During the 1980's, many Americans participated directly and indirectly in the drama and tragedy of major catastrophes, from volcanic eruptions to air crashes, closing the decade with the devastating Exxon Valdez oil spill, Hurricane Hugo, and the San Francisco earthquake. The objective of this volume is to examine how we have addressed some of the major hazards and, to the extent possible, assess the effectiveness of these efforts. This volume inventories and evaluates the major programs and policies designed to deal with the most common and destructive natural and man-made disasters, dividing them into four categories: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Disaster-types included in the handbook are earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, droughts, hazardous materials accidents, nuclear facility accidents, structural failures, and transportation accidents. Following the analyses of specific disaster-types, the book considers the utility of all-hazard programs, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Integrated Emergency Management System and documents the status of present emergency management efforts in the United States. A list of emergency management organizations is also included.

Each disaster-type is evaluated in terms of the frequency of occurrence, potential for property loss and human casualties, predictability of events, and the history of such disasters in the United States. In addition to analyzing the disasters themselves, the book outlines the development of emergency management efforts by federal, state, and local governments; the major problems in designing policy to respond to the specific risks and hazards, as well as some of the major policy alternatives. The analyses address questions of issue salience, levels of program funding, and technical problems. Due to the wide variety of responses at the state and local levels, the primary focus is on federal emergency management program. This book will serve students, officials, and academic researchers by providing an overview of the major emergency management program areas. The addition of graphs, tables, and maps will assist nonspecialists in understanding the nature of the disasters and risks being discussed.

Written for health care administrators with little accounting or finance background, this book provides a readable, easily understood overview of health care finance. Hy fully discusses accounting concepts, working capital, rate setting, cost analysis, accounts receivable, revenue sources, and inventory management. The abundant use of figures facilitates the understanding of complex financial concepts such as the financial functions involved with implementing operational and capital budgets, managing different types of accounts, determining costs, and setting prices. The aim throughout is to acquaint readers with the concepts involved and enable them to communicate effectively with finance officials.

In addition to thorough coverage of health care finance issues, the book also deals with some functions not normally covered in texts on the subject. These include both a thorough exploration of various types of revenue sources and an explanation of techniques used to cut costs associated with inventories, thereby saving organizations money. Especially valuable are appendices which illustrate two different procedures for estimating volume--the heart of financial forecasting. Practicing health care administrators whose job requires financial proficiency as well as students with no financial training will find this book an indispensable resource.

Provides an overview of state and local taxation, the current and future outlook across the nation, the role of taxes in economic development, and tax administration. Analyzes and compares all types of state and local taxes-income (individual and corporate) sales (retail and wholesale taxes on food, medicine, gas, and electricity), excise and consumption (on motor fuel, tobacco, and alcoholic beverages and on food, lodging, amusements, parimutuels, and lotteries), property (on different types of property), and severance taxes (on timber and minerals). Examines the philosophy behind the different taxes, recent trends, and current and future policy options. Appendices describing policy analysis and evaluation and listing key sources of information about state and local taxes, many statistical exhibits, and selective bibliography further enhance this reference for undergraduate and graduate students, the general public, and for public administrators, economists, and political scientists.