【正文】 e problems, or that electing Green would suffice. Perhaps another candidate, or another course of action, would be more effective. Even if Green does everything in her power as citycouncil member to solve these problems, perhaps additionalmeasuressuch as replacing other council members, state legislators, or even the state39。s governorwould also be required in order to achieve Clearview39。s environmental objectives. In sum, the editorial39。s author cannot justify his or her voting remendation on the basis of the scant evidence provided in the editorial. To bolster the remendation the author must provide better evidence that (1) Clearview has environmental problems to begin with, (2) Green would be more effective than either Braun or any other candidate in solving thoseproblems, and (3) electing Green would suffice to solve those problems. To better assess the argument I would need to know the scope of the city council39。s authority respecting environmental decisions. I would also need to know Braun39。s voting record on environmental issues, Green39。s experience and position on those issues, and the voters39。 other choicesbesides Green and Braun.Argument 7 The following appeared in a memorandum issued by the strategic planning department at Omni Inc.Mesa Foods, a manufacturer of snack foods that currently markets its products within a relatively small region of the country, has strong growth potential. Mesa enjoyed a 20 percent increase in profits last year, and its bestselling product, Diabolique Salsa, has had increased sales over each of the past three years. Since Omni Inc. is interested in reaching 14to25 year olds, the age group that consumes the most snack food, we should buy Mesa Foods, and concentrate in particular on marketing Diabolique Salsa throughout the country.This Omni, Inc. memorandum remends that Omni buy snackfood manufacturer Mesa Foods and aggressively promote its brand of salsa nationwide. To support this remendation the memo relies on the exceptional profitability of Mesa39。s salsa during the last three years, along with the fact that Mesa39。s overall profits were up last year. However, the remendation relies on a series of unsubstantiated assumptions, which render it unconvincing as it stands.First of all, the memo indicates that Omni is interested in selling to 14to25 yearolds. Accordingly, the argument rests on the assumption that Mesa39。s snack foods appeal to this age group. Yet, we are not informed what types of snack foods Mesa manufactures, aside from its salsa. It is entirely possible that Mesa39。s foods, including its salsa, appeal primarily to other age groups. If this is the case, the remended acquisition would not serve Omni39。s goal. Secondly, the argument rests on the assumption that in the region where Mesa39。s productsare sold the preferences of consumers between the ages of 14 and 25 typify nationwide preferences among this age group. If this is not the case, then it is entirely possible that Omni would not sell enough Mesa snack foods, including its salsa, to earn a profit from its Mesa operation. Thus, without more marketing information about the snackfood tastes of 14to25 yearolds nationwide it is difficult to assess the merit of the memo39。s remendation.Even if the memo39。s author can substantiate the foregoing assumptions, the author overlooks the possibility that last year39。s 20% increase in Mesa39。s profits was an aberration, and that in most other years Mesa has not been profitable. Also, the 20% increase might have been due entirely to sales of Mesa39。s salsa, and aside from the profit from salsa sales Mesa39。s profitability is actually declining. If either is the case, and if Mesa39。s salsa does not turn out to be popular among 14to25 yearolds across the nation, then Omni is unlikely to profit from theremended course of action.In condusion, the remendation is not well supported. To convince me that the Mesa Foods acquisition would be profitable Omni would need to provide clear statistical evidence that Mesa39。s snack foods, and its salsa in particular, would appeal to 14to25 yearolds nationwide. To better evaluate the remendation, I would need more information about Mesa39。s profitability over a longer time period, and about the extent to which Mesa39。s salsaaccounts for any such pofitability.Argument 8The following appeared in a memorandum from a dean at Omega University. Fifteen years ago, Omega University implemented a new procedure that encouraged students to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of all their professors. Since that time, Omega professors have begun to assign higher grades in their classes, and overall student grade averages at Omega have risen by thirty percent. Potential employers apparently believe the grades at Omega are inflated。 this would explain why Omega graduates have not been as successful at getting jobs as have graduates from nearby Alpha University. To enable its graduates to secure better jobs, Omega University should now terminate student evaluation of professors.In this memo Omega University39。s dean points out that Omega graduates are less successful in getting jobs than Alpha University graduates, despite the fact that during the past 15 years the overall grade average of Omega students has risen by 30%. The dean also points out that during the past 15 years Omega has encouraged its students, by way of a particular procedure, to evaluate the effectiveness of their professors. The dean reasons that this procedure explains the gradeaverage increase, which in turn has created a perception among employers that Omega graduates are less qualified for jobs. On the basis of this line of reasoning the dean concludes that to enable Omega graduates to find better jobs Omega must terminate its professorevaluation procedure. This argument contains several logical flaws, which render it unconvincing. A threshold problem with the argument involves the voluntary nature of the evaluation