NATIONAL DAY LABORERS STUDY; US TO STOP FUNDING IRAQI RECONSTRUCTION; STATE HEARING ON MATH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION; FORD MOTOR RESTRUCTURING PLAN; REVISING CONGRESSIONAL LOBBYING ETHICS; DOES THE CUSTOMER REALLY COME FIRST?
NATIONAL DAY LABORERS STUDY
The first nationwide study of day laborers finds one in five has been hurt on the job and nearly half have been stiffed by employers. The survey also finds the immigrant men who wait for work on street corners across the country have families and attend church regularly. The study offers the most detailed snapshot to date of the mostly Hispanic, and often undocumented, day labor work force. The first nationwide study of America’s 117,600 day laborers was released today by social scientists from UCLA, the University of Illinois at Chicago and New York’s New School University, “On the Corner: Day Labor in the United States” presents findings from a survey of 264 hiring sites in 143 municipalities in 20 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Larry Mantle talks with the study’s co-author, Abel Valenzuela.
US TO STOP FUNDING IRAQI RECONSTRUCTION
The Bush administration announced that it does not intend to seek any new funds for Iraqi reconstruction in the new budget going to congress next month; this despite the fact that many services in Iraq remain at or below pre-war levels and the $18.6 billion approved by Congress in 2003 will be spent by the end of this year. Larry discusses this move with Lt. Colonel Hal Kempfer, with the USMC Reserves, James Phillips, senior policy analyst for Middle Eastern Studies at the Heritage Foundation, and Basam Al-Hussaini, advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Al-Jafari.
STATE HEARING ON MATH AND SCIENCE EDUCATION
On Friday, California lawmakers, educators, and astronaut Dr. Sally Ride explored ways to help teachers provide California students the strongest possible science and math curriculum and inspire them to pursue careers in those disciplines. Larry gets a review of the ideas covered at the hearing from David Seidel, JPL manager of pre-college programs.
FORD MOTOR RESTRUCTURING PLAN
Ford Motor Co. is expected to close plants and cut thousands of jobs in North America as part of a restructuring program to be announced today. Larry talks with David Kiley, of Business Week, about the Ford plan, dubbed the "Way Forward," which also is expected to include product changes and cuts to Ford's salaried ranks.
REVISING CONGRESSIONAL LOBBYING ETHICS
With the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal fresh on everyone’s mind in Washington as the midterm elections approach, both parties have pledged to make lobbying ethics a top issue. Larry gets the details about the different proposals from Rep. Henry Waxman (D-30).
DOES THE CUSTOMER REALLY COME FIRST?
Art Kleiner, a contributing editor at strategy+business magazine and the author of several business books, contends that the old saw "the customer comes first" is a flat-out lie. Kleiner joins Larry Mantle to talk about the structure and politics of business. In his book Who Really Matters: The Core Group Theory of Power, Privilege, and Success, he argues that what drives a majority of business organizations is the desire to satisfy the "Core Group"-executives or employees whose needs and aspirations determine company behavior. Others within an organization immediately sense who is in the Core Group and adjust their behavior accordingly. Kleiner uses a variety of examples of individuals and companies, to show how employees can better understand the mechanisms of the Core Group to advance their careers and he provides strategies for managing unions, shareholders and others in a time when recent scandals have tarnished the image of big corporations.
Art Kleiner will be speaking tonight at University of La Verne at 7 p.m. in La Fetra Auditorium. Part of the Coffee, Cake and Conversation Series. The event is open to the public and admission is free.