Today on AirTalk we'll discuss the LAPD's response to the Occupy protestors use of chalk, what the CSU budget meeting in Long Beach today means for the future of California Schools, why the Deomcrats "Fiscal Cliff" is a game of chicken for the GOP, Yahoo! gets its woman in Marissa Mayer, and why that soundtrack you hear as you dine-out may be more carefully crafted than just the owners ipod on shuffle. Plus, the latest news.
LAPD investigates response to Occupy LA chalk drawings
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched a thorough investigation into clashes with protestors at last Thursday's downtown Art Walk.
Occupy LA activists took to the streets at 5th and Spring with chalk drawings, to campaign against planned downtown developments. They say this was not a protest. Later in the evening, seventeen people were arrested following clashes with police who called the Occupy gathering an "unlawful assembly." In an initial report, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck says his officers "overall responded appropriately", but a more through overall review is needed.
Should Occupy activists be permitted to draw on the streets? Are you surprised at the LAPD’s response? If you attend the Art Walk, what questions do you have about the safety of the event?
Guest:
Rina Palta, Crime and Safety Reporter, KPCC
Melissa Leu, Staff Reporter, Los Angeles Times
Carol Sobel, Co-Chair, Mass Defense Committee of the National Lawyers Guild
CSU criticized for campus presidents raises before they start the job
California State Universities Board of Trustees is meeting in Long Beach today, to discuss issues that will impact CSU's future. On the agenda: Pay hikes, budget alternatives and two-tier tuition pricing. The goal of the meeting is to set up a plan in the event that Governor Brown’s tax increase is not passed on the November ballot.
“This is sort of the final stage of discussion today, seeing what the trade-offs are. But in September we’ll come back with a plan that we would like them [Board of Trustees] to endorse in advance of the election. That way everyone concerned in the University and public knows where we’re going under one scenario or the other,” said Robert Turnage, Associate Vice Chancellor for Budget, California State Universities.
There are two plans up for review. One would see a 5-percent tuition hike, a 2.5-percent reduction in employee pay and benefits as well as a 9-percent increase in international and out of state tuition.
The second plan would cut the enrollment by 1.5 percent, which would lead to the layoff of approximately 750 employees and a 5.25-percent reduction in employee salary and benefits.
Protests by teachers and students are going on during the meeting in large part due to the compensation package for three incoming campus presidents. Each will receive raises ranging from $26,000 to $29,000 above the income of their predecessors which many say is poor symbolism for a struggling system.
“Folks are here to express their displeasure on the issue of executive compensation and some of the changes being proposed to extended education,” said Susan Green, Statewide Treasurer, California Faculty Association.
Members of the California Faculty Association are upset the Board of Trustees would consider approving more than $84,000 in raises, at the same time as discussing budget cuts.
Turnage says he understands the concern but that CSU needs to attract quality leadership by staying competitive with salaries.
“You don’t run a university either in the short run or the long run on symbolism. So again I understand why people pay attention to symbols but the bottom line is that those of us who are entrusted with the university long term have to be thinking about the quality of the institutions long term,” Turnage said.
Should incoming college presidents be paid more than their predecessors? Is this just part of a competitive jobs market, and the best candidates deserve to be financially compensated? Would you expect the incoming presidents to refuse the pay raise until they have proven themselves in the job? Or should the money be ploughed back into the system to help students with tuition or to offer faculty a pay increase?
Guests:
Robert Turnage, Associate Vice Chancellor for Budget, California State Universities
Susan Green, Statewide Treasurer, California Faculty Association
Democrats risk "fiscal cliff" to pressure GOP into raising taxes
It used to be that only death and taxes were inevitable. Now, there are the partisan battles.
On Monday, Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington), a leading Senate Democrat, made it clear that Dems are not backing down. In a speech at the Brookings Institution, Murray announced that Dems are willing to let nearly $600 billion worth of tax hikes and spending cuts take effect in January, unless Republicans agree to raise taxes on the wealthy – possibly pushing the county off a so-called fiscal cliff and back into recession.
