Mayor expected to slice retirement benefits for city workers, Working mothers' challenge. A new survey of Chinese and American citizens opinions about each other. Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein to review this week’s films, including The Lucky One, Think Like a Man, Chimpanzee, Darling Companion, Marley and more. Over the Alps and behind the scenes with the “Sound of Music” children.
Mayor expected to slice retirement benefits for city workers
Parts of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s proposed budget, which will be announced during a press conference this afternoon, have been obtained in advance by the Los Angeles Times. The main issues revealed in these partial budget documents center on retirement age and pension benefits, both topics of contention between Villaraigosa and city employee unions.
To combat a $238-million shortfall in the budget, the mayor plans to increase the retirement age to 67 from 60, citing increased mortality rates. Concerning pensions, the mayor is limiting them to no more than 75% of an employee’s salary.
Those on the side of employee unions are put off by both proposals, citing that while people are living and working longer, many city jobs take a tremendous mental and physical toll. On the issue of reduced pensions, they find the savings marginal, since not many employees receive a pension equal to their salary. They’d have to work for 46 years for that to be the case.
Other aspects of Villaraigosa’s plan include a different formula for calculating retirement benefits, which would reduce them from 2.16% of one’s salary to 2%, and preventing “pension spiking,” which entails boosting one’s salary the final year before retirement. It should be noted that this does not concern employees at the Department of Water and Power, as they have their own pension system.
How much would these changes really affect the budget? Do the benefits to the city outweigh the costs to individual employees? Will workers be able to survive in retirement, and what will that retirement look like? Furthermore, what about the layoffs which are rumored to be included in the budget as well?
Guest:
Victor Gordo, Representing the Coalition of L.A. City Unions, collectively representing 22,000 workers including maintenance workers, traffic officers, librarians, wastewater treatment operators, 911 operators and more; Attorney and Secretary-Treasurer for Laborers' International Union of North America, Local 777; Councilman in the City of Pasadena
Frank Stoltze, KPCC Reporter
Working mothers face challenges over childcare
While the presidential race has focused on stay at home mothers, working moms have their attention elsewhere.
Two thirds of women with young children have a job and as many as half of working women are the main breadwinners. But coping with childcare and taking time off with a sick child remain concerns for these women as many are not entitled to paid leave. Having to take unpaid time off has forced some women to give up work all together - and face uncertain economic hardship.
Should paid leave be enforced for working mothers and fathers? As a small business owner, how would enforced paid leave impact on your bottom line? If a state mandate for sick leave was in place, would this further alienate women and put them at risk of not being employed at all?
Guests:
Barbara Gault, Vice President and Executive Director of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research
John Kabateck, Executive Director of the California Office of the National Federation of Independent Business
New survey of Chinese and Americans shows deep mistrust, but also shared opinions
We don’t know each other. We don’t trust each other. But we do need each other.
These are just a few of the conclusions in a major new opinion survey of the people of China and folks here in the U.S. The study comes from the Committee of 100, a non-partisan group of Chinese-American leaders founded in 1990 by architect I.M Pei.
The group is holding its 21st annual conference today in Pasadena. They’re gathering an impressive roster of speakers including Stewart Kwoh, the President of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California (APALC), Dominic Ng, CEO of East West Bank, and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the richest man in Los Angeles, to talk about business and political issues of import to China and America. The survey, released in conjunction with the conference, included 4,000 participants in China and 1,400 in the U.S.
The results indicate that we seem to have one major thing in common. More than half the Americans questioned say China can’t be trusted. An equal number of Chinese say the same thing about Americans. Distrust can often come from poor information and in both nations over 50-percent say the other country’s media doesn’t show an accurate picture of its counterpart. Even so, a majority of both peoples believe the relationship between China and the U.S. is the most important partnership in the world.
Why? What are the major concerns both sides share? What can be done to improve political and business cooperation – for everyone’s benefit? We’ll talk with two of the survey co-chairs about the findings and implications.
GUESTS
Frank Wu, Chancellor and Dean, University of California Hastings College of the Law; Co-Director, Committee of 100
Charlie Woo, CEO, Megatoys, an internationally known toy manufacturing company based in downtown Los Angeles; Co-Director, Committee of 100
FilmWeek: The Lucky One, Think Like a Man, Darling Companion, Chimpanzee, Marley and more
We start FilmWeek checking in with "Variety" writer Marc Graser about a major shake-up at Walt Disney Studios. This morning, Rich Ross resigned as chairman of the studio. In a statement, Ross said: "[T]he best people need to be in the right jobs, in roles they are passionate about, doing work that leverages the full range of their abilities. It's one of the leadership lessons I've learned during my career, and it's something I've been giving a great deal of thought to as I look at the challenges and opportunities ahead."
Ross’ departures comes on the heels of the box-office bomb “John Carter,” but before the expected blockbuster, “The Avengers.” Why is Ross leaving? How will this affect Disney? Is there an heir apparent?
Then, Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Tim Cogshell and Andy Klein to review this week’s films, including The Lucky One, Think Like a Man, Darling Companion, Chimpanzee, Marley and more. TGI-FilmWeek!
Guests:
Marc Graser , Senior Writer, Variety
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Box Office Magazine
Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC, Glendale News-Press and the L.A. Times Community Papers chain
The Lucky One:
Think Like a Man:
Chimpanzee:
Darling Companion:
Over the Alps and behind the scenes with the 'Sound of Music' children
In 1964, director Robert Wise created a family that the whole world fell in love with – the von Trapps. Or, to be more precise, re-created it. For his film “The Sound of Music,” Wise looked for “real kids,” not seasoned actors (although several of the children had film and TV credits).
In the course of making the film, the children had a ball singing, dancing and biking their way across the Alps with stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, dressed in sailor suits and play clothes made from curtains. As adults, they’ve remained as close as brothers and sisters, appearing at events like the Hollywood Bowl’s annual “Sing-a-Long Sound of Music.”
Nearly 50 years later, the film about a family singing group that flees the Nazi regime still inspires crowds to raise their voices and sing “Do-Re-Mi.” Now a new book, “The Sound of Music Scrapbook,” collects personal photographs, souvenirs, letters and artwork to show us the making of the film through the eyes of its young cast. It tells the story of Wise’s search for the perfect seven children, the auditions, the thrilling experience of filming on location in Salzburg, Austria and Bavaria, Germany and the gala Hollywood premiere.
Where are Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl today? Three of them will be joining Larry in the studio to reminisce about making one of the best-loved musicals of all time.
GUESTS
Heather Menzies (Louisa)
Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich)
Duane Chase(Kurt)