Tasks:

1. Read "How to stop communities from growing farther and farther apart" by Myron Orfield (Los Angeles Times, 15 November 1998, M-1) .
2. Think about the concept of regional polarization and its manifestation in the provision of infrastructure
3. Think about the notion of pooling property- and sales-tax
4. Write an essay in which you address this question:  Is property- and sales-tax pooling a promising idea for reducing regional polarization in the Los Angeles area?

• Your essay should explain the meaning of regional polarization and tax pooling in your own words.
• Using an infrastructure example would be a good way to frame "your own words."
• Many forms of infrastructure are already provided through pooled sources (e.g. infrastructure provided by governments whose jurisdiction transcends municipal boundaries.

Evaluative Criteria:
A: A superior paper that is well-organized, has well-structured thoughts and is thorough; it addresses all parts of the assignment. The writer has provided specific examples and details. This paper has been spell-checked; punctuation and capitalization have also been checked. It is a final draft.

B: A very good paper that is weak in some aspects, such as not thoroughly addressing the assignment; it is not as clearly organized in thought and compositions as the superior paper. While it has been checked for mechanical errors, there are some inconsistencies which may detract from the quality of the paper.

C: A good paper that is an adequate or satisfactory response, but it is weaker than the very good or superior paper in several ways. For example, it may not clearly support with example(s) statements that are made. This paper is marred by "awkward" or grammar, mechanical errors, and poor word use.

D: A minimally acceptable paper. It barely addresses the assignment. The writing is less than competent and shows problems in several areas. The paper, however, is strong enough to earn a passing grade.

F: A failing paper. There is very little understanding of the assignment. It has major deficiencies in organization, development, sentence/section structure, word choice, grammar, and/or mechanics.

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