July 7 - 11, 2003
Monday, July 7
Vehicle License Fee Increase
(Listen)
Hold on to your seatbelts, your vehicle license fee is about to triple. California's Department of Finance says state law mandates the fee increase because of the budget crisis. Conservative lawmakers say that's just not true, and they vow to fight it, saying it's an unfair burden on California's middle class. Join Larry Mantle as he talks with Assemblyman Tom McClintock, who opposes the tax and is leading a fight to repeal it, and Chief Bill Brown, California Police Association, 2nd Vice President from Lompoc, who supports the VLF increase.
Better Parenting
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Larry Mantle talks with UCLA Parenting Experts, Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell, about how we can be better parents. Their new book, Parenting From the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive (Tarcher/Putnam). It explores the extent to which our own childhood experiences shape the way we parent, and offers a step-by-step approach on how parents can gain a greater self-understanding and raise compassionate, resilient children.
Tuesday, July 8
Iraq Update
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Larry Mantle discusses the latest news about the U.S. troops in Iraq, including General Tommy Franks stepping down, soldier morale, and daily guerilla attacks. Lt. Col. Hal Kempfer, Strategic Risk Management Consultant, Analyst for ABC 7 and a Reserve Lt. Colonel in the United States Marine Corps, joins Larry for the update.
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
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HR 1904, introduced by Representative McInnis, passed the House and is now in debate on the Senate floor. It is a forest management bill that would either protect, or grossly mismanage, America's forests from fire. But, it all depends on whom you ask. Joining Larry Mantle to discuss the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, as well as forest vulnerability, is Monica Bond, staff biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity, Chad Hansen, director of the John Muir project, and Phil Aune, Vice President for public resources, CA Forestry Association. Larry also gets an update on the state of fire vulnerability here in Los Angeles from John R. Todd, Chief in the Forestry Division with the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Our Love Affair With Falling
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Many people like to fly, but some love the sensation of falling. About two centuries ago, humans began a love affair with falling, defying gravity for a thrill. The first parachutist jumped in 1797; then came roller coasters, the flying trapeze and the tightrope walker. Writer Garrett Soden joins host Larry Mantle to discuss his new book, Falling: How Our Greatest Fear Became Our Greatest Thrill (W.W. Norton). Soden soars through the history of falling, from early rituals to extreme sports. He looks at the idea of falling, the notion of Šü“the fall,Šü¦ as something negative, and traces how we use the word Šü“fallingŠü¦ in everyday language.
Wednesday, July 9
Accessing City Services
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What does it take to get a pothole filled in LA? Larry speaks with Michelle Fleenor, Field Deputy in the office of City Councilman Tom LaBonge, who represents the 4th council district, Roberto Negrete, Field Deputy in the office City Councilman, Alex Padilla, who represents the 7th council district, and Cory Jackson Fossett, Public Information Director for the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, about how city residents gain access to services.
Widening of FERC Probe of Energy Crisis
(Listen)
On June 25th, FERC decided to uphold California's long-term energy contracts signed during the crisis. But on that day, FERC also decided to widen its probe of the energy crisis to include a five-month period, from May 1-Oct. 2, 2000. The expanded focus is on short-term energy bids. Experts estimate that this expanded probe could make available to California up to and additional billion dollars in refunds. Joining host Larry Mantle for an update and discussion of the latest news in the FERC probe is Peter Navarro, Professor of Public Policy at UC Irvine, Jan Smutny-Jones, Executive Director of the Independent Energy Producers' Association, and Severin Borenstein, Director of the UC Energy Institute and Professor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.
New Novel Southland about L.A.'S Crenshaw District
(Listen)
Larry Mantle talks with Nina Revoyr about her new novel Southland (Akashic Books) that provides a historical perspective on L.A.'s Crenshaw District in the 1960's. In Southland, Revoyr also discusses other topics, such as the Japanese internment camps of World War II and the Watts Riots.
The World Center for Spiritualists: Lily Dale
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Imagine a Victorian town full of mediums whose job it is to channel the dead. There is such a place in New York state. It's the town of Lily Dale, the historic home of the Spiritualist community for over 125 years. Christine Wicker, reporter and author of Lily Dale: The True Story of the Town That Talks to the Dead (Harper), joins host Larry Mantle to discuss this unusual town.
Thursday, July 10
Delaying the High School Exit Exam
(Listen)
On Wednesday, the California State Board of Education voted unanimously to postpone the high school exit exam requirement for two years. The Board cited that not all students have been properly prepared to take the high stakes test. The first high school graduating class required to take the exam would be the class of 2006. Joining host Larry Mantle to discuss the topic is Eric Hanushek, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Kerry Mazzoni, Secretary for Education on the cabinet of California Governor Gray Davis, and Jose Huizar, President of the LAUSD board.
Chris Reed: Orange County News
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Chris Reed, op-ed column editor for the Orange County Register joins Larry to discuss the latest Orange County news. Topics discussed include Newport Beach Councilman Richard Nichols' offensive remarks about Mexicans hogging public beaches, rising sewage rates in Orange County, a mentally-ill clerk's fatal sword rampage in an Irvine grocery store and more.
When Grown Children Disappoint Their Parents
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Larry Mantle talks with social psychologist and author, Jane Adams about her new book When Our Grown Kids Disappoint Us: Letting Go of Their Problems, Loving Them Anyway, And Getting On With Our Lives (Free Press). Adams provides insights for parents on overcoming the pain, frustration, and disappointment when grown children fail to thrive, and discusses the limits of parental responsibility. She will also talk about how to detach from adult children's problems.
Friday, July 11
The Loomis Lawsuit Challenging the U.S. Military's Šü“Don't Ask, Don't TellŠü¦ Policy
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A former Army Lt. Colonel has filed a suit in federal claims court, challenging his 1997 discharge for being gay. Loren Loomis was discharged under Šü“other than honorableŠü¦ conditions after his house burned down, and a salvaged videotape of him engaged in sexual behavior with another man was turned over to the Army by a fireman. The Loomis case challenges the Army's Šü“don't ask, don't tellŠü¦ policy, and it has assumed new meaning in light of the recent Supreme Court decision in Lawrence vs. Texas. Joining host Larry Mantle to discuss the issue is Jon Davidson, Senior Counsel at LAMBDA Legal Defense and Education Fund.
The San Francisco Dog-Mauling Case
(Listen)
Larry Mantle talks with best-selling author Aphrodite Jones about her new book, Red Zone: The Behind the Scenes Story of the San Francisco Dog Mauling (Morrow), in which she reconstructs the crime, the subsequent trial, and the back stories of all involved in the case.
FilmWeek
(Listen)
Larry Mantle and critics
F.X. Feeney of the L.A. Weekly,
Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com and the L.A. Weekly
, and
Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic of both
CityBeat and ValleyBeat,
discuss this week's new film releases, including Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Northfork, The Housekeeper, I Capture the Castle, Tattoo, and
Washington Heights.
