PPB: Its relevance to financially constrained municipalities

Abstract. This paper assumes that Planning-Programming-Budgeting (ppb ) is preferable to the current historical budgeting procedure of municipalities. This is in part because ppb necessitates policy-making (defined as the setting of goals). The paper argues that the ability of municipalities to adopt ppb and policy-making is severely constrained by fiscal imbalance. The reliance of Canadian municipalities on conditional transfers and on the property tax has negated ppb procedures by distorting priorities and narrowing decision-making. The paper further argues that inflation will accentuate the financial problems of municipalities because of different revenue and tax elasticities. The point of departure is a brief examination of the logic behind urban government and the division of responsibilities. The second section looks at municipal fiscal imbalance, and the third analyses how fiscal imbalance negates policy-making and ppb . A final section suggests three remedies that might induce adoption of ppb . One would reduce the distortions of transfers and the other two would ease fiscal imbalance. Sommaire. Cet article suggère que le processus de Planification-Programmation et Budgétisation (ppb ) est préférable au processus de budgétisation couramment en usage dans les municipalités, en partie parce que le ppb implique la détermination d'objectifs politiques. L'article soutient que la possibilité d'adoption du ppb et d'une politique précise par les municipalités est très limitée à cause du déséquilibre fiscal. La subordination des municipalités canadiennes aux subventions conditionnelles et a Fimpôt fonder, en changeant les priorités et en limitant le pouvoir de décision, a rendu impossible le ppb. L'article soutient de plus que l'inflation accentuera les problèmes financiers des municipalités à cause des différentes élasticités des taxes et des revenus. L'étude commence par un bref examen des principes qui régissent l'administration urbaine et 3a division des responsabilités. La deuxième partie traite du déséquilibre fiscal des municipalités, et la troisième indique pour quelle raison le déséquilibre fiscal rend impossible une politique suivie et l'application du processus du ppb . Une dernière partie suggère trois solutions qui pourraient faciliter l'adoption du ppb. L'une réduirait les distortions dues aux subventions conditionnelles et les deux autres permettraient d'alléger le déséquilibre fiscal.     

Assessment of Perceived Parenting Behaviors: The Exposure to Abusive and Supportive Environments Parenting Inventory (EASE-PI)

Due to an awareness of the frequency of child abuse and lack of a single instrument to assess the extent of exposure to both the abusive and supportive environments provided by parents, a 70 item inventory (the EASE-PI) was developed that is a self-report on how both mother and father treated the respondent. A factor analysis, which was subsequently replicated, revealed three abusive factors (representing emotional, physical, and sexual abusiveness) and three supportive factors (love/support, promotion of independence, and positive modeling/fairness). The same factors emerged regardless of gender of respondent and gender of parent. The inventory provides a means to investigate the differential and interactive effects of exposure to emotional, physical, and sexual abusiveness and the possible mitigating effects of different types of supportive behaviors by each parent.     

Women who molest children

In only nine of approximately 600 cases of child molestation in New Hampshire and Vermont was the perpetrator found to be a woman. Case histories and some testing data show a history of sexual assault as a child, frequent offense in the company of a dominant male partner, and a major disinhibition as a result of severe character disorder or limited intelligence. These factors not only interfered with maternal bonding and nurturing behavior but also contributed to suspension of judgment about the appropriateness of sexual contact with children.     

Fourteen years' survival with an untreated traumatic rupture of the thoracal aorta

Untreated traumatic rupture of the aorta generally results in sudden death. A case with 14 years' survival after an unrecognized traumatic rupture of the aorta is presented. Chronic traumatic aneurysm of the aorta should be kept in mind in a patient who develops sudden symptoms of arteriosclerotic heart disease months to years after a relevant thoracic trauma.     

Sudden death by inhalation of cyclopropane

This paper reports the case of a 22-year-old white male who was found dead in a storage room as a result of a fatal ingestion of cyclopropane. Cyclopropane is a sweet-smelling, irritating gas. Autopsy findings revealed congestion and hemorrhagic edema of the lungs, congestion of the trachea, and early autolysis. Cyclopropane was determined by headspace gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. To our knowledge, this is the first reported fatality involving cyclopropane.