The aftermath of the Arizona shooting. Good morning California – here’s your sobering budget preview.
Aftermath of Arizona shooting
U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords is in critical condition after Saturday’s shooting rampage in Tucson, Arizona. Six people were left dead and 14 injured, including Giffords. The suspect, 22-year old Jared Loughner, appears to be a troubled young man who acted alone. Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who is overseeing the investigation, said the "vitriol" in today's political discourse contributed to the incident and that Arizona has become "a Mecca for prejudice and bigotry." Pundits and politicos on all sides of the political spectrum have also been quick to assign blame and, in some cases, use this tragic incident to forward political agendas on issues ranging from tighter gun control and health care reform to border security. Is all the talk about political vitriol valid? How will this tragedy affect national politics?
Guests:
Michel Marizco, KJZZ’s Changing America Desk Reporter
Xavier Becerra, Democratic Congressman representing California’s District 31; Senior Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Democratic member of the Arizona State Senate, where she represents the 15th district; she previously served three terms in the Arizona House of Representatives from January 2005 to January 2011
Ed O’Keefe, Washington Post Staff Writer and Editor of The Federal Eye blog.
Judy May Chu, Ph.D, U.S. Representative for California's 32nd congressional district, serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Chu was previously Chair of the California Board of Equalization, representing the 4th District. She had also served on the Garvey Unified School District Board of Education, the Monterey Park City Council and the California State Assembly.
Dr. Neil Martin, Professor & Chairman of Dept of Neurosurgery at UCLA. Dr. Martin has 30 years of clinical/surgical experience with trauma neurosurgery. He has had 20 years of ICU research on traumatic brain injury within the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center– has been called the worldwide leader in brain injury research.
Good morning California – here’s your sobering budget news
Jerry Brown is the state’s new governor, but he’s got the same old problem with the budget—over the next 18 months the upcoming deficit will swell to $28 billion. Brown’s proposed budget, released this morning, relies on $12.5 billion in spending cuts and tax hikes. Brown is calling for the temporary continuation of taxes while the state pays off debt, an eight to 10 percent cut in take-home pay for most state employees, a “vast and historic” restructuring of government operations, and changes to the role that state and local governments play in local development activities. “These cuts will be painful, requiring sacrifice from every sector of the state, but we have no choice,” Brown said. What else is on the Governor's budget chopping block? Is his plan workable? Is it enough? Can lawmakers and voters live with the painful austerity measures?
Guest:
Frank Stoltze, KPCC reporter
Jean Ross, Executive Director, California Budget Project
Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor representing the Third District
Raphael Sonenshein, Professor, Political Science, CSU Fullerton; his latest book is Los Angeles: Structure of a City Government. He is also the author of The City at Stake: Secession, Reform, and the Battle for Los Angeles and Politics in Black and White: Race and Power in Los Angeles.
Jessica Levinson, Director of Political Reform at the Center for Governmental Studies; Adjunct Professor at Loyola Law School, teaching Campaign Finance
Anthony Wright, Executive Director, Health Access California