Larry talks about the Governor's Commission on the 21s Century Economy and their efforts to reform California's tax system. Then, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has set an aggressive agenda for his last year as Governor. What can he realistically hope to accomplish during his final term? What would you like to see him try to do? Larry talks about it. And, Larry discusses text books going digital. And, finally, he talks with Rich Cohen about his new book, "Israel is Real: An Obsessive Quest to Understand the Jewish Nation and Its History."
Planning to save California?
In an effort to solve California's economic woes, legislators are trying to reform the way residents pay state taxes. The Commission on the 21st Century Economy, a 14 member panel made up of political appointees, has been meeting since the beginning of the year. A carbon tax, tolls and redistributing corporate taxes have all been ideas up for discussion. Will an overhaul of the state tax system help California break its current economic cycle? For more insight, Larry talks to the experts.
Guests:
Fred Keely, member of the Commission on the 21st Century Economy
Richard Pomp, Professor of Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Schwarzenegger: Lame & Lamer?
Unlike Sarah Palin, who resigned because she didn’t want to be a “lame duck,” California’s Governor remains undaunted. Despite low approval ratings and bruising budget battles, Schwarzenegger has set an aggressive agenda for his last year as Governor. What can he realistically hope to accomplish during his final term? What would you like to see him try to do?
Guests:
George Skelton, State Political Columnist, Los Angeles Times
Dan Schnur, Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Center of Politics at USC and adjunct faculty at USC Annenberg School
Text books going the way of the eight-track?
Remember lugging all those heavy text books around in your backpack when you were in school? Well, no surprise, text books are also going digital--kids in many school districts are already trading in their books for laptops and Kindles. Advocates say it'll help tailor education when teachers can access open-source digital textbooks and alter content to suit local needs. Additionally, the digital realm allows self-motivated students to do lessons more independently. But will it also result in less social interaction? And who will assure the quality of the material?
Guests:
William Habermehl, County Superintendent, Orange County Dept of Education
Neeru Khosla, co-founder of the CK-12 Foundation
Bruce Hildebrand, executive director of higher education with the Association of American Publishers
Israel is real
In Rich Cohen's new book, "Israel is Real: An Obsessive Quest to Understand the Jewish Nation and Its History," (FSG, 2009) he outlines the history of the Jewish state. From David Alroy to Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon, he uses the lives of others to personify the history of a nation. Cohen joins Larry to explore and explain some of the myths and current issues that face the Jewish state.
Guest: Rich Cohen, author of Israel is Real: An Obsessive Quest to Understand the Jewish Nation and Its History," (FSG, 2009), Sweet and Low (FSG, 2006), Tough Jews, The Avengers, The Record Men, and the memoir Lake Effect. His work has appeared in many major publications, and he is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone.