Pink Slips For District Teachers?; What The Recovery And Reinvestment Act Means For California; Who's Minding The Store? Outlook For Commercial Real Estate Is Bleak; Democrats Put The Brakes On The Omnibus Spending Bill; The High-Functioning Alcoholic
Pink Slips For District Teachers?
Larry talks with A.J. Duffy, President of the United Teachers Association of Los Angeles about the meeting today that will determine if teachers are laid off at the LAUSD.
What The Recovery And Reinvestment Act Means For California
How will the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 help Californians? The California Budget Project, a public policy research group, has released an analysis outlining the more than $50 billion in federal funds that could aid the state. They include increases in federal spending to help balance the state budget and increased funding for education, Medi-Cal, road construction, and child tax credits. Larry Mantle finds out how California could benefit from this federal money with Jean Ross of the California Budget Project.
Who's Minding The Store? Outlook For Commercial Real Estate Is Bleak
After hitting record high prices in 2007, commercial real estate is coming down with foreclosures to the tune of $50 billion nationwide. Thanks in part to increased vacancies, record unemployment and the credit crunch, the number of office, retail, apartment and industrial property mortgages heading into default is expected to triple in 2009. Cleveland and Detroit lead the nation in delinquencies at nearly 4 percent, but our own Riverside County comes in fifth at 2.6 percent. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Larry talks with Robert Bach of Grubb & Ellis Co., and Richard Green, Ph.D of USC.
Democrats Put The Brakes On The Omnibus Spending Bill
As the Senate hashes through Obama's 2010 budget proposal, Democrats are experiencing resistance from their own side of the aisle. While objections from conservative Republicans are no surprise, there are also a number of Democrats who are raising doubts about the allocation of funds. The $410 billion plan is inching closer to approval leaving many hesitant about the far reaching proposals for health-care, energy and education reform. Leading Democrats are still left wondering if many of the issues they hold close, will even register and get a piece of this massive spending bill. Larry talks with Gail Chaddock of The Christian Science Monitor, and Glenn Thrush of politico.com
The High-Functioning Alcoholic
An alcoholic is commonly portrayed as a slurring, stumbling bum. But alcoholics can also be high-functioning, the successful dentist or the college honor student who engages in out-of-control weekend drinking. Of the estimated 18 million Americans with alcoholism, it is thought that at least 20% are high-functioning. Some experts think the figure is even closer to 75-90%. In her book "Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic," Sarah Allen Benton brings insight to this behavior by drawing from research, interviews, and her own recovery from alcoholism. She shows that despite professional or personal successes, all alcoholics have the same disease. She joins Larry Mantle to talk about her book.