A new Republican tax plan is expected to call for lower rates and fewer tax brackets. How will G.O.P. leadership negotiate the roll out of this new proposal? The Los Angeles County Dept. of Regional Planning is working on a plan to redevelop and modernize Marina del Rey. Will tourists respond to the renovations?
GOP tax plan to call for lower rates and fewer brackets
An G.O.P. plan to overhaul the nation’s tax plan is expected to call for a lower tax on the top corporate income rate -- a reduction from 35 percent to 25 percent. The plan would also reduce the number of income brackets from seven to two, at 10 percent and 25 percent.
Republicans behind the proposal aim to simplify the tax code. The current plan is the result of nearly three years of work and is reflective of the tax overhaul goals in the Republican-passed budget.
For 99 percent of tax filers, the new plan would mean tax rates at or below 25 percent, with the one percent whose income is above $450,000 paying a 10 percent surcharge on certain types of income. The surcharge notably excludes earners whose income comes from production, manufacturing, and farming.
While Republican Rep. Dave Camp, the man behind the proposal, is excited about his promise to reduce the highest individual tax rate to 25 percent, some G.O.P. leadership has discouraged him from moving forward with the tax plan. Critics have noted the likeliness that the proposed cuts will require the elimination or reduction of popular tax breaks.
What is the best way to reform the tax code to fit in with the U.S.’s fiscal model? How will G.O.P. leadership negotiate the roll out of this new proposal? Could the lower rates be effective?
Guests:
Lauren French, Tax Reporter for POLITICO
Gordon Gray,Director of Fiscal Policy at the American Action Forum, a non-profit and self-described center-right policy institute that provides research and analysis on tax, budget, and healthcare policy issues. Former Deputy Director of Domestic & Economic Policy for Senator Jon McCain’s 2008 Presidential campaign.
Rebecca Wilkins, Senior Counsel for Federal Tax Policy at Citizens for Tax Justice, a 501 (c)(4) public interest research and advocacy organization founded in 1979, focusing on federal, state and local tax policies and their impact upon our nation.
How does the language of music impact society?
In a set of graphs published in the Los Angeles Times last week, data artist Nickolay Lamm tracked the usage of words in pop music through the years, honing in on an increasing trend for musicians to focus on sex.
Lamm tracked the use of certain drugs, alcohol, sexual terms, and more as he cataloged musical trends, finding songs from the past to be more chaste than today’s sexual pop tunes, though perhaps more focused on protest -- war, drugs, and other topical issues. Music has always been a sign of the times -- musicians can frequently become the voice of an era, a movement, or a group of people.
But to what extent does the pop music we listen to reflect our society and culture? And to what extent does our society and culture impact the language musicians use in their songs?
Guest:
Lorraine Ali, music editor at the Los Angeles Times
Marina Del Rey is ready for a makeover, but would tourists respond?
The docks, restaurants and signature lighthouse of Fisherman's Village in Marina del Rey is about to get a major facelift. The Los Angeles County Dept. of Regional Planning is working on a master plan to redevelop and modernize the whole area around Marina del Rey.
The marina has seen better days and the kitschy, maritime décor is no longer attracting tourists to the waterfront. The area has suffered economically with shuttered restaurants and ice cream shops lining the marina.
The new plans are still in development but the county hopes to finalize them by the end of the summer. The new proposals include a wider promenade and more pedestrian space as well as moving the boat ramp.
The new, improved Marina del Rey is designed to appeal to pedestrians and tourists who want to stroll and sit along the waterfront. The county has a lot of leeway to redevelop the marina in whatever way it would like since the county itself is the landowner.
So how will the new designs sit with business and resident groups? Will the makeover bring tourists back to the region? What would locals like to see out of a new, improved marina?
Guests:
Supervisor Don Knabe, represents the 4th district, which includes Marina del Rey
Gina Natoli, supervising regional planner for the Los Angeles County Dept. of Regional Planning
Jon Nahhas, co-founder of The Boating Coalition
Obesity rate among pre-schoolers drops dramatically in a decade
Federal authorities reported Tuesday that the obesity rate for pre-school aged children has dropped forty three percent over the last decade. A federal health survey shows the first substantial decline in obesity in children ages two to four in the last ten years, promising findings in the fight against the obesity epidemic which often takes hold young and may lead to life-long struggles with weight management and disease.
The causes for the decline are still unclear, but many theories suggest that lower consumption of sugary beverages and increased breast-feeding during infancy may have been catalysts. Overall calorie consumption has decreased in the past decade by seven percent for boys and four percent for girls, although health experts said those decreases were too small to have made such a difference.
Supporters of state, local and federal policies aimed at reducing obesity claim that such programs contributed to do the decline in obesity rates, and an overall change in lifestyle and environment may be having an effect. Most experts agree that further research is needed in the coming years.
Guests:
Elizabeth Lopatto, Science Reporter with Bloomberg News
May Wang, Associate Professor, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Michael Goran, Director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center at the USC Kick School of Medicine
LA’s future, seen from the ground level
A new, ambitious survey of Southern California finds residents and policy makers are optimistic about 2014. Released Tuesday, “Forecast LA” from LMU finds that LA County can expect three to four percent growth this year and that most residents feel like the region is on an upswing.
The survey combines an economic forecast with an opinion poll in which 2,400 Angelenos and their local elected leaders were interviewed. So what’s driving the optimism and what’s changing block-by-block around the cities in this county that has people feeling better?
Guests:
Fernando Guerra, Director of The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles and Professor of Political Science, as well as Chicana/o Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He's also a SCPR Board of Trustees member
Andre Quintero, Mayor of El Monte
Pam O’Connor, Mayor of Santa Monica
Austin Beutner, former Deputy Mayor, Los Angeles, and co-author of LA 2020 report
Jeff Cooper, Mayor of Culver City
Fernando Vazquez, Mayor of Downey