Bell elects a new city council. Professor X scrutinizes American universities. LAPD changes immigrant impound policies. The SB1070 effect half a year later. A fair and balanced look at Gandhi.
Optimism reigned at the first Bell city council meeting last night
It was a packed house at the Bell Community Center last night as a newly elected city council was seated for the first time. The small city has been rocked by allegations of corruption by the former city administrator, Robert Rizzo, as well as seven other city officials. But residents were feeling hopeful last night that Bell could fight its way out from under the mountain of debt and bad press left over from the Rizzo scandal. The new mayor, Ali Saleh, told the audience of more than 250 residents that there’s a long road ahead, the city has to slash its budget by a third. So what’s the plan? How will the new council erase the legacy of the last one and bring Bell back to fiscal solvency?
Guests:
Jeff Gottleib, Senior Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times
Ali Saleh, newly elected Bell Mayor
Nestor Valencia, newly elected Bell City Council Member
Christina Garcia, resident of Bell Gardens; member of The Bell Association to Stop The Abuse (BASTA)
The (not so) ivory tower
America’s system of higher education has long been thought of as comprising some of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. The common perception is that colleges and universities in the United States are made of ivory towers with hallowed halls. However, in Professor X’s book, In the Basement of the Ivory Tower, he contends that the reality of the situation is starkly different. Concealing his true identity, he provides a first-person account of America’s academic peril from his experiences working as an adjunct professor at two different institutions: one a small private college, and the other a local community college. Forced into teaching due to financial duress from his mortgage, Professor X was met with great frustration as he noted the massive debt students carried after graduation, and the colleges’ focus on capitalism and finances over quality of life and education for their students. Eventually, this into-the-fire job led Professor X to personal enlightenment and, ultimately, salvation. How bad are America’s colleges and universities? Is academia as we know it doomed? What can we learn from Professor X’s story?
Guest:
Professor X, author of In the Basement of the Ivory Tower
Police Protective League rejects new impound policy
In a policy reversal, the LAPD has decided to no longer immediately seize vehicles of unlicensed drivers, including undocumented immigrants, when they are stopped at sobriety checkpoints, but the Police Protective League is not on board. Calling it “the right thing to do” Chief Beck announced that officers will give what he calls “reasonable time” to unlicensed illegal immigrants to find someone else to drive their car home. The police union argues that his new policy violates current vehicle code, threatens the safety of drivers and could even expose LA city to legal liabilities. So what is the right thing to do? Who gets the final word and what happens next?
Guest:
Paul Weber, President, Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL)
Judge upholds ban on most controversial provisions of Arizona’s immigration law
A federal appeals court on Monday refused to lift an injunction blocking major parts of Arizona’s anti-illegal immigration law SB 1070 from going into effect. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Judge Susan Bolton, who ruled in July 2010 that provisions of the law were an unconstitutional intrusion into immigration and foreign policy, which is the prerogative of the federal government. In a statement yesterday, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer said, “I remain steadfast in my belief that Arizona and other states have a sovereign right and obligation to protect their citizens and enforce immigration law in accordance with federal statute.” What are the legal and political ramifications of yesterday’s ruling? Will this ongoing battle ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court?
Guest:
Mark Brodie, Capitol Reporter for KJZZ 91.5 FM in Tempe, Arizona
A fair and balanced look at Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi is often viewed as a visionary, martyr and saint both in his native country of India and around the world. While the historic landmarks made due to his efforts are inarguable, some contend that Gandhi fell short in several ways. Joseph Lelyveld expounds upon this perspective in his new book, Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India. Lelyveld scrutinizes Gandhi’s life and achievements with a fair and austere lens. For instance, he points out that while Gandhi took a stand for Muslim Indians and untouchables who were being persecuted in South Africa, he did so patronizingly. Also, he completely ignored the issue of how blacks were being treated at the time. The author goes on to point out that Gandhi was unsuccessful as a politician in India, unable to master the ability to compromise to advance his ideals and beliefs. The same people he fought for did not embrace him or his philosophy of nonviolence, and instead elevated their own leaders, thus splintering Gandhi’s power. Gandhi’s vision for a peaceful, unified and sovereign nation was not fully realized, as violence came hand in hand with independence and the nation was split into India and Pakistan. How did Gandhi manage to lose his momentum as a leader? What caused his missteps? How is his legacy of social reform playing out in India today?
Guest:
Joseph Lelyveld, author of Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India (Random House)