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June 19 - 23, 2006
Monday, June 19
Return of Hemp Farming?
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A bill legalizing hemp farming for industrial purposes is working its way through the California Senate this week, having passed the Assembly in January. AB 1147 joint-author Mark Leno, assemblyman from the 13th district, and John Lovell, legislative analyst for the California Narcotic Officers' Association, join Patt to discuss the pros and cons of the bill.
Innocent Prank or Dangerous Threat?
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Kids will be kids - they tell jokes, pull pranks and push boundaries. But how do you know when a kid is crossing the line and potentially dangerous? And what exactly is the line? Two Quartz Hill high school students planned a Columbine-like attack at their school this past Valentines Day (the attack unraveled and the two were arrested). In Orange County, two 10th-grade Brea Olinda High School students drew a depiction of their teachers next to the words "Shoot her in the face." In this post 9-11 and post-Columbine world, how do authorities know when to take a threat seriously and when to chalk it up to kids being kids? Patt takes a look at the zero-tolerance policy in place at most schools today with the following guests: Dan Isaacs, Chief Operating Officer at LAUSD; Jeff Foster, Deputy Superintendent of Antelope Valley Union School District; Ron Wenkart, General Council of Orange County Department of Education; David Greene, Executive Director of the First Amendment Project; and James Stevens, Attorney for one of the Quartz Hill students.
Tuesday, June 20
Los Angeles Power Play in Sacramento
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With Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa jet setting to Sacramento to convince lawmakers of his plan for mayoral control of the LAUSD, a political power play has reached new levels. It seems a likely next step that Villaraigosa would run for governor in 2010, but not so if fellow Democrat Phil Angelides wins this fall. Villaraigosa has yet to endorse anyone for governor, but with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger supporting Villaraigosa's takeover plan and Angelides' close ties with teachers unions who oppose the mayor's plan, trouble is brewing up north. Dan Walters, political columnist for the Sacramento Bee, weighs in.
Irvine's Global Gaffe
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Signing up with a new sister city in China brought unintended and unexpected problems when Irvine city officials put their signatures on an agreement that would prevent them from recognizing Taiwan. Beth Krom, mayor of Irvine, Stan Yang, President of the Orange County chapter of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Bee Canterbury Lavery, who was in charge of the Sister City program as Chief of Protocol for Mayor Tom Bradley, and LA city councilman Dennis Zine, join Patt. Today Beirut became Los Angeles' 22nd sister city.
Mr. Conservative
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As a man who was both glorified and vilified by the American public, Barry Goldwater left an indelible imprint on the Republican Party that influenced both conservative and liberal politicians. A new documentary produced by his granddaughter, CC Goldwater, examines the roots of Goldwater's conservative philosophy and his career while providing an inside glimpse into the personal life of this multifaceted figure. CC Goldwater and Lou Cannon join Patt to discuss the life of an individual whose philosophy still resonates today. Cannon is the author of five books about Ronald Regan, and working on a forthcoming book about George W. Bush and the conservative movement.
Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater will be screened three times at the at the LA film festival . The first screening is this Saturday, June 24 at the Majestic Crest Theater at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, June 21
Politics, Power - and Now Partnership?
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A compromise agreement on comprehensive reform for LAUSD was announced today in Sacramento. Mayor Villaraigosa, legislators, United Teacher of Los Angeles, and the California Teachers Association worked out a legislative package that will be introduced in the state senate by the end of this week. Patt talks with the major players in the deal.
Guests include: Assembly Majority leader Dario Frommer and Senate Majority leader Gloria Romero(they are co-authors of the legislation); Marlene Canter, president of the LAUSD Board of Education; Jackie Goldberg, Assemblywoman in the 45th District and Chair of the California State Assembly Committee on Education; A.J. Duffy, President of the United Teachers of Los Angeles; Bill Ring, Chairman of the Parent Collaborative and Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Parent Engagement Policy Development; and KPCC Sacramento reporter Tamara Keith.
Ken Bernstein
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Los Angeles has created a new office to keep track of its historic buildings. Ken Bernstein officially began his tenure as the first ever manager of office of historic resources for the Los Angeles city planning department. The former Director of Preservation Issues at the Los Angeles Conservancy has enjoyed a career in historic preservation, but what will be the focus of this new department? He speaks with Patt about the importance of historic preservation in a city that hasn't much cared about the past until it's been knocked down and paved over.
Summer Camps for Inner - City Kids
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Today is the first day of summer. For many kids this means summer fun at camps across Southern California. But with the price of summer camps on the rise, what options are there for inner-city youth? Patt speaks with Mary Setterholm, director of LA Surf Bus, a program that takes kids from the most troubled parts of the city to the beach and teaches them to surf, and Robyn Smith, Camping Supervisor for the City of Los Angeles.
Thursday, June 22
Prison Guards Clout Disturbing
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In a 34-page report on prison policy and operations, Special Master John Hagar, a federal court investigator, accused Governor Schwarzenegger of backpedaling on his efforts for prison reform and warned that California was returning to an era when union leaders were allowed to "overrule the most critical decisions" of prison administrators. Patt is joined in discussion by Chuck Alexander, Executive Vice President of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA) and Andy Furillo, reporter for the Sacramento Bee.
Puzzle-Master Will Shortz
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Will Shortz, NPR puzzle-master and long time editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle, joins Patt to talk about the new documentary Wordplay.
Wordplay opens Friday in Los Angeles.
Western Movies Yesterday and Today
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The classic western has been revered, attacked, mocked, dismissed and often imitated. But it continues to live strong. Actor James Russo is featured in one of the latest in the genre, an AMC original western with Robert Duvall called Broken Trail. Patt sits down with Russo to talk about the evolution of his career from his breakout role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and with Leo Braudy, professor at USC, about the iconic western movie.
Broken Trail premiers on AMC in two parts: Sunday, June 25 and Monday, June 26 at 5 p.m. PT
The Loh Life
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Today's topic: In Sandra's Theory of the Humaniverse, she expands her ideas on human groups and spotlights the special characteristics of the Omega Man.
Friday, June 23
To Publish or Not?
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The existence of the program monitoring banking transactions was first reported Thursday night on the web sites of The New York Times , the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. After much discussion and debate and urging by the Treasury department to NOT publish the information, the papers decided to go ahead with the story. What goes into the decision of whether or not to publish a controversial story and when to publish it? Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau Chief, says it was "a tough call; it was not a decision made lightly." McManus joins Patt along with Aly Colon from the Poynter Institute .
Driving Hands Free
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California Senator Joe Simitian is hoping the fifth time is a charm. The lawmaker is making his fifth attempt to ban the use of hand-held phones while driving. A recent study found that 80 percent of crashes involved some form of driver inattention and that the most common distraction reported was the use of cell phones. But there are conflicting reports as to whether hands-free would actually be safer than hand-held. Rae Tyson, Spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the car guy, longtime automotive journalist Steve Parker join Patt.
Personal Papers - Who Wants Them?
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For millennia, written records have provided essential clues to the past. Many universities and institutions have collected those archives from famous and influential people, making them available for research. Whose papers rate being archived? Patt talks with The Huntington Library's Sue Hodson, curator of Literary Manuscripts; Al Martinez, Los Angeles Times columnist who just donated his papers to the Huntington; and Tom Staley, director of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas, Austin.
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