New Presidential Poll; Air Traffic Out-of-Control; Solving the Alternative Minimum Tax Problem; The Link Between Doing Good and Living a Longer and Happier Life
New Presidential Poll
The most recent Times/Bloomberg Poll shows that undeclared candidate, former Senator Fred Thompson, is gaining ground on former NY mayor, Rudy Giuliani. Sen. Hillary Clinton still maintains a solid lead in the Democratic competition, followed by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Former Vice President Al Gore came in third despite the fact that he continues to say he has no plans to seek the office. Larry talks about the poll's results with LA Times writer, Michael Finnegan, and Susan Pinkus, director of the LA Times Poll, and asks listeners to weigh in with their views of the candidates.
Air Traffic Out-of-Control
A traffic control mistake nearly ended in disaster last week when a commercial plane came within 50 feet of a small aircraft taking off from San Francisco International. Last Friday a traffic control glitch on the East Coast delayed flights throughout the nation. All of which begs the question: is our air traffic control system capable of handling today's crowded skies? Many experts say no, pointing out that the current air traffic control system is based on 1960s technology. Better systems for guiding aircraft exist but are not widely used, in part because of their expense. Some experts say it would cost $40 billion to upgrade the air traffic control systems nationwide. Larry discusses the safety issue with Captain Terry McVenes of the Airline Pilots Association, Mike Foote of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, and Basil Barimo, of the Air Transport Association.
Solving the Alternative Minimum Tax Problem
The Alternative Minimum Tax, or "AMT," was established in 1970 to prevent high income taxpayers from using loopholes to avoid paying taxes. Now, however, increasing numbers of middle income taxpayers find themselves crippled by the tax. By 2010, almost 1 in 5 taxpayers are predicted to be subject to the AMT. House Democrats are now moving to lessen the impact of the AMT by increasing taxes for America's wealthiest households. Larry Mantle talks with Democratic Congressman Xavier Becerra, conservative tax reform advocate Ryan Ellis, and Eugene Steuerle, of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
The Link Between Doing Good and Living a Longer and Happier Life
Dr. Stephen Post has spent years studying the effects of compassionate behavior on the quality of life. In his newest book, Why Good Things Happen to Good People (Broadway), Post draws on his lengthy research to demonstrate how acts of kindness lead to a happier and healthier life. Stephen Post joins Larry to discuss his recent findings linking living longer with doing "good."