Obama's 2012 budget is released. Should protesters be jailed? Will Google revolutionize buying airfare? “Double belongers” practice cafeteria-style spirituality.
The budget fight round 1: Obama’s spending cuts aren’t deep enough for House Republicans
President Obama’s new 3.7 trillion budget promises to reduce deficit spending by $1.1 trillion over the next decade. His plan calls for deep spending cuts in domestic programs including heating subsidies for the poor, eliminating Pell grants for summer classes, and grants for airports and water-treatment plants. In addition to cuts, his plan calls for tax increases for married couples making more than $250,000. It’s not all about cuts however; Obama will make room for growth in education, infrastructure and clean energy. The President has vowed to reduce the deficit by half by the end of his first term, but Republicans in the House feel Obama’s efforts aren’t ambitious enough and are calling for more and deeper spending cuts. Some have criticized the President for neglecting to overhaul entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security, which account for close to 40 percent of the budget and are predicted to have a substantial impact on the deficit as baby boomers start to cash-in. Republicans are planning to cut spending by as much as $100 billion in the current fiscal year and they will be writing their own proposed budget for 2012. How far will the Republican budget proposal be from Obama’s and how much is either side going to be willing to compromise? Is this round 1 of many fights to come?
Guests:
Phil Mattingly, reporter, Bloomberg News
John Campbell, Republican Congressman from District 48, Orange County: Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel.
Scott Lilly, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress; former staff director of House Appropriations Committee
Should protesters be jailed?
Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich is taking a hard line approach against protesters, wanting jail time for dozens of people arrested during recent political demonstrations. Previously, first-time offenders could negotiate charges down to minor infractions resulting in, say, a $100 fine. But Trutanich has eliminated such plea hearings. As a result, demonstrators convicted of unlawful assembly could face up to a year in jail. Trutanich says his goal is predictability: “In order for us to have a civilized society, there has to be a predictable result when you break the law. I want to make sure that they don't do it again.” Critics have accused the City Attorney of attempting to squelch dissent. Supporters say he’s not trying to stop protesters, he’s trying to enforce the law and protect public safety. What say you? Should the city crack down on protesters? Or is this a dangerous infringement on the First Amendment rights of people taking a stand for something they believe?
Guests:
Carmen Trutanich, Los Angeles City Attorney
Mia Yamamoto, Criminal Defense Attorney representing one of the protesters facing misdemeanor charges for a May 21 protest at City Hall over rent hikes
Psst! Looking for a cheap flight?
If you’re looking for a down-and-dirty, no frills, just-get-me-there kind of flight you probably do what millions of Americans do - surf sites like Expedia, Kayak and Orbitz to comparison shop. But soon there may be another option and its name is Google. The mega media giant that brought us Gmail, Google TV, and Google Maps aims to improve online shopping for consumers. “Google Flights” or “Google Travel” could be coming to your computer soon and just may revolutionize the way we shop for flights. The details are still murky, but one thing is clear - the competition is worried. Google wants to buy a software program that could give it a distinct advantage over competitors. Anti-trust lawyers are already taking notice. With or without the software, will Google use its massive search engine to direct every flight and travel related inquiry to its site or will it share the love? Will Google incorporate a new technology American Airlines is pushing, which gives the consumer a more tailored shopping experience, allowing them to factor in things like fees and not just fares? How will Google’s new site affect consumers and what impact will it have on the entire on-line travel industry? Adjust your seat backs and strap yourself in, things could get bumpy.
Guests:
Charlie Leocha, Director, Consumer Travel Alliance, Inc.
Tom Barnett, Counsel for Expedia. He recently served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division
Cory Garner, director of distribution strategy, American Airlines
One person, two faiths – “double-belonging” sparks religious debate
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion (or non-religion). It also protects practitioners of “double belonging,” people who follow two religions simultaneously. Americans are used to being able to pick and chose from various religious traditions. What’s wrong with a Christian doing yoga or a Jew donning Buddha earrings? So-called double-belongers take it further, embracing two distinctly different traditions with a profound sense of belief and involvement in both. But in religious circles, these people are often criticized as superficial, cafeteria-style spiritualists. Is there a lack of tolerance for the bi-faithful? Can one be truly committed to two religions simultaneously?
Guest:
Rev. Monica A. Coleman, Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religions at Claremont School of Theology and Co-Director of the Center for Process Studies is an ordained elder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; author of The Dinah Project: a Handbook for Congregational Response to Sexual Violence and Making a Way Out of No Way: a Womanist Theology. In 2005, the interdenominational preaching magazine The African American Pulpit named Coleman one of the “Top 20 to Watch” – The New Generation of Leading Clergy: Preachers under 40.