April 11 - 15, 2005
Monday, April 11
Governor Schwarzenegger Delays Revision of State Pension System
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Governor Schwarzenegger yesterday announced his decision not to pursue reforming California’s public employee pension system on the ballot this November. Democratic legislators and unions are calling the change in plan a “victory,” while the Governor says this is a delay until the June 2006 primary—to allow more time to “do it better.” Dan Weintraub, Sacramento Bee columnist, Dick Ackerman, Republican State Senator from the 33rd District, south Orange County area, and Jackie Goldberg, Assemblywoman representing the 45th district (communities in Los Angeles including Hollywood, Atwater Village, Highland Park and El Serreno), join Host Larry Mantle to discuss the change in plan.
Social Security Reform Update
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Senate Republicans are considering putting Bush’s private investment account idea on the back burner, in hopes of trying to attract Democrats to the table for a bipartisan plan to reform social security. The Democrats have been successful in their criticism of Bush’s plans to reform social security, and opinion polls show that the American public is skeptical of the administration’s plans as well. That said, many people wonder just what the Democratic plan to reform social security might entail. Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America’s Future, and William “Bill” Beach, Director of the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation, join Larry for an update on social security reform.
The "Nuclear Option"
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Republicans in the U.S. Senate would like to lower the threshold for ending a filibuster from two-thirds to one-half for judicial nominees. In Washington the issue is considered so explosive it’s now referred to as “the nuclear option.” Republicans says the change is needed to streamlining the lengthy, and combative judicial nomination process. Democrats say the change will interfere with the legislative checks and balances by allowing the confirmation of only conservative judges in the near future. Larry Mantle talks with the Honorable C. Boyden Gray “Boyden”, Chairman of the Committee for Justice, an organization that defends and promotes President Bush’s judicial nominees, and Nan Aron, President of the Alliance for Justice, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group focusing on the judicial system about the political and legal implications of messing with the filibuster.
Charles Barkley
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Larry Mantle talks with one of the greatest NBA players of all time, Charles Barkley. Barkley has written a new book called Who’s Afraid of a Large Black Man? (Penguin Press).
Tuesday, April 12
Assembly Bill 654: The California Compassionate Choice Act:
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If it passes, the California Compassionate Choice Act would allow competent, adult California residents with terminal diseases to end their lives “in a humane and dignified manner”—with the help of medical professionals. Oregon is the only other state in the nation to have similar legislation—the Death With Dignity Act, passed in 1997. Larry opens the phones to hear your opinion on this legislation that would affect end-of-life choices. What do you think about the idea of being able to end your life legally in California? If this were on the ballot, would you vote for, or against, it? Why?
Changes to California’s Parole System
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Starting on Monday, authorities from the California Youth and Adult Correctional Agency changed the diversion policy of offering parole violators drug treatment or home detention instead of sending them back to prison. Governor Schwarzenegger’s administration, victims’ rights groups, the prison guard union, and others, had pushed for this reform, saying that such diversion programs had little effect on rates of recidivism. JP Tremblay, Assistant Secretary for the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency, and Don Specter, Director of the Prison Law Office, a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to enforcing the Constitution and other laws inside the walls of California’s prisons, join Larry to discuss this change to California’s parole system. Is this tougher stand on parole violators necessary? Will it help rehabilitate prisoners?
Iraq Update
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Officials at the Pentagon are cautiously optimistic about the possibility of bringing home some US troops from Iraq next year. In a recent interview, General George W. Casey, Jr., the top commander in Iraq told CNN that the US “should be able to take some fairly substantial reductions in the size of our forces” by this time next year. Hal Kempfer, military analyst, and a Lt. Colonel in the Marine Corps reserves, Time correspondent Christopher Allbritton, and T. Christian Miller, Los Angeles Times correspondent in the Washington, D.C., join Larry to give an update on the situation in Iraq and the US exit strategy.
How to Be Like Jackie Robinson: Life Lessons from Baseball’s Greatest Hero
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Not simply the first African-American to play baseball in the major leagues, Jackie Robinson also played an invaluable role in our country’s civil rights movement. Rather than merely reviewing Robinson’s career, Pat Williams’ new book HOW TO BE LIKE JACKIE ROBINSON, Life Lessons from Baseball’s Greatest Hero (Health Communications, Inc), gives readers lessons and teachings from Robinson’s life choices and experiences.
Then, Larry speaks with Former Dodgers General Manager Fred Claire about the 2005 baseball season and the Dodgers on the day of their home opener (1:10 p.m. today against the Giants at Dodger Stadium).
Wednesday, April 13
Gas Prices Hit Record Highs
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For the second week in a row the average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in California has reached a new high. It jumped almost 13 cents in the last week to $2.592 a gallon. California motorists are paying 43.5 cents more, per gallon, than they were a year ago. The U.S. average is forecast to peak in May. More commuters are using public transportation, sales of Hybrid cars are in even greater demand. Larry opens the phones to talk with our listeners about how they are coping with this rising expense.
