February 23 - 27, 2004
Monday, Feb. 23
Nader Decides to Run for President
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On Sunday, during the program ”Meet the Press,” Ralph Nader announced his intention to run for president in the 2004 election. Larry Mantle speaks with political consultant Joe Cerell about how Nader’s bid for the presidency will affect the Democratic votes and then open the phones for listener response to the announcement.
Mayor Hahn on Ethics Reform
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Mayor James Hahn joins Larry Mantle to discuss his five-point ethics reform plan, announced at a press conference on Friday. The plan includes bans on conflicts of interest between city contractors and campaign fundraising. Mayor Hahn’s proposal would make the City’s fundraising guidelines some of the most restrictive in the nation.
The National Crime Decline
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In the Nineteen-nineties, violent crime rates declined steadily not just in Los Angeles, but also across the nation. Larry Mantle talks with criminologist Richard Rosenfeld about the many theories for the decline, and about whether or not we can expect crime rates to rise again. Mr. Rosenfeld is the author of an article in this month’s Scientific American called “The Case of the Unsolved Crime Decline.”
How the Military Handles Sexual Assault Cases
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Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recently created a task force to investigate reports that dozens of female troops serving overseas have reported sexual assaults by fellow service members. Hearings begin on February 25th. The Miles Foundation, an advocacy group that provides services to victims of violence associated with the military, has received at least sixty reports of sexual assaults by female service members on assignment in Kuwait and Iraq. Allegations surrounding these assaults include poor, or non-existent, health treatment, lack of counseling, and downplaying of alleged events. Christine Hansen, Executive Director of the Miles Foundation, and Dr. David Chu, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Department of Defense, join Larry to discuss the issue.
Space, Time and the Texture of Reality
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Space and time form the fabric of the cosmos, and yet they remain the most mysterious of concepts. Physicist and science writer Brian Greene joins Larry Mantle to talk about the big questions regarding the definitions of space, time, reality, what the universe is, where it came from and where it’s going. Mr. Greene’s new book is called The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time and the Texture of Reality (Alfred A. Knopf).
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Proposition 55
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Larry Mantle moderates a debate on Proposition 55, a $12.3 billion bond measure, which, if passed, would help to repair, upgrade, and expand school campuses throughout California. Joining him is David Walrath, a consultant for CASH, Coalition for Adequate School Housing and Tom Hudson, Executive Director California Taxpayer Protection Committee.
Proposition 56
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Larry Mantle moderates a debate on Proposition 56, which would lower the threshold for approving the state's budget from a two-thirds vote of the Legislature, to 55 percent. Because Democrats comprise more than 55% of the legislature, Republicans in Sacramento are strongly opposed to the measure, fearing it would render them powerless at budget time and lead to large tax increases. Joining Larry is Roy Ulrich, a proponent of Proposition 56, and a Board Member of Common Cause, and Carol Evans, Vice President of the California Taxpayers Association.
Howard Kaloogian
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Former San Diego Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, the most conservative of the Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, joins Larry Mantle to talk about his campaign to unseat Barbara Boxer.
The CAN-SPAM Act
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The CAN-SPAM Act [Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing] became law on January 1st of this year, giving the Federal Trade Commission new tools to use against companies that send e-mail spam. Under CAN SPAM, government agencies and Internet Service Providers can sue spammers, but individuals cannot. But just how effective is the federal CAN-SPAM Act? Do you receive less spam? Experts Nick Gillespie, Editor-in-chief of Reason Magazine, and John Mozena, co-founder and VP of CAUCE.org, the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail, join Host Larry Mantle to discuss the new law.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
Propositions 57 & 58
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Larry Mantle talks with Brendan Huffman from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, State Senator Tom McClintock about Proposition 57. Proposition 57 would approve a one-time, $15 billion dollar “Economic Recovery Bond” to help pay off the State’s deficit. Regardless of whether or not Proposition 57 is passed by voters, it will only be valid if Proposition 58 passes as well.
Proposition 58 would amend the State Constitution, requiring governors and legislators to pass only balanced budgets in the future, preventing further borrowing by the State to cover deficits. Don Focciano, President of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association and a proponent of Proposition 58, and Joe Armendariz, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association and an opponent of Proposition 58, join Larry to discuss the proposition.
Why People Cheat, Gossip, Share and Follow "the Golden Rule"
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Science writer and Skeptic magazine publisher Michael Shermer joins Larry to talk about his new book The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule (Time Books). In it, he explains how humans transformed the moral sentiments displayed in many primate species---shame and trust, for instance---into ethical principles. These show, Dr. Shermer contends, how our morals and ethics are not products of divine origin but rather of our biological heritage and our cultural history.
Thursday, Feb. 26
Bush’s Constitutional Amendment Proposal Against Gay Marriage
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Larry talks with David Menefee-Libey, Associate Professor of Politics at Pomona College about President Bush's Amendment Proposal against Gay marriage.
The FCC Crackdown On Indecency
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The FCC crack down on indecency in broadcasting is sending shock waves through the radio and network television industry with many media companies scrambling to conform to more rigidly enforced standards. Larry Mantle talks with experts about the effects of this new enforcement climate on content, quality and deregulation in Congress. The experts include Anthony Vinciquerra, President and CEO of Fox Networks Group with responsibility for the Fox Cable Networks Group and the business operations of Fox Television Network; Aaron Barnhart, Television Critic for the Kansas City Star. He runs the website “TVBarn.com” where he publishes his commentaries and link to TV related stories; and Professor Yale Braunstein, professor of information management and systems, which is a Graduate program at U.C. Berkeley.
Senator John Edwards: A Profile
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Larry Mantle talks with guests who profile Presidential candidate and U.S. Senator John Edwards. What kind of man is he, and what kind of President would he be? Larry’s guests include: Rob Christensen, staff writer for the News & Observer, a daily newspaper based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Mitch Frank, Time magazine political reporter, and Phillip Gourevitch, Washington Correspondent for the New Yorker.
Friday, Feb. 27
Los Angeles County District Attorney Race
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Larry Mantle speaks with candidates running in the March 2nd Primary Election for the Los Angeles County District Attorney. Joining him are: Roger Carrick, a public law attorney and a former California Special Attorney General; Nick Pacheco, a municipal attorney and a former Los Angeles City Councilman; Anthony Patchett, a retired Deputy District Attorney; Tom Higgins, Head Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles, head of Workers Compensation Fraud Division; Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, and Denise Moehlman, a criminal prosecutor with Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.
FilmWeek
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From the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Larry Mantle and critics
Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com,
Ella Taylor of the L.A. Weekly,
F.X. Feeney of the L.A. Weekly,
Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com,
Jean Oppenheimer of New Times,
Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic of both
CityBeat and ValleyBeat, and
Peter Rainer of New York Magazine
discuss the Academy Award nominations.