“If we can’t get a good deal, a balanced deal that calls on the wealthy to pay their fair share,” Murray said, “then I will absolutely continue this debate into 2013, rather than lock in a long-term deal this year that throws middle class families under the bus.” Murray suggested that “responsible Republicans” should take the lead on pushing for revenue and that failure to do so by January 1, 2013 would make Grover Norquist’s “no tax” pledge irrelevant to the conversation.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) fired back accusing Dems of holding the economy hostage. “Has it come to this, that Democrats are willing to hurt jobs and tank our economy for the sake of a small business tax hike that would also have disastrous consequences? Haven’t their policies caused enough hardship for middle-class families and small business already?” Boehner said in a statement.
How serious is this “fiscal cliff?” Are the Dems playing a dangerous game of chicken with the already struggling economy? Or does it make sense strategically and economically to try to corner Republicans into raising taxes?
Guests:
Isabel Sawhill, Senior Fellow, Co-Director of the Budgeting for National Priorities Project, Brookings Institution
Ryan Ellis, Tax Policy Director, Americans for Tax Reform
Yahoo! celebrates new CEO poached from Google
In what is being trumpeted as a rare coup for the struggling tech giant, Yahoo has named Marissa Mayer its new chief. Several hours after that surprising announcement, Mayer had one of her own – she’s expecting her first child in October.
As a top executive at Google for more than a decade, Mayer, 37, is credited with shaping many of Google's most high-profile pages including the clean, white search page, then heading up its location services, such as Google Maps.
So why would she leave the gigantic innovator for yesteryear's Internet brand? Mayer says "it was a reasonably easy decision." In an interview with The New York Times, Mayer calls Yahoo "one of the best brands on the Internet." She says her business strategy will focus on e-mail, finance and sports coverage, as well as video broadband.
As for her strategy for maternity leave, Mayer said that she’ll take only a few weeks off and will probably work from home during that time. Mayer is easily one of the youngest CEOs of a Fortune 500 company. Most of the young’uns on that list are in their forties, other than Facebook's 28-year-old Mark Zuckerberg. And while she is respected for a long list of successes, Yahoo needs a sure thing to reinvigorate its lagging brand.
Who's taking the bigger risk – Yahoo or Mayer? Will Mayer use her insider knowledge of Google to help Yahoo? Does it matter how young she is? Will her high-profile hire open doors for more women in tech? Will she use her status as a CEO mom to help working mothers gain more rights in the workplace?
Guest:
Matt DeBord, senior reporter and business blogger for KPCC. He writes The DeBord Report for KPCC.org
Cue up the playlist, dinner is served
You’ve scouted out the hottest new restaurant and pored over the menu to make sure it’s appropriate for all parties. Everything has been checked and double-checked to ensure the best dining experience for everyone. Then, when you walk in to the beautiful lobby and are greeted by the friendly hostess, your stomach sinks as you hear a kazoo-rendition of Peter Frampton’s “Baby I Love Your Way.”
OK, that example may be an exaggeration, but surely you’ve found yourself put off by the music blaring into your ears while you’re trying to have a nice meal and share some conversation. Of course, you’ve also sat down to find that not only does the wine pair perfectly with the food, but the musical accompaniment does as well.
Those instances are not likely to be a mistake, as restaurateurs are now hiring specialized companies to find the right kinds of music to play in specific venue. They pick everything from genre to time period to the volume to ensure that the restaurant leaves its customers with a positive experience.
How do these music curators decide what to play? When do they know their musical selections work, and how do they make any necessary adjustments? Why would one restaurant play rock and roll when another may play classical? What type of music do you like to listen to while you chow down?
Guest:
Allen Klevens, founder of Prescriptive Music in Woodland Hills, CA, provides musical selection for a wide variety of restaurants and stores, including Pasadena’s own Lemonade