December 8 - 12, 2003
Monday, Dec. 8
Governor Schwarzenegger’s First Big Defeat
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In a late night vote on Friday, the California legislature rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fiscal proposals. The Governor’s aides say he will bypass the legislature and rely on public support for bond issues approved earlier during the Davis administration or a future bond measure that would appear on the November 2004 ballot. But critics warn that the State could run out of money by June if taxes are not raised or programs are not cut. Joined by Dan Weintraub, columnist, Sacramento Bee, Arnold Steinberg, political strategist, and Bruce Cain, Director of the Institute for Governmental Studies, Larry Mantle discusses this first major defeat for Arnold Schwarznegger since he took office as Governor.
Usc Going To The Rose Bowl, Not The Sugar Bowl
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Larry Mantle talks with L.A. Times staff writer Gary Klein and the CEO of the Tournament of Roses Mitch Dorger about USC, the controversy over their number one ranking in the polls and their BCS ranking.
The Role Of Islamic Clerics In An Iraqi Democracy
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Iraq’s Shiite clerics and the Shiite religious parties favor direct elections for a transitional government rather than the American-backed proposal to use provincial caucuses for selecting delegates to a national assembly. This is only one of the points of contention between the Americans and the religious Shiite parties in their struggle for political power in a post-Saddam Iraq. Larry Mantle talks with Brian Bennett, correspondent for Time magazine in Baghdad, and Imam Ali Al Qazwini, an active Iraqi American in Southern California about the role of the Iraqi Shiite clerics in the formation of an Iraqi democracy.
Tuesday, Dec. 9
The San Francisco Mayoral Runoff Election
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Democrat Gavin Newsom and Green party candidate Matt Gonzalez are running nearly neck to neck, depending on which poll you read. Still, there seems to be a 10% margin of undecided voters, and today’s turnout will decide who wins. Younger voters go for Gonzalez, while older voters prefer Newsom. Add to the mix the fact that up to 40% of the vote will be by absentee ballot, and the results are anyone’s guess. One thing is for certain: this has been a most unusual race! Tim Redmond, Executive Editor of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and John Wildermuth, political writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, join Host Larry Mantle to talk about the race.
Celebrity Charity Scandal
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In November, federal authorities charged event promoter Aaron Tonken with two counts of fraud related to charitable fundraising. Seven million dollars is unaccounted for, and Tonken will plead in court today. These charges bring to the fore the practice of paying celebrities for appearances at charity events. For example, David Schwimmer, of the hit TV series “Friends,” was given a pair of Rolex watches, and Natalie Cole obtained Cartier jewelry. Tonken gave other celebrities thousands of dollars and trips in exchange for their appearance at a given charity event. Host Larry Mantle speaks with LA Times staff reporter Jim Bates about the story. Then, “AirTalk” opens the phone lines to hear what you think about the practice of buttering-up celebrities to entice them to appear at charity events.
Nuclear North Korea
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In a move to deal with North Korea’s nuclear program, the Bush administration has agreed with South Korea and Japan to a broadly worded set of principles to end the North Korean nuclear threat, calling for a “coordinated” series of steps that would be monitored by five nations who have agreed to offer the North security, in exchange for a verifiable dismantling of its nuclear facilities.
Two experts, Victor Cha, Associate Professor of Government and holder of the D.S. Song-Korea Foundation Chair in Asian Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, and David Kang, Associate Professor of Government and Business at the Tuck School, Dartmouth College and an Adjunct Fellow at the Center for National Policy in Washington D.C. and Research Director of the Center for International Business at Tuck School join Larry to discuss the North Korean nuclear crisis their new book on the topic, Nuclear North Korea.
Wednesday, Dec. 10
Gore Endorses Howard Dean
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On Tuesday, Al Gore, former Vice-President and Democratic presidential candidate in 2000, endorsed Howard Dean in his bid for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Larry Mantle talks with Raphe Sonenshein, Professor of Political Science, CSU Fullerton, and Kevin Philips, a commentator on NPR, author and frequent columnist for the LA Times, about the impact of this endorsement on Dean’s campaign and on the campaigns of the other Democratic candidates.
Governor Schwarzenegger's Fiscal Woes
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Governor Schwarzenegger is now telling legislators that he will make cuts in education to balance the State budget and has even stated that he will try to roll back Prop. 98. Critics say this violates campaign promises he made not to touch education spending. What is the Governor’s strategy and how will it play out? Raphe Sonenshein, Professor of Political Science, CSU Fullerton, and Vince Sollito, Deputy Press Secretary for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, join Host Larry Mantle.
