Assemblyman Hector De La Torre proposes legislation to rein in officials' salaries. Sobriety checkpoints, how could they be bad? Some cities are turning them into a cash cow. Marriage license update, and the consumer confidence yo-yo. Later, Oh, Rob! Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke joins Larry in the AirTalk studio to discuss his life and movies.
Taxing Bell
The citizens of Bell—and the surrounding areas—continue to express their outrage over the six-figure salaries of the Mayor, City Manager, and Police Chief of Bell. So what can state lawmakers do about it without blowing away the independence of charter cities? Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate) and State Senator Louis Correa (D-Santa Ana) are working on legislation that will try to recoup the cash by levying a 50% tax on city officials when their salary is out of whack with the size and wealth of the city they’re running. How will it work? And is this closing the barn door after the horse is out, as some critics are saying?
Guests:
Assemblyman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate)
Raphael Sonenshein, Professor, Political Science, CSU Fullerton
Where’s your car, dude?: raking in dollars through sobriety check points
Groups such as Mother’s Against Drunk Driving extol the benefits of police sobriety checkpoints. They help get drunk drivers out from behind the wheel. But evidence is surfacing that some cities, notably now infamous Bell, have been turning checkpoints into cash cows. The strategy is to impound cars of illegal immigrants and then charge hundreds of dollars to get them back—cities often end up selling the cars because the fees can’t be paid. An investigative piece by California Watch calculates that last year California cities made $40 million in towing fees and fines from impounds at checkpoints. Are cities exploiting checkpoints as a revenue source? Or is the money beside the point if they’re saving lives?
Guests:
Ryan Gabrielson, reporter for California Watch, wrote an extended feature on this issue that was published in The New York Times
Chris Cochran, spokesman and assistant director at the California Office of Traffic Safety
Consumer confidence yo-yos with mixed economic news
Europe is up (ish)—Asia is down—unemployment claims are up again—GM is going off the government dime. So where is the global economy going, really? Are you buoyed by positive news? Or, do ongoing economic problems leave you depressed, regardless of upward trends? Are you simply confused about all these mixed economic messages? As a consumer, how confident are you?
Guests:
Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. The Conference Board publishes the Consumer Confidence Index.
Chris Farrell, economics editor Marketplace Money, airs Sundays at 2:00 pm on KPCC
Dick Van Dyke's life and movies
You know him as a chimney sweep, the perfect son, and an all-American dad—Dick Van Dyke’s performances in Mary Poppins, Bye Bye Birdie, and his self-titled television show are unforgettable. The warm and gifted comedian joins Larry in studio to discuss his life and career on screen. What are your favorite Van Dyke moments?
Dick Van Dyke will appear with the Vantastix at the Geffen Playhouse, Saturday, August 14 at 8pm, with ticket proceeds to benefit the theatre’s education programs. More info here.
Guest:
Dick Van Dyke, actor, comedian, star of The Dick Van Dyke Show for which he won three Emmy awards