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January 5 - 9, 2004
Monday, Jan. 5
Workers Compensation
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You thought workers' compensation was complicated last year. Late in 2003, a bill was passed by the legislature focusing almost entirely on stemming high medical costs. But both parties agree that this is not enough. Governor Schwarzenegger's new proposal would focus on cutting costs to employers. Democratic opponents fear too great a loss of benefits for injured workers. In the end, the governor could be forced to take his package to the voters in November. We hear from both sides of the legislature on what should be done and then hear from Insurance Commissioner Garamendi on his recommendations.
California's New EPA Director
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Kitty sits down with Governor Schwartznegger's appointee to head up the California Environmental Protection Agency, Terry Tamminen.
Senator John Vasconcellos
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One of the longest running members of the state legislature, currently in his 2nd term in the state senate after 30 years in the state assembly, Senator Jon Vasconcellos has some incredible stories to share about life at the Capitol.
Tuesday, Jan. 6
The Governor's Plan for California
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How is Governor Schwarzenegger holding up in Sacramento? And how is the Legislature dealing with the new celebrity governor? Kitty Felde poses these questions and more to Senators and Congressmen in Sacramento. Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters joins the discussion and deciphers the messages below the answers.
State of the State
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Tonight at 5 p.m. the Governor will address Californians in his first State of the State address. Kitty gets a preview of his address and takes a look back at past addresses with state librarian Kevin Starr.
Wednesday, Jan. 7
Bush's New Immigration Policy
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Earlier today President Bush unveiled significant changes in immigration law including an expanded guest worker program and the opportunity for millions of undocumented workers to get green cards. How will these changes impact life in Southern California? And how much resistance will the new plan encounter here? Kitty talks with guests Niels Frenzen, professor of immigration law at USC and UCLA; Angela Sanbrano, executive director of CARECEN (Central American Resource Center); Jim Dorsey, West Coast consultant for FAIR (Federation of American Immigration Reform) and a former INS border patrol agent specializing in document forgery; and Jack Shaw, Capitol Hill reporter for Market News International.
Assemblymembers Richman and Cansiamilla
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Amidst the partisan bickering in Sacramento, two legislators - one Democratic and one Republican - stand out for their efforts to reach across the political divide and work together. Kitty sits down with Keith Richman (R-38th district) and Joseph Canciamilla (D-11th district) to talk about how their relationship works.
What is So Different About Mexican Immigration?
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A fifth generation Californian who runs a family farm in the Central Valley, Victor Davis Hanson has given much thought to the impact of Mexican illegal immigration in this state. He argues that a combination of our violent history with institutionalized racism on the US side coupled with cultural ambivalence and a strong drive to assimulate on the immigrants' part are creating a uniquely volatile climate. How will Bush's new policy fit into the picture? Kitty talks with Victor Davis Hanson, a classicist at Cal State Fresno and the author of Mexifornia: A State of Becoming (Encounter Books).
Thursday, Jan. 8
Mars Update
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Kitty gets the latest on Mars with Albert Halderman, deputy project scientist on the Mars Explorer Project at JPL/CalTech.
My Fellow Americans
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State of the State, ha! How about giving a State of the Union speech? That's something Former White House speechwriter Michael Waldman knows a lot about. In fact, he wrote the book (on presidential speeches). His compilation includes rare audio from a whistle stop speech by Harry Truman and a campaign speech by Theodore Roosevelt and audio from as far back as 1889. He joins Kitty in studio to listen to these and to rank the great speeches from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to George W. Bush's speech to Congress following the Sept. 11 attacks. Waldman is a former White House Chief Speechwriter and author of My Fellow Americans (Source Books).
Frank Fats
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Legendary watering hole Frank Fats in Sacramento is where many back-room deals have been hammered through between legislators. Kitty sits down with Frank Fats' son, Jerry Fat, to talk about his father's legacy and the powerful lawmakers who were regulars at the Chinese restaurant.
Friday, Jan. 9
Analysis on the Governor's Proposed Budget
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This morning Governor Schwarzenegger held a press conference to outline his 2004-05 budget. Kitty gets reaction to the budget from the following guests: Assemblyman Rick Keene (R-Chico), Vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee; Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza (D-Carson), Assembly Budget Chair; Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor; Dr. Jonathan Fielding, Director of Public Heath for Los Angeles County; Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido; Alan Slater, Chief Executive Officer of the Superior Court of California, County of Orange; Bev Perry, President of SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments) and city councilwoman from the City of Brea; Colleen Bentley Adler, spokeswoman for the Cal State University Board of Trustees; and Thomas Nussbaum, Chancellor of California Community Colleges.
Cougar Attack
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A cougar attack yesterday in Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park underscores the growing conflict between sprawl and wildlife. David Baron, author of The Beast in the Garden (Norton), rejoins Kitty to discuss the implications.
Listen to David Baron's interview with Kitty when he was a guest on Talk of the City in December.
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