Shortfall in Vehicle License Fees
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Now that Governor Schwarzenegger has repealed the Vehicle License Fee, some cities are scrambling to deal with budget shortfalls. Larry will discuss the effect these shortfalls will have on services in LA and surrounding Southern California cities. Joining Larry are Megan Taylor, Director of communication for the League of California Cities, Jack Weiss, Los Angeles City Councilman representing the 5th council district, John Saunders, Assistant City Manager for the City of Cerritos, and Jim Smith, Management and Budget Director for the City of Riverside.
America’s Low-Income Housing Policy
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Larry Mantle talks with Harvard’s Howard Husock about his new book America’s Trillion Dollar Housing Mistake: The Failure of America’s Housing Policy. Husock believes government subsidized low-income housing has created urban blight and perpetuated poverty. Joining the conversation also are Peter Dreier, the Dr. E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics and Director of the Urban & Environmental Policy Program at Occidental College, Ed Griffin, Director of Intergovernmental and Community Relations for the Los Angeles City Housing Authority, and Sarah Duceau, Deputy Mayor of Housing for the City of Los Angeles.
Thursday, Dec. 11
California’s Continuing Fiscal Crisis
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During his campaign, Governor Schwarzenegger promised to repeal the Vehicle License Fee. He said that he would get the lost VLF funds to cities and counties from another source. Upon election, Schwarzenegger repealed the VLF fee, but now he is having trouble finding other money to give to the cities and counties. Cities and counties across the state will lose varying percentages of their general fund, and they are angry. Meanwhile, the state legislature and the Governor continue to try and negotiate to solve the budget problem. Host Larry Mantle hears from a variety of people, including Zev Yaroslavsky, County Supervisor for the 3rd Supervisorial District, Mike Montgomery, Capital Bureau chief at KXJZ News, Sharon Runner, Republican Assemblywoman representing the 36th district, Jackie Goldberg, Democratic Assemblywomen from the 45th District and Jean Ross, Executive Director of the California Budget Project.
Miranda Revisited
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What happens if law enforcement officers either inadvertently or deliberately fail to inform a suspect of his or her rights before questioning? On Tuesday the Supreme Court heard arguments that put the practical meaning of Miranda (the landmark 1966 decision that established the now familiar warnings that law enforcement officers must give to suspects before questioning them about a crime) and its utility, very much in question. At issue was the admissibility of evidence obtained by police after failing to inform suspects of their rights.
Larry Mantle discusses this case and Supreme Court decision to uphold the McCain Feingold campaign finance reform law. They will also talk about the order by an Appeals Court in Florida to retry a boy who is serving life in prison for the killing of a 6 year-old girl when he was 12. Robert Pugsley, Professor of Law at Southwestern University School of Law, joins Host Larry Mantle to discuss Miranda.
The U.S. Interstate Highway System
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The U.S. Interstate Highway system changed the face of the nation just fifty years ago, when the only links between America’s cities were simple two-lane roads filled with stop signs, traffic lights, and rail and cattle crossings. Joining Larry is Dan McNichol, author of The Roads That Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate System (Barnes and Noble Books).
Friday, Dec. 12
The Recent News From Sacramento
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Los Angeles Daily News political reporter Harrison Sheppard joins Host Larry Mantle to discuss the latest budget news from Sacramento. Also joining Larry are Vince Sollito, Deputy Press Secretary for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keith Richmond, Republican Assemblyman representing the 38th Assembly District and Joe Canciamilla, Democratic State Assemblyman for the 11th district.
Is the Kyoto Protocol Dead?
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A United Nations conference on Global Warming just concluded today in Milan, Italy. Hopes were high that the Kyoto Protocol would finally be ratified, but in the end Russia refused to sign it. Larry Mantle talks with New York Times science writer Andrew Revkin about the status of the Kyoto Protocol, as well as the latest research on global warming.
FilmWeek
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Larry Mantle and critics Peter Rainer of New York Magazine,
Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com
discuss this week's new film releases, including Something's Gotta Give, Big Fish, Stuck on You, The Statement,
Girl Wth a Pearl Earring,
and the re-release of Au hasard Balthazar.
