7. Perrot, Francois, 2013. Organizational Challenges of Multinational Corporations at the Base of the Pyramid: An Action-research Inquiry. cahier de recherche 2013-01. Rul, H.J. and Lake, C., 2014. Global Talent Management in MNCs in the Digital Age: Conceptualizing the GTMICT Relationship. InHuman Resource Management, Social Innovation and Technology(pp. 155-178). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Stone, D.L. and Deadrick, D.L., 2015. Challenges and opportunities affecting the future of human resource management.Human Resource Management Review,25(2), pp.139-145. Wang, H., Tong, L., Takeuchi, R. and George, G., 2016. Corporate social responsibility: An overview and new research directions thematic issue on corporate social responsibility.Academy of Management Journal,59(2), pp.534-544. Yeo, C., Yeo, C., Saboori-Deilami, V. and Saboori-Deilami, V., 2017. Strategic challenges of outsourcing innovation in global market.Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship,11(1), pp.5-16.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Lanfills Essays - Diving Equipment, Helium, Cubic Foot,

Lanfills It has long been believed that the largest entity brought upon the Earth by humankind is the Pyramid of the Sun, constructed in Mexico around the start of the Christian era. The mammoth structure commands nearly thirty million cubic feet of space. In contrast, however, is the Durham Road Landfill, outside San Francisco, which occupies over seventy million cubic feet of the biosphere. It is a sad monument, indeed, to the excesses of modern society [Gore 151]. One might assume such a monstrous mound of garbage is the largest thing ever produced by human hands. Unhappily, this is not the case. The Fresh Kills Landfill, located on Staten Island, is the largest landfill in the world. It sports an elevation of 155 feet, an estimated mass of 100 million tons, and a volume of 2.9 billion cubic feet. In total acreage, it is equal to 16,000 baseball diamonds [Miller 526]. By the year 2005, when the landfill is projected to close, its elevation will reach 505 feet above sea level, making it the highest point along the Eastern Seaboard, Florida to Maine. At that height, the mound will constitute a hazard to air traffic at Newark airport [Rathje 3-4]. Fresh Kills (Kills is from the Dutch word for creek) was originally a tidal marsh. In 1948, New York City planner Robert Moses developed a highly praised project to deposit municipal garbage in the swamp until the level of the land was above sea level. A study of the area predicted the marsh would be filled by the year 1968. He then planned to develop the area, building houses and attracting light industry. Mayor Impelliteri issued a report titled "The Fresh Kills Landfill Project" in 1951. The report stated, in part, that the enterprise "cannot fail to affect constructively a wide area around it." The report ended by stating, "It is at once practical and idealistic" [Rathje 4]. One must appreciate the irony in the fact that Robert Moses was, in his day, considered a leading conservationist. His major accomplishments include asphalt parking lots throughout the New York metro area, paved roads in and out of city parks, and development of Jones Beach, now the most polluted, dirty, overcrowded piece of shoreline in the Northeast. In Stewart Udall's book The Quiet Crisis, the former Secretary of the Interior lavishes praise on Moses. The JFK cabinet member calls Jones Beach "an imaginative solution ... (the) supreme answer to the ever-present problems of overcrowding" [Udall 163-4]. JFK's introduction to the book provides this foreboding passage: "Each generation must deal anew with the raiders, with the scramble to use public resources for private profit, and with the tendency to prefer short-run profits to long-run necessities. The crisis may be quiet, but it is urgent" [Udall xii]. Oddly, the subject of landfills is never broached in Udall's book; in 1963, the issue was, in fact, a non-issue. A modern state-of-the-art sanitary landfill is a graveyard for garbage, where deposited wastes are compacted, spread in thin layers, and covered daily with clay or synthetic foam. The modern landfill is lined with multiple, impermeable layers of clay, sand, and plastic before any garbage is deposited. This liner prevents liquids, called leachates, from percolating into the groundwater. Leachates result from rain water mixing with fluids in the garbage, making a highly toxic "juice" containing inks, heavy metals, and other poisonous compounds. Ideally, leachates are pumped up from collection points along the bottom of the landfill and either shipped to liquid waste disposal points or re-introduced into the upper layers of garbage, to resume the cycle. Unfortunately, most landfills have no such pumping system [Miller 527]. Until the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency by Nixon in 1970, there were virtually no regulations governing the construction, operation, and closure of landfills. As a result, 85 percent of all landfills extant in this country are unlined. Many are located in close proximity to aquifers or other groundwater features, or near geologically unstable sites. Many older landfills are leaching toxins into our water supply at this very moment, with no way to stop them. For example, the Fresh Kills landfill leaks an estimated one million gallons of toxic ooze into the surrounding