Secretary of State Kevin Shelley Resigns; Men's Central Jail; Growing Pains at the Department of Homeland Security; Super Bowl Ads
Secretary of State Kevin Shelley Resigns
Secretary of State Kevin Shelley resigned from office on Friday, and the California Democratic Party lost what most considered a “rising star” on the political scene. Shelley was plagued by investigations into campaign finances and his conduct in office. His resignation becomes effective March 1st. Experts join Host Larry Mantle to discuss the story and to speculate on whom Governor Schwarzenegger will appoint to take Shelley’s place. Larry's guests are: Bill Jones, Former Secretary of State; Conny McCormack, Register Recorder for Los Angeles County; Gloria Romero, State Senator representing the 24th district; and Sherry Bebitch-Jeffe, Political Analyst and Senior Scholar at the School of Public Policy Planning and Development at USC.
Men's Central Jail
A confidential report, “leaked” to the LA Times last week, reportedly found that the Men’s Central Jail in Downtown LA is outdated, understaffed, and riddled with security flaws. So much so that the lives of guards and inmates could be in danger. The LA County Board of Supervisors ordered the report which was presented to them in November. Larry speaks with Supervisor Yvonne Burke and Michael Gennaco, of the county’s Office of Independent Review about the problems facing LA County’s jails and possible solutions.
Growing Pains at the Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security is about to get a new leader: Michael Chertoff, a federal appeals court judge, who is expected to be confirmed this week. The DHS has been criticized for in-fighting and for not developing a clear strategic plan to make America safer—especially in the areas of chemical plants, rail yards, and infrastructure. Dan Prieto, Research Director for Homeland Security Partnership Initiative at Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and James Jay Carafano, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation join Host Larry Mantle to discuss the growth of the DHS.
Super Bowl Ads
The commercials unveiled during the Super Bowl broadcast can sometimes be the most entertaining portion of the game. Larry talks with Jim Hanas, of AdCritic.com to get the industry take on the best and worst of this year’s crop and asks AirTalk listeners to weigh in with their opinions.