Superintendent Roy Romer’s Plan To Restructure 9 Of LAUSD’s Lowest-Performing Secondary Schools
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On Monday the Los Angeles Board of Education approved Supt. Roy Romer's plans to restructure nine of the district's most troubled secondary schools. Some board members had introduced their own proposals to improve lagging campuses. But they voted to withdraw the series of motions and amendments offered as alternatives to Romer's plans, and instead asked the superintendent for a progress report on the reforms in May. Larry speaks with Supt. Romer, Linda Guthrie, of United Teachers LA, and Steve Barr, Founder and CEO of Green Dot Public Schools about the Superintendent’s plans for improving the schools.
Science Talk With Michael Shermer
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Publisher of Skeptic magazine, Founder of the International Skeptic’s Society, and columnist for Scientific American, Michael Shermer, joins Host Larry Mantle to discuss the latest science stories, including dwarf hominids in Indonesia, extra-solar system plants, T-Rex soft tissue, and global warming.
Chimeric Experimentation
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Scientists inject human brain cells into mouse fetuses. A goat and a sheep were crossed, yielding a “geep,” a sheep body with a goat’s head. Pigs are bred with human-compatible blood running through their veins . . . This is not science fiction. This is a real branch of science called “chimeric experimentation,” currently being reviewed for guidelines by the National Academy of Sciences. Lee Silver, PhD., professor of molecular biology and public affairs at Princeton University, joins Larry to talk about this unusual branch of science.
Thursday, April 14
Mayoral Election Update
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Earl Ofari Hutchinson, political analyst, radio host, TV commentator and noted author of nine books about the African American experience in America, and Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, Political Analyst and Senior Scholar at USC’s School of Policy Planning and Development, join Larry for an update on the Los Angeles mayoral race.
The Proposed Port in Baja California
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The Los Angeles Times reported last Saturday that a coalition of shipping and freight owners want to build a port in Baja, Mexico, about 150 miles south of Tijuana at a place called Punta Colonet. This would divert traffic from the Ports of Long Beach and San Pedro, both of which are expanding to meet expected growth. Chris Kraul, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, based in Mexico City, Capt. Manny Aschemeyer, Executive Director of the Marine Exchange, Gail Ruderman-Feuer, Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Art Wong, Acting Director of Communications for the Port of Long Beach, join Larry Mantle to discuss the issue.
Alternative Minimum Tax
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It’s the deadline for filing your taxes tomorrow. Some Americans have had a surprise hike in their tax bills because of something called the alternative minimum tax. This tax began in 1969 as a way to keep the richest Americans from sheltering their income. Because of wage increases and inflation, this tax now hits the middle class. The alternative minimum tax works alongside the income tax. People who earn a certain amount and meet certain deduction thresholds must calculate their taxes two ways—the regular way and the alternative minimum way. They have to pay whichever tax bill is larger. The alternative minimum tax runs 26% on the first $175,000 and 28% on anything over that. Del Goehner, CPA and founder of Goehner Accountancy, an accountancy firm located in Pasadena, joins Larry to discuss the issue.
Gene Wilder
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Larry Mantle talks with actor Gene Wilder about his new memoir Kiss Me Like A Stranger: My Search for Love And Art (St. Martin’s Press), that discusses the most personal events of his life and his career in Hollywood.
Friday, April 15
Preview of the State Democratic Convention
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Kitty Felde, Host of KPCC’s Talk of the City, joins Larry Mantle from the State Democratic Convention at the convention center in downtown Los Angeles to give "AirTalk" listeners a preview before her live broadcast at 2:00 p.m.
The Growth of the Inland Empire
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The Los Angeles Times reported this morning that the Inland Empire, Riverside County is growing faster than
Los Angeles County, as per new Census figures. This is not news to residents of the Inland Empire, which has been experiencing a boom in housing prices, with the median price shooting up 26% in the last year to $379,000. That’s still a bargain by LA standards, and one of the major reasons why people are going Inland. Dr. John Husing, Vice President of Economic and Politics, Inc. based in Redlands, and John Karevoll, Analyst for DataQuick Information Systems, a real estate information company in Southern California, join Larry to talk about the consequences of the rapid pace of growth in the Inland Empire.
Film Production: Why Shoot in LA? Why Shoot Elsewhere?
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Runaway production is a growing concern as other states and foreign countries offer lucrative incentives to film companies. Although production is reportedly up in and around LA this year, our status as the center of film and television production is being eroded as other regions develop their own-long term production infrastructure. Larry explores the issue with a panel of experts on film production in, and outside, of Southern California. Joining him is Steve McDonald, President of LA’s Entertainment Industry Development Corporation (EIDC); Ms. Pat Swinney Kaufman, President of the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI); Jeff Shepard, independent location scout; Duncan Henderson, freelance producer, and Rob Lorenz, Executive Producer of Flags of Our Fathers, directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, produced by Steven Spielberg.
FilmWeek
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Larry Mantle and critics
Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com and
Scott Foundas of Variety
and the L.A. Weekly
discuss this week's new releases, including The Amityville Horror, House of D, Assisted Living,
Palindromes, The Take, Voices in Wartime and Major Dundee: The Extended Version.
Larry and Henry also discuss the upcoming
Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
