Bob Filner says he doesn't think he can get a fair trial in San Diego. Should he be granted a change of venue? Then, what percentage of votes should bond measures need to pass? Is 55 percent enough? And we'll talk about NFL player Riley Cooper recently blurting out a racial slur at a concert. How will his teammates react? What type of offensive speech are you willing to forgive? Then, Florida is set to implement race-based education goals for students next year. Is that a good idea? Later, how long would you want to live if you got to choose? And we'll talk about the 'Queens of Noise' when we discuss Evelyn McDonnell's new book on The Runaways.
Can Mayor Bob Filner get a fair trial in San Diego County?
San Diego mayor Bob Filner is being sued by his former communications director Irene McCormack Jackson for sexual harassment, but the mayor claims that, because of such intense media interest, he can’t get a fair trial in the county, and he’s requested a change of venue to neighboring Imperial County.
"A change in venue is necessary because publication of the allegations of sexual harassment against Mayor Filner have been so widespread, unrelenting, intense, and outspoken that there is reason to believe that an impartial trial cannot be had in San Diego,” says Filner’s lawyers.But McCormack’s legal representation disagrees. "We believe that the case should be heard and decided by a jury of Mayor Filner's peers who reside in San Diego,'' McCormack Jackson’s lawyer Gloria Allred told the media.
Do you think Filner can get a fair trial in his home county?
Guests:
Stanley Goldman, Professor of Law at Loyola Law School and Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Genocide
Gloria Allred, Attorney representing a woman accusing San Diego Mayor Bob Filner of inappropriate sexual advances; Partner with Allred, Maroko & Goldberg law firm based in Los Angeles
Should bond measures only need 55% voter percent support instead of two-thirds majority?
In the last Los Angeles city election, a bond measure to raise money for transit projects failed to pass by a hair. Measure J secured 64.72% of the vote, but needed 66.6%. State law requires local bond measures to have two-thirds of the vote, but some lawmakers want to change that. They argue city infrastructure is crumbling because tax-raising efforts are hamstrung by too high a threshold for voter support.
One lawmaker in particular is rather passionate. Yesterday [WED], City Councilman Bob Blumenfield won support of L.A. City Council to support passage of ACA 8. The Sacramento bill was authored by Blumenfield during his time in the California State Legislature.
If it passes the Senate, it would place a measure on the November 2014 ballot to reduce the threshold for passage of local infrastructure bond measures to 55%. Why is two-thirds the current standard for such measures?
Guests:
Bob Blumenfield, City Councilman 3rd District, Los Angeles; Former California Assemblyman and author of ACA 8
Jon Coupal, President, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
What type of offensive speech are you willing to forgive?
During a Kenny Chesney music concert in June, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper was caught on video saying a racial slur. The Eagles released a statement regarding Cooper’s status on the team saying, “We are shocked and appalled by Riley Cooper’s words. This sort of behavior or attitude from anyone has no role in a civil society. ”
Cooper later released a statement apologizing and calling his actions, “inexcusable.” He asked his teammates, many of whom are African American, to forgive him for his actions, and to judge him by his future. Many of his teammates have been supportive when Cooper returned to practice on August 6th after paying a fine to the team. Cooper is not the first person in the public eye to face backlash after using a racial slur. Recently, former Food Network star Paula Deen came under fire when it was revealed she had used racial slurs. She lost several endorsements and her popular show.
Is a fine and counseling a suitable punishment for Cooper? How will his teammates react in the locker room? How do you react when a friend or coworker uses a racial slur? Can this be forgivable? Are certain racial slurs more acceptable than others?
How old do you want to live?
The fountain of youth isn't as appealing as you might think.
A recent Pew poll found that more than two-thirds of adults said they'd want to live to somewhere between 79-100 years old. The ideal median age is 90 years, which is around 11 years longer than the current average U.S. life expectancy, 78.7 years.
When asked if they's like their life extended to 120 years, possibly through medical treatments that would slow aging, 56 percent of people said they wouldn't be interested.
For one, some polled thought taking advantage of medical treatments to prolong life would only be available to the wealthy and could contribute to a continued strain on the Earth's resources.
In addition, the U.S. census bureau says by 2050, one-in-five Americans will be 65 or older and at least 400,000 Americans will be 100 or older.
Is 120 just too many years? Or maybe not enough? How long would you want to live if you had the choice?
Should states set education goals by race?
Florida will start implementing education goals based on race starting this school year. The state sets different reading and math standards for students from different minority groups. It wants 90 percent of Asian American students reading at grade level by 2018, 88 percent of whites, 81 percent of Hispanics and 74 percent of black students.
In math, 92 percent of Asian American students are expected to perform at grade level, compared with 86 percent for whites, 80 percent for Hispanics and 74 percent for blacks. The goals were approved last October by the Florida Board of Education. Critics say by setting goals lower for black and Hispanic students the state is essentially telling these students that they are not as capable as whites and Asian Americans.
Pam Stewart, Florida's education commissioner, says standards must be established before achievement and learning gaps could be narrowed. Last week, the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County and the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a complaint against the goals with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Guests:
Tania Galloni, managing attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Florida office.
Daria Hall, director of K-12 Policy Development at Education Trust, an education think tank in Washington DC.
Queens of Noise tells the complete story of The Runaways
The 70’s rock band The Runaways helped pave the way for female artists of today like Madonna and Lady Gaga. The LA-based band was the first all-girl group to be signed to a major label and tour the world. Evelyn McDonnell’s “Queens of Noise: The Real Story of The Runaways” tells just that—the real and complete story of the band that stirred up controversy with their sometimes provocative displays of sexuality on stage. McDonnell says her recount of The Runaways’ history is one that’s full of California tales, teenage angst and feminist fables.
Guest:
Evelyn McDonnell, author, “Queens of Noise”