CALIFORNIA SEX HARASSMENT LAW EXPANDED; BILL TO RESHAPE LAUSD GOVERNANCE; CLASS MOBILITY IN MEXICO; HYBRID TAX BREAKS
CALIFORNIA SEX HARASSMENT LAW EXPANDED
The California Supreme Court ruled yesterday that workers may now sue their employers if a colleague receives a promotion after having an affair with a supervisor. Now the sexual harassment law in California may be used by employees who were not themselves harassed, but who suffered as a result of the sexual harassment of a co-worker. Larry Mantle talks to Southwestern University School of Law professor Chris Cameron about this potentially controversial ruling.
BILL TO RESHAPE LAUSD GOVERNANCE
On Friday, state Sen. Gloria Romero introduced a bill that would empower Los Angeles Mayor Antonia Villaraigosa to appoint members to an expanded Board of Education. The bill would dramatically reshape governance of the nation's second-largest public school system by authorizing the mayor to hire the superintendent, replace the seven elected board members as their current terms expire and add two seats to represent areas of the district outside Los Angeles. Larry Mantle speaks with the state Senator and other guests about the proposal.
CLASS MOBILITY IN MEXICO
Larry talks with Wall Street Journal Deputy Latin American Bureau Chief David Luhnow and UC San Diego economist Gordon Hanson about the lack of class mobility in Mexico. Why is the gap between rich and poor continuing to widen in Mexico, and how is class inequality contributing to the country’s economic and political problems?
HYBRID TAX BREAKS
It sounds like a great idea: give people tax breaks to promote fuel-efficient, hybrid automobiles. (Hybrid cars have an electric motor and a conventional engine, which work together to get more mileage from a gallon of gasoline). But some of the newest hybrids use the technology to add power instead of fuel efficiency. Getting extra horsepower out of an engine is nice, but why should someone who buys a hybrid SUV get a tax break, while someone who buys a more efficient compact car gets nothing? Or is the important thing to promote the use of this emerging technology? Larry discusses the issue with James Bell, publisher of Intellichoice magazine and John Boesel of CalStart.