Tough Budget Choices; Pros and Cons of Off-Shore Oil Drilling; FilmWeek Reviews; It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Another Comic Book Movie!
Tough Budget Choices
Governor Schwarzenegger is trying to coax legislative leaders into a compromise on California's overdue budget. Democratic lawmakers have proposed tax hikes on the rich to close the $15.2 billion shortfall, but Republicans are vowing to block any new taxes. Instead, they've suggested using funds voters have set aside for transportation and local government services. Larry talks with Karen Bass, Speaker of the Assembly, H.D. Palmer, Deputy Director of External Affairs, California State Department of Finance, and Earp, Executive Director of the California Alliance for Jobs, about the various proposals being considered.
Pros and Cons of Off-Shore Oil Drilling
A new Field Poll shows California residents are re-considering their long-held opposition to offshore drilling. Thursday's survey revealed that 43% of Californians support the idea of drilling for oil or natural gas along the state's coast, compared with 51% who oppose it. In a 2005 Field Poll, 39% of Californians supported such drilling, compared with 56% in opposition. On Monday, the Bush administration lifted the two-decade federal ban on off-shore oil drilling but this decision will have no practical impact unless Congress acts with legislation to lift the ban. Larry talks with John Campbell, Republican Congressman from California's 48th District, and Anna Eshoo, Democratic Congresswoman from California's 14th District, about the pros and cons of lifting the ban on off-shore drilling.
FilmWeek Reviews
Larry and critics Andy Klein, of CityBeat, Jean Oppenheimer, of Village Voice Media, and Charles Solomon, of amazon.com, review some of the week's new feature films including "The Dark Knight," "Mamma Mia!," "Space Chimps," "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," "Sword of a Stranger," "Kenny," and "The Grocers Son."
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Another Comic Book Movie!
Summer is traditionally time for blockbusters at the cinema and these days blockbusters often mean films based on comic book superheroes. Larry and FilmWeek critics Wade Major, Andy Klein, and Charles Solomon discuss what makes a superhero successful on screen and why so many of them seem to be swooping down upon us.