Larry Mantle looks at Governor Schwarzenegger's plan to overhaul California's pension system. Then, from giant sunshades to cloud-making ships, he explores the fanciful proposals to fight global warming. Finally, Larry discusses the history of Chinatowns across America.
Overhaul of public employee pensions
Governor Schwarzenegger is seeking to revamp the state's pension system, noting that California's pension funds are financially unsustainable. The governor's plan would create a two-tiered system that would give lower benefits to newly-hired public employees, including state workers, firefighters, police officers, and teachers. According to Schwarzenegger, the cutbacks would save the state $90 billion over 30 years. Larry Mantle looks into the governor's proposal.
Later in the segment Larry checks in with KPCC reporter Brian Watt at the healthcare clinic at the Forum in Inglewood.
Guests:
David Crane, special advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for jobs and economic growth
Marcia Fritz, Vice President, California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility
Scott Adams, Pension and Investment Analyst, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
Brian Watt, KPCC Reporter
Air conditioning for Earth
Despite all the concerns about global warming, worldwide carbon emissions continue to grow. This has some scientists thinking that it may be impossible to get human beings to stop burning fossil fuels on a global scale. What's plan "B"? Many are now looking at ways to actively cool the earth. Many seem fanciful, such as erecting a huge parasol to blot out sunlight. But they're starting to get some serious consideration. And some of the schemes look more practical than originally thought.
Guests:
Ken Caldeira, Climate Scientist at the Carnegie Institution at Stanford
Michael Prather, professor and Fred Kavli Chair at UC Irvine
Eric Bickel, a Fellow in the Center for international energy and environmental policy at university of Texas at Austin
American Chinatown
In "American Chinatown", writer Bonnie Tsui explores the history of five of the country's most famous Chinese neighborhoods. In New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Las Vegas, she examines what defines Chinatowns across the country. Tsui chronicles how a century and a half of Chinese immigration established the importance of Chinatowns to the people that live and work there, and to America at large. Bonnie Tsui joins Larry Mantle to talk about her book.
Bonnie Tsui, author of "American Chinatown: A People's History of Five Neighborhoods" (Free Press, 2009). She is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and a former editor at Travel + Leisure